ace to this Edition, I cannot omit to express my
grateful thanks to Sir William Wilde, and other members of the Royal
Irish Academy, through whose kindness I obtained the special favour of
being permitted to copy some of the most valuable illustrations of Irish
antiquities contained in their Catalogue, and which has enabled the
reader, for the first time, to have an Irish history illustrated with
Irish antiquities--a favour which it is hoped an increase of cultivated
taste amongst our people will enable them to appreciate more and more.
To John O'Hagan, Esq., Q.C., I owe a debt of gratitude which cannot
easily be repaid, for the time he bestowed on the correction of the
proofs of the First Edition, and for many kind suggestions, and much
valuable advice. I am indebted, also, to M.J. Rhodes, Esq., of
Hoddersfield, for a liberal use of his library, perhaps one of the most
valuable private libraries in Ireland, and for permitting me to retain,
for a year and more, some of its most costly treasures. The same
kindness was also granted by the Rev. D. M'Carthy, Professor of Sacred
Scripture and Hebrew at Maynooth, who is himself doing so much for its
ecclesiastical students by his valuable literary labours, and who was
one of the first to urge me to undertake this work. In preparing the
Second Edition, I am not a little indebted to the Rev. James Gaffney,
C.C., M.R.I.A., of Clontarf, who, even during the heavy pressure of
Lenten parochial duties, has found time to give me the benefit of many
important suggestions, and to show his love of Ireland by deeming no
effort too great to further a knowledge of her glorious history. I am
also indebted to the Rev. John Shearman, C.C., M.R.I.A., of Howth, for
the valuable paper read before the R.I.A., on the "Inscribed Stones at
Killeen Cormac;" and to many other authors who have presented me with
their works; amongst the number, none were more acceptable than the
poems of Dr. Ferguson, and the beautiful and gracefully written _Irish
before the Conquest_, of Mrs. Ferguson, whose gifts are all the more
treasured for the peculiar kindness with which they were presented.

To my old friend, Denis Florence MacCarthy, Esq., M.R.I.A., who should
be the laureate of Ireland--and why should not Ireland, that land of
song, have her laureate?--I can only offer my affectionate thanks, for
his kindnesses are too numerous to record, and are so frequent that they
would scarcely bear enumeration. At this m