Lenihan — On an Ancient Bronze Shield. 155 



XXII. — Ok an Ancient Bronze Shield, found in the County 

 Limerick. By Maurice Lenihan, M. B. I. A. [Abstract.] 

 (With Blate VIII., Pol. Lit. & Antiq.) 

 [Read June 24, 1872.] 



The ancient bronze shield now brought under the notice of the Aca- 

 demy was found in a bog between Ballinamona and Herbertstown, in 

 the County of Limerick, and not far from Lough Gur (anciently Loch 

 Gair). It was drawn out of the bog by a boy with a gaff, who, in 

 doing so, broke several holes in the shield, where he struck it with the 

 gaff. In plate No. VIII. (Pol. Lit. and Antiq.) will be found repre- 

 sentations of the face and back of this shield. It consists of a disc of 

 thin bronze, nearly flat, or very slightly convex, strengthened by a 

 series of concentric circles, six in number, formed of hollow bosses, 

 surrounding the umbo, or central boss. The shield appears to have 

 been borne on the hand, and has contrivances for slinging it on the 

 shoulder. The slinging loops are fixed so as to form on the obverse 

 bosses equal in size to those' contained in the circles. It measures 

 2 feet 3f inches in diameter. The rim is an inch and three-quarters in 

 width — the handle, which is fixed similarly to the slinging loops, is six 

 inches in length across the interior of the umbo. The bosses are about 

 200 in number. The handle, which, as I have stated, traverses the umbo 

 interiorly, appears to have been intended for rather a small hand, such 

 as those of the Normans were, and such as those of the Scandinavians, 

 generally speaking, must have been, if we can judge from the small size 

 of the sword hilts preserved in Danish museums. I do not, however, 

 contend that the shield is Danish, unless indeed it belongs to the period 

 of the old Danes or Tuatha de Danaan. In close fight, or against 

 arrows, the shield, though rather a light one, would have proved a 

 very effectual defence. 



Although weapons — spears, swords, &c. — have been found in all 

 parts of the country in considerable numbers, extremely few shields 

 have been found. Indeed, so far as my reading informs me, only one 

 bearing any resemblance to the present one has been found in Ireland. 

 Logan (Antiquities of Scotland) speaks of but one shield having been 

 found in that country — which he states was not bronze, but steel ; 

 and he alleges that it was in the possession of the Earl of Marr. 

 I have, however, been informed by my friend the Bev. James Graves, 

 Treasui'er of St. Canice's, Kilkenny, that, in the course of a recent visit 

 to Scotland, he saw two shields in the National Museum at Edinburgh, 

 somewhat like, but by no means so large, or so fine, as the one 

 now exhibited to the Academy. Pennant in his Tour through 

 Wales (vol. ii. pp. 362-3) tells us, that in 1784, opposite to 

 Bed Keret, is Movel BZedog ; in a bog not far from that mountain, 

 was found, in 1784, a most curious brass shield, which Mr. 

 Williams of Lanidan favoured him with a sight of; its diameter 

 is two feet two inches — the weight four pounds. In the centre was 

 a plain umbo, projecting above two inches. The surface of the shield 



E. I. A, PROC. — VOL. II., BER. II., POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. Z 



