The manuscript was written (except page 68) by Seán Mac Cíar (John Short), a native of Clogher, County Tyrone, in 1738. Other hands appear in marginalia at pages 81 (‘Patt C[ ]’), 301 (including ‘Arthur Mates is this Book / and if it be Lost / or sole pray send home gain to Lucan’), 327, 330 (‘Arthur Magma [ ] is my Name and [ ] I write same So [ ]’), 332 and 334. The name of Michael MacDonald appears at pages 81, 308, 312 and 313, with the addition of ‘Kells’ at page 81 and of ‘his hand and pen July 27 1799’ at page 308. Michael M’Donnell appears at British Museum Add.40766, folio 92 verso, partly erased. National Library of Ireland G644 was written by Micheál Mac Domhnaill, Kells, 1836; it was a collection of prayers.

In former owner Patrick Turner’s affidavit, Ingliston MS. A.i.15 (g), he declares ‘that he got in exchange for another book, the manuscript covered with a black skin, sewed with thongs, and marked No. II, which contains the tale of the Thomsons, the battle of Fingal, and Magnos, Dargo, battle of Beann-ghuaillean, &c all pretty complete, from a man whose name he cannot now recollect, near the town of Kells in the county of Meath; and that the said man, had several others in his possession which treated of religious subjects’.

The manuscript contains paper written on in English. Pagination by scribe, partly restored by Ewen MacLachlan where perished. The eccentricity of the scribal pagination is aggravated by chasms, and missing pages may be accounted for as follows. Pages 1-4: 2 folios chasm. Pages 47-48: 1 folio chasm. Pages 116-145: numbers dropped by haplology, no text missing. Pages 159-176: 9 folios chasm. Pages 269-286: 9 folios chasm. Page 328: scribal error, no text missing. Pages 336-338: 1 folio missing (cf. scribal note on page 335 margin, ‘da chenn calta’, presumably referring to pages; ink darker than that of text, but corresponds to that of pagination at this point); also a figure skipped.

The contents (text) are as follows.

(i) Eachtra Chloinne Thomáis. Beginning (acephalous) "[ ]bthirfad. Do bhi [immorro] taoisech doidh[erg][ ]ghthe dona cinn[ead]hachsin do shíol[adh] ó Thomas", i.e. page 1, line 115 of Bergin’s edition of “Pairlement Chloinne Tomáis”. Chasm at pages 47-48. Colophon (page 67): “Aig sin duit Eachtra Cl[oinn]e Tomais ar na chumudh le Muiris mac Dabhi Dhubh .i. ughd[ar] chraobsgaoilte Chl[oinn]e Tomais, ar na sgriob[hadh] le ughd[ar] óg san nGaoidhlig .i. Sen mac Cíar ó Chlochar na cClíar a ccláir Thíor Eoghinn a n-aóis Mhic DheMile ⁊ seacht cced trí dheich ⁊ cather faoi dho, an sesamh lá deag do mhi na Balthainn 1738...” [Page 5.]

(ii) Toast headed ‘Drogheda’ (scored out), beginning 'here is a health to them that has Ragged-a-hose', 1 stanza. Hand: Patrick Turner. (Page 68.)

(iii) “Teamhair teach a mbí mac Cuinn”, 95 quatrains. “Ollamh eigin thrachtas an so síos ar theach Teamhaireach cc”. (Page 69.)

(iv) Seán Ó Neachtain. ‘Sdair Emund Ui Cleirigh’. Beginning “Do bhí flaith uasal onorach gaoisech ghrinn gheurthuigsech aluinn ardmhenmhnech”. Numbers 116-145 omitted in pagination. Chasm at pages 159-176 corresponds to lines 891-1202 of Eoghan Ó Neachtain’s edition. Page 210, colophon signed John Short and dated 26th May 1738. (Page 85.)

(v) “A chorpain, cuimhnigh do chríoch”, 28 quatrains. ‘Ollamh eigin’. Page 216, ‘Written per John Short for his Diversion being the first of his Irish writting and prays all that this little book comes through their hands that they may be careful of it”. (Page 211.)

(vi) “Cath Lisin Uí Dhunagán” (otherwise known as “Táin Bó Geanainn”). Beginning “La n-aon dar eirghidh coimhlínn corran comor[adh]”. Owing to chasm, ends abruptly at page [268] “bain[idh] an snaoisin s[éa]dhan, berim creatain as a ttiaraigh”, correspondes to Hyde’s edition, “Lia Fáil: irisleabar GaeDilge Ollsgoile na hÉireann”, part 1, page 75, line 9. (Page 217.)

(vii) “Ceithearanch Uí Dhomhnaill”. Beginning (acephalous) “rug[adh] me. bím la a nAoile, la a cC[ionn]tire, la a Rachl[ainn] ⁊ la a Manainn, corresponds to O’Grady’s edition , ‘Silva Gadelica’, volume 1, page 281, line 16. Ends page 300 “[Con]adh sin sg[ea]l an C[ear]n[aigh] Caoil Riab[hadh] .i. C[ear]nach ui Dhomhnaill [con]uige sin ar na sgriob[hadh] le Sean Mac Ciear an haon[mhadh] la deg ar fhithcit do mhí Octobhur .i. mile seacht cc[éad] ⁊ ocht mbleadhain deag ar fhichit 1738” (signed) ‘John Short’. [Page 287.]

(viii) “Inneosad cathréimh an fhir mhóir”, 67 quatrains. ‘Laoi an Deirg cc’. (Page 301.)

(ix) ‘A chleirigh chanas na psailm’, 49 quatrains. [Laoidh Mhaghnais Mhóir]. (Page 312.)

(x) ‘Dubhach sin, a Bhenn Ghualann’, 87 quatrains. ‘Duan Bheann Ghualann Sonn’. Owing to chasm, ends incomplete at page 335. Another copy: Adv.MS.72.2.16, folio 39a. (Page 320.)

(xi) ‘An Tenga Bithnua’. Beginning ‘In principio creavit Deus celum et terram .i. art us do chruthaidh Dia nemh agus talamh’. (Page 339.)

(xii) ‘Tugas fuath dod chen, a bhen’, 4 stanzas. On a decapitated woman. [Page 386.]