10
AN GAOḊAL.
written in a later and inferior hand. Doctor O'¬
Conor notices them in the Bodleian copy, but he
has not observed whether they are written in the
original hand or not.
The following additional early notices are inter¬
esting.
Anno 437. Finbar Mac Hui Bardene [a Saint]
died.
Anno ccccxxxviii. Chronicon Magnum Script¬
um est.
This was the Seanchas Mor, or great law compi¬
lation, referred to in my former lecture.
Anno ccccxxxix. Secundas, Auxilius, et Iserninus
mittuntur Episcopi ipsi in Hiberniam, in auxilium
Patricii.
It is not till the middle of the sixth century that
these annals begin to notice more than two or
three events, often merely an ecclesiatical charac¬
ter. Not even the early battles with the Danes
are given with anything more than a simple rec¬
ord of the fact, and the chief persons concerned,
or the names of those who fell on such occasions.
Nor is it until the beginning of the ninth century
that they commence to group events, and narrate
them to any considerable extent . but after the
year 1000, they become profuse enough, if not in
narrative, at least in the mention of distinct events,
and sometimes in both, particularly as we raach
the fifteenth century.
The book is written on fine strong vellum, large
folio size, and in a very fine style of penmenship.
There is a loss of forty-eight years between the
years 1115 and 1163, the beginning of the former
and conclusion of the latter only remaining. There
is another defect between the years 1373 and 1379
and the volume ends imperfectly with the year
1504.
The whole manuscript volume, in its present
condition, consists of 121 folios or 242 pages; the
first folio being page 12 and the last 144, from
which it appears that there are 11 folios, or twen¬
ty-two pages, lost at the beginning, and 12 folios.
or 24 pages more, deficient between the years 1115
and 1163. The missing years between 1373 and
and 1379 do not interrupt the pagination, from
which it may be inferred that they were lost from
the original MS. of the Annals of Ulster, of which
this part of the MS. is but a transcript. The first
three folios are, I believe, a portion of the Annals
of Tighernach. The third leaf belongs to neither
compilation. The fourth leaf begins the MS. of
the Annals of Ulster.
Throughout this MS. the annals have the year
of our Lord prefixed to them, but they are ante-
dated by one year. This error is, however, gener¬
ally corrected in a later hand throughout the vol¬
ume.
Throughout the earlier portion especially of
these Annals of Ulster, the text is a mixture of
Gaedhlic and Latin, sometimes being written part¬
ly in the one language and partly in the other.
It may be remarked also, that throughout the en¬
tire MS. blank spaces have been left by the origi¬
nal scribe at the end of each year, and that in these
spaces there have been added by a later hand sev¬
eral events, and aliases or corrections of dates.
It will have been seen from Dr. O'Conor's remarks
in the Stowe Catalogue, that the Copy which Bi¬
shop Nicholson described in his work called "Nic¬
holson's Irish Library," was carried down to the
year 1541, whilst the Dublin copy in its present
state ends with 1504. There is, however, every
reason to be certain that this is the identical vol¬
ume or copy of the same Annals mentioned by him
in his Appendix.
It may seem that I have dwelt with too much
prolixity on the technical details of the Annals hi¬
therto considered, but I believe their importance
fully warrants this. They form the great frame¬
work around which the fabric of our history is yet
to be built up. The copies of them which now re¬
main are unfortunately all imperfect and wide¬
ly separated, in different libraries and MSS. collec¬
tions; and in the critical examination of them
(short as such an examination must be in lectures
such as the present), and the collation of all the e¬
vidences we can bring together about them, I be¬
lieve that I am doing good service to the future
historian of Ireland.
LECTURE V.
[Delivered June 19, 1856.]
The Annals (continued). 5. The Annals of Loch
Ce, hitherto sometimes called The Annals of
Kilronan. Of the Plain of Magh Slecht. 6. The
Annals of Connacht. Remarks on the so-called
Annals of Boyle.
In my last Lecture I gave you some account of the
Annals of Innisfallen, and those of Senait MacMa¬
nus, commonly called the Annals of Ulster having
on the previous day commenced with the earlier
compilation of Tighernach. Thus we have dispo¬
sed of the most of the earlier compilations in that
list of the more important annals, which I named
to you as the sources of our history, which it is my
intention, in accordance with the plan of these
Lectures, to bring under your notice.
Before, however, we reach the last and greatest
monument of the learning of the Gaedhils, called
the Annals of the Four Mesters, there remain four
other remarkable collections for your considera¬
tion, the Annals also Kilronan (a), or rather of Inis
Mac Nerinn in Loch Ce, as they ought to be call¬
ed: the Annals of Boyle; those called the Annals
of Connacht; and Mac Firbis' Chronicum Scoto¬
rum: and it is to these works that, proceeding in
regular order, I shall have this evening to direct
your attention.
And first of the Annals which have been known
by some under the name of the Annals of Kiron¬
an, but which I think, it will be presently seen
should be called the Annals of Inis Mac Nerinn in
Loch Ce.
The only copy of these Annals known to exist
at present is that in the Library of Trinity College,
Dublin, Class H. 1, 19. It is on vellum, of small
folio size; the original writing in various hands,
but all of them fine and accurate. Several leaves
having, however, been lost from the original vol¬
ume in various parts of it, chasms are filled up,
sometimes with paper and sometimes with vellum,
and some of the missing annals restored, although
in an inferior style of penmanship. These restor¬
ations are principally in the handwriting of Brian
MacDermot. The chief defects in the body of the
book are observable from the year 1138 to 1170,
where 32 years are missing. and from the year
1316 to 1462, where 142 years are missing The
year 1468 is also omitted.
(To be continued)
