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 moment, Roderick O'Flanagan,
Esq., M.R.I.A., has found, or rather made, leisure, amongst his many
professional and literary occupations, to prepare the valuable and
important map of Irish families, which will be given _gratis_ to all
subscribers, and in which W.H. Hennessy, Esq., M.R.I.A., at present
employed by Government on the important work of publishing ancient Irish
MS., will also give his assistance.

To many of the gentlemen in Cork, and principally to Nicholas Murphy,
Esq., of Norwood, and Eugene M'Sweeny, Esq., I cannot fail to offer my
best thanks, for the generous help they have given in promoting the sale