Fig. 172.—Athboy. ½ – Fig. 173.—Meath. ½ – Fig. 174—Ireland. ½
I have an example of the same kind (2⅜ inches), from Trillick, Co. Tyrone,[507] in which there are five equidistant vertical ribs on each face. The edge has been much hammered, so as to be considerably recurved at the ends. Wilde[508] has figured a much larger specimen (4½ inches), with three vertical ribs, which cross a ring, level with the top of the loop, and run up to the lip moulding. Another,[509] with rectangular socket, has the ribs arranged in the usual manner. In a few instances the ribs end in pellets, and in one instance Wilde[510] describes them as “ending in arrow points.”
A short but broad socketed celt in the Petrie Collection has on each face six vertical ribs terminating at each end in annulets.
The socketed celts with an almost square socket and neck are not so common in Ireland as those of the broad type with an oval neck, but are yet not absolutely rare. Fig. 174 shows a good specimen of this type. I have another (3½ inches), from the neighbourhood of Belfast, rather wider at the edge, and with three flat vertical ribs below the neck moulding.
Fig. 175 shows a short variety of the same type, from Newtown Crommolin, Co. Antrim. One from Trillick, Co. Tyrone (2½ inches), though nearly rectangular at the neck, has an oval socket.
Mr. Robert Day has an example (3¼ inches), from Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, with two beads round it, the lower one at the level of the bottom of the loop. This celt is rectangular at the neck, though the socket is oval.
Some few have grooves running down the angles. One from Londonderry (4¼ inches) is in Mr. Day’s collection.
The long narrow celt with a rib ending in an annulet on the face, engraved by Wilde as Fig. 283, appears to me to belong to Brittany rather than to Ireland.
