117 



accomplished, perhaps, fifteen centuries before— for "history but repeats 

 itself." The Phoenicians founded Gades eleven or twelve centuries B. C. 

 These traders never founded colonies in uninhabited districts ; they 

 were merchants and chapmen, and without a population they could not 

 trade. At all events, during the dominion of Carthage, and in the days 

 of the Scipios, Spain was not only colonized by the Phoenicians, but 

 was inhabited by a numerous, wealthy, and prosperous aboriginal 

 population. 



That Spain may in these days have thrown off some of her adven- 

 turous, or superabundant population, is not at all unlikely. That one of 

 these bands may have dropped on the southern shores of Ireland 

 is equally probable ; because any person looking at the map of Europe 

 cannot fail to see that the south of Ireland is the natural land-fall from 

 the north of Spain. 



Whether such a migration as we have been considering took place 

 before or after the intercourse of the Tyrian people with the British Isles, 

 it is now impossible to say ; more likely it took place subsequently, as 

 we must believe that enterprising people to have been the pioneers of 

 all maritime discovery. All our native historians, however they may 

 differ on other points, unanimously insist on this Spanish invasion, and 

 the entire subjugation of Ireland by the invaders ; and here I would 

 remark, that this statement is corroborated by the opinions of many 

 learned men having no Celtic sympathies or prejudices whatsoever. 

 The scope of the present paper will not permit me to recapitulate these 

 opinions. 



Our native authorities go on to state that these invaders came in a 

 fleet of thirty ships; that in each were thirty warriors, with their 

 wives ; that they landed at Inbher Sceine, now the Bay of Kenmare, 

 in the county of Kerry ; that from thence they marched inland, and 

 encountered an army of the natives, stated then to be a people called 

 Tuath De Dananns, at Sliabh Mis — a mountain district between the bays 

 of Tralee and Dingle ; that a battle was there fought, in which the 

 latter were defeated. This engagement appears to have been a running 

 fight, as was usual in that period amongst semi-civilized tribes, con- 

 tinued through a series of glens, or valleys, at the foot of Sliabh Mis ; 

 two of these are called Glen-Pais and Glen-Scothian, from Pais and 

 Scota, two amazons who fought in the ranks of the Clanna-Miledh, 

 and were there slain. These localities are as popularly known by the 

 above names as any others in the country ; and in Glen-Pais there are 

 certainly evidences of some remarkable transactions having there taken 

 place at some remote period. 



Here are two enormous pillar- stones, one eleven feet in height still 

 erect; the other is ten feet in height, in an inclining position, the 

 latter having a fine Ogham inscription engraved thereon. There are 

 also an unascertained number of ancient graves, cist-formed, containing 

 human remains; the discovery and opening of several of which are 

 described in a paper read before the Academy by the late Yenerable 



