106 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



metal shafts, such as Montelius' " Die Chronologie," pp. 29 and 83, where 

 the lapping is imitated in the casting of the head. 



There are three bronze halberd-blades in the collection which may now be 

 noticed. They have not been analysed, but are of quite unmistakable yellow 

 bronze, fig. 6. The first is a straight blade, with well-marked mid-rib, 11-| 

 inches long by 4^ broad, and may possibly have been a broad dagger ; but the 

 stoutness of the blade and some marks of the handle, which seem to point to 

 its having been straight-across, as well as a slight want of symmetry in the 

 shape, inclining to suggestion of curve in one of the sides, induce me to class 

 it as a halberd, though the four rivet-holes are rather small, and disposed 

 along the back more after the manner of a dagger. It was formerly in the 



2 1877- 57 



Fig. 6. — Bronze Halberds found in Ireland. 



5. {IY.295) 

 Rcscrea Co Tipperary 



(i-) 



St. Columba's College collection, and was probably found in Armagh or one 

 of the adjoining counties, where most of the objects in that collection came 

 from. 



The second is a very well-shaped bronze blade, slightly curved, and more 

 pointed than is usual with the copper blades, 8^^ inches long by 4f inches 

 at the butt. The rivet-holes are peculiar, consisting of two large ones in front 

 and four smaller behind these, along the margin of the back. The locality is 

 not recorded. 



The third of these bronze blades is a curved, beaked form of quite excep- 

 tional type, closely resembling that figured in Evans from Co. Cavan, page 

 266, fig. 332. It measures 7| inches long by %\ inches across the base. 

 This blade, found near Eoscrea, Co. Tipperary, differs, however, from that from 



