Add MS 40767

FIACC's HYMN on St. Patrick and Broccán's hymn on St. Bridget, translated into Modern Irish. In the hand of Richard Plunket (cf. Egerton MS. 186), who, according to O'Reilly, Iberno- Celtic Soc. Trans., 1820, p. xxxiii, was "a neglected genius of the county of Meath" and translated these two hymns in 1792. The versions begin respectively "Rugad Padruig a Nemthur" (f. 1) and "Nior ghradhaighe Brighid bhuadhach an saoghal" (f. 3 b). For the Old Irish originals see Stokes and Strachan, Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus, ii, pp. 308, 327. For a fuller description see Cat. of Irish MSS., ii, p. 437. Paper; ff. ii + 12. Octavo. Circ. 1792. Written probably in co. Meath. Attached at the end is a small ruled accompt book (f. 9), which has been used to record payments to workmen on the estate of [Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of] Headfort at Edenburt, co. Cavan. The MS. was found, with others, by Mr. John G. Gilbert of Liverpool in a field (in the Meath-Cavan district ?). These MSS. were the survivors of a collection which had belonged to a schoolmaster, circ. 1840, and had been thrown into a river by his descendants (cf. an article by K. Meyer, Irish Independent, 5 Sept., 1900, f. ii). Sotheby's sale-cat., 27 June 1923, lot 749.