The story of ancient Irish civilisation / by P.W. Joyce.

  • Joyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston), 1827-1914.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The story of ancient Irish civilisation / by P.W. Joyce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    off their beautiful designs, and often kept doing their work in presence of the spectators. A special space was assigned for cooking, which must have been on an extensive scale to feed such multitudes. At length the leaders gave the signal that the aenach was ended; and the people cpiietly dis- persed to their homes. Hunting was one of the favourite amusements of the Irish. Some wild animals were chased for sport, some for food, and some merely to extirpate them as being noxious; but whatever might be the motive, the chase was always keenly enjoyed. It is indeed quite refreshing to read in some of the tales a description of a hunt and of the immense delight the people took in the sport and all its joyous accompaniments. The liunters led the chase chiefly on foot, with different breeds of hunting-dogs, according to the animals to be chased. The principal kinds of game were deer, wild pigs, badgers, otters, and wolves ; and hares and foxes were hunted with beagles for pure amusement. Pig'hunting was a favourite sport. Wolves were hunted down with the great Irish wolf-dogs, some of which were as big as a colt or an ass. AVild animals were trapped as well as chased. There was an elaborate trap for deer, a deep