JOURNAL OF THE COUNTY DONEGAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY ever, Mr. Hartnett of the National Museum, descended upon me and I instinctively felt that it was my sad and solemn duty to pack the two vessels as carefully as possible in a box, to carry it gingerly to his car and to wish him God Speed in his journey to Kildare Street-not withoU)t the hope, howeever, that one day I would see them again suitably housed and cared for in Donegal where they rightly belong. This rwas my latest experience-or shall I call it adventm;-e; but in closing I must say that not all my experiences and thrills have been concerned with prehistoric man or old coins. I have had many pleasant little thrills-s a y at a n ordinary country auction- a first edition or an out of print volume tied up in a bundle of junk and should my last bid. be followed by the auctioneer's gone it always b:ings a very satisfactory feeling if not a very exciting thrill. Similar experiences can, now and again be had when the lot offered is a bit of Waterford, a piece of old china, an old or rare coloured print and what a pleasant thing it is to find that you have become the owner of an attractive morsel of old Irish Silver after the auctioneer's · fateful monosyllable. In conclusion may I add that I have had other collecting ex262. periences not connected with such tangible things as Stone Axes, Bronze Swords, Roman coins etc.-things which you can label, keep in glass cases and show to interested friends. For some time past I have been collecting sets of interesting memories - memories of pleasant people with kindred tastes I have met-memories of famous and historic places I lill_ve had the opportunities of visiting-memories of the immortal works of the great artistes of ancient and modern times which I have been privileged to look u'pon with wonder and admiration-and so on. One can make an almst endless collection of this sort and I have much pleasure in telling you to-day that the .last one addto my list concerns your town and its Civic Week. On Tuesday night after Dr. Hayes McCoy's lecture when I stepped outside this buildin_g, on my way home, I was thrilled and delighted to see the flood-lit front of your lovely Cathedral. It looked magnificent, soaring up in a gleam of glory against the sombre background of t-he night sky - "a kindly light amidst the encircling gloom." There, I said to myself, is something Letterkenny people and their visitors can look , upon with pride and pleasureA thing of beauty which memory can make a joy for ever.
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