240 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



Sixteen years after this event Sir John De Courcy came north, 

 plundering and desolating the country. He erected a castle at 

 Kilsanctan, by the Ford of Eas-Craiobhe, or the Salmon Leap, 

 near Coleraine, and his followers built a similar castle at 

 Fearsat Tuama, the foundations ot which are still traceable in 

 the garden of Toome House, the residence of Mr. James Grant, 

 J. P. Unfortunately there are no remains now above ground ; 

 the gateway and other portions that remained longest were 

 entirely removed during the drainage operations carried out by 

 the Board of Works. 



During these operations several thousand flint and stone 

 implements were taken from the Bann, as well as many forms 

 of bronze weapons, shields, swords, spears, &c. The abundance 

 of flint implements was most remarkable, and, with the variety 

 of the other forms of antiquarian objects collected here, go to 

 prove the ancient importance of this station and the many 

 stirring events that occurred around it. The supply of 

 antiquarian objects is not yet exhausted, for the members of 

 the Field Club party collected worked flakes. A typical set of 

 the worked flakes from Toome and eighteen or twenty other 

 stations have been recently acquired by the City Museum 

 Committee. 



After his chat about the history and importance of Toome 

 Ford, the conductor directed attention to the timber structures 

 constituting the Toome Fishery Station, and, being constructed 

 on piles and wattle work in the centre of the river, illustrated 

 in a most effective manner the primitive lake dwellings of 

 Switzerland and other countries, which were built with open 

 timber framework, and not as solid accumulations in the water, 

 like the crannoges or lake dwellings of Ireland. 



Leaving the Castle, Fishery, and Temple of Liberty behind, 

 the party were conducted by Mr. Grant over his Kieselguhr 

 Works near the hotel. The well-known Bann Clay is now 

 known in commerce as Kieselguhr, and is used for a great 

 variety of economical purposes, chiefly through the practical 

 skill and enterprise of the Messrs. Grant, of Toome. The 



