Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in University College Dublin
A 30
LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS
17th cent. Paper. An assorted collection of letters and other documents recently bound in half-leather with title 'A 30, Litreacha ~rl.' in gilt on spine. Various sizes; cover measures 34 × 25.5 cms. Items 1-4 bear the stamp of St Isidore's College, Rome. Some leaves have been slightly repaired and all show signs of having been folded in various ways. A loose slip of paper, c. 7.5 × 15.5 cms, now included with the MS bears a few sentences of Irish in a 17th cent. hand. Headed 'Do cum a leaghthora'. Beg. Tuig a leaghthoir nach bhfuil Æglesa nó áite eile coisreaghdha na hEirenn go hiomlán san cclár so. Refers to Acta Sanctorum and Trias Thaumaturga 'do chuir an tathair Onorach Eóin Mac Colgan amach'.
item.
1 . Letter of Fr Bonaventura Ó Conchobhair (scribe and author of A 29) to Fr John Colgan, dated Genoa, 15 June 1652. Beg. A athair onoraigh, As adhbhal an luthgháire do chuir oram a chlos bur mbeith ar bisioch. 19 11. in the lower half of the page have been cancelled but are still almost completely legible. Mentions holy death and miracles of Fr Mícheál Ó Duibhinn and accusations made against him. Ed. by P. Ó Súilleabháin, Catholic Survey 1 (1951) 130-32. For Colgan's reply see Anal. Hib. 6 (1934) 234-5.
2 . Letter to Fr. Hugh [Ward] signed 'Bhur bPádruig féin. As a ngnatháit 17 October 1634'. Beg. Dia maillibh, A athair Aodh, Tarla damh gearr úaidh leabhrán dar bainm Calendarium Ecclesiasticum . . . . Treats of various hagiographical writings and mentions a tract which Ward probably lacks: 'An laoi ara ttugaid aroile Tiomna Phádruig agus aroile Buile Padruig. Taid inte 5 rainn agus 50. Se a tosach: Filit aoibhne fúarasa'. Refers to some lives of saints in his possession, incl. those of Patrick and Findén mac Fiontain mic Concraigh .... Ed. by P. E. Mac Fhinn, An Síoladóir 3 (1922) 36-8. The writer is probably Fr Patrick O Conor, O.F.M.; cf. B. Jennings, Michael O Cleirigh (Dublin and Cork 1936) 106, 201.
3 . Letter from the Irish Franciscan community in Prague, dated 6 March 1641 and signed Fr. Patritius a Sta. Maria, Fr Franciscus Ferral O.F.M., Fr. Joannes Barneuallus, Fr Bernardinus Cabocus. Beg. A athair onóraigh, As cóir dhúinn do réir comhairle an eaccnaidh[e], curam do bheith againn far nainm. Refutation of calumnies spread about the community by certain fathers at Louvain. Ed. by P. E. Mac Fhinn, An Síoladóir 2 (1922) 187-8, and P. Walsh, Gleanings² (1933) 194-6.
4 . Letter from Friar Anthony [Dallaghan alias Daly?] to Fr Brendan O Connor at Louvain, dated 23 Oct. 1638. Two leaves; the second contains the address. Headed 'Jesus+ Maria'. Beg. A chanrán fada dfagbuis leath na scél amuigh. Mentions the work of gathering materials for the lives of the Irish saints, especially that of Br Míchéal Ó Cléirigh, and discusses the publication of these Lives. See article of C. Ó Maonaigh, IBL 27 (1940) 202-4, where this letter is discussed and quoted in part.
5 . Letter of Rose O'Doherty, dated Louvain, 16 Sept. 1642. Numbered 'B. 14°.' in ink. Written by secretary or amanuensis and signed in Latin characters D Rosa O Ducharty, evidently by herself. Headed 'IHS'. Beg. A athair ro onoraigh, Do ghlacus bar litir dá bfuilim ro bhuidheach. Seeks news of Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill since his return to Ireland. Ed. by C. Ó Lochlainn, Tobar fíorghlan Gaedhilge (Baile Átha Cliath 1939) 123.
6 . Letter of Fr John Colgan to Fr Hugh Ward, dated 'in festo Sancti Stephani, 1628'. Torn with some loss of text. Beg. [. . .]id uaidh bur litir. Do sgriobhas dá litir go deighennach cugaib. Made lector of theology at Mainz. Inquires about lives of saints and friars lately arrived from Ireland, etc. Postscript asking for some reading matter in Irish to pass the time. Cf. C. Mooney, Father John Colgan, O.F.M. (ed. T. O'Donnell, Dublin 1959) 12-13, where this letter is referred to.
7 . 'Geinealach hÍ Mhaoilchraoíbhe'. In two columns. Foll. by 'Atá an senchus romhainn ar ná sgriobhadh go glan do réir na leabhar as ferr do chonncamar ~ mur dherbhadh air sin ataimsi ag cur mo laimhe air so. Madrid .28. Marta 1658. Tuileagna Ó Maoilconuire Seancha coitchenn Erenn'. Cf. P. Walsh, Gleanings² (1933) 27-8.
8 . 'Gionnallach Í Duinn sunna'. Two leaves, the second of which is almost entirely blank. In three columns. Signed 'This was written the 4 of February 1633 as witness my hand. Terence Doyne'. Signature of 'Fr Paulus O Molloy' twice on second leaf. Text partly in Irish and partly in English. Ed. by C. McGrath, Collectanea Hibernica 2 (1959) 13-17.
9 . (bound in error between the leaves of item 8). Copy of the Will of Hugh O'Neill, earl of Tyrone, together with a letter on the manner in which it was being executed. Beg. Biodh a fhios agaibh gur mar so do righne O Neill athiomna. Found in 1918 in Wexford Friary among books sent there from Louvain at the beginning of the last century. Ed. P. Walsh, The will and family of Hugh O Neill (Dublin 1930), where it is said (p. 9) to be in the hand of Henry Silis, one of the beneficiaries, and dated before August 1617.
10 . Will oí Robert Chamberlain, O.F.M., dated Louvain, 7 Feb. 1611, on his entering the order. Beg. In nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi. An mhéid gar cóir dagach duine roimhe aprofesion do genamh anord athiomna do genamh. Ed. by F. O'Brien, IER 40 (1932) 264-80; B. Jennings, Michael O Cleirigh (Dublin and Cork 1936) 188-9; C. Ó Lochlainn, Tobar fíorghlan Gaedhilge (Baile Átha Cliath 1939) 97-8 (reprinted from Assisi July 1932).
11 . 'Tiomna Aodha I Brogán' (fragment). Beg. Do nímsi dfhiaghnuisi gur faguibh Aodh O Brogan ina tiomna deighenach na fiachasa síos. 9 ll., rest missing. Name 'Aodh Maguidhir' occurs on verso.
12 . Acknowledgment of Brian Flaherty, dated 'a mBruisil 13 July 1654'. Beg. Admhuimsi Brian Ó Flaithbheartaigh mac Morchaidh na maor go ttugas ar láimh anathar Páttruicc Ui Aodha athair spioriodailte na mbrathar mionúr Eirionnach a Lobháin .... Acknowledgment of £20 received for a set of vestments from the friary of Kilconnell. Ed. by P. Walsh, Gleanings² (1933) 65. (The Latin document printed ibid. 66, following this, is now in MS C 71.)
13 . Testimonial of David Rothe for Fr William Brennan, dated Louvain, 17 July 1610. Beg. Atáimsi Daibhíoth Rút ag dénamh fiaghnuise go bhfoil eolus agam ar an nathair Uilliam O Braonán. 'Pro fratre Wilhelmo Brenan . 1610. Q. 20' on verso.