Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the Royal Irish Academy
1224
LEBAR GABÁLA
16th cent. Vellum. 7½ × 9½. Ff. 42 and one loose slip (1 × 7½) standing after fo. 5 and containing a fragment of text. The ms. has been clipped by a binder, with consequent damage to marginal notes. Previous to clipping the ms. seems to have been damaged by fire; note the brittle condition and darkened colour of the vellum of inferior outer margins. The text is defective at beginning and end. The last folio appears to have spent a considerable time as outer cover, but the loss at the beginning is comparatively recent. A non-contemporary foliation 3-44 (22-44 added later) stands on the MS., the slip being ignored by foliator. This would seem to indicate a loss of two folios at the beginning, and this supposition is strengthened by a comparison of the text of Lebar Gabála in 537, supra. A second foliator numbers the folios 1-42; there are many later erasures and emendations of the numbers (in ink and pencil). The references infra are to the first foliation; the later foliation is added in brackets where necessary. The leaves have been separated from their conjugates and laid down singly. Gauze which once protected the injured margins has been removed. An older repair in the vellum (fo. 16) was made before the ms. was written; it is beautifully executed by means of fresh vellum and vellum thong. The writing is generally in double column, with exception of ff. 7 recto, 20 recto, 21 recto (lower section). Traces of re-inking occur. The ruling is partly by dry point, partly in brown. Ornamental capitals, etc., few in number and uncoloured, are generally of interlaced zoomorphic design. Scribe: Muirgeas mac Pádin [Uí] Mai[lchonaire] (see fo. 35 v. b i. and passim), the scribe of 479, who died in 1543 (FM sub anno). Michael O’Clery, in his version of Lebar Gabála (ed. Macalister-MacNeill, p. 5), gives as a source “Leabhar Baile Uí Maoilchonaire do scríobh Muirghes mac Páidin Uí Maoilchonaire as Leabhar na Huidre.” Since the volume before us bears frequent marginal indications of a now lost section of LU as source (see infra), it follows that it is the ms. used by O’Clery.
The scribal colophons and marginal notes on the ms. are given here in full, where the state of the margins permits:—
Fo.
5 a i. "Misi Muirgeas 7 is mor an scél adcluinim .i. [ ]de na Herenn."
7v a m. "Muirgius sin."
8v a i. "Ni maith lium farsingi in riagail so" (referring to the now obliterated ruling).
10v b i. "Misi Muirgeas." "Do meath in cenn sin orm" (referring to a badly executed capital letter).
11 i. Scribal colophon, partly cut away. Fragments read “na scoile ani[ ]oir ata in memraum [ ] sin uair isin aba[ ].”
llv a i. "Ni maith mo sholas."
12v i. Scribal note almost entirely charred. Fragments of words still visible, but they convey no coherent meaning to the cataloguer.
14 b i. "Is olc m’aidmi indar leam."
14v a m. "Slicht Lebuir na Huidri."
17v a. "A ughdair bhundúnaigh is peace an dochar dhol ó léughadh dhuit." Later hand, probably that of Charles O’Conor, whose hand occurs passim.
17v a i. "Misi Muirgeas 7 ta dit na calci orm."
17v b, sup. marg. "Dob ferr beith gan [G]." This reference is apparently to a badly executed "G" on this page.
18 b. "Slicht Libuir na Huidri."
19v a. "Slicht Libuir eli inn sin anuas .i. Lebor na Huidri."
20v . "Slicht ele so o Lebar na Huidri."
[25] (23)b m. "Misi Muirgius."
[28] (26). "Slicht Libuir na Huidri ón duain co nici so."
[28] (26)v. "Ni tic Lebor na Huidri 7 Lebor Glinne Da Locha la ceile im anman[ ]. The corresponding passage in LL is the poem Uguine uallach amra (Facs. fo. 22).
35 (33)vb i. "Orait don chuire issa slicht laime fil ar in mbilleoig si .i. Muirgeas mac Padin mic [ ] [Ui] Mai [lchonaire]. Rest charred.
36 (34)v, sup. marg. "Sneachta samraidh sin." Later ink, probably O’Conor’s hand.
37 (35)v i. "[ ] is a eitsecht isin nomad (nó isinochtmad suprascript) .xx. [ ]. Rest uncertain, partly cut away.
40 (38). "Fada o scribad an leabhar sin." In Charles O’Conor’s hand. "Ole an chóip í so sios" (referring to text on this page). Later scribblings are not given here.
The ms. leaves are at present loosed from their binding of half russia, gilt-lettered on spine, D. IV. 3.” This cover is of recent date, the present cataloguer’s original notes taken some time ago reading, " Bd. in calf, tooled (tooling resembles that of C iv 1); gilt-lettered on spine, ‘Irish MS. No. 1. Leabhar Gabaltas or Book of Conquests. Saec. XII.’ No. ‘993’ on label affixed to spine. Press No. I, on front flyleaf. Formerly in Stowe and Ashburnham Collections (see inside front cover).” Not only cover and flyleaf have been removed by recent binder, but also a summary in English of the contents of the ms.
Fo.
1, 2, lost.
3 . [LEBAR GABÁLA.] Acephalous, beginning in the middle of the Gaedil section (more particularly of the poem, Athair caich coimsid nime) with the words, dar mullach in morslebe. The text is that of the B-version (Van Hamel’s Ba, Thurneysen’s B I). Cf. nos, 537, 538, 539, supra, and Book of Lecan, fo. 1 ff. (no. 535, supra). Arrangement of sections is as follows :—
3 a. Introduction. Section on the Gaedil. Acephalous; includes :—
3 a. [Athair caich coimsid nime] ; the concluding qq. only.
4v a m. Doluid Milid asin Scithia, 24 qq.
[5] (3)am. [CEASAIR.] Includes:
[5] a i. Cappa, Laigni, Luasat grinn, 8 qq.
[5]v a m. Cessair, cid dia tanuig si, 5 qq.
[5]v b m. Fintan. Cain raind rorainnsemar etraind. 4 qq.
6v a m. Cethracha trath din tur thinn, 13 qq.
6v b m. GABÁIL PARTHOLÓIN. Beg. Ba fas tra Heriu iar ndilind. Includes:
6v b i. Partholon, canas tanic, 26 qq.
7v a i. Maith rochuala in muinter moir, 11 qq.
7v b i. Sectmad gabail rodasgab, 7 qq.
8v a i. A chaomha Clair Cuind coemseing, 25 qq.
9 b. Synchronisms.
9 (7)vb. [NEMED.] Beg. Ba fas tra Hereo iarsin. Includes :
10v 10a. Note on lakes which burst forth in Nemed’s time.
10v b m. Names of Nemed’s leaders who escaped from Conaing’s Tower.
10v b m. Togail Tuir Chonaing co mblaid (no gail suprascript), 15 qq.
11v a m. Heriu oll ordnitt Gaedil, 36 qq.
12 b m. Synchronisms (“Comaimserad Gabála Nemid”).
13 a. GABAIL FER MBOLG. Beg. Ba fas tra Heriu fri re .cc, bliadan. Includes:
14 a m. Tanuide. Fir Bolc batar sunna seal, 13 qq.
14v a. Synchronisms ("Comaimserad Rig in Domain in so fri riga Fer Bole").
14v a m. Account of the division of Éire made by the Fir Bolg. Beg. Rannsat tra Fir Bolc. This section derives directly from Lebor na Huidre (see marginal note).
14v a i. Coicc coicced Erend ane, 7 qq.
14v b m. [TUATHA DÉ DANANN.] ("Gabail T.D.D.") Beg. Bator tra Clanna Beothaig. Includes :
14v b m. Cinaed. In chloch fors’tait mo di sail, 1 q.
15v b m. Eochaid. Heriu co nhuail co n-idnaib, 18 qq
16v a m. Hethur ard fofuair mid, 4 qq.
17 a m. Gabail Herend nert narb fann, 3 qq.
17 a i Tuatha De Donann fo diamair, 11 qq.
17 b i. Synchronisms of the kings of the World with the Tuatha Dé Danann kings ("Comaimserad rig in Domuin fri Tuaith D.D.").
17v b. [MEIC MÍLED.] ("[Gabáil] Gaidil 7 a comaimserad"). Beg. Goeidil tra tugsom a n-imdechta. Includes :
18v a. Flann. Toisig na loingsi tar ler, 18 qq.
19v b Aimirgin. Aliu iath nErend, 20 11.
20 a. jdem. Am gaeth a mmuir, etc.
20 a, col. 2. Iascach muir, etc;
20 b m. Suidem sunn forsin tracht, 3 qq.
20v a i. Ocht meic Galaim na ngaire, 4 qq.
21 a m. Sunn rug Aimirgin in mbreith, 6 qq.
21 b m. Tascar Mac Miled tar muir, 19 qq.
21v a m. Raigni mac Iuguine. A meic ain Auguine, etc. Written in book-hand and (in part) heavily glossed.
22 a m. Tanuide. A hecsi Banba, co mblaid, 3 qq.
23 (21)va. O Floin (in a late hand on margin). Heitset, aeas ecna aibind, 78 qq.
[25] (23)a. Synchronisms of the kings of Eire with kings of the World, down to the time of Tigernmas.
[25] (23)b. Succession of the kings of Eire from Oengus Olmuccaid to Bresirig.
[25] (23)va. Oengus Olmuccaid atbath, 7 qq.
[25] (23)va i. Note on the succession of the Ulaid to the kingship of Eire.
[25] (23)vb. Dun Sobarchi dian sluag linn, 18 qq.
[26] (24)a m. Prose account of the founding of Emain Macha.
[26] (24)vb m. A Emuin idnach oebinn, 46 qq.
[27] (25)vb m. Cimbaeth clethi n-oc nEmna, 18 qq.
[28] (26)a i. Account of the descendants of Eochu Buadach and of the division of Eire by his son, Ugaine Mór.
[28] (26)va m. Eochaid. Uguine uallach amra, 14 qq.
[28] (26)vb m. Account of the descendants of Cobthach Caelbreg, son of Ugaine Mór.
29 b m. Conaire caem cliamuin Cuind, 24 qq.
29v b i. Account of Dáil nAraide and Clanna Rudraige.
[30] (28)a m. Senchan. Rofich Fergus fichit catha, 7 qq.
[30] (28)b m. Ferceirtne. Ollam Fotla fechair gal, 8 qq.
[30] (28)b i. Account of the descendants of Ugaine Mór and of the revolution of the Aithechthuatha.
31 (29)a i. Maelmura Othna. Flann for Herind hi toich togaich, 83 qq. "Duan Flainn meic Maeilsechlainn."
32v b. Account of the origin of the Boromha Tribute and its final remission by Findachta.
33 a m. Adomnan. Indiu cia chenglait cuaca, 13 qq.
33v a i. Synchronisms of the kings of Éire, from Tigearnmas (see supra, fo. [25] a), with the kings of the World.
34 a i. Synchronisms of the Roman Emperors with the kings of Éire from Julius Caesar to Leo III, contemporary of Fergal mac Maíle Dúin.
35 (33)b m. "Ind Airem Cétach." Beg. Cet mbliadan tra o chetbliadain flatha luil Cessar cosin ndara .b. decc Cluid. This survey covers the reigns of Fergal mac Maíle Dúin, king of Éire, Murchad mac Find, king of Laigin, and Cathal mac Findgaine, king of Muma, contemporaries.
36 a. Reidig dam, a Be do nim | co hemid a n-ind- isin, ca. 274 qq. (inferior margins mutilated). Thurneysen’s B I version of Lebar Gabála ends here.
40v b. Synchronisms of the kings of Éire with the Provincial kings, from Laegaire mac Néill, contemporary of Patrick, to Muirchertach mac Tairrdelbaig [Ó Briain] Beg. Loegaire mac Neill .iiii. bliadna for Erind. This is Thurneysen’s B II version of Lebar Gabála. Cf. 535, supra, fo. 14 ra.
42v a m. Heremon is Eber ard, ca. 81 qq. Inferior margins are mutilated and stained. A portion of text on fo. 43va has been re-traced. “Incipit de Regibus Hiberniae ab Herimon usque Eochu Feidleach.”
43v b m. Flann. Rig Temra dia teasbann tnu, ca. 37 qq. Margins are so mutilated that it is difficult to estimate exactly the number of qq. "Finit de Regibus Hiberniae ab Heremon usque Eocha Feidleach 7 incipit nunc ab Eocha usque ad Laegaire mac Néill."
43v sup. marg. (later hand). Nir togbhais má tárla leat, 1 q. (partly illegible).
44v a (text almost illegible, owing to condition of ms. at this point). Rig Temra taebhaighi iar tain, ca. 19 qq. Ends imperfectly; rest of ms. wanting.