MS 23 O 19

IIIF Manifest

TitleForas Feasa ar Éirinn

CollectionRoyal Irish Academy

LocationDublin, Ireland

ShelfmarkRIA MS 23 O 19; 142

LanguagesIrish; ga

Date created1643; 1600-1699

Pagination154 pp.

SubjectHistory of Ireland; Genealogy

ProvenanceSignatures, 'etc., other than that of the scribe, occurring in the manuscript are “Stephen Brennan” (fo. 154 r, inf. marg.), otherwise “Stiabhnadh Ó Brínán (or Braonán)” of Ballí Cathas[aigh], Ballyc[as]ey (see fo. 161 r, sup. marg.), whose hand is seen in marginal scribblings. F. 169 v contains scribal apologia to the reader for his want of practice in the transcribing of Historical Tract documents. With a prayer for himself and for his companion and helpmate, Muirceartach mac Conchobhoir Óig mic Flanncadha, the page is pasted to a new leaf, on holding this page up to the light a name of a former owner, “Peter Daly” (?), and a letter in English, signed "Daniel Corby,” can be deciphered.; Former Academy number, 3/30. Part of the Hodges and Smith Collection ( no. 122) purchased by the RIA in 1844.

CoverageCounty Clare

MaterialPaper

BindingsBound in calf.

Scribesmac Tornoe mic Muiris mic Tornce Ui Maolchonoiri Iollann; mac Conchobhoir Óig mic Flanncadha Muirceartach

Dimensions9 3/10" × 5⅘"

Online since2020

NotesOf the original manuscript only 154 pp. now remain, foliated 90-125, 129-169 (but foliation is not always visible). The manuscript is thus defective at the beginning, and in addition ff. 126-128 are missing. The scribe is Iollann mac Tornoe mic Muiris mic Tornce Ui Maolchonoiri (see fo. 169), who wrote the book at Claon Achadh a tTradroighi [Tradraí, Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare?] finishing it. on April 20, 1643. Iollann asks for a prayer for himself and his companion and helpmate Muirceartach mac Conchobhoir Óig mic Flanncadha, see f. 169, infra. The binder has inserted blank leaves to fill the gaps left by loss of original manuscript pages, and on these inserted leaves is a watermark “1815.” The manuscript itself bears a watermark resembling a bunches of grapes. The original correct foliation 90-112 has been recently changed to a pencilled pagination, 1-45, but the paginator has gone no further. The foliation is followed in this catalogue. The manuscript is in fair condition, except from f. 152 to the end. Some of the upper margins of pages are frayed or torn with resultant injury to text, see ff. 153, 159, 164, 167. F.167 is coming loose from the binding. F. 169 has been mounted on a fresh leaf,two holes having been previously burnt into the manuscript. F. 151 v is blank. Flowers seem to have been dried between the pages of the manuscript leaving a coloured stain (see ff. 103 v-104 r).

RightsCopyright Royal Irish Academy; Copyright image source Irish Script on Screen, School of Celtic Studies, DIAS.

DescriptionRIA MS 23 O 19 is a Gaelic manuscript from the 17th century. Written on paper it contains an aceplaous and defective copy of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ('Compendium of knowledge about Ireland'), the text of which corresponds to Patrick S. Dinneen’s edition. It also contains genealogies with exception of Ó Meachair. The scribe is Iollann mac Tornoe mic Muiris mic Tornce Ui Maolchonoiri grandson of Torna Ó Maolconaire of Cluain Plocáin, County Roscommon who had worked for a short time as a scribe on the Annals of the Four Masters,(Cunningham, 2010, 261) and who in turn was possibly a direct descendant of the scribe of the Book of Fenagh, the Leabhar Chaillín. Iollann wrote this book at Claon Achadh a tTradroighi [Tradraí, Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare?] finishing it. on April 20, 1643 with the help of his companion and helpmate Muirceartach mac Conchobhoir Óig mic Flanncadha. Iolland was a member of the Thomond branch of the Ó Maolchonaire family of hereditary professional historians. The work of Ó Maolchonaire scribes was responsible for much of the early transmission of Keating’s work. This manuscript was purchased by the Royal Irish Academy in 1844 as part of the Hodges & Smith collection. A significant number of the Irish manuscripts in that collection had a County Clare provenance.

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Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in The Royal Irish Academy

142 23 O 19

Foras Feasa ar Eírinn

17th cent. Paper. 9 3/10 × 5⅘. Of the original MS. only 154 pp. now remain, foliated 90-125, 129-169 (but foliation is not always visible). The MS. is thus defective at the beginning, and in addition ff. 126-128 are wanting. Scribe: Iollann mac Tornoe mic Muiris mic Tornce Ui Maolchonoiri (see fo. 169), who wrote the book at Claon Achadh a tTradroighi, finishing it. on April 20, 1643 (loc. cit). For the interest Muirceartach mac Conchobhoir Óig mic Flanncadha took in the work, see fo. 169, infra. The binder has inserted blank leaves to fill the gaps left by loss of original MS. pages, and on these inserted leaves is a watermark “1815.” The MS. itself bears a watermark resembling bunches of grapes. The orig. correct foliation 90-112 has been recently changed to a pencilled pagination, 1-45, but the paginator has gone no further. The foliation is followed in this catalogue. The MS. is in fair condition, except from fo. 152 to the end. Some of the upper margins of pages are frayed or torn with resultant injury to text, see ff. 153, 159, 164, 167. Fo. 167 is coming loose from the binding. Fo. 169 has been mounted on a fresh leaf; two holes had been previously burnt in the ms. folio. Fo. 151 v° is blank. Flowers seem to have been dried between the pages of the MS., leaving a coloured stain (see ff. 103 v°-104 r°). Bd. in calf. Hodges and Smith Collection, 122. Former Academy number, 3/30.

Signatures, 'etc., other than that of the scribe, occurring in the MS. are “Stephen Brennan” (fo. 154 r°, inf. marg.), otherwise “Stiabhnadh Ó Brínán (or Braonán)” of Ballí Cathas[aigh], Ballyc[as]ey (see fo. 161 r°, sup. marg.), whose hand is seen passim in marginal scribblings; “Peter Daly,” “Daniel Corby,” see fo. 169 v° below.

fo.

90 . Keating’s FORAS FEASA AR ÉIRINN. Acephalous and defective. Text corresponds to Dinneen’s ed., lib. ii, 11 1-88; 196-3383; 3478-3647; 3916-4162; 89-186; 4163 ff.; genealogies with exception of Ó Meachair. Ff. 1-89,

126-128 are missing from the MS., with resultant loss of text.

151 y°. blank.

154 r°, inf. marg. (inverted). Document (English) in legal form acknowledging a debt due to Stephen Brennan.

161 r°, inf. marg. Ní cert ná cór do ghlor acht raite gligor, 2 11. In Stephen Brennan’s hand.

169 . Scribal apologia to the reader for his want of practice in the transcribing of historical documents. With prayer for himself and for his companion and helpmate, Muirceartach mac Conchobhoir Óig mic Flanncadha. The page is pasted to a new leaf. On holding the page up to the light a name of a former owner, “Peter Daly” (?), and a letter in English, signed "Daniel Corby,” can be deciphered.