Manuscript containing a collection of tales by an anonymous Irish scribe.
Scope and Contents
A recueil of material by an anonymous Irish scribe, probably the end portion of a larger manuscript.
Of the manuscript, Ingliston MS. A.i.15 (g) declares “that he [Patrick Turner] purchased the manuscript without a cover and marked No.III. from a flying stationer in Dublin, whose name he cannot recollect”.
'Peter Turner Aug' is written on page 427. On the final page, page 362, in addition to being inscribed ‘N. III’, it is signed by Turner and initialled by John Campbell, Justice of the Peace.
Ewen MacLachlan added references to the Glenmasan Manuscript (Adv.MS.72.2.3) at pages 434 and 443, and a list of contents on page 362.
The manuscript consists physically of 3 sections, corresponding to Ewen MacLachlan’s designations I, II-III, and IV. They are here described in what appears to have been their original order.
Section IV. 12 folios, paginated by scribe 337-362, 1 folio (pages 343-344) being torn out leaving a stub. Unwatermarked.
Section I. 16 folios, paginated by scribe 369-400. Watermark unclear. Page 400 lower margin: ‘Wm. Reidy of Lismatigue in Parrish of Newmarkett Barreny of Knoctopher County of Kilkenny Provence of Linster & Kingdom of Ireland’.
Section II, III. 25 folios. Having mistaken the scribe’s figure 400 for 409, MacLachlan paginated section II as 410-431 (he has a note on this on page 399). He paginated section III as 1-28, then altered this to 432-459. Pages 410-443 watermarked ‘Pro Patria’ with letters G R (an 18th-century mark); the remaining gathering is of unwatermarked paper, the 2 outer sheets of which (pages 444-447, 456-459) are blue-tinted. The scribe’s hand and ink change somewhat at the foot of page 443, and a discrepancy in the running titles at this point suggest that the final gathering may in fact have been transferred from a separate copy of the text. Page 418 lower margin: ‘Thomas Brittan Dated March 27th 1782’. Page 459 upper margin: ‘James St’.
The contents (text) are as follows.
Section I.
(i) Oigheadh Chlainne Tuireann. “nó an treas thruagh do thrí truagh na sgealuigheachta”. Beginning “Righ socharach saoirchineóil ro ghabh fhlathas & fórlámh[as] ar Thuathaibh dísle datháille Dé Danann”. (Page 369.)
(ii) End of a 10-point tract on repentance, beginning "in §⁊ bhaistedh, diultadh d’ ádhaltran[as] an diabhail". (Page 399, line 1.)
(iii) Two further notes on repentance (“Dá chomgnamh coitchionn ghluaisios an peacach do chum aithrighe & tuirsi fána pheacadhaibh”. (Page 400, line 7.)
Section II.
Oigheadh Chloinne Lir. “nó an dara truagh do thri thruagh na sgealuigheachta”. Beginning “Iomthusa Tuatha Dé Danann a haithle chatha Taillteann”. (Page 410.)
Section III.
Oidheadh Chloinne hUisneach. ‘no an treas thruagh do thri truagh na sgealuigheachta’. Beginning “Rígh uasal oidh[ear]c ardchomhachtach ro ghabh c[eannas] choige Ul[adh]”. Page 459: ‘Finis / Pro lectore lector oret’. See Stokes, ‘Irische Text mit Wörterbuch’, volume 2:2, pages 110, 142. (Page 432.)
Section IV.
(i) ‘Bruighion Eochaidh Bheag Dearg’. Beginning “Lá n-aon dá raibh Fionn mac Cumhaill mhic Airt mhic Tréinmhóir Í Bhaoisgne ar Dhruim na Gaillbhe”. (Page 337.)
(ii) “Naomhtha an obair iomrádh Dé”, 5½ quatrains. Underneath in late non-scribal hand is ‘Finid no foircheann’. (Page 361, line 1.)
(iii) Ewen MacLachlan’s list of contents. (Page 362.)
Dates
- Creation: 18th century.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
53 Leaves ; 20-21 x 16 centimetres.
Language of Materials
Irish
Arrangement
53 folios.
Paginated 369-400, 409-459, 337-362.
Other Finding Aids
There is a contents list on page 362.
Custodial History
Formerly Gaelic MS.LVI.
The manuscript was obtained by Patrick Turner during 1798-1802. The manuscript became number 3 of the four soldd by Turner in 1809 to the Highland Society of Scotland, through John Campbell, Justice of the Peace, the Society’s Translator.
In 1811-1812 the manuscript was examined by Ewen MacLachlan.
The manuscript was deposited in the Advocates Library in 1850. It is the property of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the National Library of Scotland on its foundation.
Bibliography
The manuscript is described by Whitley Stokes in ‘Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch’, volume 2:2 (Leipzig, 1887), page 109.
Physical Description
Paper, stitched and unbound.
Page 410 is loose.
Genre / Form
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
- Description rules
- International Standard for Archival Description - General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk