226 
Gray — Irish Cromlechs . 
swell the number of Sir John Lubbock’s supporters, and that 
the time is not far distant when we shall have our ancient 
monuments under the protection of the Crown, and secure from 
the decay to which they are now exposed. 
Anticipating such an event, it is most desirable that we 
should have some complete catalogue or schedule of the ancient 
monuments of all kinds at present existing in Ireland. 
Already certain lists have been prepared— in England, by a 
Committee of Archaeologists, selected by the Society of Anti- 
quarians ; in Scotland, by the Society of Antiquarians of 
Scotland ; and in Ireland, by the Royal Irish Academy. 
Notwithstanding the efficiency of these organisations, and the 
ability of the several archaeologists employed, the schedules 
prepared were very far from complete, especially for Ireland, 
mainly because there was no systematic effort hitherto made 
to catalogue the monuments existing in this country. 
The appeal for contributions to this end, made in the 4th vol. 
of the Ulster Journal of Archceology, met with no response. 
Doubtless, descriptions of all the more important structures 
may be found scattered throughout works of history and 
archaeology, or in the transactions of learned societies ; but an 
attempt to tabulate the records thus available would not be so 
useful as a catalogue compiled from recent personal observation, 
whereby the present number and condition of our ancient monu- 
ments could be accurately set forth. 
The following contribution has been prepared under a con- 
viction that, with our available organisations and the number of 
public officials now engaged throughout the country, a complete 
catalogue of all our Irish ancient monuments could be readily 
compiled, and the author hopes he may be able to render some 
assistance in this direction, particularly for the North of Ireland. 
In an undertaking of this kind it is necessary that the 
several monuments should be grouped under separate headings, 
according to their most distinctive characters. This systematic 
classification of the monuments would facilitate the distribution 
of the work to be done, and secure a more satisfactory result, 
