Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in King's Inns
MS 2
Foras Feasa ar Éirinn.
17th cent. Paper. c. 26×20 cms (first 12 leaves 26×19 cms; margins trimmed). Pp. 2 (title-page with verso blank)+268 (pp. [1]- [266]; numbered to 248 with 227-8 twice; after 248 only 257-8 numbered). Scribe: Seaán mhac Torna Uí Mhaoilchonaire, who wrote 'a Muigh an Ratha a Laoighis' for Domhnall mac Uaithne Uí Chearbhaill in June and July 1657 (title-page, pp. 138, 219, [265]). Bound in boards with leather spine. Leaf of parchment bound in at beginning and another at end. Upper and outer margins trimmed with some loss of writing (not text). Waterstains on upper and lower outer corners. Defects in ms 1 supplied from this manuscript: note on p. 15, left margin ('incipit hic p 15' [i.e. of ms 1]), and section on pp. 26-8 corresponding to MS 1, pp. 25-6, marked in pencil. Probably the copy used by William Halliday for his edition of the early part of the text, Dublin 1811 (cf. p. xxi). Briefly referred to by Dinneen (ITS VIII (1905) xxxii-xxxiii) and used by Bergin for Sgéalaigheacht Chéitinn (see preface, 1909).
In the possession of Henry J. Monck Mason in 1844, according to Eugene O'Curry (RIA, Academy Cat. i, p. 315).
Calculations based on date of ms on some leaves: '1754/1657/97', '1812/1657/155', '1816/Ann 1657/159' (all on lower margin of title- page; last two in pencil); '173[]/ 165[7]/7[]' (p. 119, right margin; trimmed); '1765/1657/108' (p. 138 m, in pencil). Marginalia and notes: (a) inside front cover. 'Mr Fowler Miclenburgh street has a ms of Keating written in 1638 am-Baille Coille Foghair Flaithrí [sic]. (b) verso of parchment leaf at beginning. 'This is a very excellent Copy of Keating's History of Ireland, written by John O Maolconaire, a well known Irish scholar. Any legible copy of Keating is considered valuable even for its language; but a copy of this kind is invaluable. Edwd Ó Reilly'. Foll, by 'Mr F(owler's) ms of K(eating) was written in 1638' (inverted). (c) 91, upper margin. 'Clann Uisneach an so.' (d) 205, right margin. 'Colg. habet symboli mali anno vide act Sanctm 644' [cf. ITSVIII (1905) xxxi]; foll, lower down by 'vide Colganum in hunc locum', (e) 217 m. 'Keating does not say hell contin(u)[e] the modern Part here.' (f) [266]. 'Mr Fowler of Micklenburgh street has a ms of Kg written in 1638 October 17 a m-Baille Coillefoghair re Flaithri ua Duibgean' [sic]. Foll, by 'Slogaire a Vortex / Pol Sughacháin' and some scribbling. Items (b) (c) (e) in pencil. The manuscript referred to in (a) (b) (f) is evidently BM Eg. 107 (Cat. i, 28-9; iii, pi. xvi). Further writing and scribbling on recto of first leaf and verso of last, on p. [266] and inside back cover. A note (partly cut away) on upper margins of pp. 84-5 says that '83.84 are between 86.87 following'; these pages are now in their correct order.
Two loose leaves also included with ms: (1) c. 26×16.5 cms. Genealogy of patron in Ó Maoilchonaire's hand. Beg. Cuirfiom síos annso do réir Donnghalaigh Ui Ríobhardáin i. ollamh Shíl gCearbhaill geiniolach [agus] craobhsgaoiliodh gach gabláin dar sgar re toigh Ui Chearbhaill, go mbeirthior linn go soiche an ceann fine ór ghluais se do gheiniolaigh Ui Chearbhuill é. (2) 7.5 × 15.5 cms; writing on one side only. Note in English entitled 'Forgeries'. Mentions Voltaire, Frederic Mills, Dr Bently, 'Patagorius called in Latin Junius'.
P.
Title-page . '[Foras Feasa] ar Eirinn annso mar anochtor suim [seanch]ais Éirionn go cumair, ar na chnuasach, et ar na theagor, [et ar] na thiomsughadh a primhleabhruibh seanchasa Éirionn, et a hiliomad dughdaraibh barántamhla choigcríche, le Séuthrún Keitinn Sagart, et doctúir diadhachta, mar anochtar príomhdhala Eirionn ó Pharrthalón go gabhaltus Gall, et gidhbe thoigeorus sgríobhadh go foirleathan líonmhor ar Eirinn do gheubhaidh sna seinleabhruibh céudna iomad do neithibh misgriobhtha ar Éirinn do fágbhadh amuigh annso daontoisg, deagla go madh lughaide do thiocfadh an cuidse chum soluis, iad uile do chor an aonobair, ar mheud do dhuadh agcor anaonchairt.
'Atá an Stair rannta na dha chuid. An chéad chuid nochtus príomhdhala Eirionn ó Pharrthalon go teacht Phádruig an Éirinn. An dara cuid ó theacht Phádruig go gabháltus Gall, nó gus an amso.
'Tionsgaintior anainm Dé an leabharso do sgríobhadh chum sochair Dhomhnuill mheic Uaithne Uí Chearbhuill, le Seaan mhac Torna Ui Mhaoilchonaire, a Muigh an Ratha a Laoighis, an treas lá do mhí Iúin, Anno Domini .1657.'
[1] . [DÍONBHROLACH.] Beg. Gidhbé duine san bhioth chuirios roimhe seanchas, nó sinnsiordhacht chríche san bhioth do leanmhain. . . . Ends (p. 22 i) Óir matá éinní inbhéime ann, ní hó mhailís acht ó aineolus atá ann. Bhar mbochtchara bhithdilios go bás. Seuthrún Keitinn.
23 . [FORAS FEASA AR ÉIRINN.] Headed 'Ago [sic] do tsheanchas Éirionn . . . ó thús riamh gus an aimsirsi, an mhéid fuarus re abfaisneis díobh'. Beg. Ar ttús cuirfiom síos annso gach ainm da raibhe ar Éirinn riamh. Foll. (p. 138.5) by 'Finis libri primí. an treas lá do mhí Iulius .1657.'; rest of page blank. Title-page of Book II on p. 139; text beg. on p. 141 (p. 140 blank). Ends p. 217; p. 218 blank.
219 (119, ms). Genealogies. (Words 'Seaan Ó M' in margin.) 'Do ghabhlughadh cloinne Míliodh annso.' Introduction foll, by 'Dochraobhsgaoiliodh sleachta hÉibhir' (220); 'Dochraobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Cormaic Cais' (222 m); 'Do craobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Céin mhic Oiliolla Óloim' (224 m); 'Dochraobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Eiriomhóin' (226); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Conaill Ghulban mhic Néill' (227 m); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Bríain mhic Eachach' (228 m); 'Craobsgaoiliodh sleachta Fiachnuidh mhic Eachach' (227[b] i); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh shleachta Colla da chríoch' (229 m); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh Laighion' ([232] m); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Connlo mhic Breasail Bric' (233 i); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Ír mhic Míliodh' ([235] i); 'Craobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Fearghais mhic Róigh' (237.7); 'Dochraobhsgaoiliodh sleachta Luighdhioch mhic Íthe' (238 i).
241 . Synchronisms, in three columns. Followed (p. [265] i) by 'Finis Libri Secundi, & ultimi. 23° Julii 1657'.