108 Proceedings of ihe Rnj/al Ir/fih Academy. 



possession of the persons to whom these skeletons belonged ; Imt there was 

 no evidence of ' interment ' having taken place ; and, from all the attendant 

 cii'cumstances, the investigator was left to believe one or other of two 

 suppositious : the firet was, that the bodies were buried in all the panoply of 

 war, witli their weapons, offensive and defensive, and their armour, decorations, 

 tools, and implements upon them — either hastily after a battle, or according 

 to the usage of the people to wliom they belonged — which latter was not 

 only unlikely, but, from the shallow surface of the soil covering them, most 

 improbable. The other and most likely conjecture was, that these Scandi- 

 navian invaders were killed in battle or some sudden skirmish, and lay there 

 on the lightly covered gravel field, on the south side of the Lifl'ey, until the 

 birds of prey picked their bones, and the weeds, grass, and soil accunuilated 

 over them during the last eight or nine hundred years." 



'i'hc report gives a list of the articles found, which included five complete 

 iron swords, much corroded, but with handles, and a decorated sword-handle, 

 six Rjiear-licad.s, four shield-bosses, a white metal helmet-crest, several knife- 

 blades, a sickle-like hook, hammer-heads, shears, and tongs, several large- 

 headed nails, and other pieces of iron, together with .sharpening stones, .spindle- 

 whorls, and various articles of household economy. Tliere were also found 

 two pairs of scales, ten decorated weights, mantle pins, brooches, jewelled studs, 

 a miniature battle-axe of white metal and an ornamented bronze strap buckle. 

 In all about seventy-eight specimens, together with a large quantity of human 

 bones, but no perfect skull. 



Illustrations in the text are given of the decorated sword-hilt, the white 

 metal helmet-crest, five of the weights, the miniature battle-axe, one portion 

 of a tortoise-brooch, and a portion of the bronze strap. 



It is forty-four years since Sir William Wilde's account was published ; 

 ami Mr. Coflcy had long wished to get the objects arranged and publislied. 

 The principal ones had never been illustrated, and were so covered witli rust 

 that the ornamented sword-hills were quite concealed. The importance of 

 the find as the latgcst collective one of Norse or Danish objects found in 

 Ireland, as well as the fact that the conclusions arrived at in Sir W. Wilde's 

 paper seemed to require reconsideration, suggested a full puljlication of all 

 the objects, together \vith those found at Kilmainham and the neighbourhood. 

 The recent appointment of an assistant to Mr. Cofley rendered this more 

 feasible, and all the objects of these finds are now fully displayed in the 

 Museum. 



Sir William Wilde's list of the antiquities procured in this find commences 

 with the swords, which are described as " Five complete iron swords, much 

 corroded, but with handles ; also a decorated swordhandle. They are 



