The Book of Fenagh ( Irish: Leabar Fidhnacha) is a manuscript of prose and poetry written in Classical Irish by Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire in the monastery at Fenagh, West Breifne (modern-day County Leitrim). [1] It was commissioned by Tadhg Ó Rodaighe, the coarb of the monastery, and is believed to derive from the "old Book of Caillín" ( Irish: Leabar Chaillín), a lost work about Caillín, founder of the monastery. [1] Ó Maolconaire began work about 1516. [1]
The O'Roddy coarbs and descendants retained the book down to Brian O'Roddy, parish priest of Kilronan ( Ballyfarnon) in the mid-19th century, upon whose death it was retained by his successors as parish priest. [2] It later passed to George Michael Conroy, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, for safe-keeping, before his successor Bartholomew Woodlock sold it in 1888 to the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) for £10. [3] This was on the advice of Denis Murphy, a Jesuit, that the RIA were best able to preserve it. [3] [4] Its catalogue number is RIA MS 23 P 26: Cat. No. 479. [1]
John O'Donovan made a facsimile transcript in 1828, and a manuscript English translation in 1830. [5] The first published edition was in 1875, edited by William Maunsell Hennessy and translated by Denis H. Kelly from O'Donovan's facsimile. [5] The Irish Manuscripts Commission published a supplementary volume in 1939 with material missing from previous versions.
[4] | ||
Part | Form | Subject |
---|---|---|
1A | Prose | Introduction and Genealogy of St. Caillín |
1B | Poetry | 14 poems about Caillín, Magh Rein (south County Leitrim), and the Bell of Fenagh (Clog Na Riogh, "the bell of the kings", now in St Mel's Cathedral [6]). |
1C | Prose | Introductions to Poems |
2A | Prose | Caillín and Tadhg O'Roddy |
2B | Prose | Ó Maolconaire discusses the Old Book of Caillín |
3 | Poetry | The O'Donnells and other families |
4 | Prose | Genealogies of Conmaicne, O'Crechan (probably of Conmhaícne Dúna Móir [7]), and the Abbot of Fenagh |
5 | Poetry | Six poems: five on the O'Neills and other families, and one on Caillín |
Marginal notes in Irish adorning the book are commentaries by the noted Irish antiquarian Tadhg O'Rodaighe (floruit 1700) from Crossfield in Fenagh. The book was used as a source for the Annals of Connacht and the Annals of the Four Masters. [5]
A metal cumdach (a book-shaped shrine) known as the "Shrine of Caillín" was built before 1536 to hold and protect the manuscript. [8] [9] Caillín is described by Lucas as "something of a specialist in the production of battle talismans" [10] and according to legend, in his lifetime commissioned a number of battle standards, including this shrine. [10] The shrine was badly damaged in a 2009 fire at St Mel's Cathedral, Longford, where it had been kept since 1980. [8] It was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland the following year, while the manuscript is in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy. [11] There is some doubt as to if the shrine was actually intended as a cumdach, given that it is smaller than the manuscript. [8]
The Book of Fenagh ( Irish: Leabar Fidhnacha) is a manuscript of prose and poetry written in Classical Irish by Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire in the monastery at Fenagh, West Breifne (modern-day County Leitrim). [1] It was commissioned by Tadhg Ó Rodaighe, the coarb of the monastery, and is believed to derive from the "old Book of Caillín" ( Irish: Leabar Chaillín), a lost work about Caillín, founder of the monastery. [1] Ó Maolconaire began work about 1516. [1]
The O'Roddy coarbs and descendants retained the book down to Brian O'Roddy, parish priest of Kilronan ( Ballyfarnon) in the mid-19th century, upon whose death it was retained by his successors as parish priest. [2] It later passed to George Michael Conroy, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, for safe-keeping, before his successor Bartholomew Woodlock sold it in 1888 to the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) for £10. [3] This was on the advice of Denis Murphy, a Jesuit, that the RIA were best able to preserve it. [3] [4] Its catalogue number is RIA MS 23 P 26: Cat. No. 479. [1]
John O'Donovan made a facsimile transcript in 1828, and a manuscript English translation in 1830. [5] The first published edition was in 1875, edited by William Maunsell Hennessy and translated by Denis H. Kelly from O'Donovan's facsimile. [5] The Irish Manuscripts Commission published a supplementary volume in 1939 with material missing from previous versions.
[4] | ||
Part | Form | Subject |
---|---|---|
1A | Prose | Introduction and Genealogy of St. Caillín |
1B | Poetry | 14 poems about Caillín, Magh Rein (south County Leitrim), and the Bell of Fenagh (Clog Na Riogh, "the bell of the kings", now in St Mel's Cathedral [6]). |
1C | Prose | Introductions to Poems |
2A | Prose | Caillín and Tadhg O'Roddy |
2B | Prose | Ó Maolconaire discusses the Old Book of Caillín |
3 | Poetry | The O'Donnells and other families |
4 | Prose | Genealogies of Conmaicne, O'Crechan (probably of Conmhaícne Dúna Móir [7]), and the Abbot of Fenagh |
5 | Poetry | Six poems: five on the O'Neills and other families, and one on Caillín |
Marginal notes in Irish adorning the book are commentaries by the noted Irish antiquarian Tadhg O'Rodaighe (floruit 1700) from Crossfield in Fenagh. The book was used as a source for the Annals of Connacht and the Annals of the Four Masters. [5]
A metal cumdach (a book-shaped shrine) known as the "Shrine of Caillín" was built before 1536 to hold and protect the manuscript. [8] [9] Caillín is described by Lucas as "something of a specialist in the production of battle talismans" [10] and according to legend, in his lifetime commissioned a number of battle standards, including this shrine. [10] The shrine was badly damaged in a 2009 fire at St Mel's Cathedral, Longford, where it had been kept since 1980. [8] It was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland the following year, while the manuscript is in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy. [11] There is some doubt as to if the shrine was actually intended as a cumdach, given that it is smaller than the manuscript. [8]