Catalogue of Gaelic Manuscripts in the National Library of Scotland
© Ronald Black, 2011
Adv. MS 72.1.24
(Gaelic MS.XXIV). LIFE OF ST. FINDCHUA.
Mackinnon, p.84; Mackechnie, p.163.
?15th cent. Vellum. 8 ff. Quarto, 23.5 × 16.5 cms. A gathering. Written, according to colophon (f. 8 r), by Conchubhar for the vicar and parson of Brí Gobhann (Mitchelstown, Co. Cork) and for the grandson of Robert Condon, all of whom, apparently, have promised to pay him for his work. He adds, apparently by way of warning, that his attorney (tuirrne) is Denis Ó Duinnín; this may be the Donnchadh mac Giolla-na-naomh Uí Dhuinnín who wrote a section of YBL in ?1465. Conchubhar’s script is generally large, ovoid; save for f. 8 v his work is in single columns. His only decoration is a large initial A, and his only marginalium, f. 2 r, is virtually illegible: “Ar….u…dar in…ins…is b...cuma limsa an lit…”(?). Most of the text at ff. 1r and 8 v is lost through exposure to dirt and rubbing, and a little is lost at f. 2 r through peeling. A gash at f. 2 is stitched in green thread. Bound by thongs. Not numbered by Major MacLachlan, and not listed in Mackintosh’s catalogue. Numbered 20 by Hugh Kerr, whose name or initials appear on every leaf. Foliation modern.
f.
1 r LIFE OF ST. FINDCHUA OF BRl' GOBHANN. Beg. A…d brugaid amru ro g….. (above is an illegible line). Corresponds closely to ed. Stokes, Lives of Saints from the Book of Lismore, p.84, but continues past end of Stokes’ edition in two columns, largely illegible, at f. 8v. In smaller lettering at f. 8r, lower margin, is the colophon: “Misi Concubar ⁊ beatha ⁊ slainti uaim do bicairi ⁊ do peasain Brí Gobann ⁊ do mac mhic Roibeart Contun ⁊ cennchuid amail ro gelladur in mbethaidsi Fhindcaid ⁊ aithnid corub tuirrne dilis damsa Denis O Duindin ⁊ do rindisa amail ro gellus ⁊ fuilngid patruin na tuaithi ⁊ na cilli an digbail risin lebar so ⁊ na sailid na clerig a fhagbail ar deirc na ar guidi ach cuirid fhiacha chugumsa ⁊ guidid ar anmunnaib icarat fein ⁊ na denad in lebar so d’ fillid amail do níat clerig ⁊ leaga do bunad ⁊ na tobrad ar iasacht e ⁊ na tabrad re scribad ⁊ leasaigit fa glas co honorach. Finitt.” There are 3 lines of similarly small script across foot of f. 8v: these are illegible.