1882-1883.] i83 



cashels. Like the former remains, there is some difficulty in 

 restricting the name to a special class of erection. The reader 

 described cashels as rude circular walls of local stone, built in 

 such manner as the capabilities of the material admit. Some 

 of these walls contain chambers throughout either the whole or 

 part of their extent, the entrance to which is from the inner 

 face of the wall. Many of the larger cashels have steps, afford- 

 ing an ascent from the enclosure to the top of the wall. In 

 size the cashels are very variable, ranging from about fifty 

 feet to upwards of two hundred feet in diameter ; some of the 

 larger having walls from fifteen to twenty feet thick. Many 

 examples were described and measurements given, and it was 

 remarked that in works treating on antiquities of the country 

 these remarkable structures, which represent a vast amount of 

 labour, and must have been places of great importance, are 

 seldom touched upon. 



After the reading of the paper. 



The Chairman, as is the usual custom, requested the members 

 present to express their views, or add, if possible, to the subject 

 treated upon. 



The Rev. Mr. Lett regretted very much the destruction of 

 several cromlechs which had come under his own notice, and 

 was of opinion that one of the strongest safeguards to the pre- 

 servation of such remains was the gross superstition which the 

 vulgar entertained that "no good" would follow their de- 

 stroyer. 



Several other members having referred to cromlechs, &c., 

 which they had observed, 



The Chairman expressed his high sense of the interest and 

 value of the paper, and entertained a hope that some steps will 

 be taken — with Mr. Gray's liberty — of embodying copies of the 

 admirable drawings and measurements in the proceedings of 

 the club as a contribution toward a complete catalogue of such 

 structures in Ireland. 



Mr. S. A. Stewart, in a short communication, noticed some 

 of the rare plants recently found in this neighbourhood. He 



