290 Royal Irish Academy. 



clay witli which, all the objects were more or less covered also bore 

 out his statement as to their place of discovery." 



11. It is obvious, therefore, from the above particulars that the 

 find is Treasure Trove, and should have been forwarded by the finder 

 to the Chief Secretary, or to the Academy, or delivered to the Con- 

 stabulary of the district. 



12. The first information which the Council of the Academy had 

 of the matter was the report of the meeting at which the above Paper 

 was read, which appeared in the Athencewm of January 30th, 1897, 

 This report was laid before the Council at its meeting on 1st February, 

 and the matter was referred to the Museum Committee to take such 

 action as was possible with a view to securing the objects for the 

 Museum, and with power to communicate with the Crown Solicitor is 

 necessary. The Committee carefully considered the circumstances of 

 the case as published, and both the Secretary of the Academy and the 

 Secretary of Council had interviews with the Chief Crown Solicitor, 

 and brought under his notice the report of the above-mentioned meet- 

 ing before which the objects were laid. 



13. The objects were subsequently purchased by the British 

 Museum. 



14. It appears therefore to the Council of the Academy that there 

 has been a distinct breach of the regulations regarding treasiu^e trove 

 found in Ireland, and that it is a matter calling for the strictest inves- 

 tigation, how objects of treasure trove found in Ireland have been 

 acquired by a museum in England without having been submitted to 

 the Chief Secretary directly or to the Eoyal Irish Academy. 



15. The Council feel strongly that, although the British Museum 

 is one of the public museums of the United Kingdom, yet the proper 

 place in which these objects should be deposited is the Eoyal Irish 

 Academy's Collection in the Museum of Science and Art, Dublin, and 

 that the Treasury should be urged to take steps for the transfer of 

 these objects to the Museum in Dublin similar to the steps taken in 

 1884 for the transfer of the Shrine of St. Lachtin referred to in 

 paragraph 8. 



Your memorialists therefore respectfully request that Your 

 Excellency may be pleased to use your infiuence with Her Majesty's 

 Government with a view to having these objects, found in Ireland, 

 placed along with the other Irish antiquities in the National Collection 



