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 ANCIENT IRISH ATHLETIC GAMES, EXERCISES, AND WEAPONS.

I.

THE MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, DUBLIN.

The gladiatorial shows of Rome had corrupted and brutalized the world, for, with the exception of Ireland, the entire Western world was within the Roman Empire. After Italy, the countries most famous for their amphitheatres, were Gaul (France), North Africa, and Spain.

To the honor of Greece, it was the only Roman province where the brutalities of the arena were never shown or permitted.

In ancient as in modern times, the Irish, as a nation, were devoted to athletic games and skill with weapons, and had won extraordinary distinction for feats of arms, agility, and strength. (169)