467 



froirfan ancient Irish historical tale, The Death ofMuircher- 

 tach mac Erca, a passage which speaks of the Cathach, the 

 Bell of St. Patrick, and the Miosach of St. Camech, as the 

 three great and celebrated relics of the Northern Hy-Niall 

 and Hy-Connellians. 



If this be the Miosach here spoken of, it is a singular cir- 

 cumstance that these three celebrated reliquaries now stand 

 together on the table of the Academy, and will be exhibited 

 together in the Antiquarian Court of our Dublin Exhibition. 



It is fair to say, however, that Dr. Petrie doubts whether 

 the Bell of St. Patrick, now before the Academy, is the bell 

 intended in the document just quoted as one of the three great 

 Hy-Niall relics. There is another bell of St. Patrick in his 

 own collection, which he conceives has an equal claim to be so 

 considered. It is understood, however, that Dr. Petrie intends 

 to exhibit his bell also, and therefore the remark just made will 

 still prove true, that the three great relics of the Hy-Niall may 

 this year be seen together in the singularly interesting anti- 

 quarian collection which will be shortly open to the public in 

 the Dublin Exhibition. 



Dr. Todd was unwilling to detain the Academy with any 

 further discussion on this subject, as he hoped on a future oc- 

 casion to make some further remarks on the Miosach when 

 there was not so great a pressure of business before the Aca- 

 demy. He omitted, also, all notice of the Bell of St. Patrick, 

 because the admirable history of it drawn up by Dr. Reeves 

 was already in the hands of all students of Irish archaeology. 



Dr. Petrie made some observations on the several remains 

 of antiquity exhibited to the meeting by Dr. Todd, and di- 

 rected attention to the fact that such shrines or reliquaries 

 usually exhibited work of different ages, consequent upon 

 repairs or restorations, or from a desire to increase their 

 beauty by additions, according to the prevailing taste of the 



