84 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



we possess evidence from the Longhrea tumulus.^ The contents of the latter 

 were described by Mr, George Coffey four years ago ; and, as Professor 

 Eidgeway pointed out (p. 399), the tumuhis is certainly pre-Christian.^ The 

 horse-skull contained in it is unfortunately so much damaged that we can 

 only judge of its proportions approximately. The height of the occipital 

 crest and the width of the foramen magnum, as well as the small proportion 

 of the forelimb, suggest a horse much like that of the Irish Crannog both in 

 size and general features. 



I think we may safely assume, from the evidence available, that a horse 

 or pony, if we like to call it so, similar to that of the Irish Crannog and 

 La Tene type existed in Ireland in pre-Christian times. 



However, we possess Irish horse-remains in the National Museum of a 

 still more ancient period than that during which the Loughrea tumulus was 

 constructed. Bones and teeth have been discovered in bogs, marls, and in 

 caves, all of which undoubtedly belong to more remote times. 



Unfortunately this material is very fragmentary. We can as yet only 

 approximately ascertain what such horses as those whose bones were found 

 in the marl deposits and in caves were like. And the cave horses are of 

 particular importance, because from the fact of their remains being found 

 together with those of the Irish Elk and Eeindeer, it is probable that they 

 belonged to a truly wild breed. 



The two skull-fragments, one of which was found in a bog, the other 

 beneath the bog in the marl, may also have belonged to wild horses. In the 

 marl at any rate we frequently meet with Irish Elk and Eeindeer remains, 

 neither of which animals lived in historic times in this country. 



These fragments are too imperfect for precise measurement; but the 

 width of the brain-case of the marl horse and the width of its forehead 

 agree with those of the short-headed Crannog stallion I alluded to. The 

 distance from the foramen magnum to the vomer is, as far as I can estimate, 

 about 6 mm. longer in the marl horse than in the smallest of the Crannog 

 horses. The skull proportion is probably a little higher. Judging from 

 the available data, I am of opinion that both these skull-fragments belonged 

 to horses which resembled those inhabiting Ireland during the Crannog 

 period. 



Still more ancient than these are the horse-remains found in Shandon 

 Cave, near Dungannon, County Waterford. According to Prof. Leith Adams, 



^•Coffey, G. : " On the Excavation of a Tumulus near Loughrea, Co. Galway." Proc. R. Irish 

 Acad., vol. XXV., Sect. C, p. 14. 1904. 

 ^ Eidgeway, loc. cit. 



