98 Proceedimjii of the Roi/al Irish Aeadem//. 



and argues from this passage that a lively trade must have existed between 

 Gaul and Ireland at that period. 



Professor Zimmer concludes that a brisk direct export and import trade 

 connexion existed in the first century between Ireland and the West Gaulish 

 ports at the Loire and Garonne mouths. 



We may quote the following from among Professor Zimmer's concluding 

 remarks on this portion of his argument: — " The present investigation has, 

 indeed, its own object ; but it pursues besides that of partly supplementing 

 now, by facts, a later investigation which will expose the credulousness 

 and short-sightedness which lie at the root of the dogma of the immigration of 

 the Gaels to Ireland by way of Britain ; and I suppose I may at least claim, 

 from wliat has been proved up to the present, that the view referred to 

 should not be brought into the field against me as a proof of an intermediary 

 role played by Britain." (p. 380.) 



As this point is important, I may be peraiitted to mention that, as far back 

 as 1895, 1 had reached on archaeological grounds a similar conclusion. When 

 discussing the passage in Tacitus, I concluded: " But putting aside preconceived 

 ideas based on the relative positions of the two islands with respect to the . 

 Continent, . . . taking into consideration the Ixilief then existing that Ireland lay 

 between Britain and Spain, which seems to imply a southern branch of trade 

 with Ireland, as distinguished from the cross-channel trade with Britain 

 and Gaul ; . . . looking at the map of Europe, we can readily understand that, 

 to ships from tlie south, Britain would appear to lie north of Ireland. . . . The 

 cross-chaimel trade between Gaul and Britain was in the hands of the Veneti, 

 and it is probable that a sea-going trade from the more southern parts of 

 Gaul, and probably Spain, wouM be directed to the south-west of Britain 

 and to Ireland.'" It thus appears that Professor Zimmer has reached a 

 similar conclusion. He handles the passage in Tacitus in a striking and 

 novel way, and has supplemented it by giving much evidence of definite 

 details which his great knowledge of ancient Irish literature renders of much 

 importance. 



The tales included in the ancient litcrattue of Ireland are too often 

 regarded as fabulous inventions, and dismissed with a superior smile as 

 unworthy of the attention of serious historians. But tliere have always been 

 people in Ireland who have paid attention to these ancient tales ; and now 

 that a more critical spirit has at length been brought to bear upon them by 

 archaeologists and scholars, such as Sir John Rhys, Professor Ridgeway, and 

 Professor Meyer, they have been shown to contain many important and 



' Journal Kojai Soc. of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. xxv., p. 27. 



