Add MS 30512

A collection of theological texts in verse and prose.

Contents:

ff. 1a recto-1f verso: Inserted, modern paper leaves. An imperfect list of contents in English by Eugene O'Curry. This index is formed of three bifolia and the text runs across the gutter (f. 1a recto is blank, the index starts on f. 1a verso and sentences continue from 1a verso to 1b recto as if it were a single leaf).

ff. 1r-6r: Merugud cleirech Coluim Cille ('The Wandering of Colm Cille's clerics'). This is a version of Immram Snédgusa ocus Maic Riagla (‘The voyage of Snédgus and Mac Riagla’).

ff. 6v-9v: Life of St Finnian of Clonard. Imperfect due to the loss of a leaf at the end.

Lacuna between ff. 9 and 10.

ff. 10r-v: A tale about St Patrick and a son of King Laogaire called Énda.

ff. 10v-11r: Story of the abbot of Drimnagh.

f. 11v: Four quatrains on the efficacy of healing herbs at different times of year; a text on the various peoples of Ireland, concluding with five quatrains beginning 'Findaid senchaidhe bhfer bhFáil'.

ff. 12r-v: Torna Ó Maolchonaire's poem Ga med ngabáil fhuair Éire.

ff. 12v-15r: Obits for members of the Fitzgerald/Fitzmaurice family from Gerald Fitzmaurice (1150-1204) down to James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, 10th Earl of Desmond (d. 1429). Also includes Maurice Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald (1194-1257) and Thomas Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald (d. 1271).

f. 15v: An account of an amazing shower of hailstones in Westmeath, in the hand of An Conall MagEochagáin, dated 1635.

ff. 16r-v: Ossianic tale beginnin 'A Oisín an raidh rinn'. Text in which Oisín tells St Patrick about Finn's prophecy concerning the future troubles of Ireland.

f. 17r: Poem on three rivers which flow from Heaven. Begins 'Tigit trí aoidhbne an bur tir'. A colophon implies that the text was written for 'Piarais mac Emuinn micc Tomais mic Piaruis mic Semuis gallda on Cosnumach luan Flanncatha'.

f. 17v: Note on St Patrick's Purgatory, begins 'Loghaire mac Neill 9 gialla 9 1000 bliain'.

ff. 17v-18r: A poem spoken by Patrick on St Patrick's Purgatory, begins 'An coimgidh atá air nim'. A colophon at the end of the poem runs out of the bounds of the text, down the right margin and to the lower margin where it us upside down compared to the main text.

ff. 18r-v: A poem on St Patrick's purgatory beginning 'Eisdigh [a?] aos comtha caoin'.

f. 18v: Text about St Patrick giving Martin a pig for each each nun and monk on the eve of Martinmas. Begins here 'Martan ise tuc berrad manaig ar Patraig'.

f. 19r: Fursa Cráiptech profetauit.

ff. 19r-v: In mac ndíad a athar a nArd Machai. Attributed here to St Fursa.

ff. 19v-20r: A selection of the gnomic maxims attributed to Flann Fína. Begins here 'Maircc don duine charas duine'.

ff. 20r-22r: The metrical rule of Mochutu of Ratheen.

f. 22r: A poem on the necessity of pilgrimage and denial to get into Heaven.

f. 22r-v: A poem in which Niall Ó Siriten claims to suffer in Heaven because a certain Murchad hindered the Mass.

f. 22v: Poem against interrupting the Mass; poem in which Domhnall king of Meath laments form Hell that he harried Clonmacnoise.

ff. 22v-23r: Poem asking for the protection of archangels on certain days of the week.

f. 23r: Extracts from 'Ord prainni ocus prainntighi' on observing fasts (quatrains 9-13, 15, 17, 16, 18).

ff. 23r-v: Poem on the importance of religious observances recited by a certain Fuillechán Mac Taidg who had spent two years in Hell.

ff. 23v-25v: List of saints with a particular interest in Cork in the opening passage.

ff. 25v-26r: Poem attributed to Colm Cille giving a negative contrast of contemporary kings, warriors, women and clerics to their predecessors.

ff. 26r-v: Poem in which Flann mac Lonáin laments that his pride and greed condemned him to Hell. A colophon gives Flann's burial place as Tulaigh Mochaim ar urlar Thíri da ghlas (Terryglass, Co. Tipperary).

f. 26v: Poem on the virtues which overcome the deadly sins; thee reasons it is not right to laugh, all are related to death.

ff. 27r-28r: Cáin Eimíne Báin.

ff. 28v-29r: Poem on the bell of Éimíne of Ros Glaise, often found with the preceding text in manuscripts.

ff. 29r-30r: Poem by a tutor advising his student, Maelbrigde.

f. 30r: Poem praising God.

ff. 30r-v: Poem on the Trinity.

f. 30v: Máel Ísu's prayer 'In spirut [nóeb] indum'; poem praying for tears; poem on the soul's desire to be with God.

f. 31r: Poem on the Pater Noster.

ff. 31r-v: Poem on the ages of Christ, the Apostles, and the Virgin Mary.

f. 31v: Poem on when Christ took the seven ecclesiastical grades upon himself; another extract of gnomic maxims on what is deserving of various vices and virtues, beginning 'Dligid egna airmitin'.

ff. 31v-32v: Poem foretelling destruction which will come to Ireland on the feast of the beheading of John the Baptist.

f. 32v: Poem on fasting attributed to Máel Ísu ua Brolcáin; poem in praise of God; quatrains on obstacles to salvation; quatrain on death; quatrain on good deeds; quatrain on three things which are not pleasing to the Son of God (this breaks off at the end of the column and is continued along the lower margin); poem on the danger of having Christ as an enemy; quatrain on the necessity of asceticism (in the margin, continuing from the previous).

f. 33r: Quatrain in the upper margin on God's wrath; a quatrain on the three things that are worst in Ireland on the lower marging; a quatrain on the opposition between wives and moters-in-law). The following items are on the main page of the manuscript: text on the woods of the Cross; modernized extracts of gnomic maxims attributed to Flann Fína.

ff. 33r-v: Sét no tíag, prayer for protection when travelling.

f. 33v: Extracts from 'The Monastery of Tallaght'; text about how Rechtín refused the title of 'Reichtín credil'; a poem about a monk who could only say two words of the Ave Maria and how a flower adorned with those words on every leaf grew from his mouth after his death.

f. 34r: Poem on the Six Ages of the World; poem on the numerical values of letters in the alphabet; poem foretelling the fortunes of people born on specific days of the week.

ff. 34r-v: Prophecy attributed to Bec mac Dé, beginning 'Olcc bith arupta'.

f. 34v: Prophecy attributed to Bec mac Dé, beginning 'Ní bia cradbad a ceallaibh'; 'Uch a Dé' religious poem on repentance; quatrain contrasting the learned in Hell and ignorant in Heaven; quatrain on a presbyter's duties; quatrain on the choice of an abbot; quatrain on (the vanity of?) human learning; prophecy: 'Ni bia cradbad a ceallaibh/ air dia re daib ni bia gasced in [?]ogaibh ged lir cedaibh/ Crith fer dein libh tuseach gantor tuath ganergna/ fa inid ia cinadh/ aimseach.

ff. 34v-35r: Poem on Colm Cille's goodbye to Aran. Begins 'Caeileabrad uaimsi d'Aruind'.

ff. 35r-v: Mithid techt tar mo thimna, poem in which Cormac mac Cuilennáin makes his will before going to Leinster (where he was killed at the battle of Belach Mugna).

f. 35v: Poem of invocation attributed to St Fursa.

ff. 36r-37r: Litany divided into five sections (Begins 'A athair a meic a spiorad naim'. The five sections are 'De confecsione', 'Oracio confesionem super multudinem m. t. d. iniquitatem m.', 'De confesione s. c. oracio pater', ' De confesione').

ff. 37r-38r: Litany of the Trinity.

ff. 38r-v: Prayer for virtue and protection from future sin. Begins 'A slincid in chinidh daonna'.

ff. 38v-39r: Synchronisms of life and deaths of Irish saints from Patrick to Adamnáin, with Irish kings.

ff. 39r-40v: A brief set of Irish annals, running from the reign of Laegaire (AD 458) to AD 1134, possibly of Armagh provenance. Edited by Mac Niocaill as Annála gearra as proibhinse Ard Macha.

f. 40v: Poem on the death of Congalach mac Maelmithig. Begins 'Duaibsech laithi fri cech toisc'.

ff. 40v-41r: Poem on national characteristics. Begins 'Cumduch na niudaidi [nard?].

f. 41r: Poem on the dues of the poets Dreman, Dubacan mac Donnacan and Dubthach; triad on 'Tredi dleghur fir bass .i. miscais na cinud amail rocartha. A sechna amail rosechthea. A coiniud amail rofhal[t]nigthea etrel'; prayer giving three wishes in the form of a poem; definitions of the three trypes of homicide, attributed to Hugh of St Victor; exemplum about an old woman who could not swallow the Eucharist after eating before communion; Aristotle's advice to a young man; three triads triads in the lower margin.

f. 41v: Exemplum in which a man's wife and son are killed as divine punishment for attempting to bribe judges.

ff. 41v-42r: Poem in which Colm Cille contrasts past and present clerics.

ff. 42r-v: Poem on the horrors of Hell attributed to Colm Cille.

ff. 42v-43r: Tract on the seven groups to whom alms should be given: the Church, the poor, priests, lepers, scholars, widows, orphans.

f. 43r: Religious poem chastising a monk striking the bell at canonical hours; poem of invocation to God.

f. 43v: Religious poem invoking the Trinity and saints. Attributed here to Uilliam mac an Lega.

ff. 43v-44r: A prayer for long life attributed to St Ciarán.

f. 44r: A prayer for God's protection upon various parts of the body, attributed to Máel Ísu; a prayer asking for Christ's protection.

f. 44v: Poem about a book containing an account of the past, present and future. Flower suggests that it is based on §§149-266 of Immaccallam in dá Thuarad ('The Colloquy of the Two Sages') (Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts, ii 495). A series of gnomic sentences ('Ní huasal minab hecnaide. Ni hecnaigi minab aithrighthech. Ni conaich minab craibthech. Ni rathmur minab riagalta. Ni saidbir minab sognimach. Ni flaith minab firinneach. Ni firén minab faisidnech. Óir da da tucadh nech or na talman mur derc amach ni fuighedh sé trocuire minab faisdinech aithrigthech etrel).

f. 45r: Poem made up of gnomic maxims, drawing on numerous sources including the the Sayings of Flann Fína and the poem 'Dia mbad mise bad rí réil'; poem on the necessity of allegiance to a strong lord.

ff. 45v-46r: A metrical rule, attributed to Comgall of Bangor in Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, MS 5100-5104, but this is too early. Begins 'Coma riaghail in choimdhi'.

ff. 46r-v: Poem on seven masses needed to free a soul from Hell.

f. 46v-47v: Poem on the power of Jesus shown through his dealings with Old and Testament figures. Begins 'Gabhuim le hollumhnacht Ísa'. Possibly composed by and partly in the hand of Richard Butler (O'Grady, Catalogue, ii, p 496).

ff. 48r-52r: List of Irish saints and virgins with the same name.

f. 52r: Note on the twelve golden Fridays on which one should fast.

ff. 52v-55r: Do mháithribh na náomh ('On the mothers of saints').

f. 55r: Poem on the beauty of Christ, attributed to Richard Butler; another poem hailing Jesus as a creator.

f. 55v: Coimétor liph cend an rígh, poem addressed by Aife ingen Shogain to the Érainn asking them to preserve the head of Cú Roí and record his deeds; a quatrain in praise of Munster.

ff. 56r-67r: Genealogies of Irish saints.

ff. 67v-72r: Naomhshencas naoemh Indsi Fáil, poems on the saints of Ireland.

f. 72r: Poem invoking God and the angles; text on seven saints of Ireland; a prayer against a headache.

ff. 72v-73v: Latin account of the three orders of Irish saints.

f. 73v: Notes on the history of the Mag Eochagáin family.

f. 74r: Annalistic notes on the Mac Eochagáin family.

f. 74v: The name Thadues Norton (Tadhg Ó Neachtain) written in Irish and Roman script.

ff. 75r-80r: Life of St. Mary of Egypt, includes a prologue.

ff. 80r-87r: Account of the Harrowing of Hell.

f. 87r: Poem by Richard Butler asking for God's help during sickness.

f. 87v: Ossianic lay about the kinship of Cnú Dheireóil with Fionn (starts as a single column, then the page breaks into two columns after three lines; Cethra Cletha Fesa; poem on the four custodians of knowledge (Feiren, Fors, Annoid and Fintan), in the four corners of the world; three quatrains on the writer's rule of social inercourse; Scéla Cormaic meic Cuilennáin ocus fernóice Inse Celtra ('The story of Cormac mac Cuilennáin and the alder of Inis Celtra').

ff. 88r-90v: The Passion of St. James Intercisus from the Golden Legend. Of the same translation as that in Egerton MS 1781, but expanded. f. 90v begins in a single column, then divides into two.

ff. 90v-94v: Passion of St Cyricus and St Julitta.

ff. 95r-98r: The fifteen signs of Doomsday.

ff. 98v-102v: Text on the Virgin Mary. Taken from the Manipulus Florum (presumably the 'Maria' section) according to a colophon on f. 102v.

ff. 103r-104v: Homily on the Virgin Mary drawing on the works of Hugh of St Victor and St Bernard.

ff. 105r-115v: Bruiden Da Choca ('Da Coca's Hostel'), a tale of the Ulster Cycle.

ff. 115v-117v: A short version of the Life of St Alexius.

ff. 117v-123v: Life of St Lawrence the deacon.

Decoration:

Zoomorphic initial highlighted in red (f. 19r, 20r, 21r, 21v, 22r, 23v, 24v, 27r, 29r, 30r, 34v, 33r, 38v, 40v, 41r, 41v, 42r, 48r, 75r). Zoomorphic initial in black (f. 31v, 90v). Interlaced initial highlighted in red (f. 36r). Uncoloured interlaced initial (ff. 1r). Initials with minor decoration, black with red highlight (f. 19r) Initials with minor decoration in black (ff. 11v, 12v, 13r). Letters highlighted in red.