614 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



sources, my informants being those who are brought into close contact 

 with the everyday life of the people. So far as it goes it is believed 

 to be accurate. No attempt has been made to do otherwise than 

 describe the actual state of the case, and while the faults of the 

 people are not extenuated, yet any circumstances which may explain 

 these are given as far as possible, and their good qualities are believed 

 to be stated without exaggeration. 



To the casual visitor the people, on acquaintance, are decidedly 

 attractive ; in the outlying parts of the district, it is tiue, they are at 

 first rather suspicious of strangers, but after a short time are very 

 obligiug and communicative, ready to show anything of interest in 

 their neighbourhood, and hospitable to the best of their power. The 

 natives of both the islands at Inishkea, are very hospitable and 

 kindly to strangers, of whom they are, however, rather distrustful, 

 a visitor being welcomed into their houses, and entertained with the 

 best they can give. With each other they seem in all parts of the 

 district to be much given to chaff and joking of a more or less 

 practical nature, and their sense of the ridiculous seems to be rather 

 keen. In times of trouble or distress they are very kind, generous 

 with what they have, and helpful to one another. 



They are fond of music, dancing, and bright colours, and more 

 than one song-maker in their own tongue, the Irish, has been a native 

 of this district ; amongst these was the celebrated Dick Barrett, 

 several of whose productions have been collected and published. In 

 common with most of the people of our rural districts, there do 

 not seem to be many traces of artistic taste, and a native art 

 is conspicious by its absence. One or two instances of attempted 

 decoration were observed in Inishkea, none on the mainland. 



On the whole, though cases of dishonesty and sharp practice in 

 bargaining occur, they are honest in their dealings with one another. 

 As is often the case in remote districts, the people of one locality 

 are sometimes on strained relations with those of another ; thus there 

 exists a certain amount of jealousy and distrust between the natives 

 of the two Inishkeas, while the people of the mainland do not readily 

 amalgamate with those of either island. 



As regards intelligence, they are extremely sharp and shrewd, 

 and seem rather fond of argumentation. There is but little crime, 

 with the exception of illicit distillation and drunkenness, but the people 

 are very litigious, going to law with each other about slight trespasses 

 and similar matters. This tendency is not by any means of recent 

 origin, but has been remarked on by several writers. Maxwell 



