Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the National Library
G 168
Ó CLÉIRIGH'S LEABHAR GABHÁLA; CONTENTION OF THE BARDS
17th cent. Paper. 20.5 × l6cms. 126 ff. Scribal foliation. Scribe unidentified, year of writing 1685 (f. 1). A later hand has added occasional dates in margins towards the end of the text and also an item apparently omitted by the scribe on f. 82.
Bound in brown calf with '1437' (Todd sale-cat. no.) and '23071' labelled on spine; '23071 Ph' and 'Phillipps MS 23071' written and 'The fabulous history of Ireland from ancient poems by the O Clerys' labelled inside front cover. The following in the hand of Rev. J. H. Todd on recto of front endpaper: 'The Leabhar Gabhala / in the hand writing of Michael O Clery / the chief of the Four Masters' underneath which R. I. Best has written 'Dr Todd's hand / the Sale Cat 1437 / cp O'C. Ms Mat. p. 557 R.I.B.' This note by O'Curry gives the manuscript as being 'now in the Royal Irish Academy, but not classed' - probably on loan at that time from Todd (see below). Listed under 'Rev J. H. Todd MSS ex Trin. Coll. Dublin' in Phillipps's Catalogus.
Fol.
1 [LEABHAR GABHÁLA]. Ó Cléirigh recension but with fewer poems (particularly in the second half) and occasionally more abbreviated prose passages than in the version contained in 23 K 32. The opening paragraphs in this copy give the place (Grainseach Leas[a] G[obhail] a bfochair mic Meguidhir .i. Brian mac Conconnacht), the time (an bh[liadain da] ndeachaidh urmhór Éirionn fa ghné focail ar iocht 7 ar ionchuibh Saxa[nach] . . . 24 Nobheimber 1652) and the person(Brian mac Colla . . . Mic Mathghamhna) for whom the exemplar of this manuscript was written. The time of writing of the present copy(Aois an Tigherna anúair do criochnaigheadh an leabharsa dha sgriobh- adh 1685 an tochtmhadh lá .x. do Aipril anno ut supra) is given between the time (aimsir) and the person (persa) in the above state-, ment. Beg. Ceithre neithe is dior agas [. . .] gheacd do suim na leabhar mar atá locc, aimsir 7 pearsa. Followed (f. IV) by Address to Reader beg. Do chondcas do daoinibh airithe oile. Text proper headed (f. 4) 'Do ghabaluibh Eirionn siosana. do ghabhail Céasra cédus' beg. Ceasoir tra ingean Beatha mic Noe. Ends (f. 86v) with quatrain Buailter airgiot na riogh roainn followed by 3 blank folios.
The present copy agrees with the version in D iii 3 (scribe: Eochaidh Ua Heodhusuidhe, 1647) of which other copies include those in RIA C vi 1, 24 P 24, 23 K 45, TCD ms 1286, BL Eg. 105 and G 170 below.
Ó Cléirigh's Address to the Reader has been printed and translated by O'Curry in his Manuscript Materials (1861), pp. 169-72, 552-7, where he erroneously attributes the writing of the present manuscript to Brian mac Colla Mhic Mhathghamhna (ibid.).
90 'Torna Éigeas .cc.' Dáil catha idir Corc is Niall. 54 qq.
92 'Tadhg mac Daire .cc.' Olc do thagrais a Thórna. 32 qq.
93 'Lughaidh Ó Cleirigh .cc.' A Thaidhg na tathaoir Tórna. 66 qq.
96 'Tadhg mac Daire .cc.' Eist a Lughuidh rem labhra. 189 qq.
103 'Lughuidh O Cleirigh .cc.' Do chúala ar thagrais a Thaidhg. 251 qq.
112 'Baothghalach Rúadh Mac Aodhaigain .cc.' Mairg darb feithiom fer gaoíl. 13 qq.
112 v 'Tádhg mac Dáire .cc.' A dhuine labhras an laoidh. 24 qq.
113 v 'Lughuidh O Cléirigh .cc.' Na brosd misi a mhic Dáire. 18 qq.
114 v 'Tadhg mac Daire .cc.' A Lughuidh labhram go seimh. 31 qq.
115 v 'Lughuidh O Cleirigh .cc.' An ccluine mé a mhic Daire. 30 qq.
117 'Aódh mac Aódha Duibh Í Domnaill .cc.' Measa do thagrais a Thaidhg. 68 qq.
119 v 'Roibert Mac Airtuir .cc.' Measa a Tháidhg do thagrais fein. 34 qq. 120v 'Tádhg mac Daire .cc.' Go ccead dot ghairm a bhrathoir. 66 qq.
123 'An brathoir ceadna .cc.' As follas a mheic Dáire. 102 qq. Breaks off f. 126v i.