39 



haunted by the ghost of his murdered wife, the founder sought 

 to expiate his sins and enormities by the endowment of this 

 monastry ; and in the seclusion thus afforded, endeavoured by a 

 life of asceticism to atone for his previous misdeeds. 



It is interesting to know that the founders of Tintern, in 

 Monmouthshire, were connected with Ireland by family relation- 

 ship, and that the Earl of Pembroke (son-in-law to Strongbow) 

 founded a similar Abbey in the County "Wexford, still known 

 as Tintern Abbey. He was in very great danger of shipwreck 

 off the coast of Ireland, in the year a.d. 1200, and made a vow 

 that if he landed safely he would build and endow an Abbey, 

 and his ship having been driven into Bannow Bay, Co. Wexford, 

 he carried out his promise, built the Abbey, filled it with 

 Cistercian Monks, and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. Having 

 been confiscated in Henry Eighth's time, it fell into the hands 

 of the Colclough family, who are said to be under " the curse of 

 fire and water" for holding what was once the property of the 

 Church. 



An animated discussion followed the reading of the papers, 

 in which several of the members joined. The meeting was 

 closed by an exhibition of objects of scientific interest, obtained 

 since last meeting, and included specimens of iron found near 

 Glenariff, County Antrim, glacial markings from the chalk rock 

 quarry, west of Ballintoy, and a skull of a sheep almost 

 entirely encrusted with stalagmite, as is usual with the remains 

 found in the ossiferous caverns of the South of England and 

 the Continent. 



The Committee desire that the members should more fre- 

 quently introduce short papers, so that two or even three could 

 be read during the evening, as on the above occasion. By this 

 means a greater variety of subjects could be discussed with less 

 trouble to individual members. 



The Eighth Meeting of the Society was held on Thursday 

 Evening, 7th March, when a paper was read by Mr. William 

 Gray, on the "World's History in Stone." Mr. Gray stated 

 that there were two records of the world's history in stone — 



