THE KILDARE OBSERVER<\/i><\/b> \u2013 SATURDAY MAY 2 1891<\/b><\/p>\n
COUNTY KILDARE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.<\/b><\/p>\n
INAGUGURAL\u00a0 MEETING\u00a0 AT\u00a0 PALMERSTOWN.<\/b><\/p>\n
On Saturday evening a meeting was held at Palmerstown House, the residence of the Earl of Mayo, for the purpose of establishing an Archaeological Society for the County Kildare, on the same lines as other county Archaeological Societies in England and Ireland. There were present \u2013 The Duke of Leinster, the Earl of Mayo, Most Rev Dr Comerford, Coadjutor Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin ; Lord Walter Fitzgerald, the Archdeacon of Kildare, the Dean of Kildare, Fr Denis Murphy, Rev John Connell, Clongowes College ; Mr T J de Burgh, Hon Gerald Ponsonby, Mr T Cooke-Trench, Rev Canon Sherlock, Rev Wm Stokes, Rev J F Cole, Rev E Maguire, Maynooth ; Rev T Gilmartin, Mr E Sweetman, General McMahon, Mr. A Vicars, Mr H Hendrick-Aylmer, Mr Geo Mansfield, Mr E Molloy, Mr Algernon Aylmer, Rev George Garrett, Kilmeague : Mr A J Owen, Rev James Adams, Kill ; Dr D P Coady, Mr J Loch, C I ; Mr K L Supple, D L.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 On the motion of Lord Mayo, seconded by Dr Comerford, the chair was taken by His Grace the Duke of Leinster.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo, who acted as secretary to the meeting, explained the object for which they were invited. He said he was very glad that so many gentlemen of the county had responded to the invitation he had sent out. He hoped that they would be able that day to settle the rules of the proposed society and also to gain a great many more members. This meeting had greatly exceeded in size what he expected, and only that this was one of the days of Leopardstown Races the Marquis of Drogheda would have been present, and probably a good many others. With regard to the archaeological society, he hoped they would not only be able to enter into subjects of strictly archaeological interest but also matters of a more modern form interest than archaeology usually embraced. He trusted that another thing would be noticed in their society, viz, that they should try to go into, so to speak, subjects that had not been written about in the county. There were a great many interesting places in the County Kildare that were not known about. He hoped they would be able to look into these. He had a draft of rules similar to those in the Warwickshire Field Club, which he offered merely as suggestions to the meeting with the chairman\u2019s permission. The first rule was that the society be called the County Kildare Archaeological Society, and that the purposes of the society be the study of subjects of antiquarian interest in the county and surrounding districts. A rule then followed stating that the society should be composed of a president, vice-president, hon treasurer, hon secretary, council and members. Ladies are eligible for membership.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 If we publish a journal don\u2019t you think an editor will be necessary?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The chairman thought in that they should follow the customs in other similar societies.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars said the council decided what to publish and what not to publish, and it was to them the papers should go.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Father Murphy said that in the Archaeological Institute that had an editor.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Canon Sherlock said the editor could not be made responsible for accepting or rejecting papers. That must be done by the council.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Father Murphy said the papers were read for the council, and if they passed a paper it was printed by the council.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo. . . We shall say nothing about an editor then. The council does that work.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeacon of Kildare said the editor would correct proofs.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars said in another Society the author corrected his proofs, and a paid secretary went over all the proofs. Each man was made responsible for his own paper.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeacon of Kildare said that a man might write a very good paper, and be a very poor hand at correcting a proof.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 It was decided that the appointment of an editor was not necessary.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo suggested the rule that the council consist of five members, with the president, vice-president, and hon secretary. He asked would that be enough.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Chairman . . . That depends upon what you would call a quorum.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo . . . Three members to form a quorum.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench . . . I should suggest that two form a quorum for non-contentious matter, three for anything contended. You very often find a difficulty in getting three men together, and if two meet they have to adjourn and cannot do routine business.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Walter Fitzgearld . . . Can you not extend the council, and make the quorum the same?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Rev Mr Garrett . . . They wouldn\u2019t meet. I think Mr Cooke Trench\u2019s suggestion is a good one. There are a great many cases where people agree so much, that they won\u2019t even attend a meeting.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Dean of Kildare . . . How would you define contentious matter?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench . . . Anything on which two are not agreed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Dean of Kildare . . . They would not know that until they got there.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench . . . Then they could adjourn the contentious matter and go on with<\/p>\n
the routine business. This suggestion was agreed to. Instead of adjourning all.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo said there must be a certain amount of subscriptions to carry on the printing publishing of the journal, if they did publish a journal. He thought they ought to settle to-day what they were going to subscribe. He had the circular of Col Vigors\u2019 societies for the preservation of the memorials of the dead in Ireland, and his subscription was five shillings. What did they think of making it 10s for theirs?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Several members thought 10s was sufficient.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo . . . What shall we say for life members?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Dr Comerford suggested \u00a35.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench said that the Royal Dublin Society were taking into consideration the question of life members. The membership subscription was twenty guineas, the annual subscription being two guineas. They had at the present moment a proposal before them to increase the life membership subscription to thirty guineas, because they found the life members were beginning to swamp them. Ten years\u2019 purchase they found was not enough.<\/p>\n
Mr Vicars instanced the Society of Antiquaries, where the annual subscription was two guineas, and the life subscription, fifteen years purchase, thirty guineas.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr de Burgh thought the question of funds would be very much influenced by the name they gave the society. If they called it the County Kildare Archaeological Society, it would be limited to the County Kildare.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo . . . It is limited, I think.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr de Burgh . . . Is it the custom in other societies of this kind to give them local names?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench \u2013 Yes.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Here is the Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench, to carry out Mr de Burgh\u2019s suggestion, said that the society should be the Kildare and Cis-Alpine Wicklow Society.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo pointed out that in the rule already approved of the objects of the society was the study of archaeological subjects in County Kildare and its neighbourhood.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars said that West Wicklow was cut off from the rest of Wicklow by a range mountains, and there were many objects of interest in West Wicklow, and a good many people whom he knew there would be glad to join the society.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Chairman said there was nothing to prevent them, but he did not think they should depart from the name they had chosen.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo said that the rule contained the words \u201cCounty Kildare or surrounding districts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeacon of Kildare said the ruins of Kilteel, in the county Dublin, were objects of great interest.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr de Burgh said if they adopted a local title they should take either Kildare or Leinster.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench said they must remember this was a local association and intended to be local. There was another association covering all ground.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Dr Comerford said their object was to supplement the work of the Archaeological Society, and there were many things they would like to know about that the Archaeological Society could not research upon.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo said no history of the county had been written, and if this society succeeded it would give information to some historian to write a history of the county (hear, hear).<\/p>\n
\u00a0 It was them embodied in the rules that a journal be published annually, to which members are invited to contribute papers on the subjects for the study of which the society was formed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo said the journal would include a column for notes and queries. The only difficulty about that would be, that if a person asked a question in 1891 upon a subject in which he was interested he would not receive an answer till 1892 (laughter).<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Father Murphy \u2013 How many times a year are you going to meet?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench said that was a most important question because the issue of the journal depended upon that.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Most of us are home in the winter.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars suggested that they should meet quarterly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Father Murphy said the Archaeological Society used to meet quarterly ; then they changed it to six times in the year, and now they were going back to quarterly meetings again.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars \u2013 I would suggest that we meet three times in the year and that one of these meetings be a sort of excursion, and that one member of the society each year invite the society to visit his neighbourhood and show the members the interesting objects in his locality. That will form a basis then for papers for the journal (hear, hear).<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench \u2013 My doubt on this subject is where the papers are going to come from. Of course Dr Comerford will give us a paper, and the Duke, and Mr Vicars ; but I think that is pretty well all our paper writers.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars \u2013 And Canon Sherlock.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Yes. I don\u2019t think there will be any difficulty about that.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Vicars \u2013 And Mr Aylmer will also give a paper.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Then it is decided that we shall meet twice in a year for reading papers and once for – . What shall we call it \u2013 an archaeological picnic (laughter).<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Mansfield \u2013 I presume the excursion won\u2019t place until the summer.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Walter Fitzgerald \u2013 And the rule of the Pickwick Club will prevail here that each person will pay his own expenses. They will not come out of the common fund.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Yes. Each pay his own.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo stated that in addition to the papers published in the journal, the cicerone of the excursion would give something about it.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Hendrick-Aylmer suggested the adjournment of the annual subscription question.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeaon of Kildare said the man who would subscribe \u00a35 to them as life member now at their inauguration would be exercising a very considerable act of faith, and they should be very grateful to him for his piety (laughter).<\/p>\n
\u00a0 It was agreed to that the annual meeting be held at such a time as the council should decide.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench \u2013 Who will be eligible to attend your meeting?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Members.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench \u2013 Only members?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 I suppose if we go look at any buildings we will be surrounded by quite a crowd if we have no restrictions.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench \u2013 Can a member bring his wife?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 Certainly.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeacon of Kildare said he thought there would be a great advantage if members could bring others who were archaeological experts. If a meeting were held in Naas he would be glad to get down Mr Drew, Dr Stokes and others, and let them give the society the benefit of their knowledge and experience. He thought it would be a good thing to throw the meetings open as much as they possibly could.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench \u2013 I think members should be allowed to bring anyone they like\u00a0 and as many as they like. The more we have at our meetings the better I think.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Hendrick-Aylmer \u2013 Can ladies be members?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Archdeacon of Kildare \u2013 Yes.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Hendrick-Aylmer \u2013 Even when their husbands are members aswell?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Archdeacon of Kildare \u2013 Yes, a fortiori<\/i>.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr de Burgh \u2013 I suppose you won\u2019t refuse a paper sent by a non-member?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 No I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Chairman \u2013 They must be introduced to the council by a member.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Wlater Fitzgerald \u2013 But they must be local. For instance, if a Connaughtman sent a paper about his own country it would not be received?<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Mayo \u2013 No.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Chairman said he had received a letter from Colonel Clements saying he would be very glad to co-operate. He saw Major Barton that morning and he said he would be very glad to do so too.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Cooke-Trench said that Miss Aylmer, of Donadea Castle, would be very glad to join, and so would Mr G de L Willis.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The election of officers and council was then proceeded with. The following were elected: President \u2013 The Duke of Leinster ; Vice-president \u2013 Most Rev Dr Comerford ; Hon Secretaries \u2013 The Earl of Mayo and Mr A Vicars ; Hon Treasurer \u2013 Mr H Hendrick-Aylmer. Council \u2013 Archdeacon of Kildare, Father Denis Murphy, Rev Canon Sherlock, Lord Walter Fitzgerald.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeacon of Kildare moved the following resolution \u2013 \u201cThat a brief account of the proceedings of this meeting be printed and circulated throughout the county and its neighbourhood ; and that all persons who forward their names to the secretary with a subscription for this current year be admitted as original members.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Mansfield seconded the resolution, which was passed unanimously.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Fr Murphy proposed that two members of the council should retire each year and be eligible for re-election. Thus they would have some new blood each year, if necessary, and of they desired they could keep on those whom from their merits they wished to retain.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Lord Walter Fitzgerald seconded this proposition, which was agreed to.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 The Archdeacon of Kildare said he had a proposition to make and it was that their next meeting should be an excursion, which would be to the noble town of Naas. They happened to have in the person of the bishop here a thorough cicerone who would be able to explain to them the antiquities \u2013 and there were many \u2013 of Naas. He thought they would spend a very pleasant day indeed there. The had ecclesiastical ruins and the old church had very interesting archaeological features, and the ruins of Jigginstown were very well worth a visit. He supposed there was not in Ireland a more interesting ecclesiastical edifice than what remained of the old tower, with the long subterranean passage adjoining. He thought they could easily arrange an expedition to Naas, and to come to minor matters, with regard to refection \u2013 which, he observed, appeared to have an important place in archaeological matters \u2013 that was easily managed in Naas. They had an excellent Town Hall, and a small subscription would cover the refection and enable them to see many archaeological remains.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Chairman \u2013 The Town Hall included.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Archdeacon of Kildare \u2013 Yes; the Town Hall is not without history. It was the old jail, in which heads blackened before now.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mr Hendrick-Aylmer \u2013 You have mentioned so many objects of interest we must not use them all up in one year.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Archdeacon of Kildare \u2013 Every inch of Naas almost has got some old association. I suggest that we make out first expedition to Naas.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 It was decided that the Naas members, in conjunction with the council, arrange for a suitable meeting place in Naas, and after much discussion, it was resolved that the meeting take place early in September.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Subscriptions having been received and other routine business transacted. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the meeting.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Re-typed by Lydia Potts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE KILDARE OBSERVER \u2013 SATURDAY MAY 2 1891 COUNTY KILDARE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. INAGUGURAL\u00a0 MEETING\u00a0 AT\u00a0 PALMERSTOWN. On Saturday evening a meeting was held at Palmerstown House, the residence of the Earl of Mayo, for the purpose of establishing an Archaeological Society for the County Kildare, on the same lines as other county Archaeological Societies in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kildare-observer-1880-1935","category-newspaper-articles"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}