The manuscript, watermarked 1796, was compiled by and for Dr Donald Smith when in Ireland circa 1798.
Scribes:
(a) anonymous, Roman hand;
(b) Toirdhealbhach Maguidhir (Terence McGuire), Gaelic hand;
(c) Dr Donald Smith, Roman hand.
Terence Mcguire’s work at part II pages 17-90, written in 1798 (cf. pages 17, 45, 69) reproduces material written by him in 1788 at Royal Irish Academy 1185 (24 C 55), pages 159-175, and in 1789 at Royal Irish Academy 1074 (24 P 29), pages 273-320, 363-388. He may also have been the scribe of part of Royal Irish Academy 1366 (23 O 57).
Donald Smith’s signature, ‘31’, and ‘17 JMcH’ appear on flyleaf (page [i])
Part I
(i) (Anonymous hand begins). Fiachra Mac Brádaigh. ‘Nach truagh libhse chaired, gach buaireadh dha dtarlaidh’, 52 1ines. Headed by Donald Smith ‘Seachran Fhiachra mhic Bradaigh / Antholog. Hib. Octr. 93’. Transcribed from ‘Anthologia Hibernica’ volume II (July-December 1793), pages 298-299. (Page [III].)
(ii) (Anonymous hand begins). ‘Chonnairc me aisling ar mo leaba mur do chifinn bean’, 66 lines. Headed ‘Aisling Fhiachra mhic Bradaigh’, and by Donald Smith. Transcribed from ‘Anthologia Hibernica’ volume II (July-December 1793), pages 298-299. (Page [V].)
(iii) (McGuire’s hand begins). Donnchadh Mór Ó Dálaigh. ‘Dia do chruthaigh grianbhrugh nimhe’, 122 lines. (Page 1.)
(iv) “A Righ comhachtuigh a Ri glórmhar”, 17 stanzas. (Middle of page 3.)
(v) Colum Cille. “M’aonaran dhamh sa Sliabh”, 66 lines. (Page 6, line 6.)
(vi) Colum Cille. “Einnach uaisle nag ach dán”, 32 lines. (Middle of page 7.)
(vii) ‘Aithreosad caithreim an fir mhor’, 33 stanzas. ‘Laoidh agus imtheacht an Deirg mhic Draoithchill’. (Page 8, line 4.)
(viii) [Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn]. ‘Mairg fheachas air Inis Ceithlionn’, 32 quatrains. (Page 14.)
(ix) [Eochaidh Ó Heodhusa]. ‘Cred mhosglas macraidh Inisceithlinn’, 30 quatrains. (Page 16, line 4.)
(x) “Iomdha tír do thimchil sibh”, 1 quatrain. Refers to preceding poem. (Page 18, line 11.)
(xi) [Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn]. ‘Parrthas Fodhla Fir Mhanach’, 52 quatrains. (Middle of page 18.)
(xii) ‘We hear a strange story of late, Concerning a raking Minikin’, 26 lines. Satire entitled ‘The Ramof Darby’ on a proselyte, Friar Patrick Finigan. In Irish and English. (Page 22, line 3.)
(xiii) “Is mian liom tracht air ádhbhar tuirsi ⁊ broin”, 22 stanzas. A serious warning and appeal to the above to repent. In Irish. Stanzas 16 and 17 are identical to 10 and 11. (Page 23, line 5.)
(xiv) (Donald Smith’s hand). ‘A chlann Uisnich nan each geala’, 218 lines Scottish Gaelic ballad entitled ‘Aidhith Chlainn Uisnich’. Donald Smith notes the places of writing: ‘Innis Cheithl. & Dublin’. John Smith, Junior adds: ‘This is published in Stewarts collectn. Vol II p.562’. [A & D Stewart’s “Cochruinneacha taoghta de shaothair nam bard Gaëleach”, 1804]. (Page 26.)
Part II
(i) (McGuire’s hand resumes). ‘Tainig triath an bhorblaoich’, 46 stanzas. ‘Teacht Chonlaoich go hEirinn’. (Page 1.)
(ii) “A chléirigh na spailm sáimh”, 49 stanzas. ‘Laoidh Mhaghnuis mhoir’. (Page 5.)
(iii) “Eirigh a Osguir fhéil, a fhir an chosguir chruaidh”, 41 lines. ‘Rosg Osguir mhic Oisin re hais Catha Gabhra’. (Page 10, line 6.)
(iv) ‘Ard aigneach Goll’, 134 lines. ‘Rosg Ghill Mheic Morna’. (Page 12, line 4.)
(v) Muiris mac Dáibhidh Duibh Mhic Gearailt. “Beannaigh an long so a Chriosd cháidh”, 10 quatrains + 1 stanza. ‘Muiris mac Daibhidh Dhuibh Mac Gearailt air na sgriobhadh air luing ag dol don Easpain’. (Bottom of page 13.)
(vi) Ó Giaráin. ‘Feach oram a inghean Eoghain’, 110 lines. (Page 15.)
(vii) King-lists and genealogical matter headed “Reim Rioghraidhe Erend febh ro follamhnaighsiod diaigh a ndiaigh, go mbliadhnaibh d’aosaibh dhomhain Dé ⁊ a ríghe re anais, ar na thineol a leabhar aris sion Fhearghail Ui Ghadhra leis an Dubhaltach Mhic Fhirbhisigh anno Domini 1649. Ar na sgriobha le Semus Mha Guidhir anno Domini 1713 air an Dubhbaile. Agus air na sgriobhadh le Toirdhealbhach Mha Guidhir 1798 An 5 lá don Marta laimh le Florence Court”. Réim Ríoghraidhe begins A.M. 2242 “Teacht Cesra in Érin”, ends A.D. 1198 “Ruaidhrigh Ua Conchabhair Rígh Ereann d’eug a cConanachaibh a cConga...” Bottom of page 31, “Do chuirsiod ar oile do Shenchadhaibh an Reim Rioghraidhsi Eirenn a nduanuibh iomdha mar do chuirsiod eolais iolardha eile dob eimhilt sonn, gidheadh do chuimhne ar oile do dháluibh, ⁊ do áitibh na nardrigh sin a ccuimhne cuirfead sios nar ndiaidh na slointeach thainic o chuid aca”. Page 32, line 4, descendents of Eoghan and other sons of Niall Naoighiallach, and of Brian and Fiachra sons of Eochaidh Muighmheadhón. The scribe writes ‘March 21 1798’ at foot of page 45. Page 47, line 3, Dathi son of Fiachra. Page 50, line 4: Tórna Éigeas, “Atá fud rí fionn ffear fFáil”, 9 quatrains. Bottom of page 50, descendants of Dathi. Bottom of page 52, ‘Riogha Chonnacht iar ccreidiomh as an duain Fionaid ealaidh fer fFail’. Page 54, line 4, “Ri Conacht iar Sliocht na duaine Eisdidh eigsi Banbha, do rine Donnchadh Bán O Maol Chonaire”. Bottom of page 54, “riogha Laighen iar ccreideamh iar bpros, ⁊ a ccoimhriogha in edirlinibh airmhe [ut] a righe iar nGiolla na Naomh Ua Duin san duain, Coigeadh Laighen na leacht riogh”. Middle of page 60, descendants of Ír son of Mil, kings of Ulster: includes poems ‘Ocht mec Ghollamh na ngaire’, 4 quatrains (bottom of page 60); ‘As mor do mhilibh fichit’, 5 quatrains from Leabhar Sabhaill Phadruig (Middle of page 64). (Page 17, line 5.)
(viii) Giolla Iosa Mac Fhirbhisigh Leacáin. ‘Iomdha gabhlan air chloinn Chuinn’, 894 lines. Subscribed “Air na sgriobhadh anois go cuimir, le Toirdhealbhach Mhaguidhir / mile seacht ccead is nochad beacht, is ocht mbliadhna na dhiaidh go ceart / do Dhoctuir Gobhan, tan a léigh ag Soighdiuiridh an Righ aig Inis Ceithlin an bhliadhuin reimhráite”. (Middle of page 69.)
(ix) Seán Ó Dubhagáin. ‘Triallam timcheall na Fodhla’, 232 lines, incomplete. Headed “Sean O Dubhagan ughdar na duainesi a n-aimsir Mhaoilsechluinn Mhoir mhic Domhnuill, an a bhfuil ceart duthchas gach cineadh a raibh a nÉirin san am sin”. (Middle of page 86.)
(x) [Bás Cearbhaill Agus Farbhlaidhe]. Beginning “Ria mbaoi Semus mac Tuirchaill a righe a nAlban, giolla soar idir chruth ⁊ chéill”. Breaks off at page 92 ‘bean Eochaidh Aireamh, ⁊ an Eadaoin’ = ‘Tochmarc Fearbhlaide’, page 51, line 2. (Page 91.)
Rest of manuscript blank.
