MS A 18

IIIF Manifest

TitleSmaointe Beatha Chríost

CollectionUniversity College Dublin

LocationDublin, Ireland

ShelfmarkMS A 18

LanguagesIrish; ga; Latin; la

Date created1700-1799; 1710

Paginationii ff. + 96 ff. + iv ff.

SubjectProse; Poetry

Provenance1 r. Title-page: 'Ag so béatha agus bás ar slánaíghtheóra Íosa Críosda ar na sgríobha le Labhras O Cathalan nóbhist dórd S Frónsías, ar na tionsgáinn an 20amh lá don mbhí 8tóber an bhliaghainn 1710 [over erasure of original date] a mBaile mic. Íolod' [Co. Louth]. 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.

CoverageCo. Louth, 1710; Belgium; Italy; Dublin

MaterialPaper

BindingsBound in vellum cover bearing title 'Vita Christi, No. 17' and labelled with press-marks A . 19 [altered to A 20] and G XXVIIi.

ScribesO Cathalan, Labhras

ContributorsBhaile Mhic Íolod, Co. Louth; Franciscan Archives, 1792-2000; UCD, 2000

Dimensions7.8" x 8.8"

Online since2011

NotesFf. 2 r and v, iii r and v torn. Ff. vi r and v sideways writing. Ff. vii r and v and viii r and v slightly smaller. Sheets of paper formerly stitched with leather to both covers have now been loosed and contain the following items in verse: (1)Iomdha éacht do ní an teag mur shaoiluim. 83 11. Elegy for Catrína Nic Mhathamhna, who died in 1711. (2) (Ol)c an sgeal mo lean do sgaoiludh. 79 11. Elegy for Pádraig (mac Seóirse) Táth, who died in 1706. (3) Is maith chum sgriosta gáridh. 72 11. (4) Do chaill Eire céile fíre. 152 11. Elegy for Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill, who died in 1647; ed. by É. Ó Muirgheasa, Céad de cheoltaibh Uladh (Baile Atha Clíath 1915) no. 7. Poems (1) and (2) ed. Clogher Record 1968, 618-25. Marginalia: (a) 1 r i. 'Hugonites are very mischivious to religion'. Foll. lower down by a line of writing in Irish (largely illegible). (b) 52 r i (inverted). Per (?) John Russell. (c) 69 v, left margin. 'From Adam Lions' (?), 'I serve you with all my might'. (d) 96 v, upper margin. 'Laurentus McMahon his hand'. (e) Inside back cover. 'Bonra. Bovlan, his book . . .', Thimmothy Mellan'. Other scribblings on ff.v, 51v,96 r, 96v, and inside both covers. MS previously described by C. Ó Maonaigh, Smaointe beatha Chríost (Baile Átha Clíath 1944) xxviii.

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

DescriptionUCD MS A 18 is a Gaelic manuscript from the 18th century. Written in Gaelic and Latin on paper by Labhras O Cathalan, novice Franciscan in Bhaile Mhic Íolod, Co. Louth in 1710, it contains a copy of Smaointe Beatha Chríost [Thoughts on the Life of Christ]. 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.

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Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in University College Dublin

A 18

SMAOINTE BEATHA CHRÍOST

18th cent. Paper. 20.5 × 16 cms. Ff. 96 (now numbered in pencil). Half of f. 2 has been tom out and at least one leaf of text has been cut away with others at end; part of a following leaf survives and bears rough notes in Irish and Latin. Scribe: Labhras O Cathaian, Baile Mhic Íolod, [Co. Louth] (f. 1).

Bound in vellum cover bearing title 'Vita Christi, No 17' and labelled with press-marks A. 19 [altered to A 20] and G XXVIII. Sheets of paper formerly stitched with leather to both covers have now been loosed and contain the following items in verse: (1)Iomdha éacht do ní an teag mur shaoiluim. 83 11. Elegy for Catrína Nic Mhathamhna, who died in 1711. (2) (Ol)c an sgeal mo lean do sgaoiludh. 79 11. Elegy for Pádraig (mac Seóirse) Táth, who died in 1706. (3) Is maith chum sgriosta gáridh. 72 11. (4) Do chaill Eire céile fíre. 152 11. Elegy for Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill, who died in 1647; ed. by É. Ó Muirgheasa, Céad de cheoltaibh Uladh (Baile Atha Clíath 1915) no. 7. Poems (1) and (2) ed. Clogher Record 1968, 618-25.

Marginalia: (a) 1 r i. 'Hugonites are very mischivious to religion'. Foll. lower down by a line of writing in Irish (largely illegible). (b) 52 r i (inverted). Per (?) John Russell. (c) 69 v, left margin. 'From Adam Lions' (?), 'I serve you with all my might'. (d) 96 v, upper margin. 'Laurentus McMahon his hand'. (e) Inside back cover. 'Bonra. Bovlan, his book . . .', Thimmothy Mellan'. Other scribblings on ff. 1 v, 51 v, 96 r, 96 v, and inside both covers.

MS previously described by C. Ó Maonaigh, Smaointe beatha Chríost (Baile Átha Clíath 1944) xxviii.

1 r. Title-page: 'Ag so béatha agus bás ar slánaíghtheóra Íosa Críosda ar na sgríobha le Labhras O Cathalan nóbhist dórd S Frónsías, ar na tionsgáinn an 20amh lá don mbhí 8tóber an bhliaghainn 1710 [over erasure of original date] a mBaile mic. Íolod'.

1 v. 'Approbation' in Irish. Signed Breógháin Ua Caiside dochtuir díadha, Antóin Ua Dadhiladh leughthóir díadha, Paddruig Ua Coindeilbhan doctúir leighes, Tóirbhuillach O Murchu, Seagan O Dúthi, Seamúis Ó Cathaláin. Foll. by 'Áit+an tséula'. Printed Ó Maonaigh, loc. cit. This approbation suggests that it was intended to publish the work (ibid.).

2 r. Prologue. Beg. Inter alia uirtutum et laud[um praeconia]. Ends (f. 5 r) Ionnus co ndeachaidh sé i ghlóir do Dhia, ⁊daincclibh nimhe. ⁊ attarbha dona daoinibh. ⁊ anioghbhail ró rnhóir don diabal.

5 r 3. [SMAOINTE BEATHA CHRÍOST.] Beg. Tionnsgnaim anois tosach na suimisi ó gheineamhain an Tighearna. Ends (f. 96 r i). ⁊ ní theasdaicchenn moladh na conach uatha in secula seculorum Amen. Fínis. do Bhethaidh Chriosd. Foll. by instructions for the division of the Life for reading every day of the week, breaking off (f. 96 v i) at point corresponding to Ó Maonaigh, 1. 6053.