244 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



their positions and local knowledge, were likely to be reliable infor- 

 mants. Still the diflS.culty of treating this subject justly is great, as 

 local prejudices and quarrels often affect the views of an informant, 

 and care has to be taken to weigh and sift what reports are obtained, 

 and to compare the views of one with those of another. 



The following is believed to be an accurate account so far as it 

 goes. The people of these islands are very shrewd and intelligent, 

 and this applies especially to the inhabitants of Lettermullen. Among 

 themselves they are very social but clannish, the people of the respec- 

 tive islands going together as a rule. They are fond of gossip and chaff, 

 are quick at taking a joke, and have a keen sense of humour. They 

 are passionately fond of music and dancing. In their dealings with 

 one another they are very honest, and will pay up their debts when- 

 ever they can. Theft is of very rare occurrence. In time of trouble 

 they are very kind and charitable to one another, and the totally 

 destitute will always be able to obtain help from even the poorest of 

 their neighbours. In spite of the illicit distillation which, for so long, 

 prevailed in this district, the people are as a rule sober and not given 

 to alcoholic excess. "Women seldom or never take liquor. Excesses, 

 when they occur, are usually connected with social gatherings of some 

 sort, as wakes, funerals, and weddings. It is on occasions of this nature, 

 too, that fights and quarrels generally arise. When a fight does occur 

 it very rarely takes the form, of a hand-to-hand tussle, but the men 

 assail each other from a distance, first with hard words, and finally it may 

 be with stones. One of their most noticeable characters is a strong 

 local and personal pride. They are said to be greatly affected by praise 

 or flattery, but this pride is very touchy and easily offended. Prom 

 this pride arises a great spirit of emulation, and a certain sense of self 

 respect which often makes people undergo hardships sooner than do 

 what they would think mean or degrading. They show great patience 

 and resignation under trouble or suffering, which seems, in part, to be 

 due to the strong feeling of destiny or fatality which they share with 

 most of the natives of our western districts. 



They are extremely moral in their sexual relations, only one 

 case of illegitimacy has occurred among them in the past eight 

 years, and only two within twenty years. In other ways they are 

 very excitable. Their veracity is their weak point. All informants 

 agreed in stating that their word was rather uncertain. When law 

 cases occur, which is seldom, cases of cross-swearing of great ingenuity 

 are common. 



Whatever may be said of the people of other western districts, the 



