381 



During the past year some important additions have been made to 

 our Manuscript Collections. From the Very Rev. Charles Vignoles, 

 Dean of Ossory, we have received the valuable original MS. of the 

 " Memoires of Dumont de Bostaquet," an authority frequently cited 

 by Lord Macaulay in his account of the Irish Wars of the Revolu- 

 tion. P. O'Callaghan, LL. D., of Leamington, has presented a highly 

 interesting Collection of Autograph Letters of distinguished persons, 

 and from Mr. D. H. Kelly we have received four folio volumes of MSS. 

 compiled by the late Mr. J. E. Ferguson. 



The Academy has been enabled by liberal contributions, chiefly 

 from its members, to secure, at the price of £100, the Manuscript Col- 

 lections of the late Mr. John Windele, of Cork, extending to 130 vo- 

 lumes, and including many MSS. in the Irish language, Sketches and 

 Descriptions of Munster Monuments, and a large number of Original 

 Letters addressed to him by notable persons in connexion with his re- 

 searches in Cork and Kerry. We have also placed in our Library a 

 complete copy of the Irish Census Returns ascribed to the year 

 A. D. 1659. This transcript has been carefully prepared and collated 

 under the personal inspection of Mr. W. H. Hardinge, to whom the public 

 are indebted for the discovery of the original documents among the pa- 

 pers of Lord Lansdowne. 



We are indebted to the Master of the Rolls in England for thirty- 

 four volumes of the Calendars and Historical Works now appearing 

 under his superintendence. We have also received from the Society 

 of Antiquaries copies of some of their most valuable publications, in- 

 cluding the Edition of the " Codex Exoniensis," by Thorpe; and that 

 of Layamon's "Brut," by Sir Frederick Madden. 



The late Mr. W. Smith O'Brien, in addition to a valuable Gold Vase, 

 which by his will he directed to be deposited in the Academy's keep- 

 ing, has bequeathed to us a collection of Books, a Catalogue of which 

 will be printed as an Appendix to this Report. 



The Academy's collection of Antiquities continues steadily to in- 

 crease. During the past year 236 articles found in Ireland, and 155 

 illustrative specimens from other countries, have been added to the Mu- 

 seum. Of the former 185 were presented, 14 were purchased, and 37 

 valuable articles were procured under the Treasure Trove Regu- 

 lations, by which means the funds of the Academy allotted to the Mu- 

 seum have been greatly economized. 



The rich collection of Coins and Medals in our possession has not 

 yet been arranged. The Council hope that some of the ^Tumis- 

 matists who are Members of the Academy may be induced to under- 

 take the task. 



The sale of the first three Parts of the Catalogue still continues ; and 

 there is at present in hands a balance to the credit of the account of that 

 work, as also the Woodcuts for the portions relating to the articles of 

 Silver and Iron. 



With regard to the state of the Academy's finances, the Treasurer 

 reports that all liabilities have been discharged up to this date, leav- 



E. I. A. PEOC. VOL. IX. 3 E 



