170 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



acknowledge on the other hand that they left behind them illuminated 

 and other manuscripts of the greatest importance. Italy, Switzerland, 

 Germany and England possess Irish MSS. of marvellous beauty ; one 

 now in Milan dates from the sixth century and is of priceless value. 



The strongest testimony of the truth of the bardic annals is re- 

 corded by a scientific Frenchman in his work " The Verification of 

 Dates." He points out how an Irish monk relates eclipses of the 

 sun as having taken place long before the introduction of Christian- 

 ity into Ireland. In "The Annals of Innisfallen " he found the fol- 

 lowing entries: — A.D. 445, a solar echpse in ninth hour. On test- 

 ing this he ascertained a solar eclipse visible North west Europe, 

 July 28th at 5^ p. m. same date. Again, A. D., 664 (Irish MS.) 

 darkness ninth hour (May); a total eclipse of the sun took 

 place, visible to Europe, Africa, at 3}^ p. m. ist May of that year. 



In the " Etruria Celtica " Sir Wilham Beethan mentions that 

 Orosius, a writer of the fifth century states that a pharos or fire 

 tower was, according to tradition in his time, erected on the coast of 

 Celtiberian Galicia as a guide to ships coming from Britain by Her- 

 cules. The Milesian bards claim that their forefathers sailed from 

 Tuir Breogan, Galicia. That seems confirmatory, but they may only 

 have followed the same course as their Phoenician predecessors, by 

 whom the original Pharos of Bregia was erected. This granted, the 

 circumstance leads to such a conclusion It is expressly admitted 

 that the Aryan tribe or tribes, which subjugated the Dananns, were 

 a rude, warlike people, inferior as regards civilization, but superior 

 in courage ; that they possessed some knowledge of astronomy, nav- 

 igation and other things is evident. It is difficult to see how, engaged 

 in incessant warfare in pre-Christian times, they could have ac- 

 quired the skill to manufacture various articles with which they are 

 credited. Take for instance, the silver shields at Airget Ross (Silver 

 Wood) on the River Nore, B. C. 1383; the coins struck at the 

 same place 881 B. C. ; the goblets and brooches plated with 

 gold at Foharta (the Liffey), the ranks distinguished by seven named 

 colors in garments (tartans), in the reign of Tiernmas, B. C. 1620; 

 the four-horsed chariots B. C. 1024. It is very singular that 

 while the early chronicles give us accounts of the inaugura- 

 tion of various Irish kings there is no reference to a crown 

 having been used for the ceremony. This circumstance led Wilde 

 and others to conclude that the beautiful golden diadems, some or- 



