From Egypt to Ireland. 23 



greatly struck by the enlaced work of the decorations there, 

 and its similarity to that on the ancient Irish manuscripts. 

 The decorations of every kind seemed to him to have a 

 resemblence to the Book of Kells. He had also seen ancient 

 ornamentation which reminded him of the shrine of St. 

 Patrick's bell, which they used to have in Belfast. He admired 

 the lucid way in which Mr. Coffey had traced the connections 

 between Ireland and Egypt, and hoped, in conclusion, that the 

 Society would have many more visits from him. 



Mr. John Workman, J. P., seconded the vote of thanks, 

 which was passed with applause. 



Mr. Coffey, in acknowledging the compliment, said it was 

 a pleasure to him to meet a number of brother archaeologists, 

 and exchange ideas with them. He did not think that any of 

 the people working in those fields in Ireland could forget the 

 debt they owed to the Northern archaeologists. In the 

 prehistoric department several of their men had done work 

 that would always be classical, and it was a delight to meet 

 kindred spirits in those studies. He would like to express the 

 hope that in Belfast there would develop a great school of 

 design. They had a great textile industry in this city ; they 

 had the conditions favourable to the growth of a great school of 

 design. If they were looking forward in that direction they 

 must keep in mind that to develop such a school they must 

 develop a tradition. Great schools of design had been slow in 

 forming while in their earlier stages, and they must remember 

 that the art of design had come down through the craftsmen 

 as a tradition, and that the great designers who had made 

 France what she was were men from the industries, from the 

 workers in the textiles. If they wanted to master design they 

 must narrow themselves in some particular school and class of 

 work. They must create an atmosphere in their city, a tradition, 

 and from that would come a great school of design. 



Mr. Young having announced that the next lecture would 

 be given on the 5th January by Mr. J. Barcroft, of Cambridge, 



The meeting terminated. 



