66 Antiquarian Collections in Ulster. 



Irish antiquities are getting scarcer year by year, and cost a 

 great deal more now than forty to fifty years ago. A dealer in 

 the country will now get from ten shillings to a pound for a fine 

 flint arrow head that could have been secured for a few pence 

 by the earlier collectors. The Royal Society of Antiquaries has 

 been for many years educating the people to preserve their 

 national antiquities, and the twelve hundred odd members are 

 now in their various districts forming small collections, so that 

 it is now extremely difficult to form a large collection. The 

 largest private collection in Ireland at present is that of Mr. 

 Day of Cork, who has been an ardent collector for over 30 

 years. The finest articles in his collection are from Ulster^ 

 including the bronze swords and weapons found in Lough Erne, 

 and the collection of gold ornaments found on Horn Head, 

 County Donegal. Mr. Daly has kindly consented to place any 

 portion of his collection at the service of the committee of the 

 exhibition. The next largest collection is that of Mr. Knowles, 

 of Ballymena, who has the finest collection of flint and stone 

 implements in the United Kingdom. The Rev. Dr. Buick, of 

 Cullybackey, and Mr. Raphael, of Galgorm, have each extensive 

 collections, particularly in flint and stone. I am sure all these 

 gentlemen will be willing to assist also. A committee has been 

 formed, of which Mr. Wm. Gray is president, to get up exhibits 

 for the antiquities and natural history sections, and as these will 

 require to be in their places before the end of March, there is no 

 time to lose. We now ask the assistance of this society and 

 their friends to give their valuable aid in making the exhibition 

 as interesting as possible, so that it will illustrate the civilisation 

 and artistic skill of the people of this country in ages long passed 

 away. Any one who has critically examined the shrines and 

 croziers, the gold, silver, and bronze ornaments, the beautifully 

 formed weapons, and the exquisitely written manuscripts of the 

 ancient Irish must at once admit that these works were the 

 products of a naturally artistic and civilised race. In requesting 

 contributions for this exhibition, we do not propose to confine 

 ourselves to early or prehistoric times, but wish to have ^ 



