60 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acaiemy. 



The following list gives the surnames which appear to have been 

 in the district anciently, most of them are considerably altered, and 

 are given in both their ancient and their modern forms. 



Modern. 







Ancient. 



Burns, . . . . Mac Conboirne, 



Byrne, . 



. 





O'Birn. 



Cannon, . 







M'Coinin. 



riynn, . 







O'PIoinn. ' 



Planagan, 







Mac Flannagain 



Lavelle, . 







O'Maolfabhaill. 



McHale, 







Mac Cele. 



Malley, . 







O'Maille. 



Moran, . 







0' Moran. 



Murray, . 







' Muir e adh ai gh 



Buddy, . 







O'Broduibh. 



Toole, . 







O'Tuathal. 





IV. 



SocioLoaT. 



1. Occupations. — Though living on islands, but few of the men are 

 fishermen by occupation, and those few sell the fish to the others. 

 All are farmers to a greater or less extent, and some few have hardly 

 ever been out of the islands. 



The farms or holdings are of very small size, but have (or had, for 

 the state of things described here is now a matter of history) unlimited 

 right of grazing over the greater part of the islands. 



The methods of farming are of the most primitive description, 

 and no attempts at improvement seem ever to have been made until 

 the Congested Districts Board took over Clare Island. The holdings 

 were not properly fenced, many of them having their boundaries only 

 indicated by land-marks. As soon as the crops were removed the 

 land all became a common, and remained so during the winter ; while 

 the crops were down the sheep and cattle of the neighbours had to be 

 kept away from them by some of the family being constantly on the 

 watch with dogs to drive them away, and send them back to the moun- 

 tain grazing again. There was thus no inducement to improve, as 

 whatever change for the better was made was sure to be undone again. 

 Another obstacle to improvement was the system of co-tenancy in 

 which families had only a part share in a farm. The right of grazing 

 on the mountains (two-thirds of the area of the islands) was unlimited, 

 the result of which was that a man paying a veiy small rent might 



