2 



Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Archaeological Work on Spain and Portugal. Having already in certain 

 papers submitted to, and published by, the Royal Irish Academy, 

 endeavoured to bring into prominence facts indicative of relations 

 having been had in ancient times by the Spanish or Iberian 



peoples with this country, and having, 

 moreover, read some of the many works 

 of travel descriptive of Spain and Portugal, 

 I was led to attribute to tliis Straw Cloak, 

 when first I heard of it, a Spanish origin, 

 and in so far to look on it as a strong 

 material proof of the existence of the 

 relations referred to, and which may be 

 found detailed in the Histories of 

 O'Plagherty, Keating, and O'Hallaran; 

 as also in the Irish mss. to which allusion 

 is made. Without, however, giving all 

 the statements of these authors, it will be 

 sufficient for the purpose of the present 

 paper to briefly call attention to the state- 

 ments contained in the article on ''Kerry," 

 in Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary," as 

 also to those given in Charles Smith's 

 "History of the County Kerry" (1755). 

 In both of these works extracts are given 

 and references are made to the data to be 

 found in Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pomponius 

 Mela, as to the Spanish tribes which emi- 

 grated to and settled in the southern, 

 south-western, and western parts of Ire- 

 land, and to the evidences of these migra- 

 tions shown by the physical characteristics 

 of the people, the Spanish names of many 

 places, and more particularly to the noted 

 and continued frequentation of these parts 

 of Ireland for fishing purposes by Spanish 

 and Portuguese fishing fleets. Certain 

 customs are also referred to, such as the 

 use of the "Loy " in the cultivation of the mountainous parts of 

 Kerry, corresponding to that of the " Laya " in the northern provinces 

 of Spain (see Townsend's " Travels in Spain," vol. iii.), the character 

 of the breed of swine in Kerry, corresponding to that of the Spanish 



iiG. I. 



' Straw Cloak," on Exhibition in 

 the Museum of Science and Art, 

 Kildare-street, Dublin. 



