69 
brindled, or black; it is exceedingly hardy ; its milk is abundant and 
rich, and it possesses the additional advantage of rapidly fattening upon 
very moderate fare when brought from its native mountains into the 
plains and fertile country. This race have small heads, and rather short 
horns, turning upwards. They are very docile, although Fynes Mory- 
son, writing in the times of Elizabeth, and Thomas Dineley, in those of 
Charles II., describe them as exceedingly ungentle, and ‘“‘ as wicked 
and rebellious as the people.’ Several possess many of the finest 
points belonging to the modern short-horns, and are in some respects 
superior as a stock, owing to their fattening as well as their milking 
qualities. Their beef is also most excellent. As was recently stated 
by his Excellency Lord Eglinton, ‘‘they are the thoroughbreds of 
cattle.” Their chief localities are at present the mountains of the 
Kerry and Cork; but it is more than probable that in former times the 
race existed in all the regions of Ireland. It was said that during 
hard winters the people of Kerry thatched their cattle by means of mats 
tied on their backs. Droves of small Kerries are driven by jobbers over 
the whole country every year, and may sometimes be seen perambulat- 
ing the streets of Dublin. Third, the Irish long-horns, similar to, but 
not identical with, the Lancashire and Craven; for while many of the 
race had wide-spreading horns, only slightly curved, the great majority 
of the Irish turned so completely inwards that they either crossed in front 
of or behind the mouth, or pressed so much inwards towards the cheek 
as to become a source of great irritation to the animal, and to require 
amputation. They were generally a red or brindled colour; had large 
bones, grew to a great size, particularly as bullocks, aud their drooping 
horns, sloping gracefully under the chin, gave them a particularly calm 
expression of face. They were covered with a plentiful supply of hair, 
which protected them from the inclemency of the weather. This, toge- 
ther with the peculiarity of their: constitutions, rendered them an ex- 
ceedingly hardy race of cattle, never requiring winter fodder, except 
when the ground was covered with snow. They were not much used 
as milkers, but were the principal cattle sent to the Dublin market or 
exported to England thirty years ago. Their hides were of great value, 
being, when tanned, at least half an inch thick, and I have reason to 
believe that it was these hides which gained for the Irish leather so much 
celebrity both at home and abroad in former times. This breed princi- 
pally abounded on the plains of Roscommon, and might justly be termed 
the Connaught ox. Fortunes were made in former times, chiefly out of 
these cattle, which would scarcely be credited at the present day. They 
grew, as I already stated, to a great size; but they took four or five 
years to come to perfection. Compared with some of the short-horned 
races, they possessed, I might almost say, an immunity from disease ; 
they were very docile, and made good ploughers and cart oxen. I have 
heard it stated that this breed was imported from England about seventy 
years ago; but among the great collection of bones found at Dunshaughlin 
I discovered specimens of this race, although smaller than my old com- 
R. I. ACAD. PROC.—VOL. VII. N 
