Irish Script on Screen

Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in Mount Melleray Abbey Co. Waterford

MS 1

Foras Feasa ar Éirinn; Iomarbhágh

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18th cent. Paper. 30 × 19.5 cm. Pp. 430 ([xxx] (now pp. i-xxx) + 340 (paginated 1 -344, pp. 87-90 missing (see below), 258 numbered 248) + [lx] (now pp. xxxi-xc)). Scribes: (1) main scribe, pp. 1 -344, Aindrias Mac Cruitín, 1712 (pp. 161 , 255 ). (2) pp. iii-vii, xxxi-xliv, lxxxviii-lxxxix, and possibly p. 162 .13-z, Semus Ó Bruíghean (James Byrn(s)) (pp. i, xxxi , xliv ), Limerick (p. xliv ), 1774 (p. vii), 1775 (p. xliv ), 1785 (pp. i, xliv ). (3) pp. xxix-xxx, no scribal signature.

Bound in full calf. Blind tooling front and back. Slip marked '381 / 1 / Irish Manscript' [sic] affixed to spine. 'Patrick Hayes' inside front cover, transversely, and 'ri' in lower, inner corner. Loose slip inside front cover: 'Deposited by T. R. Roche Esq. - to be submitted to Lib Com for purchase'. 'James Byrns his Book 1785' and '106 years' p. i; coat of arms of 'Mr John O Bryen' p. xxviii. Bifolium (18 × 11.5 cm) tipped in at p. xxvii, of which recto of first leaf bears the following: 'This volume is a transcript of Geoffrey Keating's History of Ireland, and is in the handwriting of Andrew Buy Mac Curtin of Ennistymon in the County of Clare, - a man pronounced by O Curry and O Donovan the best Irish Scholar of his time - From the well known skill of Mac Curtin as a transcriber, the perfect accuracy of this copy may be relied on. This is the more important because the original is lost. / J. F. 9th September 1880'; financial calculations (inverted) on verso of second leaf.

Pp. i-xxviii, xxxi-xc are endpapers. Pp. xxix-xxx a singleton which did not belong to the manuscript in its original form. Gathered in eights: vi wants 4 and 5 (pp. 87-90), xii wants 4 (stub survives between pp. 178 and 179), xxii wants 8 (following p. 344); loss of text in vi where defective; xi (pp. 161 -72) a six. Pp. 277-98 ruled in dry point (column-rules in ink on these pages); 32-5 lines (pp. iii-vii), 42-6 (pp. xxix-xxx), 34-41 (pp. 1 -344), 32-40 (pp. xxxi -xlvi). Two columns pp. xxix-xxx, 161 .11- 162 .12, 344.18-z, xxxi-xliv ; three columns pp. 277-87; four columns pp. 288-98; catchwords pp. 1 -344; running titles pp. 26- 257 .

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Matter on pp. lxxxviii-xc inverted and reversed. Pp. xxix-xxx, 1 -4, torn and frayed with consequent loss of text; pp. xxix-xxx also cropped with loss of text; these pages and p. 344 badly stained, further staining pp. 185, 257 -77. Stab holes.

Notes and jottings: (a) xxix, outer margin, transversely. 'Da.' (b) 185, lower margin. 'Gurb.' (c) 301, outer margin. 'Maitias O / Maitias O Bruinn.' (d) 326, outer margin. 'Abgitear Aindrias [Mhi]c Cruitinn.' (e) 326, lower margin. 'Maitias O Bruinn.' (f) 344 a 18. '[...] breith barr a mbriathraibh.' (g) 344 a 19. 'Gonta.' (h) 344 a 20. 'D C.' (i) 344 a 21. '[...]uit an [? ceim] duit [...].' (j) 344 a 22. 'I cant Sufficently [sic] Express the grief.' (k) 344 a 23-7. Calculations and two five-pointed stars. (l) 344 a 28-33 (28-30 cancelled), charm for toothache. '[Jes]us Sedebat Supra lap / [ide]m u[...]m epe[.]it Dei / [...]it Petre quid dolis Domine dentes / [...] Surge hiis Salus a dolore / [...] Solus sed ominos que / [...]n portabunt.' (m) 344 a y-z. '[...] Yr Very / [...] Servant.' (n) 344 b 18-22. 'and / and / and the Lord Bless us all / Blessed Saviour Jesus mar[...] be mercifull unto meriserable [sic] sinners.' (o) 344 b 23-6. 'Joanis Connell est / verus possesor hujus libri que[m] / Deus amat et Diabolus odit si quis / Homo felit [...] Lib.' (p) 344 b 27, inverted. 'a duine leim tar.' (q) 344 b 28-35. Cá ní is diombúaine na an cre. 1 st., repeated in another hand. (r) 344 b z, inverted. 'Oh how I long [...] to pass my days.' Calculations and further jottings on p. 344 now mainly illegible (see above).

Pp. 161 .11- 162 .12 of this manuscript were exemplar for NLI ms G 695 (see p. 2 above).

i. See above. P. ii blank.

iii. 'A true and genuine certificate Sign'd by many of the Nobility & Gentry of Ireland.' Beg. We Certifie and Attest by these presents that Mr. John Bonfield is the Son lawfully begotten of Mr. James Bonfield and Elizabeth Lacy. Copy of testimonial concerning character and noble pedigree of Mr John Bonfield, 1774. Pp. viii-xxvii blank.

xxviii. See above.

xxix. Truagh leam a compáin do chor. Breaks off (p. xxx) with q. 57; many quatrains defective due to condition of manuscript.

1 . 'Ag so dionbrollach nó brollach cosnaimh Forais Fheasa ar Éirinn... : Atá an sdair rannta na dha leabhor. In céad

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leabhar dhíobh nochtas dála Éirionn ó Ádhamh go toighiocht Phádraig [a nÉirinn]. In 2 leabhar ó thoighiocht Phádraig go gabhaltas Gall, nó gus an [amso] / Díonbhrollach Forais Feasa ar Éirinn.' Beg. (p. 1.14) Gidh bé dhuine san mbith chuirios roimhe seanchas nó sínsiordhacht [chríche san] mbith do leanamhain. Ends (p. 24) óir má thá éinní inbhéime ann ní ó mhailís, acht ó aineolas atá ann. Bhúr mbochtcara bithdhílios go bás Séuthrún Kéiting. Liber Primus beg. (p. 25 ) Ag so do sheanchas Éirionn, et dá gach ainm dá ttugadh uirre. Ends (p. 161 ) Tugadar a mhuinntear a chorp leó a nÉirinn, gur hadhnacadh a Roilig na Ríogh a cCruachan é. 'Fínis librí prímí, 15^o die 8bris 1712 Aindrias Mac Cruitín.' Lacuna due to chasm, pp. 87-90 (see above), corresponds to ITS VIII (1908) 112.1755-126.1991.

161 .11. Beanúghadh dobhain dhuit a Doinn na Daoíche. 68 lines, incomplete. Foll. (p. 162 .13) by: (a) square-word charm Sator / arepo / tenet / opera / rotas. (b) Mo throíd mo thurrainn mo thiobuist mo bhroin mo dhioth. 1 st. ['Ceangal' of Gile na gile do chonnarc ar slighe i n-uaigneas.]

163 . 'Foras Feasa ar Éirinn.' Liber Secundus beg. Ag so síos do ríoghaibh Éirionn, et dá ndálaibh déis chreidimh. Ends (p. 255 ) et iomad do shleachtaibh uaisle oile Seanghall, táinig ó thaoisiochaibh oile nach luaidhfiom ann so. 'Finis librí prími et secundi 27^^N die 8bris 1712 Aindrias Mac Cruitín.' Foll. (p. 256 ) by genealogies; introduction, headed 'Do ghabhlughadh Cloinne Míleadh annso', beg. Adeirid cuid dona seanchadhaibh go bhfuilid dá chinél déag saorchlann nó fíoruaisle do Ghaoidhiolaibh a nÉirinn. Foll. (p. 257 .7) by: 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta hÉibhir annso'; 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Chormaic Chais annso' (259); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Céin meic Oiliolla Óloim' (261); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Ír meic Míleadh' (262.10); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleacht [sic] Fearghusa meic Róigh' (263.15); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta hÉiriomhóin' (264.13); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Chonaill Gulban' (266); 'Do chraobhscaoileadh sleachta Bríain meic Eochaidh Muighmeadhóin' (267); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Fhiachra meic Eochaidh Muighmheadhóin' (268.22); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta na cColla' (269.24); 'Geinealach Uí Cheallaigh gusa ttiobhrom Sliocht Cholla.

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dhá Chríoch' (270.13); 'Ginealach Dháil Riada Alban' (272); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Laoghaire Luirc' (273); 'Do chraobhsgaoileadh sleachta Lúighe meic Íthe' (276). Foll. (277) by synchronisms, headed 'Ag so craobha comhfhlaithis na nárdaithreach et na nárdfhlaithiodh, et na bpápadh et ríogh na hÉirionn... '. Ends p. 298.

299. 'Tórna Éigeas .cct.' Dáil chatha idir Chorc et Niall. 56 qq.

302 .13. 'Tadhg mac Dáire .cct.' Olc do thagrais a Thórna. 35 qq.

304.13. 'Lughaidh Ó Cléire .cct.' A Thaidhg ná tathaoir Tórna. 65 qq. 'Tadhg mac Dáire .rpt.' Éisdsi a Lughaidh rém labhra. 183 qq. Arranged in dialogue form.

319.7. 'Roibeard Mac Artúir bráthair dÓrd S. Bróinsias et dochtúir san diadhacht .cct.' Measa do thagrais a Thaidhg féin [sic]. 32 qq. 'Tadhg mac Dáire .cct.' Go ccead dod ghairm a bhráthair. 64 qq. Arranged in dialogue form.

324.25. 'Soighin cómhradh ann so ó Thadhg mac Dáire ar Aodh Ó Dhomhnaill, ré ndul a ccumadh freagra do thabhairt air do réir úird agallmha.' Ní guais lióm turchar a Aódh. 11 qq.

325.13. 'Aodh Ó Domhnaill .cct.' Measa do thagrais a Thaidhg. 68 qq. 'Tadhg mac Dáire .cct.' Ní breith orm do bhreith a Aodh. 163 qq. Arranged in dialogue form.

337.25. 'Lughaidh Ó Cléire .cct.' Ná brosdaigh mise a mhic Dáire. 17 qq.

338.20. 'Tadhg mac Dáire cct.' A Lughaidh labhram go séimh. 30 qq.

340. Mairg darb feithiomh fear gaoil. 12 qq.

340.25. 'Tadhg mac Dáire .cct.' A dhuine labhras an laoidh. 24 qq.

342. 'Baothghalach Ruadh Mac Aodhagáin .cct.' Fuiridh rém thagrasa a Thaidhg. 18 qq. 'Tadhg mac Dáire .cct.' Ní theithim ré tagra mbaoth. 27 qq. Arranged in dialogue form. 'Finis' (p. 344.17); for remainder of page see above.

xxxi. 'Seagan Ó Connuill a nGaoídhelge et a mBéarla / Semus Ó Bruíghean.' An úair smaoínnim air shaoíthibh na hÉirionn. 123 stt., numbered incorrectly. Parallel English translation (column b): Irish heroes when I remind. 124 stt., numbered. Foll. (p. xliv) by scribal colophons: (col. a 26) 'Foircheann / Limerick 25th September 1785 By Js Byrn'; (col. b 26) 'Amen / Limerick 20th October 1775 [sic] by James Byrn'. Pp. xlv-lxxxvii blank.

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xc (see above). Let some in vain of love complain & call their objects cruel. 6 stt. in English alternating, every two stanzas, with 4 stt. in Irish beg. Aislinng dháor do dheaircus féinn air leabadh smé go lagbhríoch / gur hinn leam tháobh an chúlainn shéimh ba chúrtha déad is gealphíp. To Becky Burke. Mentions St Stephen's Green.

lxxxix.25 (see above). 'Eadbaird'. Tá grádh agam do speirbhruinnghiol mhaórgadh an mo chraoídh. Breaks off (p. lxxxviii) with st. 8, line 2. In praise of Máire [Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia].