Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/306

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22^5 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE. crypt, beneath the Deanery House, with sketches of the architectural details. It is of considerable extent, the arch of the vault is semicircular, whilst the door-ways have pointed arches. The ruins of the Franciscan Abbey are adjacent to the Deanery, and amongst these are some curious sepulchral memorials, which the Dean has endeavoured to rescue from further injuries. On several of the tombs are the sigles, — i.m.r.a., the import of which he had been unable to ascertain. Mr. Prim contributed an enquiry regarding certain missing municipal records of Kilkenny, which had passed out of the town clerk's custody in 1747. One of these volumes had been presented many years since to Sir William Betham, in whose possession it remains ; and it is hoped that the remainder may yet be found in other collections. Mr. Windele sent noticss of silver ring-money, and of the curious variations in form which the rings of that metal present. One specimen only had hitherto been found with the cup-shaped extremities, resembling those of the gold rings. Mr. Ferguson communicated further extracts from records deposited in Master Lyle's Offices, in Dublin, recently rescued from oblivion. Mr. Cooke gave an account of a sepulchral cross- slab, at the Franciscan monastery, Athlone, with a short inscription in the Irish character. lie stated the grounds of his supposition that it was the memorial of Thorpaith, father of Blathmac, Abbot of Cloumacnoise, in the eleventh century ; his curious tomb exists there, and is given by Mr. Fetrie, in his Treatise on the Round Towers of Ireland, (p. 321.) A description of several primeval remains in the MuUinavat district was read by Mr. Cody, comprising " rath-souterreins," or cists formed under cairns, each containing an urn, covered by a slab ; especially the cairn of Ballynoony, in which three such deposits were found : a large erect flag-stone stood near it. About 120 feet distant was a Rath, levelled some years since, when a great number of rectangular laminte were found, of a substance resembling ivory. Near to this, are the remains of a " Leaba," an oblong structure, formed of flags, set edge-wise, in three rows, and covered by large flat stones. This curious group of vestiges of an early period appear to claim careful examina- tion. Mr. Cody sent also plans and accounts of two singular caverns, comprising numerous chambers, and connected with those circular entrench- ments called Raths. They had been as yet only imperfectly explored. Yorkshire Axtiquarian Club. — This society was formed in June, 1849, for the very laudable object of promoting research, especially in the examination of the remarkable barrows and earth-works, so abundant in the northern counties. It comprised many active and " working archaeolo- gists," as they are designated in their Annual Report, whose names must be held in honourable remembrance by our society, especially by those members of the Institute who participated in the interesting Meeting at York, in 1846. Their labours have been already productive of valuable results, and some of these, for instance, the explorations of sepulchral remains, attributed to the Danish period, have been brought before the Institute by Dr. Thurnam. An important feature of the purpose of this club, consists in its being of auxiliary character to the valuable Institution at York, the " Philosophical Society," — the fruits of all investigations are deposited in their Museum, already one of the most instructive and important of our local collections. We are gratified by the assurance that the Rev. C. Wellbeloved, actually the president of the " Antiquarian Club," has been engaged in compiling the catalogue of that curious assemblage of antiquities ; and his memorials