4 



Proceedings 0/ the Royal Irish Academy, 



white fisheries are chiefly cod, ling, hake, coal-fish, and haddock. In 

 these fisheries the Irish are very expert, being trained to the business 

 by their fishing on the banks of Newfoundland, as well as in the bays 

 of that Island, to which fisheries some thousands of Irishmen resort 

 every season, and from which they return with a small pittance to 

 their families." To them, as catchers and curers of cod-fish, may be 

 duet he name Bacalao^ used for dried cod-fish and ling all over the 

 Peninsula to this day. It is probable that the Irish fishermen became 

 acquainted with these fisheries through the Spainards and Portuguese 

 who frequented their coasts and employed them as parts of their 

 fishing crews. 



The use of salt as a condiment, and for purposes of preserving or 

 curing meat, is of extreme antiquity ; and undoubtedly one of the chief 

 sources of supply for Ireland was the southern and western coast of 

 Spain and Lusitania, the reputation of the salt from which has always 

 stood very high in Ireland. Cadiz was in all probability one of the 

 very earliest centres of the trade, and one of the earliest ports to become 

 acquainted with Ireland and its inhabitants. This early frequentation 

 of Ireland by the Iberians is all the more probable when account is 

 taken of the estimated population of the Peninsula about the time of 

 the Roman Invasion, when it is said to have been between fifty and 

 sixty millions of inhabitants, from the mass of whom expeditions must 

 have proceeded in search of new lands and colonies (see Dalrymple's 

 " Travels in Spain and Portugal " : London, 1777, p. 52). It should 

 also be borne in mind that the conditions of navigation between the 

 countries are not difficult, and are, duiing certain seasons, favoured by 

 the westerly and south-westerly winds that prevail during the winter 

 months more particularly. To these general considerations may be 

 added the following citations from works of travel and history, beaiing 

 on the community or resemblance, of customs or terms, between certain 

 of the Spanish or Portuguese people and the Irish of the South, and 

 which may help to enforce the point sought to be established in this 

 paper. 



The district of the Peninsula to be considered is, roughly, that 

 which constituted the ancient Galloecia, as stated in Smith's " Diction- 

 ary of Greek and lioman Geography," that is, the present province of 

 Galicia, with a certain portion of the neighbouring Asturias, and the 

 northern provinces of Portugal, viz. : Entre Douro and Minho, and 

 Tras OS Montes, and also a small portion of Leon. The people of these 

 provinces have very close affinities as regards race, language, and 

 customs ; and from these points of view may be considered as one 



