MS A 19

IIIF Manifest

CollectionUniversity College Dublin

LocationDublin, Ireland

ShelfmarkMS A 19

LanguagesIrish; ga

Date created1600-1699; 1608

Pagination65 ff.

SubjectHagiography

ProvenanceTwo of the numerous notes and jottings at beginning and end mention 1. Conaire O Cléirigh the scribe of the copy from which Brianus Mag Niallghus copied this manuscript: Probationes pennae Tabhair so do Conaire O Cleirigh' and 2. a place in the north of Ireland: Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh together with a date :1593 'An bliaghuinse daoís an tigerna do ghabadh Inisceithlion 1593'. A colophon mentions a stay in Uster-Tír Chonail from autumn 1607- December 14, 1608 when the 'Life' was written: 'Conadh amhlaidh sin dosgriobhasa betha mo phátrúin ~ mo phrímhearlaimh féin isin mbliadhain as buaidhiortha dá ttáinig re fada d'aimsir a nErinn, ~ go hairidhi againni cuigedh Uladh ~ go mórmhór attir Chonuill rebliadhain gus anamsa .i. go féil na croiche foghmair Anno 1607 do thionnsgain an buaidredh sin la feili na croiche ~ comhainm an laoí cédna bliadhain onamsin do criochnuighesa anobuirsi Anno 1608, Decembris 14. Also a prayer for the scribe himself and any person helping him in his work, the noble women, especially Rois Óg ní Dhomnaill: 'A bhraithri gradhacha guidhidh ar mo shon fen ~ ar son gach duine dá ttug fabhor docum antsaothairsin ~ go hairidhi ar anmain na mná úaisli do gheall damh ag tionsgnadh na bethadhsa nach edh amháin nach gcuirfedh fein buaidhredh orm acht cungnamh lem fá na díthcheall ~ ar chúig marg ní inneosuinn gurbí Rois Óg [inghen (?) erased] ní [re-inked] Dhomnaill sin. Brianus: Magniallghus . Muise : na : Roice'. The initial intention of the Irish Franciscans at Louvain, Belgium in the early seventeenth century to collect the lives of the saints developped into a major historical and genealogical project which involved locating, collecting, and transcribing materials on the secular and ecclesiastical history of Ireland. Dispersal of the original and much larger collection of Irish and Latin manuscripts from Louvain began in the late eighteenth century with the French revolution. The collection was moved for safekeeping to St Isidore's College, Rome in 1792 where it remained until 1872 when it was moved to the Franciscan Friary at Merchants' Quay Dublin, again for safe-keeping, then to Section A (hence the name) of the newly established Franciscan Library at Dún Mhuire, Killiney in 1946, and, finally to University College Dublin in November 2000.

CoverageBelgium; Italy; Dublin

MaterialPaper

BindingsRecently bound in half-leather, the old vellum cover and a strip of vellum (10.4" x 2.6") bound in at the end includes the beginning of a text mentioning La(b)raidh Loing (s)[each]? Old leather bindings preserved seperately with those of A 25 in cover numbered 'Vol 3', '14' and labelled 'A 23', GXXXII'. Number 'A 23' in gilt on spine.

ScribesMag Niallghus, Brianus

Dimensions12" x 7.9"

Online since2004

NotesThere are two styles of writing in the MS: one, sloping and less formal, is found throughout and in the colophon at the end; the other, upright and apparently identical with that of the greater part of A 25, is used in the opening lines and occasionally for titles, Latin quotations and even single words (ff. 3 r, 4 v, 26 r, 34 r, 35 v, 48 v, 52 v, 58 r). The scribe may be identical with Bernardus mc Nellus of Glencolumbkille, '[qui] scite pingit et bene loquitur hibernie latine et anglice et est Clericus Subvicarius', mentioned by Bishop George Montgomery, c. 1605-7 (Anal. Hib. 12 (1943) 90, 104); see also Donegal Annual 1960, 279. Leaves have been repaired and outer corners trimmed. Considerable loss of text due to gnawing of inside corners (upper corners from f. 42 onwards only). MS described by P. Walsh, 'Two Irish manuscripts', Studies 18 (1929) 292-306 (=Irish men of learning (Dublin 1947) 160-78), who also prints most of the marginalia. Frequent marginal notes in Colgan's hand show that he used this copy for convenience, in preference to the tightly-bound A 8 (Walsh, loc. cit.).

RightsCopyright University College Dublin; Copyright image source Irish Script on Screen, School of Celtic Studies, DIAS.

DescriptionUCD MS A 19 is a Gaelic manuscript from the 17th century. Written in Gaelic on paper by Brianus Mag Niallghus in 1608, the place of writing is unknown. It contains a copy of the Life of St. Columcille made from another copy by Giolla riabhach mór Ó Cléirigh. Part of the Franciscan Collection previously kept at the Franciscan College, Louvain; St. Isidore's College, Rome, 1792; Franciscan Friary, Merchant's Quay, Dublin, 1872; Franciscan Library, Dún Mhuire, Killiney, Co. Dublin, 1946 and, from November 2000 University College Dublin.

ReferencesBreatnach (Caoimhín): Foinsí an leagain de Bheatha Cholaim Chille a scríobhadh faoi stiúradh Mhaghnuis Uí Dhomhnaill in Léann lámhscríbhinní Lobháin (2007), lgh. 127–138. Argues that Rawl. B 514 can’t have been the copy prepared specially for Maghnus Ó Domhnaill, and suggests that the scribe of Franciscan A 19 may have had access to a now lost copy of the Liber hymnorum. Ó Cuaig (Colm): Colm Cille: scéal a bheatha in LCC 52 (2022), pp. 1–17. Examines the changes Brian Mac Niallais, the copyist of MS Franciscan A 19, made to M. Ó Domhnaill’s original text.

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Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in University College Dublin

A 19

LIFE OF ST COLUMCILLE

17th cent. Paper. 30.5 × 20 cms. Ff. 61 + 7 (blank) + 1 (numbered 62) + 5 (blank) + 2 (numbered 63-4). Scribe: Brianus Mag Niallghus, 'Muise na Roice', 1608 (f. 61 v m) from a copy made by Giolla riabhach mór Ó Cléirigh. There are two styles of writing in the MS: one, sloping and less formal, is found throughout and in the colophon at the end; the other, upright and apparently identical with that of the greater part of A 25, is used in the opening lines and occasionally for titles, Latin quotations and even single words (ff. 3 r, 4 v, 26 r, 34 r, 35 v, 48 v, 52 v, 58 r). The scribe may be identical with Bernardus mc Nellus of Glencolumbkille, '[qui] scite pingit et bene loquitur hibernie latine et anglice et est Clericus Subvicarius', mentioned by Bishop George Montgomery, c. 1605-7 (Anal. Hib. 12 (1943) 90, 104); see also Donegal Annual 1960, 279.

Recently bound in half-leather, the old vellum cover and a strip of vellum (c. 26.5 × 6.5 cms) bearing the ends of about 70 11. (including the beginning) of a text mentioning La(b ?)raidh Loing(s)[each] being bound in at end. Old leather bindings preserved separately with those of A 25 in cover numbered 'Vol. 3', '14', and labelled 'A 23', 'G XXXII'. Leaves have been repaired and outer corners trimmed. Considerable loss of text due to gnawing of inside corners (upper corners from f. 42 on only). Number 'A 23' in gilt on spine. MS described by P. Walsh, 'Two Irish manuscripts', Studies 18 (1929) 292-306 (=Irish men of learning (Dublin 1947) 160-78), who also prints most of the marginalia. Frequent marginal notes in Colgan's hand show that he used this copy for convenience, in preference to the tightly-bound A 8 (Walsh, loc. cit.).

Numerous notes and jottings at beginning and end: [F. 1 r:] (a) 'Domhnall mac Ogin mhic Aodh mic Ainmreadha'. (b) (F)eidm as mo on feidhm as mó. 9 qq. Occurs in some copies of Comhrag Fir Diadh; see RC 10 (1899) 337. (c) 'D(. . .) fui gles ort', in blue ink. (d) 'Comortus inn so re fear sgriobth(a) an leabirsi (.i. Brian) Fionn / Domnall (R.) Mac an Bhaird', (e) Tri gártha is gnáthach na dunadh. 1 q. Repeated in another hand at f. 63 v. Cf. Measgra Dánta I (1927) no. 36. (f) 'inbfuil foghnamh'. [F. 1 v:] (g) 'Iomdha oshluagh Éirne orra', (h) Flaithemnus mor air muirn mbig. 1 q. Dioghluim Dána (1938) no. 37 q. 2. (i) Gé mholtur cách do chionn ealaigh. 1 q. Cf. BM Cat. i, 117. (j) Iomdha sasaoghal lá hE[. . .]. 1 q. (?). (k) 'Edmonn' (twice). (1) Antí bhiosna dhaoí ní fedtur achlaoí. (m) 'larruim ar in Tigerna cumhachtach ~ ar Cholum Chille bhenduighthe go rabh am cuinne ann sa rítheagh a bfuil siumh ~ go dtuillem o chroidhe glan dhol ann. Amen a Dia. Amen a Dia', (n) 'Crosaim féin ar coimsightheoir nimhe ~ ar Coluim Cille maith ar bioth do dhenamh dot corp nó dot anmain gibé tú', (o) 'Gibe thu as olc do labrais'. (p) Probationes pennae (cf. Walsh (h)) including 'Tabhair so do Conaire O Cleirigh', (q) 'Iarraim ar Dia ~ ar Coluim Cille go ndioghna sé trocaire orum'. [F. 2 r:] (r) '(Col)mcille mac Felimid'. (s) 'Do bí Fionán cam an ~ iomud Finnén naom(. . .)'. (t) '9. mairtius. 1610' (inverted). [F. 62 r:] (u) 'Ni fhoghnand do dhuine' ['ar doun' different hand]. [F. 63 v:] (v) 'Candide (. . .) subscriptum (. . .) / Mauritius Bardeus', in blue ink. (w) See (e) above. (x) 'An bliaghuinse daoís an tigerna do ghabadh Inisceithlion 1593'. (y) '1624. Niall garb ~ Neactai[n]'. (z) Trúagh an dáil ón truagh an dáil. 1 q. (inverted), (aa) 'A mic gur mhealach harma. féchain cionnus ata'. [F. 64 r:] (bb) 'Comórtus andso'. [F. 64 v:] (ec) 'A De gan an bethasa Choluim chille sgribhtha agam' ['fein' in another hand]. Repeated two or three times (in different hands?), (dd) 'G(i)be do sgribh an leabursa do bhi alamh ar a chomus' (inverted). [Vellum cover (see above):] (ee) A Muire as moghã. do gebad duine o bad eol beth ar anhsodh. s dogheunadh onoir chuicce. 1 q. (?). (ff) 'A Choluimchille guidh oramsa anuis agas ar uair (?) mo bhais / (. . .)'. (gg) 'Ag so Beatha Choluim Chille'.

Other notes and scribblings occur on these pages and on the old vellum cover also, but most of them are indecipherable.

3 . Vita S. Columbae Abbatis, Hiberniae & Scotiae Patroni &ra (title in red ink in upper margin). Beg. Tionnsgantur beatha anabadh naomtha et anuasalathar et priomhfhaidhi nimh[e cancelled] ⁊ a [above line] talmhan annso eadhon Coluim Cille mac Felimidh. Ends (f. 61 v m) gur moradh ainm Dé ⁊ Cholaim Chilli de sin. Followed by colophon: 'Conadh amhlaidh sin dosgriobhasa betha mo phátrúin ~ mo phrímhearlaimh féin isin mbliadhain as buaidhiortha dá ttáinig re fada d'aimsir a nErinn, ~ go hairidhi againni cuigedh Uladh ~ go mórmhór attir Chonuill rebliadhain gus anamsa .i. go féil na croiche foghmair Anno 1607 do thionnsgain an buaidredh sin la feili na croiche ~ comhainm an laoí cédna bliadhain onamsin do criochnuighesa anobuirsi Anno 1608, Decembris 14. Gabh agam dá réir sin aléghthóir deighbhrethaigh gan aithfer do thabhairt orm um lochtt dá ndearnus ann do thaoibh litri nó dhermuid ~ aleith risin orthographia ~ risin dechtadh bíodh abhuidheachus no adimbgechus [or adimogechus ?] aran Giolla Riabach mór Ó Chleirigh agár lenusa é ni hedh amháin de uerbo, ad uerbum acht litir ar litir. A bhraithri gradhacha guidhidh ar mo shon fen ~ ar son gach duine dá ttug fabhor docum antsaothairsin ~ go hairidhi ar anmain na mná úaisli do gheall damh ag tionsgnadh na bethadhsa nach edh amháin nach gcuirfedh fein buaidhredh orm acht cungnamh lem fá na díthcheall ~ ar chúig marg ní inneosuinn gurbí Rois Óg [inghen (?) erased] ní [re-inked] Dhomnaill sin. Brianus: Magniallghus . Muise : na : Roice'.

62 r . '[...] anuird spioratalta ~ funduirigh cathadh (?) dord Saincti Bened. ~ Sa[ncti] Bernard. ~ móran uile nach airmhithior iad so uile'. Beg. Primo: do paraghaibh, seiser ⁊ da fhithcead. Foll. by 'Is mor sin uile re ná naireamh, ~ an mhéid do naomha ó sgriobha na shean leabhair ~ na sean chartacha as ar sgriobha so'. Then follows a computation based on the information given. F. 62 v blank.