1913 1914 I 



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area increased in succeeding centuries. Half the island was 

 probably covered with forest at the time of the Norman Conquest. 

 The woods were remorselessly cut in the seventeenth century, as 

 timber was the main source of profit to the adventurer, who 

 exported oak staves abroad and established ironworks all over 

 the country, and who consumed for charcoal all the smaller trees. 

 Remnants of the old woods still existed in many parts, and are 

 characterised by a peculiar flora and fauna, which is non-existent 

 in plantations and unwooded ground. Professor Henry gave a 

 list of these plants, and alluded to the lingering of two species of 

 Pyrola in a few spots as indications of former pine woods. He 

 believed that these little plants were dying out, and would 

 become extinct like the Capercaillie. One Slug and six kinds of 

 Snails were localised in old woods. Professor Henry gave many 

 instances of remarkable woods in Ireland, as the Oak and Holly 

 woods of Castlewellan, out of which ^500 of holly timber was 

 sold in one year. A remarkable Oak wood at Glasslough, in 

 Monaghan, in 1801 was reported to be the finest in Europe at 

 that day, being worth ^1,000 an acre. Crab trees of great age 

 were common a century ago along the shores of Lough Neagb, 

 and the largest Oak that was ever known in Ireland was felled at 

 Portmore about 1750. The most celebrated tree in Ireland is, 

 however, fortunately still alive. This is the famous Yew now in 

 the grounds of Crom Castle, in the townland of Crom, in 

 Fermanagh. This tree is remarkable for its enormous spread of 

 foliage, over 200 people being able to sit down to a banquet 

 under its shade. The lecturer had discovered an early reference 

 to this tree in O'Clery's "Contention of the Bards," 1620, where 

 the yew of Crom is said to have been discovered on the day when 

 Conn of the Hundred Fights was born. This tree has probably 

 an antiquity of over 1,500 years, and may have been associated 

 with the worship of the pagan idol Crom Cruach. 



The lecture was illustrated by numerous lantern slides 

 depicting beautiful trees and woodland scenes, and on its 



H 



