MS 14854 (formerly Acc.2152/20).
Ossianic verse from the collection of Rev. Donald MacNicol.
© Catalogue record by National Library of Scotland
A volume from the collection of Gaelic songs and associated papers brought together by the Rev. Donald MacNicol (1735-1802), minister of Lismore, and continued by his son Dugald (b. 1791), an army officer. MacNicol's collection is described in John Francis Campbell's Leabhar na Feinne (London 1872), pp. xv-xvi, and its Ossianic verse is published in the book; the last three items below are used as main texts for the ballads. A detailed description of MacNicol's collection, NLS MSS.14850-14864, can be found in the National Library of Scotland's online Catalogue of Archives and Manuscripts.
MS.14854 is a small duodecimo-sized booklet, 15.4 × 9.6 × 0.2 cm. 16 ff. , dated at top of f. 1r: 1755. In the hand of Rev. Donald MacNicol.
ff. 1r - 5v "Osshain agus an Clerich", beg. A Chlerich a chanfas na Sailm. 47 qtt. See also MS.14857, ff. 16-17. Leabhar na Feinne, pp. 72-74.
ff. 6r - 10v "Conn Mac an Deirg", beg. Sgeala air Conn Mac an Deirg. 47 qtt. Leabhar na Feinne, pp. 115-117.
ff. 10v - 12r "Cath na'n Seiseir", beg. Seishear ga'm biodhmaid ma'n Riogh. 14 stt. of 4 or 6 lines, beginning on f. 11r. An additional stanza, to be inserted between stt. 10 and 11, written on f. 10v. St. 7 wanting two lines, for which a space was left. Leabhar na Feinne, p. 93.
ff. 12v - 14r "A Chios Chnamh", beg. Sin iad hugaibh hun an Oil. 16qtt. Leabhar na Feinne, pp. 166-167.
ff. 14v - 16v "Cath Bein Edin", beg. Teantach mor na Feine. 28 qtt. Leabhar na Feinne, pp. 96-97.