A composite ('mangeral', page 194) manuscript of 3 sections, the first probably from Ulster, the others from Munster.

Section 1: Pages 13-182. ‘Foolscap’ watermark typical of latter half of 17th century. The hand at pages 13-120 is otherwise unknown, but the date ‘1709’ (page 44, margin) may be an indication of the year of writing. That at pages 121-180 is Hand X of the Antrim Manuscript, National Museum of Scotland MCR 40.

Section 2: Pages 182a-272. ‘Coat of arms’ watermark. Pages 183-196 written 1732 by Uilliam Croinneach (i.e. Ó Cróinín), cf. page 192. Pages 197-270 written 1733 by Séamus Ó Crualaoigh, cf. pages 237, 239, 242.

Section 3: Pages 273-354. Watermark seems identical to previous. Written not later than 1736 (cf. page 305) by Tadhg Ó Cróinín (pages 280, 282)—cf. Royal Irish Academy 23 N 30, written by him in Cork, 1739.

Ewen MacLachlan made a transcript and translations of pages 58, line 1-59, line 14, and is now Ingliston MS. A.i.3, number 6b. When he asked for the manuscript back in 1814 (Ingliston. MS. A.i.3, number 23), he used the table of contractions at page 193 in compiling his own table for the Highland Society of Scotland in what is now National Library of Scotland MS.3281. Notes in his hand appear at pages 14, 180, 264, 354. That at page 354 reads “This Ms. is a Part of Dr. Keating’s History of Ireland—written in the reign of Charles I. N.B. This, and the 21 leaves preceeding, contain the tale of Art the father of the celebrated Cormac, king of Ulster, as may be deduced from the middle spaces of some of the foremost pages”. This is followed by ‘JMcH No 4.’, referring to James McHardy’s inventory of the manuscripts left by MacLachlan at his death, now Ingliston. MS. A.iv.13. However, number 4 of McHardy’s inventory clearly refers to Adv.MS.72.1.43, also a quarto containing part of Keating’s History, so it would appear that the Society official who wrote ‘JMcH No 4.’, in Adv.MS.72.2.8 had been led astray by MacLachlan’s note.

The manuscript contains the following marginalia. The references here given are grouped as far as can be distinguished according to hand.

(Hand 1): Alexander MacLachlan pages 18, 57, 194 (‘Allex MacLachlan his Irish Chronicle / Allexr. MacLachlan his Irish Mangeral Galick Book / Alexander MacLachlan his Book’).

(Hand 2): ‘Cor( ) o Larn’ (?), cancelled, page 42.

(Hand 3): ‘1709’, page 44.

(Hand 4): Writing trials: ‘David Doherty’, ‘Duncan McTavish’, pages 45, 294, 296.

(Hand 5): ‘Alexa...’, page 48.

(Hand 6): Alexander McGregor, page 49.

(Hand 7): Calculations on figure 1771, page 76.

(Hand 8): ‘Don’ page 89, ‘John Crawfford his hand’, page 91.

(Hand 9): “This Book belongs to Maurice King Miner and if any Body Should find this it at any time at Lose that he will be soe as to Restore it to our Owner again. Ag so leabar Ghaoghlige Muiris Mic an Ri agas Ma ata anan go gallouth see é verin Mo banocht go griannach don te veris do fein ar eias aris e”, page 181. The same hand appears to have copied a portion of text at page 57.

(Hand 10): ‘Alex Mun Esq.’ page 181, ‘Duncan McTavish / and not for bounty & things you have nothing being’, page 182.

(Hand 11) ‘Duncan McTavish is my name and for to write I think no ( )’, page 182.

(Hand 12): A jumble of neat but repetitive matter in 3 basic styles which may perhaps be by the same hand, as they tend to appear together. Some of the matter listed under (b) and (c) is probably by additional hands. (a) Writing trials in large Roman script, pages 271-272, 277-279, 291 (‘James...’), 292-293, 297, 301, 308. (b) Writing trials (often including the words ‘many’, ‘innumerable’, ‘command’, ‘demand’), calculations etc., in cursive Roman script, pages 182a (‘...and James Breyne Smith...Barroney of Kerricurihy...and 5 shilings Sterling to...pence Sterling...’), 242 (‘Mr Donogane I desire you’), 271-272, 276, 278-280, 292, 293 (‘James Realy his ha’), 295, 301-302, 303 (‘I promis to pay unto Mr James Realy or orders the sume of eight pounds sterling...’), 305 (‘Recd September the twenty eight 1736 of James Realy the sume of ten pounds sterling...’), 306-308. (c) Gaelic script, ‘arna sgriobh le Riobard Gaodhar’, pages 271, 272 (“Mo lénsa an fear madh maith an glo na ccliomh”, 1 stanza), 276, 279, 293, 295, 298 (‘faoi laghar na luicthe so curtha tha an ualle phiest remhar’, 1 stanza of a satirical epitaph), 301, 302 (“arna sgriobh le Semus Ó Reile”, referring probably to James Realy’s signature on the same page), 305, 307.

(Hand 13): Thomas C( )lin, page 272.

(Hand 14): ‘P( )ky Mc Danll his hand And Irish book’, page 275.

(Hand 15): Writing trials including the names David Doherty of Glann, John Reily of Glann, James Realy of Doneraile (cf. 12c supra) and (Jacobus) C Condon, pages 280, 291, 293-294, 296, 297 (part in Irish subscribed ‘J(?) Dondon’), 303-306.

(Hand 16): ‘Moris King’, ‘Patrick Mcffarland aught this bok and no other but him if onybody shall steall it he shall be hanged till a tree till the corbies pik out the eys of them that they ca( )’; ‘Patrick Mcffarland is my name and for to write I think not shame if my penn wer all( ) better I wod mak a shatter latre/later’, page 291.

The contents (text) are as follows.

(i) Geoffrey Keating’s Foras Feasa Ar Éirinn, lib. 1, acephalous and incomplete. Pages 13-14 = ‘Irish Text Society’, volume 1, pages 118, lines 82-page 120, line 17. Page 21 (Ewen MacLachlan page 18) begins, ‘Dob i aois an tiagharna do reir Chamden’ (‘Irish Text Society’, volume 3, page 387, line 10) in the list of the dioceses and counties of Ireland, which is here in its usual position in the body of the work, although an addendum in the ‘Irish Text Society edition. Followed (middle of page 23) by ‘Do shuidiugh na hEirionn’, ‘Irish Text Society’, volume 1, page 130. Text ends abruptly page 180 “mar do mheas iomorro eisen do bheith ag ternó”, ‘Irish Text Society’, volume 2, page 206, line 3213. Ewen MacLachlan adds ‘Thus far Keating’s hist.’ (Page 13.)

(ii) Partly ruled for music. Marginalia as noted above. (Pages 181-182.)

(iii) Marginalia as noted above. Verso blank. (Page 182a (fragment).)

(iv) Rudiments of Irish grammar. See “Advocates Library Gaelic MS. LVIII”, page 52. Ends page 192 “arna sgríobhadh le Oilliam Croinneach an 19 la déag don Mhí January 1731/32”. (Page 183.)

(v) Table of contractions headed “Trachtadh aithghear ar nóduigheacht na tengan Gaoidhilge ann so síos”. (Page 193.)

(vi) ‘Sirimsi Dia san san bl[iadhai]n lem brathair’, 5 stanzas. In praise of a lady. (Page 195.)

(vii) Cath Fionntrágha. Beginning, “Ríogh uasal ornidhe ro ghaibh flathus ⁊ forlámhus foran ndomhan mór go hulidhe”. Dated at end 1733. (Page 197.)

(viii) “Do dháileas gean do raeghiltinn as áille dreach ‘s as séimhe”, 6 stanzas. In praise of a lady. (Page 238.)

(ix) [Seán Ó Séitheacháin]. “Cé gur bhfada mé am mháighistir dhéaghathach Dhesmumnach”, 16 stanzas. Dated at end 1733. (Page 239.)

(x) “Lá St. Pól má fhógrann grian go glan”, 2 stanzas. Prognostications. Subscribed “Erna Seamus Ó Crualaoigh an dara la diag don fhoir 1733”. (Page 242.)

(xi) Bruighean Chaorthuinn. Beginning “Árdrígh uasal oirdheirc ro ghaibh flathus & forlamhus for cheithre treabhaibh Lochlann”. Last few sentences lacking due to loss of leaf. Ewen MacLachlan adds “(The rest wanting.)”. (Page 243.)

(xii) Domhnall MacCarthaigh na Tuile. “Do sgríobhfud cóip cheannsa as gréanda ‘s as tréathach”, 12 stanzas. (Page 265.)

(xiii) Domhnall MacCarthaigh na Tuile. "Am luidhe go clúite is me faon a gceas", 24 + 1 stanzas. (Page 267.)

(xiv) Scribblings and marginalia as noted above. (Pages 271-272.)

(xv) 2 stanzas largely illegible. (Page 273.)

(xvi) ‘A mhic na pairte, ataimse ad hagoll’, 42 stanzas. “( )nemh air bhás chSeain Mhic Gearailt do marbhadh a bhfeall”. Page 280, ‘Finit / p(er) me Thadaeum Croneen’. (Middle of page 273.)

(xvii) [Muiris Mac Gearailt]. ‘Mallocht ort, a bhais bhraonaigh’, 20 quatrains. (Page 281.)

(xviii) “A bháis bhoicht as cráighte do sgéal gach laoí”, 3 stanzas. ‘Timothy Cronine’, page 281 margin. (Bottom of page 282.)

(xix) Beatha Saint MarGréad Naomhtha. Beginning “Gein tsuthain tsaorchinealach árdchráibhtheach bhithbhuaghach”. Ends (incomplete) page 291 “na chug mhílc fear do chur chum báis air son a ccreidimh”. (Middle of page 283.)

(xx) Scribbles and marginalia as noted above. (Page 292.) “Sé lá bhí Día ‘na bhriaithraibh caoine”, 106 quatrains. First chapter of poem on life of Christ, headed “An céad chaibidil don obuir so, thrachtas air chruthúghadh an dómhuin, air úabhar an aingil, air bhriseadh na haithne, air chur Adhaimh as Parthus, ar aimsir na ngrás, ar ghúidhe na n-aingeal, feólghabhála na breithe díadha, fiosrúighe .S. Eilizabeth, breith an tiagharna, a Representation”. Ends incomplete, due to loss of leaves, after first quatrain of last section, “Do Representátion an Tiagharna”. See British Museum Catalogue?, volume II, page 40. (Page 293.)

(xxi) Cath Mhuighe Mucruimhe. Beginning ‘Ardrigh crodha, cruthniamhdha, calma, ceartbhreathach’. (Page 309.)

(xxii) ‘Cath Mhuighe Mucruimhe’ ends about page 345, but by this point the manuscript has become totally illegible. At page 348 a verse text emerges.

(xxiii) [Eoghan Mac Carthaigh an Mhéirín]. ‘Go moch is me am aonar’, 13 stanzas. Semi-legible. (Page 349.)

(xxiv) [Domhnall MacCarthaigh na Tuile’. ‘Am luighe go claoite’, ? 24 + 1 stanzas. Largely illegible. The last page, page 354, is totally illegible. (Page 351, line 5.)