1907-1906.] 7 ^ 



Patterson, F.L.S.) took the chair. At the outset he referred in 

 feeling terms to the late Lord Kelvin, and drew attention to the 

 memorial to be erected to his memory, appealing for subscriptions. 

 Mr. M'Kean then proceeded with his paper, in the course of 

 which he described how he had reached with some difficulties of 

 travel the extreme point of the Dingle Peninsula, and gave an 

 account of the character and inhabitants of the peninsula. He 

 described the town of Dingle, and said that it was the centre of a 

 remarkable district, which abounded with antiquities of all ages. 

 Dunbeg Fort was one of the most remarkable stone forts in the 

 country, and the lecturer showed slides of this. He mentioned 

 the collection of beehive huts in its neighbourhood, which were 

 known as the ancient city of Fahan. He then described Smerwick 

 Harbour, well known for the massacre of the Spaniards there in 

 1580 by an expedition of which Fdmund Spencer and probably 

 Sir Walter Raleigh were members. Smerwick Harbour had also 

 on its shores Gollerus Oratory and the old Cathedral of Kilmal- 

 keda of both of which he showed slides. Gollerus Oratory was 

 built of cyclopean masonry, while Kilmalkeda Church was of the 

 Romanesque style, but probably occupied as old a site, for it 

 contained the alphabet stone which carried upon it the whole 

 alphabet of the sixth century in Roman characters. The east 

 window was used for creeping through to cure diseases. The 

 district abounded in folklore, and a quaint story connected Tig- 

 Vauria, a spot at the point of the cape, with Donaghadee. The 

 people knew the use of many medicinal herbs, and had Gaelic 

 names for most of them. They also used other plants for 

 purposes not so innocent, especially for poisoning the rivers by 

 allowing the sap of a local plant to flow into the water. There 

 were many beliefs in spectres, which were classified as good or bad 

 according to their shapes. There was also a curious tale of a 

 sleeping hero connected with a spot not far from where the 

 lecturer was. The tradition of heather beer so well told by R. L. 

 Stevenson was also found in Kerry, with other odd superstitions. 



