64 Antiquarian Collections in Ulster. 



Association are noted, including rich embroideries, point, 

 guipure, Limerick, and crochet lace, and homespun tweeds. 



In addition to power-loom and home industry manufacture, 

 there will be sections devoted to the arts, paintings, sculptures, 

 natural history, and antiquities. It is the latter two branches 

 that appeal to the members of this association, and for which 

 we ask your co-operation and help. Celebrated as the province 

 of Ulster is for its shipbuilding and textile manufactures, it is 

 also notable, from an antiquarian point of view, as being the 

 district not alone in Ireland, but in the United Kingdom, in 

 which the greatest number of prehistoric implements of stone, 

 flint, and bronze have been found. In proof of this, we have 

 only to turn back to an exhibition held under this roof in the 

 year 1852, on the occasion of the first meeting of the British 

 Association in Belfast. On that occasion there was gathered 

 together such a collection of Irish antiquities from this province 

 as has never been shown since, and probably never will again. 

 I have before me the catalogue of that collection, which was 

 promoted by this society, and the following is extracted from 

 the introduction to it : — " The exhibition of Irish antiquities, 

 now in the Belfast Museum, originated with a few members of 

 the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society. Being 

 aware of the existence of numerous interesting relics through- 

 out the Province of Ulster, they were anxious to avail themselves 

 of the meeting of the British Association in this town for the 

 purpose of forming an assemblage of these in the museum, 

 which, in conjunction with those already possessed by that 

 institution, might enable strangers from other countries to judge 

 for themselves of the nature and extent of our ancient civilisation. 

 It was also believed that much curious light would be thrown 

 by such an exhibition on various obscure portions of our own 

 history, and an impulse given to the study of archaeology and 

 the preservation of antiquities in Ireland. Circulars were sent 

 to all the leading noblemen and gentlemen in Ulster, as well as 

 to some in other districts. The application was responded to 

 in a manner most gratifying to the projectors, and creditable to 



