The Races on the West Coast of Ireland. 87 



these early days being- established). This race seems to have died 

 out. The silver race of the early Greek writers has been regarded 

 as the traditional equivalent. The Nemidians who came from the 

 Continent of Europe, under conditions perhaps similar to the last, 

 seem to have increased largely after a long- sojourn, and to have 

 sent emig-rants back to the East again. One group went to Greece, 

 and were, perhaps, the "long-haired Achaeans", from the descendants 

 of these a later invasion, by the Firbolg, resulted. The Dedan aan, 

 a migrant group of the Nemidians went North and returned under 

 this name to Ireland afterwards. A third group went far to the 

 East, from which the Scythians descended, who sent wandering tribes 

 later back to Ireland. Finally one may speak of the advent of the 

 yellow or red Celts, who used oak and bronze, and the black Celts. 

 Finally the Romans brought Iron weapons to Britain. It will be 

 remembered that Greek traditions point to (1) a Golden Eace, or 

 fruit-eating pastoral race. (2) A silver race, pastoral and predatory. 

 (3) A Bronze race, predatory and Military engaged largely in Civil 

 wars. (4) The Heroic Race, military and glorious. (5) An iron race 

 which is now with us. Hesiod mentions ashen handles for bronze 

 weapons. It is possible that this may have been oak, which is a 

 little like ash in grain. Ash is more suitable for handles for im- 

 plements and tools, but it is doubtful whether that wood was 

 abundant then in Greece. The order of wood remains, consecutively, in the 

 North of Europe is Populus, Pinus, Quercus, Alnus, Fagus, and the first 

 two seem to have suited best the stone men (Palaeolithic and Neolithic). 

 Oak though hard seems to have been worked in Bronze times. The 

 age of Iron introduced the use of Beech (fagus). All the above 

 woods are, of course, still in use, in varying degrees in different 

 places. I have only to add that the Neolithic epoch seems to have 

 overlapped the Palaeolithic in Ireland, just as the Bronze epoch 

 overlapped the Neolithic. 



On a former occasion the results of an examination of school 

 children in Galway were given. The hair colour was amongst boys 

 of the Claddagh schools Brown 36, Black-brown 21, Red or yellow 6, 

 Fair 38 — Girls, Brown 11, Dark brown 40, Fair 13, Red or Sandy 5, 



