ANNUAL ADDRESS 
DELIVERED 'BEFORE THE 
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF DUBLIN, 
FEBRUARY 13, 1856, 
BY 
LORD TALBOT DE MALAHIDE, 
PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY. 
Gentlemen,—I feel considerable diffidence in addressing you on 
this, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the formation of the Society, 
fully aware of my own deficiencies, and of the high character and 
scientific distinction which my predecessors have justly earned for 
themselves by their labours in the field of Geology, and the valua¬ 
ble contributions they have added to the stores of geological lite¬ 
rature. Moreover, from a pressure of circumstances during the 
past year, I had been particularly trammelled with engagements such 
as precluded me from following up very closely this interesting sci¬ 
ence. I have long been much interested in its progress; and al¬ 
though I have not had many opportunities of investigating the 
different sections of the country, it would argue a very uninquiring 
or apathetic mind, when once initiated into its mysteries, however 
superficially, not to have taken some pains to ascertain the new 
phases which Geology is assuming, the theories which have stood 
the test of time and discussion, as well as the great advance which 
the united labours of the mineralogist, the palaeontologist, the che¬ 
mist, and the mathematician, have contributed to produce of late 
years. I feel most proud of having been called on at such a time to 
preside over you; and, although our numbers are comparatively 
few and our papers not very frequent, I have the highest authority 
for stating that the London Geological Society—which may be 
