36 



Carlow, near Bagnalstown, and made some general remarks on 

 Irish cinerary urns, &c. 



This urn was discovered in the cutting for the Southern 

 Railway. 



It is the most beautiful of its kind ever found in Ireland. 

 It measures only four inches across, and is of a cup-like shape, 

 and covered with elaborate carvings. It was found full of 

 portions of burned human bones, and was immersed in ano- 

 ther and a larger urn. - 



Sir William Betham read a letter received by him from 

 Charles Haliday, Esq., M. R. I. A. 



" Monkstown Park, . 

 "■Jan. 8, 1848. 



" Dear Sir William, — I have little doubt that the coins 

 sent to the Academy were found either in pulling down my 

 house, &c., on Arran-quay, or in preparing foundations for 

 rebuilding. The house was purchased nearly sixty years since 

 from Samuel Burrowes, father, I think, of the late Dean Bur- 

 rowes, who had previously carried on the business of an apothe- 

 cary there for many years. In this house my brother, William 

 Haliday, resided and died, and if the coins were found in the 

 house, they must have been his ; and he never collected anti- 

 quities except those found in Ireland. 



" These coins were brought to me by the person who 

 overlooked the workmen, and I think he then mentioned they 

 were ' part of some things which had been found.' At the 

 time I was much engaged by pressing and most important 

 business, and not being a collector of coins or antiquities, I 

 paid little attention to the matter until, casually meeting my 

 old friend, Dr. Petrie, in a railway carriage, it was brought 

 to my recollection by an anecdote of his ardent pursuit of 

 some coins at an early period of life. A few days after I 

 selected them from the drawer into which I had thrown them, 



