Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in King's Inns
MS 26
Grammar
18th cent. Paper. 19×11.5 cms, approx. Pp. 11+1 (title-page)+64+2+62 (uncut and blank). Scribe : Fearghal Ó Raghallaigh, 1793 (title-page), possibly to be identified with Farrell O'Reilly, bishop of Kilmore 1806-29 (P. de Brún, Breifne 1969, 560). Bound in boards with leather spine ; printed document concerning the procedure to be adopted in the conduct of a court martial used as end-papers. Dry- point ruling. Number '1271' marked on front cover (cf. second leaf) ; number '212' in pencil on front end-paper. This is presumably the manuscript numbered 1271 and described as 'Grammar in English and Irish, Quarto' [sic] in the sale-catalogue of General Vallancey's books (Dublin 1813) ; according to the priced copy of the catalogue in the National Library, it was purchased by somebody named Browne for £2.
The opening six leaves (otherwise blank) contain the following jottings : (a) First leaf (verso). 'Mr Flinn Polbay St.' (b) Second leaf (recto). 'Ann ainm Dé an tionnsgnabh so / N°. 1271 / Grammar. Irish & Eng.' (c) Sixth leaf (recto; verso is title-page). 'The Irish grammar, or an Introduction to the Irish Langu' [sic]. The last leaf contains: (d) 'Memmorandum of sand drawn by William [. . .] for Mr. Johnston Nov.ber 1793' [corrected from '1783']; (e) 'Air na sgriobha re Fargall O Reallaighe' ; (f) 'Mr. Toole Occopied the cabbin in Clinches Court May the 11th 1795' (on verso). Words 'A Hall Boath December 1799' on end-paper.
p.
Title-page : 'Ag so, Graimear iomlán an teanghadh Ghaoidheilge mur a bhfuil iomlán .n. Ríaghlacha an Teanghadh Ceadhna go fóirleathan ann, ar na cnúasacht ó hiolomad dhughdairibh barantamhla búantheasdacha o frómhadh a bhfios agus a bhfogluim . anois Ar na sgroiobha le Farghaill Ó' Réadhaladh san mblíoghan daos an Tíghearna 1793'.
1 . The Irish Grammar, or an Introduction to the Irish Language. Beg. The Alphabet call'd by the Irish Aibghitir na Gaoidheilge. . . . Sections of text alternately in Irish and English. Deals with nouns, consonants, diphthongs etc., mutations, parts of speech, case, number, declension, the adjective, the pronoun. Breaks off (p. 64) with When a Question is asked, in the answer the person always receives an increase ; as cia do rinne so ? Who did this ? do rinne mise, no, do rinneasa, I did it. Most of p. 64 blank. An adaptation or translation of Rudimenta Grammaticae Hibernicae by Giolla Brighde Ó hEódhasa, O.F.M., breaking off at a point corresponding to ed. P. Mac Aogáin, Graiméir Ghaeilge na mBráthar Mionúr (Baile Átha Cliath 1968) line 1319.