Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in King's Inns
LS 41
Foras Feasa ar Éirinn
18th cent. Paper. 33.5 × 19.5 cms. Pp. [xx]+284 (numbered to 276) with 9 binder's leaves at beginning and 9 at end ; pp. 157-8 bound after 159-60. Scribe: Mithchial Dfuoith, 1782 (p. 151). The scribe is presumably the Michael White of Callan, Co. Kilkenny, mentioned in BM Add. 31872, though the claim of Edmond Purtil, a former owner (cf. pp. 123 and 227), that this manuscript is the ancestor of Add. 31872 (see BM Cat. i, 33) is clearly impossible, as the latter was written in 1763.
Pencil-note on verso of last binding-leaf at beginning: 'About 2 folios missing of introduction'. Pp. 1-2 torn with loss of text at lower outer corner; some leaves at beginning and end of text repaired in margins with paper. Bound in boards and purple cloth and halfleather (tooled). 'KEATING'S MSS HISTORY OF IRELAND 1777' in gold on spine. Number '41' labelled on front cover. Stamp of King's Inns library, dated 14 December 1942, inside front cover and on verso of ninth binding-leaf. Price £3/3/- marked in pencil on verso of final leaf; foll, by number '12' in pencil in another hand.
Words 'This is the 24th. p. of O'Sullivan's Preface' occur at p. [vii] i in reference to a point in the text; further references to O'Sullivan occur in the margins of pp. (15?), 19, 22, 24, 33, 44, 87, 124, 144, 146, 156, 160, 168. Notes on words and names in the text are to be found in the margins of pp. 21, 34, 44, 74, 82, 105, 110, 123, 152, 165, 204, 211, 227; those in pp. 123 and 227 are signed 'Éadhmon Puirtéal Feby .3. 1850' and 'E.P. Sepr. 8th. 1865' respectively. Dates in anno mundi also added in margins in parts of text (in blue ink on pp. 68, 108). Calculation '1856/1134/722' on p. 255, upper margin; some other writing also on pp. 7, 127, 131. Other marginalia: (a) [xx] i. 'James Cody his hand Dated this 28th (?) Day of Septem.' (b) 127 upper margin (in pencil). 'Labhrás Ua Deargáin' ; cf. 'Laur[ence] Darag[an]', p. 127 i, and 'L. Daragan', p. 131 i (also in pencil). (c) 131, upper margin. 'Jas Quinn' (?), 'Phil Dillean' (?). (d) 175, upper margin. 'Edwd. Ryall.'
p.
[i]. [FORAS FEASA AR ÉIRINN: DÍONBHROLACH.] Acephalous. Beg. here [agus iar] ndibirt na foirne do bi riompa san tir, tug ar an bfuirinn do chuaidh [leis an chrí]och daitioghadh, go bhfuil drong da sliocht aniugh an [=ITS IV(1902) 8.86]. Ends (p. [xx] m): óir mata inbheime ann, ní ó mhailis, acht ó aineol(as )atá ann. Bhur mbocht charaid bithdhilios go bás Seuthrún Ceitin . D:[D].
1. FORUS FEASA AR EIRINN. 'Libre primus' beg.Ag so do sheanclius Eirionn et do gach ainim dá ttugadh uirthe . . . an mhéid fuarusa le na bfaisnéis díobh . et Aois an Tigheama 1629. Ends p. 150 i. Foll. (p. 151) by ornamental title-page: 'Forus Feasa ar Eirinn liber secondus . . . . Ar na sgriobha le Mithchial Dfuoith an cuigeadh la déagh do November an aois an Tíghearna 1782. Guig orm aleaghthoir ar son De et tanma féin agus trocaire ó Dhia go bfadha uile. Amen'. Book II begins on p. 152 and ends on p. 274.6.
274.7. Genealogies. 'Do ghabhlúghadh Chloinne Mileadh ann so.' Incomplete. Breaks off with manuscript at p. [284] i.