Irish Script on Screen

Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Irish Language in the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique / Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België

2 KBR MS 2542-43

Naoimhsheanchas Naomh Inse Fáil ; Bansheanchas ; Historical notes etc.

Summary particulars

17^th cent. Paper. Ff ii + 84 (now numbered in pencil), 200 × 158 mm. F. 48 b is a bifolium inserted at time of binding, 145 × 95 mm; f. 48[C] is an additional slip inserted in the bifolium, written on one side only outwards from the spine, 177 × 34 mm,. Ff. 3-20r show traces of ruling in dry-point. Pages throughout have a damp stain at the top widening to a depth of c. 1 cm at outer edge. Scribal signatures are wanting, but an unsigned colophon at f. 35r written in January 1642 at Loban (Louvain/Leuven) is readily recognisable as by Míchéal Ó Cléirigh, while the sections of the manuscript between ff. 1r-20r and 21r-35r have been shown to exemplfy distinctive styles from the same scribal hand (cf. P. A. Breatnach, The Four Masters and their manuscripts. Studies in palaeography and text (Dublin 2013), 125-26, 149-52; for argument showing that the opening section is likely to have been written in or after 1636, see ibid. 150 & n.) From comparison with various signed sources the hand of extensive notes and additions entered at different times (no dates) mainly from f. 50r onwards (esp. ff. 63rv, 65r, 67r, 82r-83r, 84v) can be recognised as that of Fr John Colgan (d. 1658); see P. A. Breatnach, ‘An Inventory of Latin Lives of Irish Saints from St Anthony’s College, Louvain, c.1643’, in Seanchas: Studies in Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of Francis J. Byrne, ed. by Alfred P. Smyth (Dublin 2000), p. 431-38; idem, ‘Scribal accretions in the Martyrology of Donegal (Long Recension)’, in Martyrologies in the Insular World, ed. N. Volmering ([2016] forthcoming Brepols 2020).

Index of contents

Front cover. Inscription ‘Genelach naomh a ndán/ cum opusculo de uxoribus et matribus/filiorum Milesii et successorum’.

[i]r. First fly-leaf. Notes entered in black ink (according to Grosjean in a ‘rather modern, un-Irish hand’ Irish Texts III (1931) 40 n. 1): ‘genealach na naomh Andán, genealogia sanctorum [corr. m. al. ex sancti] Andani [sic, this word cancelled] in versibus [add m. al.].’ Below this in a different earlier hand in brown ink ‘In fine ~~tracta~~ notitiae ~~matrum~~ [‘tracta\<tus> matru\<m>’ Grosjean, ibid.] / uxorum et matrum filiorum / Milesii et successorum’.

[i]v. - [ii]. Blank.

1r. [NAOIMHSHEANCHAS NAOMH INSE FÁIL.] Preface. Begins Seanchuss druincce eirdeir ce do naemaibh Érend andso do tionnsccain senfilidh eiccin dfiledaibh na hErend do cumma aimsir imcian o shin & ata on re sin gus aniu gan increchad gan machtnadh o neach tre gach combuaidred coccaidh & essaenta do rala o amsir a denma gus anossa. Ends f. 1v m. Ar daigh go madh diongmala e tre tirnaig[th]esi & tre tatach cendsa an Coimded dfagail & rochtain na flatha forórda iar scérad frisin mbioth frecnairc. Amen. GLOIR DO DHIA. (Ed. P. Grosjean, ‘Naemsenchus Náemh nÉrenn: Peregrine O’Clery’s Recension’, Irish Texts III (1931), 40-80 (40-41).) Remainder of page blank.

2r. Naoimhsenchus naomh inse Fail. 243 qq. (F. 2r, single column, single couplet per line (12 qq.; from f. 2v in two columns (a, b): col. a, verse (4 ll. per quatrain, approximately 6 qq. to page) with interlineal alphabetical reference marks; col. b, annotations marked to correspond. Quatrains numbered ‘1-240’ in left margin (post-scribal). The quatrain inserted after q. ‘200’ [f. 16v] is unnumbered; numbers ‘236’, ‘237’ occur twice. Section headings occur throughout (e.g. f. 2v (top margin) ‘Sliocht Conaill Gulban mic Neill’).) Ends f. 20r 10. (Edited by P. Grosjean, ‘Naemsenchus Náemh nÉrenn: Peregrine O’Clery’s Recension’, 41-78; cf. P. Ó Riain, Corpus genealogiarum sanctorum Hiberniae (Dublin 1985), 79 f., 208 (n. 662). On relationship to other copies by scribe (unredacted) in 8 206r, 212r, and incomplete annotated copy in UCD-OFM MS A 32, item 1 (M. Dillon, C. Mooney, P. de Brún, Catalogue of Irish manuscripts in the Franciscan Library, Killiney (Dublin 1969), 68), see P. A. Breatnach, The Four Masters and their manuscripts, 117, 125-26, 149-51.)

20v. Blank.

21r. [BANSHEANCHAS.] (Prose.) Headed ‘Do mnaib & mhaithribh mac Mileadh do reir na seanchairte nemhghlaine atú do sgriobadh ar comhairle caich in aghaid mhaigeanta.’ Begins Tea inghean Luighdheach meic Ithe bean Eireamhoin meic Mileadh & ba hisidhe mathair Ireóil fáidh meic Eireamhóin. Three hundred and thirty-six entries. Ends f. 35r m., Corcair inghean í Chosgraig dÉilib mathair Giolla Chaoimhgin meic Maoil Seachlainn Í Cinnéittigh.

35r i. Note on foregoing. ‘Biodh a fhios ag gach aon da leighfe so gurab an aghaidh mo thoile tugadh oram an bainsheanchas sin do sgríobadh do brigh nar mheasas énní éifeachtach de do beith go ghlan [sic] oir na neithe do bí agam féin do mheabair, ⁊ fós do chonnarc a leabhraibh ar a bfuil mes maith in Erinn go coitceann, as beg diobhsin atá ag teacht leis an ccairt as ar sgriobhus só ⁊ dá brigh sin mesaim na neithe nemhchoitcheanna ar nach raibhe eolas agam go bfuil salach neamhghlan amhail ata an ní ele.’ Subscribed, ‘A Loban 22 [? second digit blotted] Ianuar .1642.’ (See Breatnach, The Four Masters and their manuscripts, 170.)

35v - 48v. Blank.

48B r. (Inserted bifolium.) Excerpts from Bansheanchas (23 entries). Begins Tea inghen Lughdach mic Ithe. Ends f. 48B v 12,Cacht inghen righ Fionnghall ben Báedain mic Uinneadha. Second leaf of bifolium is left blank.

48C r. (Slip insert in bifolium, written one side only.) List of surnames (14 ll.). Headed ‘Ar sliocht Maine mic Neill Naoighiallaigh atá na sloinnte so síos.’ Begins Sionnach mhuintire Tadhgain. Ends agus muintir Chuinn.

50r. Materials abstracted from three poems, including occasional quatrains. (Two columns.) Headed ‘As duantuibh Seanchuis’. (i) ‘Annsa iomurbaid ra Laignibh’ Dubthach ua Lugair cc. Begins Labrad Loingsech do marb Cobhtach Caol. Ends (col. a, l. 10) go nuaislibh Erenn. (ii) ‘As duain eile an Dubthaigh cedna .i. Criomtann cloith rig coigeadh (sic) Erenn. Begins (col. a, l. 11) ag molad Criomtuinn mic Enna Cinnselaig. Entries numbered 1, 7, 9, etc. Ends (col. b i.), nó o Criomhtann ar impidhe Dathí. (iii) ‘Cath tugustair Criomhthan / An Dubthach cedna .cc.’ Begins (col. b, l. 9) Tug Criomtann na catha síos. Entries numbered 1-10, 18, 19. Ends (col. b, l. 5 from end) ⁊ Fiacha na flatha or chin Enna.

50v - 62v Blank.

63r. Historical notes in Irish (with some Latin) on battles and persons who fell in them (includes occasional cross-references by page number to source. (Two columns as f. 50r.) (i) Heading, ‘As cath Leitre Ruidhe san cCorann’ (25 ll.). (ii) f. 63v 2, headed ‘Na taoisig, ⁊ na hoirig um Eochaid Feidlech’ (15 ll.). (iii) ‘Na huaisle do thuit san ccath’ (13 ll.). (iv) ‘Do maithib Ulad torcradar ann’ (7 ll.). Continued f. 63va 1, (v) ‘As imteachtuibh Nuadha Finn Fál’ (9 ll.), followed by ‘Scél fabhuill an cuid eile de so go léir’. (vi) ‘As imteachtu[i]b Taidg mic Céin pa. 96’ (4 ll.), ends f. 63v a m., Libhan .i. Concabar Abradruaidh ben Taidhg (sed Concabar obiit ante xpm natus: Tadhg vixit an. 230.

64 Blank.

65r. Continuation of historical notes (list of kings), refers to ‘Ketin’. Begins Clann Rugraide mic Sitride. Ends col. a 15, Naoisi Ainle ⁊ Airdain ⁊ Failbe atar Durthachta.

65v - 66v. Blank.

67r. Note on declension of fine with verse examples (= IGT II exx. 12, 14) (3 ll.).

67v - 81v Blank.

82r. Note (4 ll., col. a only) on druids of Cathaoir Mór cross-referenced ‘Ket. 42’ [= UCD-OFM MS A 14, f. 42 (l. 22-3)].

82v. List of names (9 ll., col. a only) cross-referenced ‘Ket 37’, ‘Ket. 43’ etc [= UCD-OFM MS A 14, as in preceding].

83r. Note on Aimirgín (4 ll., col. a only) cross-referenced ‘Ket. 39’ [= A 14, f. 39a].

83v. Blank.

84v. Written in top margin (later hand) ‘Amadan’. Followed by Eó Mughna ba mór crann · triocha fhead a iomthacmhang 1 q. Remainder blank.