Life of St Colum Cille, Bardic poetry — 16th century, middle; Irish

Title

Life of St Colum Cille, Bardic poetry — 16th century, middle; Irish

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. B. 514

Associated place

Port na dTrí Námhad, Lifford, County Donegal

Place of origin

Irish

Date

16th century, middle

Language

Irish

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment

Decoration

Good miniature (coloured drawing). Text composed in 1532 at the castle of Port na dTrí Námhad, Lifford, County Donegal. (Pächt and Alexander iii. 1288, pl. CXVIII) fol. iii verso Type miniature Subject St Columba with mitre and crosier, under arch decorated with foliage.

Acquisition

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1755

Provenance

Richard Rawlinson, 1690–1755

Title

Life of St. Columb-kill, by Magnus O'Donnell; and poems

Shelfmark

MS. Rawl. B. 514

Summary

Prefixed is a full-length portrait of the saint with mitre and crozier.

The Life (which ends on fol. 60) is succeeded by eighteen leaves containing various Irish poems written in single columns. Of these the following list (which, as far as fol. 73, is partly an abstract of an incomplete description given by O'Conor) exhibits the names of the authors:

(fols. 61–63) Eight poems by "Fland Manistrech;" i.e. Flann, abbot of Monaster Boice. See O'Reilly's Irish Writers, pp. lxxvii–viii., nos. 8, 13, 9, 11, 10, 12, 7, 6. The first is sometimes ascribed to Flann Mac Lonan.

(fol. 63b) "Fland Mac Lonain ollam Connacht cc."

(fol. 64b) "Colum Cille cc."

(fols. 65–66) Four poems headed with the name of Caillin.

(fol. 66) Poem headed "Caireall Mac Curnain cc."

(fol. 66) Poem by St. Ultan.

(fols. 66, 67b, 72b, 73b) Four anonymous poems.

(fols. 66b, 67) Three poems by Find.

(fol. 67b) Entry of O'Donnel's taxations on Ulster, "from a part of the old book which is preserved at Ardcarna." Printed with a translation in O'Conor's Catalogue of the Stowe MSS..

(fols. 67b-70, 77b, 78) Nine poems by Giolla Brighide Mac Conmidhe (Conway). Three of these are described in O'Reilly's Irish writers, pp. xcvii., xcviii., nos. 1, 3, 4. At the end of the last is a memorandum dated 1541.

(fols. 70b, 71) Three poems by Brian Ruadh (Roe) Mac Conmidhe. Cf. O'Reilly's Irish writers, p. cxxvi.

(fol. 71b) Poem by Ruaidri Ruadh O'Huiginn (O'Higgin).

(fol. 72) Poem by Fergual Ruadh O'Huiginn. Fergal's death is mentioned in O'Reilly's Irish writers, p. cxxix.

(fols. 72b, 74b, 75b) Three poems by Taidg (or Tuath) occ O'Huicind (O'Higgin). An account of Teague O'Higgin is given in O'Reilly's Irish writers, p. cxxviii., where however these poems are not mentioned.

(fol. 73) Poem by Diarmaid O'Cleirig (Dermot O'Clery).

(fol. 74) Two poems by Muireduch Lesa Andoill.

(fols. 75, 77) Two poems by Goff Mac An Baird (Ward).

(fol. 76) Poem by Odal Breithfne, i. Seaan.

(fol. 78b, by a later hand) Elegy on the death of Graine, sister of Aodh roe O'Donnell, by Cu-Ulaidh Mac An Baird. Described by O'Reilly in Irish writers, p. clix. The form of the author's name given in the text is Cu Ul Mac Concub. r. Mac An Baird.

Date

16th century

Language

English

Physical facet

On parchment, in folio, in two columns, bene exaratus atque asservatus

Physical extent

78 Leaves

Custodial history

Olim inter codices Waræi et comitis de Clarendon, 25; postea inter libros ducis de Chandos, 2567, e cujus bibl. emptus fuit a Rawlinson, pretio viginti trium solidorum.