i7ii,willbe of
indispensable
necessity, for the future historian of Ireland, within such an interval.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
Some of these are found in the shape of prophecies, and they are said to .
have been delivered by Maedhog himself.
"'Betweentheyears1715and1720.
"' This MS. is illuminated throughout,
while generally in good order and legible. "5 But mostly in the 14th and isth cen-
turies.
"* Among these may be enumerated, i.
Dr. O'Donovan's handwriting.
'=*
Cormac's "
2. Poems on various
"9 It is badly bound.
'3° These are made of books and up
Glossaiy. "
historical and religious subjects. 3. A short
account of St. Cummin Fada. 4. A list of
the Bishops of Armagh, and the length of time that each bishop governed the see, from St. Patrick to Giolla Mac Liag, successor of
"
St. Malachy O'Morgair. 5. Prophecy of
St. Moling. " 6, An account of the mother of St. Patrick, and of his five sisters. 7. The "Amhra Columkille," by Dalian Forgall, with a copious gloss. 8. A tract on Colman, son of Duagh, from whom Kil- mac Duach is called. 9. A story of the Prophet Beg mac De. 10. A short notice of St. Columkille.
"s This MS. contains 250 leaves, and it is badly bound. There are besides a few scraps of paper in it : and one of these is in
frag-
this
manuscript
was *36 produced.
-LXI. H. 4, 6,
7.
It is badly bound.
'*^ Some of these writers appear to have
lived, so early as the 13th and 14th centuries, while others lived late as the 17th century.
"* In this MS. will be found a discourse of St. Columkille ; tracts on St. Ciarain of Cluain Boain ; on St. Moling ; on St. Fursey; onSt. Columkille; genealogiesof different Irish saints, beginning with St. Patrick. Besides these, the MS. contains many other valuable tracts, on Irish his- torical and religious subjects.
ments of books, in various sizes.
'3' The ecclesiastical and historical matters
of most interest will be found : First, An explanation of some of the difficult words in the Felire of Aengus, or Calendar of Aon- gus ; secondly, a treatise on the Ogham characters, and lastly, various law tracts,
poems and Irish family genealogies.
'32 Manyofthesearedefacedandillegible. '33 It numbers 97 leaves.
'34 It contains a poem, attributed to St.
Columkille, and a Life of St. Kevin of
Glendalough, in prose. This latter tract has been divided in the binding.
'35 The subjects are miscellaneous, and mostly in verse.
'3* It was written by different hands.
on the Reges et Sancti Hibemise. "
" in Clerici, 1845,
considerable have been changes
legibly written, by Maurice O'Gorman, aboutA. D. 1770.
'39 The second volume is made up of valu-
able Irish hagiological tracts exclusively, and it contains genealogies of Irish saints, an Irish poem, by Eochaidh Eigeas O'Clai- reachan ; besides pedigrees of Irish saints, in prose, with the dates of their festivals, andtheyearsinwhichmostofthemdied.
'<° This includes 102 leaves.
'' There is nothing of ecclesiastical value in it, except O'Dugan's Rules for finding the festivals, and parts of the year in verse, written on one leaf of the MS.
'<' These latter characteristics make it a
matter of some difficulty to read certain pas-
sages.
'43 In 16mosize.
'44 Chiefly by Edward Llwyd, the Welsh
'47 For a more complete, yet compendious accountofthemanuscriptsinTrinityCollege Library, Dublin, the reader is referred to J.
**
T. Gilbert's enumeration in
port of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts," part i. , pp. 588 to 599.
'4^ The Library of Trinity College con- tains many very rare and valuable historical
works. Manuscriptcataloguesandslipsin alphabetical order include a list of the books. In 1854, the late Dr. James Henthorn Todd, edited an 8vo volume, which was published
"
the same year. It is intituled :
Librorum quibus aucta est Bibliotheca Col-
back,
It contains a " of Catalogue
yet completed talogus Librorum Impressorum qui in Biblio- theca Collegii Sacrosanctse et individuse
Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae, juxta Dublinii adservantur. Tomus Primus, cum suppple- mento, continens litteras A et B. " Dublinii : e Typographeo Academico. M. DCCC. LXIV. The third volume is already( 1875) published, while succeeding volumes are slowly under- going the process of publication.
'*9 The chief of these is in a MS. classed
V. 3, 4, among the Marsh MSS. , and it "
Kilkenniensis. " This is
antiquary.
Irish Chronicles," and "Names of Ancient
Irish Bishops. "
'45 The only matter referring to Irish ha-
giology, in this MS. , is a letter from a Mr. Domville, dated Jan. 6th, '82, concerning a
traditionary dispute between St. Laserianus
or Molaissi and St. Munnu, in a Synod held
at Leighlin, A. D, 630, and regarding a well there, sacred to the former saint.
^46 For a pretty accurate and complete ac-
count of this noble institution, with accom-
panying illustrations, the reader is referred
to W. B. S. " of the Uni- Taylor's History
appears unauthoritatively intituled, Codex
INTROD UCTION. cxm
This paper manuscript's^ consists of two volumes. '38 Vol. i. contains 182 pages, besides blank ones interleaved. Vol. ii. consists of 164 pages, inter-
leaved. '39 LXII. H. 4, i4. ''io This is a small quarto paper manuscript. '*' The handwriting is good ; but the ink is bad and the paper thin. '^^ LXIII. H. 4, 27. This is a paper manuscript,'^3 which includes 40 pages at one end, and 15 at the other, containing writing. '44 LXIV, I. i, 3. This is a large folio paper manuscript, consisting of 336 pages. '45 It should be re- marked, in closing this list of the Trinity College Library'46 manuscripts,'47 as specially referring to Irish ecclesiastical history and hagiology, before the twelfth century, that there are many other tracts, whence notices might be culled, serving to elucidate—less directly, however—the scope and matter of this present work. '48
The public library—called Archbishop Marsh's —attached to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, contains several lives of Irish saints, '49 and other matters
'3' In duodecimo size.
'3» These are bound in vellum, and re-
versity of Dublin," chap, ix. , § ii. , pp. 308
spectively lettered,
"Vol. ii. " They were beautifully and tion of several statements.
"Vol. i. "
effected, which greatly require the modifica-
to 320.
Since the period of its publication
SS. Trinitatis
Dublin, anno exeunte Kal. Novembr. , M. DCCC. Liii. , Dublin. Subsequently, the same indefatigable scholar had prepared and issued that finely printed folio—the first of a series to be —" Ca-
legii
Reginae
Elizabethae,
juxta
imperfect,
both at
Fourth Re-
Catalogus
CKIV INTRonUCTION.
of ecclesiastical importance ;^so but most of these records refer to compara- tively recent periods of our history. St. Patrick's Public Library was founded about the beginning of the last century, and at present it contains over 18,000 printed old volumes,^5i of great historical and ecclesiastical in- terest's* In the endowment, little has been left for binding the books and manuscripts, or for increasing their number, through the purchase of modem works or documents. '53
The Royal Dublin Society, besides its fine collection of printed works,'54 preserves a small manuscript collection, 'ss which must be useful in the com- pilationofaworklikethepresent. Nothingofanoriginalcharacter,however, iskept; butthereareseveralextracts,copiedfromcharters,archives,muni-
ments,andvariousdocuments,printedandinmanuscript. Forourpresent purpose, the collections of William King,'s6 Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, and of Walter Harris, are most serviceable. '57 This society was founded June 25th, 1731, for promoting husbandry and other useful arts and sciences in Ireland,'5^ and it was incorporated by the Irish Parliament in 1750. The library contains about 60,000 volumes, and it is practically open to the reading public, at convenient hours. '59
the beginning and at the end. It is a velluna folio, written in old contracted Latin. Each page is in double columns, and alternate pages are only numbered. The first and last pages are so stained and defaced, as to be
Patrick's, Rev. Thomas Russell Cradock, A. M. , and his assistant, the truly learned Dr. Robert Travers, A. M. , afforded the writer peculiar aid in the examination and useof ma- nuscripts and books requisite for his purpose.
'53 See W. B. S. " of Taylor's History
the University of Dublin," chap, vii. , § ii. , pp. 241 to 244.
'54 The "Catalogue of the Library of the Royal Dublin Society" was originally issued in 1839 at Dublin in 8vo. It was re-
issued, with supplement, in the same form,
A. D. 1850. Yearly additions to the library
are printed in separate catalogues.
'55 This is contained in an iron safe, with some rare books on Irish history, or which
are curious for other reasons.
'5* These manuscripts of Archbishop
King were consulted by Archdall, while
his " and are compiling Monasticon," they
frequently quoted by him.
'57 To procure the collection of Harris'
MSS. for the Dublin Society, the Irish Par-
liament voted £^QO. This fact is stated on
the title-page of one of these manuscripts. 1
The Rev. William Reeves supposes it to have been at one time in pos-
session of Archbishop Ussher.
'50 The most interesting of these are pro-
bably, a " Processionale," as it is described by Dr. Robert Travers, and according to the use of the Church of Salisbury, which appears to have prevailed in some of our Irish churches—a beautiful and perfect vel- lum copy, with musical notation ; Dudley Loftus' "Annales Hibemiae," transcribed from older sources, and sparsely written by him within the leaves of a large manuscript ;
almost
illegible.
a copy of Archbishop John Alan's "Re-
witha —ofhis "Li- pertorium Viride," copy
ber Niger, seu Registrum" the two
lat- ter refer to the state and charters of the Dublin archdiocesan churches. All the foregoing are in folio. There is a paper
"
History of Irel—and," in small4to. Theotherm—anuscripts tothe
scribed.
*s' Of these more than three-fourths are
Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
'5* The late courteous Librarian of St.
copy of Keating's
number of about 100 have
'58
various Irish counties has been published at
little direct reference to ecclesiastical history ; nor have their contents been even adequately de-
various dates, from the beginning of the
present century, and those surveys, in many instances, contain some valuable notices of
antiquities.
'59 From 10 o'clock in the morning to 10
o'clock at
A number of statistical surveys of the
night.
collected matter has never seen the yet
in '^° The published shape.
INTRonUCTION. cxv
Among the Dublin Society's manuscripts the " Collectanea de Rebus Hibemicis/' in ten folio paper volumes, with two folios of indices, and which formerly belonged to Harris, are doubtless of great interest, for the illus- tration of Irish history. The first volume of indices refers to six volumes of thecollection: whilethesecondvolumeoftheindicesrelatestofromvolume vii. to X. of the collection. By referring to the contents of all, it must be appa- rent, that this chronological arrangement of materials for Irish history, from A. D. ii54to A. D.
i7ii,willbe of indispensable necessity, for the future historian of Ireland, within such an interval. The documents, extracts, or memoranda are taken from Irish rolls, charters, letters-patent, statutes, bulls, decrees, proclamations, public and private state-papers, muniments, conciliar consti- tutions and ordinances, deeds and grants. Again, from printed historical works,manyextractshavebeenmade. Averyconsiderableportionofthis
light
first volume contains most documents suitable for illustration of those biogra-
phies which succeed ; but, throughout it, and the succeeding volumes, are variousnoticesofhistoricchurchesandoftheir possessions,fromthetwelfth
to the eighteenth century. This first volume contains 475 folios, but having nearly double the number of pages written. In it are the Constitutions the Council held at Cashel, a. d. i 172 ; a confirmation of the lands and posses- sions belonging to the Abbey of Glendalough ; concessions to the Arch- bishopofDublin,a. d. 1192; anextractfromthe"Credemihi,"regardingthe union of Dublin and of Glendalough, a. d. 1216 ; the bull for canonization of St. Laurence O'Toole, &c. , &c. From a. d. 1154 to a. d. 1324 these extracts
extend. The second volume contains 269 folios, with nearly double the num- berofwrittenpages,containingavastnumberofecclesiasticalandcivil docu- ments. From A. D. 1326 to a. d. 1357 these documents range. The third
volume contains 276 folios, with nearly double the number of written pages, chiefly relating to civil—but frequently to ecclesiastical—affairs, from a. d* 1357 to 1453. The fourth volume contains 516 folios, with nearly double the number of written pages, relating to obscure ecclesiastical and civil matters, from a. d. 1424 to a. d. 1557. The fifth volume contains 441 folios, chiefly written on both pages, and its notices are principally of a civil cha- racter, although some have references to ecclesiastical matters, from a. d. 1559 to A. D. 1602. The sixth volume comprises 230 folios, with nearly double that number of written pages, illustrating Irish civil history, more especially Irom A. D. 1602 to 1633. The seventh volume contains 431 foHos, nearly all of which are written on both sides. They contain matters, chiefly of a civil character, from a. d. 1633 to a. d. 1640. The eighth volume contains 369 folios, nearly all of which are written on both sides. They are chiefly of a civil complexion, and extending from a. d. 1641 to a. d. 1645. The
'**
It eminently deserves attention, and the services of a competent editor should
be secured to bring it out, under supers'ision
of the Master of the Rolls. Numberless documents here serve to illustrate English history as much as Irish.
h
cxvi INTRODUCTION.
ninth volume contains 336 folios, chiefly written on both sides. The matter principally relates to civil history, from a. d. 1645 to 1680. The tenth volume contains 319 folios, nearly altogether written on both sides. The
matter is chiefly civil, from a. d. 1685 to 1711.
Besides the foregoing, there
is a folio large
manuscript
of
179
written
This is
"
Chartarum et Litterarum Patentium de Rebus Hibernicis Ordine Chrono-
logico digestus collected from Rymer's Faedera, Doctor Wilkins's Councils,
Bullarum Romanum, Birmingham Tower Records, &c. , &c. , intended as a
subsidiaadRemHistoricamHibernicam,"byWalterHarris,Esq. Another
interesting large folio manuscript of 206 numbered pages, with nine addi- tional, and all closely written, belonged to Walter Harris. The matters of chiefecclesiasticalandrecordimportanceare:—i. CodicesMSS. inBiblio- theca Lambethiana, ad res Hibernicas pertinentes. '^' 2. Codices MSS. in Bibliotheca Bodleiana de Rebus Hibernicis. '^* 3. A Topographical Divi- sion of ye County of Clare. '^^ 4. Codices MSS. in Bibliotheca Ducis de Chandois, a Jacobo Warseo olim collecti. '^* Another large folio, containing 227 numbered pages, written, however, only on one side, belongs to the
" Harris collection. It is intituled :
Syllabus Chartarum et Literanmi Pa-
tentium de Rebus Hibernicis Ordine Chronologico digestus. "'^s There is
another folio manuscript, which undoubtedly belonged to Walter Harris, but which has now no title, except an illegible one, traced on the back of its cover. It has 374 numbered pages, and it seems to have been destined for entries of notes to illustrate the reigns of English monarchs, from Henry II. to Charles I. Yet, only from Henry Eighth's reign, a. d. 1399, to the 27th or 28th of Queen Elizabeth's, do we find any recorded events. These are chiefly of a civil nature. There is another large folio manu- script of Harris, containing 405 written pages of extracts, relating to Ireland's civil and ecclesiastical history. It bears no title, but it has a table of con- tents preceding. There is another manuscript of Harris' collection, and it contains 493 most legibly-written pages. It has no title, but it has a table of contents preceding. The tracts in this manuscript chiefly illustrate Irish civil history during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They are mostly
copies from the manuscripts of Rt. Rev. John Sterne, Protestant Bishop of Clogher. The foregoing eighteen folio volumes seem to comprize this valu- able collection of the Harris Manuscripts. '^^ The King Manuscripts, in
"
Collectanea de Rebus Hi- bernicis. " Whatmaybedesignatedthefirst volume'^7—althoughnodistinc- tion is marked—contains 420 numbered pages, with several additional ones
two closely-written folio volumes, are intituled,
»*» From p. 1 to p. 93.
»'•' From to loi. p. 94 p.
»'3 From p. loi to p. 106.
"*< From 106 to 120. p. p.
a's These documents range from a. d.
nuscripts ; nor aie they even classed as yet I»6 Yet, it is probable, Harris was aUo in an intelligible order.
1155 to A. D. 1633.
pages.
intituled,
Syllabus
the possessor of the King Collection, which is next to be described.
*? It is to be regretted, that no attempt
has been hitherto made to a com- present
plete epitome of the Dublin Society's Ma-
INTRODUCTION. CXVll
unmarked. ^^^ What may be described as the second volume—owing to the
want of notation^^9—comprises 427 closely-written pages. These are fol- lowed by a very complete index^7o to the whole of the preceding pages. Again, we find the sources —whence the manuscripts were drawn—indicated,
with letters and diagrams or symbols,^7i showing the several authorities, in a very satisfactory manner. As an appendix to this latter volume, we find two other historical papers of considerable interest, and added, apparently, at some after period, before the volumes had been bound. '^^ In addition
to the foregoing, there is a modern paper manuscript copy of the " Foras Feassa ar Eirion," or Keating's History of Ireland, in the Irish character. '73 Other manuscripts kept there have no interest for the student of Irish history.
It is very certain, that one of the finest and most extensive collections of manuscripts in the world, for the illustration or compiling of our national Saints' Acts, is that contained in the Royal Irish Academy's Library, Dublin. Comparatively recent as has been the formation of this institution,'74 its
''^
This includes a very choice collection, Londin. 14. Repertorium Clochorens. in whole or in part, of extracts taken from 15. Codex Status Fratrum Minorum. 16. various Irish annals, inquisitions, deeds, Status Cisterc. 17. Annates Pembrokian. charters, manuscripts and printed books, 18. Chart£e Jacobi Ducis Ormond. 19.
specially referring to Irish history. This is aninvaluableandawell-indexedmanuscript,
of very great importance for the study of an Irish hagiographist or ecclesiologist. The
antiquary, topographer and chronographer will find, likewise, abundant matter in it of the highest interest.
'*5 On a previous blank page is written, " Collectanea Rev. admodum viri Gulielmi
King, nuper Arpi Dublin de Hospitalibus potissimum, Coenobiis, et Monasteriis Hi- bemicis ; varia etiam alia de Rebus Hi-
bemicis, tam Ecclesiasticis, quam Civilibus complectentia MS. "
''''It is headed, "Index Rerum Memo- rabilium quae in hoc Libro continentur
Bermingham Turris. 20. Ware, de Prossu- libus. " After this, wefind a Latin note, that in the year 1732, Walter Harris had caused all the included papers or extracts in those two manuscript volumes to be tran- scribed from a manuscript codex, belonging to the Rt. Rev. William King, lately Arch- bishop of Dublin. Afterwards, five pages follow, and these refer to the foundations and charters of Irish religious houses. Then a short column succeeds, with paginal re- ferences to religious houses almost un- known, and here mentioned in this volume.
'7^ There are headed, " An Abstract of the Grand Inquisition of the County of Down, Anno 1621," in 48 closely-written
summa industria
contains 37 closely- written pages. It is followed by eight additional pages, which
"
areheaded TabulaeinquaNominaHospit.
Ccenobiorum, Monasteriorum, &c. , in hoc Libro occurrentium Ordine Alphabetico de- scribuntur. "
'7» These sources are thus noted in order :
—"I. Chartse Civit. Dublin. 2. Rotul. Rem.
3. Repertorium Arpi Dublin. 4. Antiqui- tates Hiberniae. 5. Officium Rotul. 6. Repertorium Civitatis Dublin. 7. Sacca- rium. 8. Rotul. Pipoe. 9. Communia Placita. 10. Rotul. Coglei. 11. Calendar Fratrum Prsdicatorum Limer. 12. An- nates Loughkeensis. 13. Rotuli in Turri
a " De Concilio Hi- heading,
congestus. "
This index
pages ; again
berniae per Magnates totius illius Insulce," taken from the "Liber Niger," in Trinity
f. 6 a. This latter docu- ment is thought to date A. D. 1295, and it takes up six pages and a half page. Other documents are, A Grant of Freedoms to the City of Dublin, by King Henry II. , with
supplementary Charters, and a Charter, granting Meath to Hugh de Lacy. A short and an unimportant index closes thisMS. volume.
'" It comprises 140 folios, well and legibly
traced on both sides, although on poor
paper.
'? » The Royal Irish Academy, for pro-
moting the study of Science, Polite Litera-
College, Dublin,
CXVUl INTRODUCTION.
members have already acquired, by donation or purchase, most invaluable historical, poetical, and topographical tracts, especially in the native lan-
guage. Besides many old and original manuscripts, generally in a fine state of preservation, more modern copies, from older sources, have been
procured. It will only be necessary to mention here, the O'Longan family collection, Edward O'Reilly's, Sir William Betham's, the Messrs.
"'Betweentheyears1715and1720.
"' This MS. is illuminated throughout,
while generally in good order and legible. "5 But mostly in the 14th and isth cen-
turies.
"* Among these may be enumerated, i.
Dr. O'Donovan's handwriting.
'=*
Cormac's "
2. Poems on various
"9 It is badly bound.
'3° These are made of books and up
Glossaiy. "
historical and religious subjects. 3. A short
account of St. Cummin Fada. 4. A list of
the Bishops of Armagh, and the length of time that each bishop governed the see, from St. Patrick to Giolla Mac Liag, successor of
"
St. Malachy O'Morgair. 5. Prophecy of
St. Moling. " 6, An account of the mother of St. Patrick, and of his five sisters. 7. The "Amhra Columkille," by Dalian Forgall, with a copious gloss. 8. A tract on Colman, son of Duagh, from whom Kil- mac Duach is called. 9. A story of the Prophet Beg mac De. 10. A short notice of St. Columkille.
"s This MS. contains 250 leaves, and it is badly bound. There are besides a few scraps of paper in it : and one of these is in
frag-
this
manuscript
was *36 produced.
-LXI. H. 4, 6,
7.
It is badly bound.
'*^ Some of these writers appear to have
lived, so early as the 13th and 14th centuries, while others lived late as the 17th century.
"* In this MS. will be found a discourse of St. Columkille ; tracts on St. Ciarain of Cluain Boain ; on St. Moling ; on St. Fursey; onSt. Columkille; genealogiesof different Irish saints, beginning with St. Patrick. Besides these, the MS. contains many other valuable tracts, on Irish his- torical and religious subjects.
ments of books, in various sizes.
'3' The ecclesiastical and historical matters
of most interest will be found : First, An explanation of some of the difficult words in the Felire of Aengus, or Calendar of Aon- gus ; secondly, a treatise on the Ogham characters, and lastly, various law tracts,
poems and Irish family genealogies.
'32 Manyofthesearedefacedandillegible. '33 It numbers 97 leaves.
'34 It contains a poem, attributed to St.
Columkille, and a Life of St. Kevin of
Glendalough, in prose. This latter tract has been divided in the binding.
'35 The subjects are miscellaneous, and mostly in verse.
'3* It was written by different hands.
on the Reges et Sancti Hibemise. "
" in Clerici, 1845,
considerable have been changes
legibly written, by Maurice O'Gorman, aboutA. D. 1770.
'39 The second volume is made up of valu-
able Irish hagiological tracts exclusively, and it contains genealogies of Irish saints, an Irish poem, by Eochaidh Eigeas O'Clai- reachan ; besides pedigrees of Irish saints, in prose, with the dates of their festivals, andtheyearsinwhichmostofthemdied.
'<° This includes 102 leaves.
'' There is nothing of ecclesiastical value in it, except O'Dugan's Rules for finding the festivals, and parts of the year in verse, written on one leaf of the MS.
'<' These latter characteristics make it a
matter of some difficulty to read certain pas-
sages.
'43 In 16mosize.
'44 Chiefly by Edward Llwyd, the Welsh
'47 For a more complete, yet compendious accountofthemanuscriptsinTrinityCollege Library, Dublin, the reader is referred to J.
**
T. Gilbert's enumeration in
port of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts," part i. , pp. 588 to 599.
'4^ The Library of Trinity College con- tains many very rare and valuable historical
works. Manuscriptcataloguesandslipsin alphabetical order include a list of the books. In 1854, the late Dr. James Henthorn Todd, edited an 8vo volume, which was published
"
the same year. It is intituled :
Librorum quibus aucta est Bibliotheca Col-
back,
It contains a " of Catalogue
yet completed talogus Librorum Impressorum qui in Biblio- theca Collegii Sacrosanctse et individuse
Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae, juxta Dublinii adservantur. Tomus Primus, cum suppple- mento, continens litteras A et B. " Dublinii : e Typographeo Academico. M. DCCC. LXIV. The third volume is already( 1875) published, while succeeding volumes are slowly under- going the process of publication.
'*9 The chief of these is in a MS. classed
V. 3, 4, among the Marsh MSS. , and it "
Kilkenniensis. " This is
antiquary.
Irish Chronicles," and "Names of Ancient
Irish Bishops. "
'45 The only matter referring to Irish ha-
giology, in this MS. , is a letter from a Mr. Domville, dated Jan. 6th, '82, concerning a
traditionary dispute between St. Laserianus
or Molaissi and St. Munnu, in a Synod held
at Leighlin, A. D, 630, and regarding a well there, sacred to the former saint.
^46 For a pretty accurate and complete ac-
count of this noble institution, with accom-
panying illustrations, the reader is referred
to W. B. S. " of the Uni- Taylor's History
appears unauthoritatively intituled, Codex
INTROD UCTION. cxm
This paper manuscript's^ consists of two volumes. '38 Vol. i. contains 182 pages, besides blank ones interleaved. Vol. ii. consists of 164 pages, inter-
leaved. '39 LXII. H. 4, i4. ''io This is a small quarto paper manuscript. '*' The handwriting is good ; but the ink is bad and the paper thin. '^^ LXIII. H. 4, 27. This is a paper manuscript,'^3 which includes 40 pages at one end, and 15 at the other, containing writing. '44 LXIV, I. i, 3. This is a large folio paper manuscript, consisting of 336 pages. '45 It should be re- marked, in closing this list of the Trinity College Library'46 manuscripts,'47 as specially referring to Irish ecclesiastical history and hagiology, before the twelfth century, that there are many other tracts, whence notices might be culled, serving to elucidate—less directly, however—the scope and matter of this present work. '48
The public library—called Archbishop Marsh's —attached to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, contains several lives of Irish saints, '49 and other matters
'3' In duodecimo size.
'3» These are bound in vellum, and re-
versity of Dublin," chap, ix. , § ii. , pp. 308
spectively lettered,
"Vol. ii. " They were beautifully and tion of several statements.
"Vol. i. "
effected, which greatly require the modifica-
to 320.
Since the period of its publication
SS. Trinitatis
Dublin, anno exeunte Kal. Novembr. , M. DCCC. Liii. , Dublin. Subsequently, the same indefatigable scholar had prepared and issued that finely printed folio—the first of a series to be —" Ca-
legii
Reginae
Elizabethae,
juxta
imperfect,
both at
Fourth Re-
Catalogus
CKIV INTRonUCTION.
of ecclesiastical importance ;^so but most of these records refer to compara- tively recent periods of our history. St. Patrick's Public Library was founded about the beginning of the last century, and at present it contains over 18,000 printed old volumes,^5i of great historical and ecclesiastical in- terest's* In the endowment, little has been left for binding the books and manuscripts, or for increasing their number, through the purchase of modem works or documents. '53
The Royal Dublin Society, besides its fine collection of printed works,'54 preserves a small manuscript collection, 'ss which must be useful in the com- pilationofaworklikethepresent. Nothingofanoriginalcharacter,however, iskept; butthereareseveralextracts,copiedfromcharters,archives,muni-
ments,andvariousdocuments,printedandinmanuscript. Forourpresent purpose, the collections of William King,'s6 Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, and of Walter Harris, are most serviceable. '57 This society was founded June 25th, 1731, for promoting husbandry and other useful arts and sciences in Ireland,'5^ and it was incorporated by the Irish Parliament in 1750. The library contains about 60,000 volumes, and it is practically open to the reading public, at convenient hours. '59
the beginning and at the end. It is a velluna folio, written in old contracted Latin. Each page is in double columns, and alternate pages are only numbered. The first and last pages are so stained and defaced, as to be
Patrick's, Rev. Thomas Russell Cradock, A. M. , and his assistant, the truly learned Dr. Robert Travers, A. M. , afforded the writer peculiar aid in the examination and useof ma- nuscripts and books requisite for his purpose.
'53 See W. B. S. " of Taylor's History
the University of Dublin," chap, vii. , § ii. , pp. 241 to 244.
'54 The "Catalogue of the Library of the Royal Dublin Society" was originally issued in 1839 at Dublin in 8vo. It was re-
issued, with supplement, in the same form,
A. D. 1850. Yearly additions to the library
are printed in separate catalogues.
'55 This is contained in an iron safe, with some rare books on Irish history, or which
are curious for other reasons.
'5* These manuscripts of Archbishop
King were consulted by Archdall, while
his " and are compiling Monasticon," they
frequently quoted by him.
'57 To procure the collection of Harris'
MSS. for the Dublin Society, the Irish Par-
liament voted £^QO. This fact is stated on
the title-page of one of these manuscripts. 1
The Rev. William Reeves supposes it to have been at one time in pos-
session of Archbishop Ussher.
'50 The most interesting of these are pro-
bably, a " Processionale," as it is described by Dr. Robert Travers, and according to the use of the Church of Salisbury, which appears to have prevailed in some of our Irish churches—a beautiful and perfect vel- lum copy, with musical notation ; Dudley Loftus' "Annales Hibemiae," transcribed from older sources, and sparsely written by him within the leaves of a large manuscript ;
almost
illegible.
a copy of Archbishop John Alan's "Re-
witha —ofhis "Li- pertorium Viride," copy
ber Niger, seu Registrum" the two
lat- ter refer to the state and charters of the Dublin archdiocesan churches. All the foregoing are in folio. There is a paper
"
History of Irel—and," in small4to. Theotherm—anuscripts tothe
scribed.
*s' Of these more than three-fourths are
Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
'5* The late courteous Librarian of St.
copy of Keating's
number of about 100 have
'58
various Irish counties has been published at
little direct reference to ecclesiastical history ; nor have their contents been even adequately de-
various dates, from the beginning of the
present century, and those surveys, in many instances, contain some valuable notices of
antiquities.
'59 From 10 o'clock in the morning to 10
o'clock at
A number of statistical surveys of the
night.
collected matter has never seen the yet
in '^° The published shape.
INTRonUCTION. cxv
Among the Dublin Society's manuscripts the " Collectanea de Rebus Hibemicis/' in ten folio paper volumes, with two folios of indices, and which formerly belonged to Harris, are doubtless of great interest, for the illus- tration of Irish history. The first volume of indices refers to six volumes of thecollection: whilethesecondvolumeoftheindicesrelatestofromvolume vii. to X. of the collection. By referring to the contents of all, it must be appa- rent, that this chronological arrangement of materials for Irish history, from A. D. ii54to A. D.
i7ii,willbe of indispensable necessity, for the future historian of Ireland, within such an interval. The documents, extracts, or memoranda are taken from Irish rolls, charters, letters-patent, statutes, bulls, decrees, proclamations, public and private state-papers, muniments, conciliar consti- tutions and ordinances, deeds and grants. Again, from printed historical works,manyextractshavebeenmade. Averyconsiderableportionofthis
light
first volume contains most documents suitable for illustration of those biogra-
phies which succeed ; but, throughout it, and the succeeding volumes, are variousnoticesofhistoricchurchesandoftheir possessions,fromthetwelfth
to the eighteenth century. This first volume contains 475 folios, but having nearly double the number of pages written. In it are the Constitutions the Council held at Cashel, a. d. i 172 ; a confirmation of the lands and posses- sions belonging to the Abbey of Glendalough ; concessions to the Arch- bishopofDublin,a. d. 1192; anextractfromthe"Credemihi,"regardingthe union of Dublin and of Glendalough, a. d. 1216 ; the bull for canonization of St. Laurence O'Toole, &c. , &c. From a. d. 1154 to a. d. 1324 these extracts
extend. The second volume contains 269 folios, with nearly double the num- berofwrittenpages,containingavastnumberofecclesiasticalandcivil docu- ments. From A. D. 1326 to a. d. 1357 these documents range. The third
volume contains 276 folios, with nearly double the number of written pages, chiefly relating to civil—but frequently to ecclesiastical—affairs, from a. d* 1357 to 1453. The fourth volume contains 516 folios, with nearly double the number of written pages, relating to obscure ecclesiastical and civil matters, from a. d. 1424 to a. d. 1557. The fifth volume contains 441 folios, chiefly written on both pages, and its notices are principally of a civil cha- racter, although some have references to ecclesiastical matters, from a. d. 1559 to A. D. 1602. The sixth volume comprises 230 folios, with nearly double that number of written pages, illustrating Irish civil history, more especially Irom A. D. 1602 to 1633. The seventh volume contains 431 foHos, nearly all of which are written on both sides. They contain matters, chiefly of a civil character, from a. d. 1633 to a. d. 1640. The eighth volume contains 369 folios, nearly all of which are written on both sides. They are chiefly of a civil complexion, and extending from a. d. 1641 to a. d. 1645. The
'**
It eminently deserves attention, and the services of a competent editor should
be secured to bring it out, under supers'ision
of the Master of the Rolls. Numberless documents here serve to illustrate English history as much as Irish.
h
cxvi INTRODUCTION.
ninth volume contains 336 folios, chiefly written on both sides. The matter principally relates to civil history, from a. d. 1645 to 1680. The tenth volume contains 319 folios, nearly altogether written on both sides. The
matter is chiefly civil, from a. d. 1685 to 1711.
Besides the foregoing, there
is a folio large
manuscript
of
179
written
This is
"
Chartarum et Litterarum Patentium de Rebus Hibernicis Ordine Chrono-
logico digestus collected from Rymer's Faedera, Doctor Wilkins's Councils,
Bullarum Romanum, Birmingham Tower Records, &c. , &c. , intended as a
subsidiaadRemHistoricamHibernicam,"byWalterHarris,Esq. Another
interesting large folio manuscript of 206 numbered pages, with nine addi- tional, and all closely written, belonged to Walter Harris. The matters of chiefecclesiasticalandrecordimportanceare:—i. CodicesMSS. inBiblio- theca Lambethiana, ad res Hibernicas pertinentes. '^' 2. Codices MSS. in Bibliotheca Bodleiana de Rebus Hibernicis. '^* 3. A Topographical Divi- sion of ye County of Clare. '^^ 4. Codices MSS. in Bibliotheca Ducis de Chandois, a Jacobo Warseo olim collecti. '^* Another large folio, containing 227 numbered pages, written, however, only on one side, belongs to the
" Harris collection. It is intituled :
Syllabus Chartarum et Literanmi Pa-
tentium de Rebus Hibernicis Ordine Chronologico digestus. "'^s There is
another folio manuscript, which undoubtedly belonged to Walter Harris, but which has now no title, except an illegible one, traced on the back of its cover. It has 374 numbered pages, and it seems to have been destined for entries of notes to illustrate the reigns of English monarchs, from Henry II. to Charles I. Yet, only from Henry Eighth's reign, a. d. 1399, to the 27th or 28th of Queen Elizabeth's, do we find any recorded events. These are chiefly of a civil nature. There is another large folio manu- script of Harris, containing 405 written pages of extracts, relating to Ireland's civil and ecclesiastical history. It bears no title, but it has a table of con- tents preceding. There is another manuscript of Harris' collection, and it contains 493 most legibly-written pages. It has no title, but it has a table of contents preceding. The tracts in this manuscript chiefly illustrate Irish civil history during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They are mostly
copies from the manuscripts of Rt. Rev. John Sterne, Protestant Bishop of Clogher. The foregoing eighteen folio volumes seem to comprize this valu- able collection of the Harris Manuscripts. '^^ The King Manuscripts, in
"
Collectanea de Rebus Hi- bernicis. " Whatmaybedesignatedthefirst volume'^7—althoughnodistinc- tion is marked—contains 420 numbered pages, with several additional ones
two closely-written folio volumes, are intituled,
»*» From p. 1 to p. 93.
»'•' From to loi. p. 94 p.
»'3 From p. loi to p. 106.
"*< From 106 to 120. p. p.
a's These documents range from a. d.
nuscripts ; nor aie they even classed as yet I»6 Yet, it is probable, Harris was aUo in an intelligible order.
1155 to A. D. 1633.
pages.
intituled,
Syllabus
the possessor of the King Collection, which is next to be described.
*? It is to be regretted, that no attempt
has been hitherto made to a com- present
plete epitome of the Dublin Society's Ma-
INTRODUCTION. CXVll
unmarked. ^^^ What may be described as the second volume—owing to the
want of notation^^9—comprises 427 closely-written pages. These are fol- lowed by a very complete index^7o to the whole of the preceding pages. Again, we find the sources —whence the manuscripts were drawn—indicated,
with letters and diagrams or symbols,^7i showing the several authorities, in a very satisfactory manner. As an appendix to this latter volume, we find two other historical papers of considerable interest, and added, apparently, at some after period, before the volumes had been bound. '^^ In addition
to the foregoing, there is a modern paper manuscript copy of the " Foras Feassa ar Eirion," or Keating's History of Ireland, in the Irish character. '73 Other manuscripts kept there have no interest for the student of Irish history.
It is very certain, that one of the finest and most extensive collections of manuscripts in the world, for the illustration or compiling of our national Saints' Acts, is that contained in the Royal Irish Academy's Library, Dublin. Comparatively recent as has been the formation of this institution,'74 its
''^
This includes a very choice collection, Londin. 14. Repertorium Clochorens. in whole or in part, of extracts taken from 15. Codex Status Fratrum Minorum. 16. various Irish annals, inquisitions, deeds, Status Cisterc. 17. Annates Pembrokian. charters, manuscripts and printed books, 18. Chart£e Jacobi Ducis Ormond. 19.
specially referring to Irish history. This is aninvaluableandawell-indexedmanuscript,
of very great importance for the study of an Irish hagiographist or ecclesiologist. The
antiquary, topographer and chronographer will find, likewise, abundant matter in it of the highest interest.
'*5 On a previous blank page is written, " Collectanea Rev. admodum viri Gulielmi
King, nuper Arpi Dublin de Hospitalibus potissimum, Coenobiis, et Monasteriis Hi- bemicis ; varia etiam alia de Rebus Hi-
bemicis, tam Ecclesiasticis, quam Civilibus complectentia MS. "
''''It is headed, "Index Rerum Memo- rabilium quae in hoc Libro continentur
Bermingham Turris. 20. Ware, de Prossu- libus. " After this, wefind a Latin note, that in the year 1732, Walter Harris had caused all the included papers or extracts in those two manuscript volumes to be tran- scribed from a manuscript codex, belonging to the Rt. Rev. William King, lately Arch- bishop of Dublin. Afterwards, five pages follow, and these refer to the foundations and charters of Irish religious houses. Then a short column succeeds, with paginal re- ferences to religious houses almost un- known, and here mentioned in this volume.
'7^ There are headed, " An Abstract of the Grand Inquisition of the County of Down, Anno 1621," in 48 closely-written
summa industria
contains 37 closely- written pages. It is followed by eight additional pages, which
"
areheaded TabulaeinquaNominaHospit.
Ccenobiorum, Monasteriorum, &c. , in hoc Libro occurrentium Ordine Alphabetico de- scribuntur. "
'7» These sources are thus noted in order :
—"I. Chartse Civit. Dublin. 2. Rotul. Rem.
3. Repertorium Arpi Dublin. 4. Antiqui- tates Hiberniae. 5. Officium Rotul. 6. Repertorium Civitatis Dublin. 7. Sacca- rium. 8. Rotul. Pipoe. 9. Communia Placita. 10. Rotul. Coglei. 11. Calendar Fratrum Prsdicatorum Limer. 12. An- nates Loughkeensis. 13. Rotuli in Turri
a " De Concilio Hi- heading,
congestus. "
This index
pages ; again
berniae per Magnates totius illius Insulce," taken from the "Liber Niger," in Trinity
f. 6 a. This latter docu- ment is thought to date A. D. 1295, and it takes up six pages and a half page. Other documents are, A Grant of Freedoms to the City of Dublin, by King Henry II. , with
supplementary Charters, and a Charter, granting Meath to Hugh de Lacy. A short and an unimportant index closes thisMS. volume.
'" It comprises 140 folios, well and legibly
traced on both sides, although on poor
paper.
'? » The Royal Irish Academy, for pro-
moting the study of Science, Polite Litera-
College, Dublin,
CXVUl INTRODUCTION.
members have already acquired, by donation or purchase, most invaluable historical, poetical, and topographical tracts, especially in the native lan-
guage. Besides many old and original manuscripts, generally in a fine state of preservation, more modern copies, from older sources, have been
procured. It will only be necessary to mention here, the O'Longan family collection, Edward O'Reilly's, Sir William Betham's, the Messrs.
