24
AN GAODHAL.
the battle of Clontarf; and as the original page is
much defaced and the date totally illegible, and as
the date of that great event is given by the Four
Masters under the year 1013, it seems probable that
without looking at the copy or the whole annals,
and the date mentioned below, Conry gave that
year as the commencement of the book to the bi¬
shop. The last page of the year 1571, with which
the volume (without the British Museum addition)
ends, is also illegible, showing plainly that the
book had been a long time lying without a cover,
probably in the ruined residence of some departed
member of the Mac Dermot family, before it pass¬
ed into Conry's hands. Still, not withstanding that
Conry gave this book the name of the Annals of
the Abbey of Inis Mac Nerinn of Loch Ce, it is
quite clear from the circumstances under which
the were written, that they were not the annals of
the abbey, if any such annals ever existed.
There is some mystery as to the way this volume
Passed from the hands of John Conry. It was,
however, purchased at the sale of the books of Dr.
John O'Fergus, in 1766, by Dr Leland, the histor¬
ian, along with the Annals of Ulster, — a transcript
made for the doctor of the first volume of the An¬
nals of the Four Masters, — and the imperfect aut¬
ograph of the second volume, described above by
Dr. Nicholson. — and placed by him (Dr. Leland) in
the College Library, where the group may now be
seen together. It is fortunate that we have stili
in existence a copy of the printed catalogue of the
books of the patriotic Doctor Fergus, which is pre¬
served along with many other memorials of him,
by his worthy great grandson, my esteemed friend
James Marinus Kennedy, Esq. who has kindly
permitted me te consult this interesting catalogue.
On examining it, I found included in it the Ann¬
als of Ulster. — a transcript of the first volume of
the Annals of the Four Masters, by Hugh O'Mul¬
loy, an excellent scribe, in two volumes, — and the
imperfect autograph of the second volume, - among
several other MSS. of less value, set down for sale :
but no account of the Annals of the Abbey of Inis
Mac Nerinn, mentioned by John Conry in his
communication to Dr. Nicholson. So far indeed we
have lost the direct evidence of the volume being
that which Conry had mentioned to the bishop,
but the fact of its having been purchased by the
College along with the other books and transcripts
belonging to Conry's collection, the identity in the
years of its beginning and ending, and the origin¬
al of the locality to which it was referred, which,
though erroneous, was approximately correct, can
leave no rational doubt of its being the reputed
Annals of the Abbey of Inis Mac Nerinn in Loch
Ce, though the internal evidences clerly prove it to
be the Annals of the Rock of Loch Ce, or Mac
Dermot's Rock, the residence of the owner and
part-compiler, Brian Mac Dermot, in 1590. In¬
deed even the wanting link above aluded to is sup¬
plied in a contemporary list or catalogue of the I¬
rish books sold at Dr Fergus's sale, which is pres¬
erved in (pasted into) a MS volume in the Library
of the Royal Irish Academy (commonly known by
the name of "Vallancey's Green Book"), and con¬
tains the names of the persons to whom and the
prices at which the various Irish MSS. there were
sold. For in that list I find it mentioned that Dr.
Leland bought No. 2427, Annals of the Masters, 3
volumes [the two volumes of transcription and one
of autograph before mentioned], a fine MS., £7 19
and also, 2410, Annals of Ulster, by the 4 Mast¬
ers [sic], a very ancient MS. on vellum; and 2411,
Continuation of the Annals of Tighernach, very
ancient, on vellum, both together for £18. The
last mentioned MS. was, I have no doubt, the one
of which we have been speaking, mistaken by the
maker of the catalogue for a "Continuation of Ti¬
ghernach', probably only because he could make
no better guess at what it really was. And it is
singular that this volume is now lettered, Tigher¬
naci Continuatio' on the back (H. 19, T.C.D.)
(To be continued)
THE SENTIMENTS of our SUBSCRIBERS.
Hereunder may be seen from time to time the
names of the genuine Gaels of America. Any of
our subscribers who have sent their supscriptions
and whose names do not appear in this list will
confer a favor by notifying us of the fact.
Ala. — Mobile, Rev. R D Brooks, Mrs. Capt.
Finigan, J O'K Barter, M McSweeny, F S M'Cos¬
ker, R Adams, C McGovern, per Mr. M'Cosker.
[Mr. M'Cosker's last list has been mislaid — Ed. G]
— Livingston, J Connolly.
Cal — San Francisco, Mary A Henehan, per M J
Hennhan, Providence, R I. — Petaluma, Mrs. B M
Costello, E R McCarthy, J McGrath, P Cronin, —
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— Damascus, Capt. J P O'Sullivan — Santa Cruz,
Mrs. Caroline E Bliss.
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Major Maher, P Murphy, J C Donovan. T Call¬
aghan, per Major Maher; J P Landers; J Rey¬
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P Jennings — Yalesville. T J Bowe — Ansonia, J H
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— Chicago, M Doyle, P Ahern, W Hughes, D
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Ia — Burlington, J Hagerty — Williamsburg, J
Kilroy
Ind — Washington, Mary C Mooney — Union Ci¬
ty, T McMahon — Holton, P Noon.
Kas — Dakin, M A Weber.
La — Franklin, Col. J O'Neill,
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Kenna, T Griffin, J O'Sullivan, T Mann, Miss M
Buckley, Miss H Kirby, all per Mr. Griffin — Bos¬
ton, Rev. L M A Corcoran; W King, J Ryne, per
Mr King; J J O'Brien, P O'Sullivan — Holyoke,
C D Geran — Wollaston Heights, P Donovan — Fall
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livan Boston, J Riordan.
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F A Landrigan.
Mich — Detroit, D Tindall — St. James, D McCau¬
ley ... Montague, M Downey, T Gaynor, per Mr
Downey — Jackson, P Casey, J H Daly, J H Por¬
