Frazer and Johnson — On Five Gold Fibidce. 777 



120 ounces of gold to O'Lochlainn, King of Meath, and five score ounces 

 were paid by Diarmid O'Melaughlynii to Rory 0' Conor for West- 

 meath. 



A.D. 1168. Dermod Mac Murrogh. gave one hundred ounces of gold 

 to Tiernan O'Rourke for Ms " Einach" or atonement. 



A.D. 1169. Donough O'Carroll, Lord of Airghialla, died, having 

 bestowed 300 ounces of gold upon clerics and churches. (See the 

 " Annals of the Four Masters" and " "Wilde's Catalogue.") 



"When "Wilde's catalogue was published thirty-three years ago, it 

 embraced fifteen specimens of Minns or Lunulae, thin semicircular gold 

 ornaments considered to be intended for wearing as head decorations, 

 which resemble the ornaments found on statues and sculptures of 

 early date found in Greece and Asia Minor, and have also been some- 

 times compared to the Nimbi painted around representations of saints. 

 I mention these Minns, as their mode of ornamentation is similar to 

 that found on Irish gold fibulae, and Mr. Johnson has kindly 

 permitted me to exhibit one of them which he owns. "We have at 

 present in our museum thirty of these Minns, double the number 

 the printed catalogue contained. 



A similar increase has taken place in our collection of fibulae, 

 including all the varieties, Mammillary fibulae, Brooches, and Armillae, 

 large and small. We own about 120 specimens instead of 70, and this 

 causes me to suggest that as the Academy possesses an available 

 manuscript list of all our gold ornaments with correct weights of every 

 specimen, it ought, I think, to be published for the use of students 

 of Irish Antiquities. 



I fear the numerous tales related of discoveries of vast treasures 

 of rings and other gold articles in Ireland, are not always historically 

 or strictly correct. The discovery of the gr6at Clare find is beyond 

 question, but the great amount of gold then unearthed was never ascer- 

 tained, and of course is now impossible to conjecture. Through the 

 exertions of Dr. Todd, Mr. Halliday, and other Members of this 

 Academy, we obtained possession of upwards of 174 ounces of gold 

 from this source; some pieces passed to the British Museum, others 

 into private hands, still the sum of £3000, at which its value has been 

 guessed is based on mere surmises. 



I have memoranda of a great Wicklow find contained in some notes 

 of the late Mr. Clibborn ; it is said the discoverer obtained £7000 for 

 the gold, and the goldsmith who melted it, resold the ingots for 

 £11,000. This is a tradition for which I can produce no confirmation 

 whatever, and I cannot even say that I believe it. 



3 P 2 



