Proceedings.

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Society was held in the Society's Rooms, 6, St. Stephen's-green, Dublin, on Tuesday, the 26th of January, 1904, at 5 o'clock, p.m. :

JOHN RIBTON GARSTIN, D.L., M.A., F.S.A., M.R.I.A., President,
in the Chair.

The following Officers, Fellows, and Members attended:

Hon. General Secretary.-Robert Cochrane, 1.8.O., F.S.A.

Hon. Treasurer.-Henry J. Stokes.

Vice-Presidents.-F. Elrington Ball, J.P., M.R.I.A.; William C. Stubbs, M.A.; Thomas J. Westropp, M.R.I.A.

Fellows. Henry F. Berry, 1.8.0., M.R.I.A.; P. J. Donnelly; Major Fielding, J.P., M.R.I.A.; Rev. Canon ffrench, M.R.I.A.; Lord Walter Fitz Gerald, M.R.I.A.; R. Langrishe, J.P.; Count Plunkett; Countess Plunkett; Andrew Robinson, C.E.; Robert L. Woollcombe, LL.D., M.R.I.A.

Members.-C. F. Allen; Mrs. Allen; Rev. William F. Alment, B.D.; Miss Brenda E. Archer; Robert Bestick; Charles T. Boothman; Mrs. Charles T. Boothman; Mrs. E. R. Bowes; John B. Cassin Bray; Miss Brown; Rev. K. C. Brunskill, M.A.; Rev. Richard A. Burnett, M.A.; Mrs. W. L. Byrne; George 0. Carolin, J.P.; Henry A. Cosgrave, м.A.; Matthew Dorey; Edwin Fayle; Rev. Canon Fisher, M.A.; Frederick Franklin; Major Lawrence Gorman; Joseph Gough; Mrs. Thomas Greene; P. J. Griffith; W. A. Henderson; Henry Hitchins; William F. Howie; Miss H. Hughes; Miss Anna M. Joly; Charles Lawler, J.P.; Rev. J. Blennerhassett Leslie, M.A.; Rev. Canon Lett, M.A., M.R.I.A.; Mrs. Long; Rev. Dr. Lucas; Rev. H. C. Lyster, B.D.; Francis M'Bride, J.P.; M. J. M‘Enery, B.A.; F. J. M'Inerney; J. P. M'Knight; Rev. B. Moffett, M.A.; John G. Moore, J.P.; Joseph H. Moore, M.A.; Walter G. Neale; James H. F. Nixon; William L. O'Byrne; J. E. Palmer; Thomas Paterson; Miss Peter; Hugh Pollock; Miss Reynell; W. Johnson-Roberts; Rev. James Ryan, P.P.; John A. Scott, M.D.; Mrs. Shackleton; Mrs. Sheridan; E. W. Smyth, J.P., T.c.; Mrs. E. W. Smyth; Mrs. John Smyth; Henry Vereker; Rev. Francis J. Wall; Richard D. Walsh, J.P.; John Wardell, B.A.; Richard Blair White; Robert White; W. Grove White, LL.B.; Rev. Sterling de C. Williams, M.A.

The Minutes of last Meeting were read and confirmed.

The following Fellow and Members were elected :

FELLOW.

Collins, George, Solicitor, 69, Lower Leeson-street, Dublin: proposed by Professor Edward Perceval Wright, M.A., M.D., Past-President.

MEMBERS.

Bowes, Mrs. E. R., Tara View, Castletown, Gorey, Co. Wexford: proposed by Charles R. Browne, M.D., M.R.I.A.

Carter, John Campbell, Manager, Apothecaries' Hall of Ireland, 40, Mary-street, Dublin proposed by Dr. Owen P. Kerrigan.

Fayle, Edwin, Kylemore, Orwell Park, Rathgar, Co. Dublin: proposed by Mrs. E. Weber Smyth.

Flannery, Rev. Daniel, P.P., Silvermines, Nenagh: proposed by Very Rev. J. M'Inerney, P.P., V.G.

Gould, Mrs. Ellen Louisa, Newtown Park House, Blackrock, Co. Dublin: proposed by Robert Cochrane, Fellow.

Halpin, Rev. James, P.P., St. Colman's, Scariff, Co. Clare: proposed by Very Rev. J. M'Inerney, P.P., V.G.

Johnston, Miss Emily Sophie, 9, Regent-street, London, S.W.: proposed by Robert Cochrane, Fellow.

M'Carthy, James, Newfound Well, Drogheda: proposed by John Ribton Garstin, D.L., President.

Mitchell, Mrs. Mary E., Chipstone, Nasik-road, G. I. P. R., India: proposed by William R. Lewin Lowe.

Murphy, H. L., B.A., Glencairn, Sandyford, Co. Dublin: proposed by Thomas J. Westropp, Fellow.

Musgrave, Miss, Grange House, Whiting Bay, Youghal, and 63, Cadogan Gardens, London, S.W.: proposed by R. J. Ussher, Hon. Local Secretary, Co. Waterford. Odell, Mrs. Cloncoskraine, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford: proposed by R. J. Ussher,

D.L.

Powell, Miss Una T. E., Bello Squardo, Blackrock, Co. Dublin: proposed by Robert Cochrane, Fellow.

Ryan, Rev. Edmond J., c.c., Kilcommon, Thurles : proposed by Rev. James

J. Ryan, P.p.

Twigg, Thomas S., 16, Royal Terrace, West, Kingstown: proposed by Henry

Hitchins.

Wilson, Charles J., Barrister-at-Law, 6, St. James's-terrace, Clonskeagh, Dublin:

proposed by Montgomery F. Barnes.

Yeates, Miss Ada, 39, Ormond-road, Rathmines: proposed by Mrs. Sarah Holmes.

REPORT OF COUNCIL FOR 1903.

The Report of Council for the year 1903 was read and adopted, as follows:

The Council, while reporting the continued prosperity of the Society, have to place on record the demise, during the year, of many friends of the Society. The following is a list of six Fellows and fifteen Members whose deaths have been notified, with the dates at which they joined the Society:—

FELLOWS.

William Usher Clarke, Esq. (1897). The Rev. Maxwell H. Close, M.A., M.R.I.A., F.G.S. (1871). John Moran, Esq., M.A., LL.D., M.R.I.A. (1895). Charles O'Donoghue, Esq., J.P. (1897). James O'Ryan, Esq. (1899). Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Doyne Vigors (Vice-President, 1895–1899).

MEMBERS.

The Very Rev. Richard E. Baillie, M.A., Dean of Raphoe (1890). Patrick M. Egan, Esq., J.P., Ex-Mayor of Kilkenny (1882). Charles W. Harrison, Esq. (1892). S. M. F. Hewat, Esq., M.A. (Cantab.) (1889). Thomas C. Kenny, Esq. (1899). Miss Kathleen Knox (1895). Mrs. Learmont-Anderson (1993). John Malcomson, Esq., Solicitor (1862). Morgan Mooney, Esq. (1894). The Rev. Thomas J. Rooney, c.c. (1896). The Rev. Canon Sayers (1894). William Joseph Smith, Esq., J.P. (1893). Thomas G. Wade, Esq., Solicitor (1899). T. W. Wilson, Esq. (1903). Captain S. W. Bonaparte Wyse, J.P. (1896).

The Rev. Maxwell H. Close, who died on the 12th of September, aged 81, was for over thirty years a Fellow of the Society. He was the eldest son of Mr. Henry Samuel Close, of Newtown Park, Blackrock, County Dublin, whose elder brother was seated at Drumbanagher, County Armagh, and was father of the late Maxwell Close, D.L. The latter represented that county in Parliament, and married his cousin, the eldest sister of his namesake, the subject of this notice. He took his B.A. Degree in the University of Dublin in 1846, and his M.A. in 1867. The Rev. Maxwell Close was a man of varied knowledge; and, during his long life, he devoted his leisure to the advancement of Science and Archæology in Ireland. His benevolent and retiring character secured him the respect and esteem of all who knew him. He was a member of the leading scientific and literary Societies in Dublin, and long served on the Councils of the Royal Irish Academy and the Royal Dublin Society. He succeeded our President as Treasurer of the former in 1878, and held that post until March last. He was President of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland. An appreciative memoir of him appeared in the Irish Naturalist for December, with a portrait, and a list of his Scientific Publications. His labours in the cause of Irish Archæology were many, though his publications were few, including one Paper contributed to our Journal. He bequeathed £1000 towards the publication of an Irish Dictionary.

Colonel Philip D. Vigors, formerly in command of the 19th Regiment, with which he served in Canada and elsewhere, was a helpful and constant supporter of our Society. He was a very regular attendant at the meetings-especially those at Kilkenny—and he occasionally contributed to the Journal. He served for several years (from 1885) on the Council, and was a Vice-President, 1895-1899. He died at his residence, Holloden, Bagnalstown, on the 30th of December last, aged 78. It was mainly through his exertions that the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland was established in 1888; and only a few days before his death the concluding portion of the Fifth Volume of that Society's "Journal" was issued to the subscribers. Colonel Vigors enlisted a body of zealous supporters, through whose exertions a vast number of Irish monumental inscriptions have been recorded, and many of great antiquity and interest deciphered and illustrated. The work

will be a lasting monument of his zeal and industry. Few members were better known in our Society; and, in fulfilling the several duties of a country gentleman, he earned the respect of neighbours far and near. He lately served as High Sheriff of the County Carlow; and the last Paper he read at our meetings was one on his predecessors in that office. He had accumulated copious materials for a History of the Vigors family, a summary only being published in the Visitation of Ireland.

During the year, seven Fellows and sixty-seven Members were elected (one Member was transferred to the rank of Fellow); and, deducting the names of those removed by death or resignation, and those struck off the Roll, the numbers are as follows:-Hon. Fellows, 8; Fellows, 178; Members, 1069. Total, 1255.

FINANCES.

At the commencement of the present year, a balance of £158 108. was carried over from the year 1902; and of this a sum of £100 has been invested in 23 per cent. Consols in the names of the Trustees of the Society, making a total sum of £1100 so invested, the interest on which, received during the present year, amounts to £26 15s. 9d.

Parts 2 and 3 of the General Index of the Journal for the forty-one years, from 1849 to 1889, which were published in 1902 as an extra volume, have been paid for out of the income for the year 1903. The balance in bank at the end of the year amounts to £63 108. The accounts of the Society when audited will be published in the second issue of the Journal for 1904. Two auditors will be elected at this meeting. The retiring auditors are John Cooke, Esq., M.A., and S. A. O. FitzPatrick, Esq., and are eligible for re-election.

EXTRA VOLUME.

Progress continues to be made in the preparation for press of the Extra Volume of the Gormanston Register, which has been kept back by the important issue of the Index to the first forty years of the Journal of the Society. The Register is a fifteenth-century manuscript, containing entries of a large number of documents extending back to the twelfth century, and illustrating the history of several of our leading Norman-Irish families in earlier times. Some of the charters affect these families even before their coming to Ireland, and relate to the Fitz Geralds at St. Davids, and the Prestons in their Lancashire home. It is intended that the volume shall consist of two parts: a full abstract

English of the entire Register; and complete texts of the more important documents in their original Latin, French, or English. It is hoped that the work may be completed and printed off by the end of the present year. It is being prepared for press by Mr. James Mills and Mr. McEnery, of the Public Record Office.

1 For list of names of Fellows and Members elected, see page 96.

NOMINATION OF OFFICERS.

There were twelve Meetings of Council held during the year, at which the attendances were as follows:

The President, 10; the Hon. Gen. Secretary, 12; the Hon. Treasurer, 9; the late Colonel Vigors, 3; Dr. Joyce, 4; James Mills, 4; Rev. Canon Healy, 0; Edward Martyn, 4; Lord Walter Fitz Gerald, M.R.I.A., 6; Rev. Canon ffrench, M.R.I.A., 4; George Coffey, M.R.I.A., 4; Joseph H. Moore, M.A., 8; John Cooke, M.A., 5; Count Plunkett, F.S.A., 4; and W. Grove-White, LL.B., 6.

In accordance with Rule 17, the following Members of Council retire, and are not eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting, viz. —

James Mills, 1.8.0.; Dr. Joyce; and the Rev. Canon Healy, LL.D.

Nominations, in compliance with Rule 16, have been received to fill up the vacancies; and they are as follows:

George D. Burtchaell, M.A.; Henry F. Berry, M.A., 1.8.0.; the Most Rev. Dr. Donnelly, M.R.I.A.; Richard Langrishe, J.P.

The retiring Vice-Presidents are :—

For LEINSTER-The Most Rev. Dr. Donnelly, M.R.I.A. For ULSTER- Seaton F. Milligan, M.R.I.A. For MUNSTER-Robert Day, J.P., F.S.A. For CONNAUGHTRichard Langrishe, J.P.

The nominations received for these vacancies, in accordance with Rule 16, are :—

FOR LEINSTER:

JAMES MILLS, I.8.0., M.R.I.A. (Fellow, 1892).

FOR ULSTER:

ROBERT M. YOUNG, B.A., M.R.I.A., J.P. (Fellow, 1891; Vice-President, 1898). FOR MUNSTER:

JAMES FROST, J.P., M.R.I.A. (Fellow, 1877; Vice-President, 1898).

FOR CONNAUGHT:

RICHARD O'SHAUGHNESSY, B.A., C.B., M.V.O. (Fellow, 1894).

As only one nomination has been received for each vacancy, the foregoing will be declared elected to the four vacant seats on the Council, and as a Vice-President for each of the four Provinces respectively.