The manuscript contains an early ‘pot’ watermark. The scribe unknown, but his hand bears family resemblance to that of some Ó Siaghails, e.g. Eoghan Carrach. ‘Saltair’ format, i.e. written along the page, 1 quatrain per line, with single unrelated quatrains at foot of many pages; at folios 1 verso and 5 verso-10 recto these are followed by the date 1582. As manuscript dating this appears consistent with text and watermark. There are many corrections to the text in what appears to be the scribe’s own hand at folios 2 verso-5 recto.

The following are added in a hand of a century or so later: ‘Be it knowen unto all’ (folio 3 recto), minor corrections to text (folio 6 recto), ‘Tuileagna mac Torna cc’ in place of a perished ascription (folio 29 verso), ‘Hic est liber meus poss[ ] siquis me querit phile[ ] Be [ ] speake so [ speake and ] (folio 30 verso / Adv.MS.72.2.2, folio 50 verso). There is a further illegible scrawl at folio 1 verso.

The manuscript is inscribed at folio 1 recto ‘14 JMcH 35’.

The following single quatrains appear lower margin folio 1 recto, ‘Ca fiu [da] mairfe amarach’. Folio 1 verso, (acephalous) quatrain ending ‘croc fhallsa / loch re sruth an saogalsa’. Folio 5 recto, ‘Is lonn gach ri dia dheis’. Folio 5 verso, ‘[Mairg] cuinges ni air charait’ (cf. Hennessy & Kelly, ‘The book of Fenagh’, page 33). Folio 6 recto, ‘Dia gcara gach firinneach’. Folio 6 verso, ‘[ ]r bios do somataibh’. Folio 7 recto, ‘Lubhair don aos an egnaoidh’. Folio 7 verso, ‘Ni bhi clann neich a neart’ (cf. Bergin “Geoffrey Keating. Trí bior-ghaoithe an bháis: The three shafts of death”, page 168). Folio 8 recto, ‘In ti benas a dhuithe do duine’, cf. Royal Irish Academy 23 P 26 (Book of Fenagh), folio 6 verso. Folio 8 verso, “[ ] gach n-innmus ad-chiú”. Folio 9 recto, ‘Comradh in mairbh rimsa’. Folio 9 verso, ‘Fer gan mnaoi no ben gan fhir’, cf. Royal Irish Academy 23 P 26 (Book of Fenagh), folio 7 recto. Folio 10 recto, ‘Ri na slogh / do righne an bith buithnech buan’ (cf. Royal Irish Academy D iv 2, folio 51, upper margin). Folio 10 verso, “Dursan, a Chríst, ro creitis” (cf. Royal Irish Academy D iv 2 folio 50 verso, upper margin). Folio 11 recto, ‘Ni tualuing neach mo mharbhadh’. Folio 12, “[Gofraidh Fionn Ó Dálaigh]. Mairg meallas muirrn an t-saoghail”. Folio 12 verso, “Ni mé in duine adeir an sheannguth”. Folio 13 recto, “[Cinaed Ua Hartacáin]. Doman duthuin a loinne”. Folio 13 verso, “D[‘aoin]leth do crich Rois”. Folio 14 recto, “Ni fhuilsi ach ‘na tuile ar dtus”. Folio 14 verso, ‘Fechadh gach duine a corp criaidh’. Folio 15 recto, ‘Bruach(?) is mo chaem ro mealladh’. Folio 15 verso, (?) ‘Is rian riain man rugadh’. Folio 16 recto “Is doigh tír nDe uir oifid goid”. Folio 16 verso, “Is ferr fele ina ór”. Folio 17 recto, ‘Duine lasa bec mo brigh’. Folio 17 verso, ‘[ ] madh ail’. Folio 18 recto, ‘Ni chual[ ] se’. Folio 18 verso, “Ar techtaidh an doman serc nDé”. Folio 19 recto, ‘Inar damadh ail aines’. Folio 19 verso, ‘Madh ar Dia deach fo gradhaibh’. Folio 20 recto, “D’eis bais nib era eol”. Folio 20 verso, ‘Ad-conarc na h-esbosa’. Folio 21 recto, ‘Maoir is righ rachtairidh’. Folio 21 verso, ‘Ad-connarc na breithemhuin’. Folio 22 recto, ‘Do-conarc na caintighir’. Folio 22 verso, ‘Guil is faidhe is fedgaire’. Folio 23 recto, ‘Glor Muir ear n-inmes a mic’ (published by Knott in, “A bhfuil aguinn dár chum Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn (1550-1591): The bardic poems of Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn”, volume ii, page 288). Folio 23 verso, ‘Truadh sin, a leabhrain bhig bhain’. Folio 24 recto, “Do chuala mé la sruithibh”. Folio 24 verso, ‘Dia do beir dhamhsa ar mo dhan’. Folio 25 recto, ‘Fuil De ara dtathstar’, folio 25 verso, “Da mbeith d’eis sil Aduim uile”. Folio 26 recto, ‘Saor do chuaidh gan cheanntughadh’. Folio 26 verso, ‘Na leig fum gaoth a tsaibris’. Folio 27 recto, “A Dhé dhein, ón a Dhé dhein”.

The contents (text) are as follows.

(i) (Half-folio). Last 2 quatrains of unidentified poem. Beginning ‘Gu gcreidir mar is cor damh’. (Folio 1 recto, line 1.)

(ii) “Triur righ tanic go tegh nDé”, 10 quatrains. (Folio 1 recto, line 3.)

(iii) “Ni mairg dar ba chara an ogh”, 25 quatrains. (Folio 1 recto, line 13.)

(iv) ‘Deirbhthsiur don egna an eigsi’, 59 quatrains, metrical glossary. Cf. “On the Bodleian fragment of Cormac’s Glossary”, page 22. (Folio 2 recto, line 1.)

(v) “[Móidi] gac maith a moradh”, 80 quatrains including 2 half-quatrains. Metrical glossary. Substantial corrections and additions (including 2 of the complete quatrains) inserted by scribe in different ink. An earlier version is in the Book of Uí Maine (Royal Irish Academy D ii 1; published facsimiles.), of which the present text corresponds to folio 151 recto, column b, lines 13 & 31-59, folio 151 verso, column a, lines 1-9 & 56-66, folio 151 verso, column b, lines 1-66, and a detached folio, now Eg. 90, folio 17 recto, column a. Detached portion printed in, “On the Bodleian fragment of Cormac’s Glossary”, page 31. Only 1 quatrain (folio 4 verso, line 8) of present version is absent from this. (Folio 3 verso, line 1.)

(vi) ‘Marthuin duit, a croch an Coimdheadh’, 48 quatrains, including 2 quatrains added by scribe at folio 6 verso, upper margin. (Folio 5 verso, line 1.)

(vii) Pilip Bocht Ó Huiginn. ‘Fuigheall bennacht brugh Muire’, 37 quatrains. (Folio 6 verso, line 7.)

(viii) Pilip Bocht Ó Huiginn. “Tuar feirge foighide Dhé”, 46 quatrains. Headed ‘Duan anso o fPhilip mac Cuinn Crosaigh ann a dtaispentar tuarusgbhail uathmhar laithe an braich, agus an modh ar a dtiocfa Criosd do cum an bhretheamnais ⁊ na briathra adera ann’. (Folio 8 recto, line 1.)

(ix) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Ataid tri comraig am chind’, 29 quatrains. (Folio 9 recto, line 18.)

(x) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. “Aithin me dod t’oide, a Eoin”, 19 quatrains. After the ascription the scribe inserts an emendation to quatrain 2c. (Folio 10 recto, line 3.)

(xi) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. “Cia gabus m’anamain re ais”, 28 quatrains. (Folio 10 verso, line 1.)

(xii) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Bec nach tainic mo terma’, 44 quatrains. (Folio 11 recto, line 8.)

(xiii) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. “Gabh mh’egnach, a Eoin Baisdi”, 30 quatrains. (Folio 12 recto, line 9.)

(xiv) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Cairt a sichana ag siol Adhamh’, 32 quatrains. (Folio 12 verso, line 16.)

(xv) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Ag so bragha det, a Dhe’, 34 quatrains. (Folio 13 verso, line 5.)

(xvi) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Mairg danab soirbh an saeghal’, 36 quatrains. (Folio 14 verso, line 1.)

(xvii) ‘Namhadh da caraid clan Adhaim’, 38 quatrains. (Folio 15 recto, line 17.)

(xviii) ‘Gabham dechmaidh ar ndana’, 74 quatrains. (Folio 16 recto, line 11.)

(xix) Donnchadh Mór [Ó Dálaigh]. “Aitrige sunn duit, a Dhé”, 32 quatrains. (Folio 17 verso, line 20.)

(xx) Tadhg Óg [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Teine arna fadodh fearg De’, 40 quatrains. (Folio 18 verso, line 6.)

(xxi) “Ceangel sodenta siogh Dé”, 37 quatrains. (Folio 19 verso, line 1.)

(xxii) Pilip Boch [Ó Huiginn]. “Bennachd a mathar ar mac nDé”, 38 quatrains. (Folio 20 recto, line 16.)

(xxiii) Ferghal Óg. ‘Ben glas dom croidhi, a Choimghe’, 4 quatrains. (Folio 21 recto, line 14.)

(xxiv) [Tadhg Óg Ó Huiginn]. ‘Teachdaire dileas go Dia’, 26 quatrains. Cf. “Dán Dé: the poems of Donnchadh Mór Dálaigh, and the religious poems in the Duanaire of the Yellow Book of Lecan”, page 25. (Folio 21 verso, line 1.)

(xxv) “Fada mé ar merughadh slighedh”, 39½ quatrains. (Folio 22 recto, line 8.)

(xxvi) Mac-con Ó Cléirigh. 3 quatrains in different metres, the first beginning “Ar thech nDé ni durcennach”. Preceding this is “Roim na bp”, see next item. (Folio 23 recto, line 13.)

(xxvii) Tadhg Dall [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Roim na bpecthach uaim Padraig’, 2½ quatrains. First 2 words erased, but see last item. See Knott, “A bhfuil aguinn dár chum Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn (1550-1591): The bardic poems of Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn”, volume ii, page 288. (Folio 23 recto, line 17.)

(xxviii) Pilip Bocht [Ó Huiginn]. ‘Do geineadh inghean on umla’, 44 quatrains. (Folio 23 verso, line 1.)

(xxix) “Tri gluine ginelaigh mic Dé”, 38 quatrains (Folio 24 verso, line 5.)

(xxx) “Tri mic do Muire mac Dé”, 37 quatrains. Saighin: ‘Tri glun’, cf. last item. (Folio 25 verso, line 4.)

(xxxi) ‘Do chodail ar bfear faire’, 27 quatrains. (Folio 26 verso, line 1.)

(xxxii) ‘Suntach sin, a cholann criadh’, 15 quatrains. (Folio 27 recto, line 10.)

(xxxiii) Fearghal Óg Mac an Bháird. ‘Na dena diomus, a duine’, 11 quatrains. “Dioghluim dána”, page 134. Actually by Aonghas Fionn Ó Dálaigh. (Folio 27 verso, line 4.)

(xxxiv) Fearghal Óg Mac an Bháird. ‘Saor misi, a mhic an Duilimh’, 4 quatrains. (Folio 27 verso, line 16.)

(xxxv) Solamh Mac Con Midhe. ‘Cionta na colla is cuis truaighe’, 3 quatrains. (Folio 27 verso, line 21.)

(xxxvi) Tadhg Dall mac Mathghamhna Uí Huiginn. ‘Teach lega leaba fPadraig’, 13 quatrains. “A bhfuil aguinn dár chum Tadhg Dall Ó Huiginn (1550-1591): The bardic poems of Tadhg Dall Ó hUiginn”, volume ii, page 289. (Folio 28 recto, line 1.)

(xxxvii) Fearghal Óg Ó Huiginn. ‘Linn fPadraig na bpurt solas’, 9 quatrains. Published by Leslie in, “Lough Derg in Ulster. The story of St. Patrick’s purgatory”, page 179. (Folio 28 recto, line 15.)

(xxxviii) [ ? Ó Huig]inn. ‘Muna beadh cruaidi croidhe’, 20½ quatrains. Mixed metres. Published by Leslie in, “Lough Derg in Ulster. The story of St. Patrick’s purgatory”, page 176. (Folio 28 verso, line 1.)

(xxxix) Fearghal Óg Mac an Bháird. ‘Slan uaim ag oilen Padraig’, 8 quatrains. Authorship doubtful. Published by Leslie in, “Lough Derg in Ulster. The story of St. Patrick’s purgatory”, page 172. (Folio 29 recto, line 1.)

(xl) Aonghus mac Aodha Ruaidh Uí Huiginn. ‘Mo chen teid i dteghais fPadraig’, 13 quatrains. Published by Leslie in, “Lough Derg in Ulster. The story of St. Patrick’s purgatory”, page 174. (Folio 29 recto, line 10.)

(xli) Tuileagna mac Torna [Uí Mhaolchonaire]. ‘Loch Dearg aenRoim na hEirind’, 10 quatrains. Published by Leslie in, “Lough Derg in Ulster. The story of St. Patrick’s purgatory”, page 168. (Folio 29 verso, line 1.)

(xlii) Tuileagna. ‘Tugais damh, a Dhe nimi’, 5 quatrains. Quatrains 2-5 = Leslie, “Lough Derg in Ulster. The story of St. Patrick’s purgatory”, page 169, quatrains 17-20. (Folio 29 verso, line 12.)

(xliii) ‘Fregair aithfrinn an Domnaigh’, 11 quatrains. (Folio 29 verso, line 18.)

From folio 30 on, the outer half of each leaf is detached. The outer half of folio 30 is now Adv.MS.72.2.2, folio 50. The rest is missing.

(lxvi) “Tugadh mo choiméad do choigear”, 15 quatrains. (Folio 30 recto, line 6.)

(lxv) [Do]nnchadh Mór [Ó Dálaigh]. “Bí fum, bi, a mhic, ar mo muin”, 7 quatrains. See also Adv.MS.72.2.2, folio 50 verso, line 11. (Folio 30 verso, line 11.)

(lxvi) ‘A Muire, tar am chuinde’, 5 quatrains. (Folio 31 recto, line 1.)

(lxvii) “Fada an suan so ar Righ na nDúl”, 7 quatrains. (Folio 31 recto, line 6.)

(lxviii) “Mael Duin, Mael Dúin”, 9 quatrains. (Folio 31 recto, line 13.)

(lxix) [Aoidhe meise ag máthair Dé], 29 quatrains. Cf. “Dán Dé: the poems of Donnchadh Mór Dálaigh, and the religious poems in the Duanaire of the Yellow Book of Lecan”, page 2. (Folio 31 verso, line 1.)

(l) ‘Do mheall an saoghal sibhse’, 12 quatrains. (Folio 32 recto, line 10.)

(li) [ ? Sío]ghraidhe Buidhe. ‘Gabh, a Phap[a, ]’, 15 quatrains. (Folio 32 verso, line 5.)

(lii) Donnchadh Mór Ó Dálaigh. ‘Lochrann soilisi ac siol Aduimh’, 45 quatrains. (Folio 33 recto, line 1.)

(liii) ‘Tainig bhur gcairde, a clann Adhamh’, 38 quatrains. (Folio 34 recto, line 6.)

(liv) ‘Dena Criosd comhairle a mhathar’, 31 quatrains. (Folio 35 recto, line 11.)

(lv) “Cóir foigidi ré feirg nDé”, 26 quatrains. (Folio 36 recto, line 6.)

(lvi) Historical verse, 30 quatrains. Beginning missing. 1st quatrain ends “gach cas a cabhar . do thuair ar fas d’urcradhaibh”. Last quatrain ends “Fodla a n-inad mo thagar . os inann do foireadar”. (Folio 36 verso, line 17.)

(lvii) “[Cormac mac Cui]lenain .i. Rí dha choigeadh Mumhan ⁊ Airdescub Caisil .cc.” [‘Mithid teacht tar mo thiomna’], 22 quatrains. (Folio 37 verso, line 7.)

(lviii) ‘Creachtach sin, a Righ’, 24 quatrains. On Christ’s wounds. (Folio 38 recto, line 8.)

(lvix) Elegy on (?) a son of Aodh Ó Néill, 13 quatrains. Beginning missing, end illegible; 1st quatrain ends “is luaimnigh mo cridh am chlí . na tenguidh an chluig at-chluind”. (Folio 38 verso, line 11.)