The manuscript is written in the following hands.

1. Text and notes, folios 1 verso-10 verso. A hand of a type more characteristic of medical manuscripts, cf. Adv.MS.72.1.12. Distinctive uncial 'r' and v-shaped 'u'. No decoration save some red on capitals, folios 5-10. From various additions in a similar hand, especially that at folio 6 verso, column b, line 41, it appears as if the scribe returned to annotate his work at a later point in time. Possibly in fact more than one hand: there is considerable variation in style towards the end of the manuscript. In text beginning folio 7 recto, column a, line 16 he employs a florid form of cipher.

2. Text, folios 4 recto, column b, lines 43-45.

3. Text, folio 10 verso, column b, lines 34-45; notes, same page. Maintains uncial ‘r’.

4. Text, folio 11. A slightly elliptical hand of some character.

5. Folios 3 verso, 4 verso, 8 recto, 9 verso. Rudhraidhe (folio 9 verso) and probably also his son or grandson Fearghus Ó Fearghail. Identical with hand 10 of Adv.MS.72.1.1. A note at folio 4 verso records the end of spring ploughing at Cill Patruic. Although not common in Scotland, there are two occurrences of this name in Mull - one in the Ross, and the other, perhaps significantly, at Duart.

6. Folios 3 verso, 4 recto.

7. Folio 4 recto.

8. Folios 4 verso, 5 recto, 6 recto. Domhnall.

9. Folio 4 verso. Giolla-Míchíl. See Adv.MS.72.1.1, hand 9.

10. Folio 5 recto. A crude hand.

11. Folios 1 recto, 3. The Reverend John Beaton.

The contents are as follows:

(i) Blank save for “Eóin Maigbhetha 1701 san 1 don Magh” (hand 11) and other inscriptions mentioned above. (Folio 1 recto.)

(ii) Cath leitreach ruidhe. Beginning (acephalous) ‘le dub dib cunam lais ach a fuil do diberga[ch]aib aigi fein’ = Dobbs (editor), ‘La bataille de Leitir Ruibhe (Cath Leitreach Ruibhe)’ (1922), page 10, part 12. Present text fully discussed by van Hamel, in ‘The battle of Leitir Ruide’ (1927), page 59. (Folio 1 verso, column a, line 1.)

(iii) Preface to Amra Coluim Cille. Beginning ‘(L)oc ⁊ aimsir ⁊ persa ⁊ tucait sgribind don ealadain so’. Folio 2 verso, column a, line 23, ‘Log’. Folio 2 verso, column a, line 27, ‘In aimsir’. Folio 2 verso, column a, line 30, ‘Aed mac Ainmirech na n-all’, 9 quatrains. Folio 2 verso, column b, line 8, ‘Persa’. Folio 2 verso, column b, line 38, “Causa [dá] scribinne”. Folio 2 verso, column b, line 40, “Prima causa [dó]”. Folio 3 recto, column a, line 2, “Secunda causa dó” (‘2’, hand 11). Folio 3 recto, column a, line 11, “Teircia causa dó” (‘3’, hand 11). Consists principally of exposition of the three reasons for Colum Cille’s coming to Convention of Drumcet. Includes the following verses. Folio 3 recto, column b, line 2, ‘Tosach do Chonchubair chaidh’, 2 quatrains. Folio 3 recto, column b, line 15, ‘Feacht do Meal-Caba na cliar’, 3 quatrains. Folio 3 recto, column b, line 27, ‘Ceathrachat sagart a lin’, 2 quatrains. Folio 3 recto, column b, line 38, ‘Fuil suil nglais’, 1 quatrain. Folio 3 recto, column b, line 41, ‘Ge tainic Col[um] C[ille] cain’, 1 quatrain. Folio 3 verso, column a, line 31, ‘Bebanna fo cerd guba’, 1 quatrain. Folio 3 verso, column a, line 37, ‘Asaid feirg don righain de’, 4 quatrains. Folio 3 verso, column b, line 16, ‘Cormac cain buich neoit’, ?3 quatrains (glossed). Folio 4 recto, column b, line 12, ‘A cubus co n-ainim glan’, 2 lines. Folio 4 recto, column b, line 26, ‘Sluaigedh la fonduibh do gres’, 1 quatrain. Catchwords are inserted below folio 3 verso, column b by hand 11. Ends ‘⁊ tuc teistemhain a Baisil dia f[or]cedul do Col[um] C[ille]’, cf. Stokes ‘The Bodleian Amra Choluimb Chille’, page 42. This version of the preface is close to that in the Yellow Book of Lecan, pages 71-73, but largely independent of the printed editions, i.e. Crowe, ‘The Amra Choluim Chilli’, Bernard and Atkinson, ‘The Irish Liber Hymnorum’ , volume 1, page 162 and volume 2, page 53, and Stokes’ ‘The Bodleian Amra Choluimb Chille’, page 30. Below (folio 4 recto, column b, line 43, hand 2) is ‘Ait arsuid Colman sa cliar’, 1 quatrain; the first few words of this are crudely copied by hand 7, and hand 1 adds ‘aniu: rim or….’ And farther illegible matter. Other marginalia are as follows. Folio 3 verso, hand 5: ‘Amen a Muir tabhair trocair’, ‘Mairg do Dhia do dhealbh misi’, 1 quatrain (cf. Adv.MS.72.1.1, folio 25 verso, column b, line 32). Folio 3 verso, hand 6: ‘Cinnus sin a pinn’, 3 lines. Folio 4 recto, hand 6: ‘A righansa n ambos mban’, 3 1ines. (Folio 2 verso, column a, line 21.)

(iv) Blank save for the following: ‘Dom doigh is maith in dub so’ (hand 1). ‘Aradh’, ‘amen a Mhuire’ (hand 5). ‘Fromadh pinn and so o Dom[n]all et fecain duibh ⁊ dom athne is olc iat’ (hand 8). ‘Misi Rud’; ‘comortu / misi ircoirdiam / comortus re fear an leabhuirsi’ (hand 5). ‘Fiodhbuidh choncnama mo cholla’, 1 quatrain (hand 9). ‘Aniu an Chedaoine roimh Chingis dosguir treabhadh a cill Patruic ⁊ co tuca Dia buil maith fair’; ‘Mairmg do Dhia do dhealbh misi’, 1 quatrain (cf. folio 3 verso), “mo bennacht féin ar an bhel do rinne an r(ann)”; “Goirt anocht deiriudh mo sgél”, 1 quatrain ; “On ló do chuadhais uaind soir”, 3 1ines (all hand 5). (Folio 4 verso.)

(v) Anecdotes of Saint Gregory. Beginning ‘Dia mbui Grigoir Roma oc imtecht feruind na Poinnti feacht ann’. Headed by hand 7 “d’ imeacht Grigoir ann so. Dia mbui G”. See Grosjean, “Quelques textes irlandais sur saint Grégoire le Grand”, page 226. Marginalia: ‘fechain in glesa an so’ (5 recto, hand 10); ‘fechadh’ (6 recto, hand 8). (Folio 5 recto, column b, line 1.)

(vi) Senadh Saighri. Beginning ‘Sluag[adh] la Dondch[adh] m[a]c Flo[inn] m[hi]c Mael-Sechl[ainn] do denamh muir ⁊ cluidh I timcill Saighri Ciarain’. Approximates closely to version printed by Meyer, in’ Gaelic Journal’, volume 4, page 106; cf. Mecier, ‘Irish comic tradition’, page 119. (Folio 6 recto, column b, line 19.)

(vii) Passion of John the Baptist, short version. Beginning ‘Bai Eoin Baisti i cuibrech la Hiruadh iarna aslach Terodiaitis fair’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.1, folio 7 verso, column a, line 1. Subscribed at folio 6 verso, column b, line 41 ‘a Muiri is maith na sgeal becau sa leabharan’. (Folio 6 verso, column a, line 23.)

(viii) Anecdote from Passion of Saint Paul. Beginning ‘Dia mbai Pol abs(dal i cuibrec)h oc Neir Cesair’. Cf. Flower, ‘Catalogue of Irish manuscripts in the British Museum’, volume 2, page 556. Marginalium, folio 7 recto: ‘fech[ain] gl[es]a pinn ⁊ duibh’ (hand 1?). (Folio 6 verso, column b, line 42.)

(ix) Episode concerning the satirist Cridenbél and the Dagada from the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh. Beginning ‘Cetna ailges rogabadh a nEir[inn], cuich he? Ni [ansa]. Crichinbel cainti Breasa m[hi]c Eladhain’. Cf. Stokes ‘The second battle of Moytura’, page 64. (Folio 7 recto, column a , line 35.)

(x) Saint Patrick’s revival of Lughaidh, son of Laoghaire, the origin of “Michael’s bit”. Mostly in cipher, beginning (transliterated) “Feacht n-oaen dia mbai Padraicc a d(T)emruigh ar amus na righna boi oc Loegaire mac Neill d’eorighin a mac imon aincis boi fair”. Cf. Pokorny, ‘Dreie Erzaehlungen aus dem Buch von Lismore’, page 43; Adv.MS.72.1.26, folio 2 recto, column a, line 24; National Library of Ireland MS G 4, column 998. The damaged remains of a three-line text appear in the lower margin of folio 7 recto, roughly as follows: “Ma….do ghuidhi fuil anmad ciste. Is ger aduprad ganimtad fuil gadhair on lan….dibhsi….a ceile. Anam gach fir on uair tét mar…..deaman ‘na dhail leabhair ‘na laim dar lorcuib….” (visible under ultra violet light). (Folio 7 recto, column a, line 16.)

(xi) Cormac and the Geilti Glinni. Beginning ‘Dia mbui da[no] Corm[a]c m[a]c Airt m[hic] C.C.C. iar fuinigh greine i Temruigh’. See Smith, “A tract on the áes fíachach’, page 16; cf. Meyer’s edition in ‘Gaelic Journal’, volume 4, page 69. Followed by several lines beginning ‘Do-beirim briatthar’, largely illegible, probably added later and erased. (Folio 7 verso, column a, line 9.)

(xii) Aided chonchubair. Beginning ‘Bai meisgi mor for Ultuib fecht n-aill a nEamain Mach[a]’. Differs somewhat from version in Adv.MS.72.1.40, page 1, line 1; ends with ‘Bas gel gach muighi go muir’, 1 quatrain. Folio 8 recto, upper margin (hand 5): ‘Ainnticroist chriche Banbha . Taghd tuathDhall Mac Mathdhamhna’, 1 quatrain. (Folio 7 verso, column b, line 1.)

(xiii) Account of the four Manannáns from Tochmarcluaine. Beginning “Robadar cetrar do Manannanib and ⁊ ni ‘na n-oen aimsir robadar”. Cf. Stokes, ‘The wooing of Luaine and death of Athirne’, lines 7-10. Ends “Tricha c[ét] Liathmuine tucad do Ganar i n-eroic a athar .i. ferann Dubtaig Daeltengadh”, cf. Stokes, ‘The wooing of Luaine and death of Athirne’, line 12. (Folio 8 recto, column b, line 13.)

(xiv) On Tórna Éiges “Ollamh Éirenn”. Beginning “Conall Echluath ise tuc ferann do Torna Éiges”. The scribe later filled out the last line thus: “do coimlinagh an linde so ⁊ ní d’adhbar”. Above he writes ‘amen dic’. (Folio 8 verso, column a, line 1.)

(xv) ‘Do geinilach Ocain, uirre F[ir] Muidhe Mene’. Beginning ‘Domn[all] m[ac] [Airt] mhi[c] Conchub[air]’. (Folio 8 verso, column a, line 7.)

(xvi) On Fithil, Ollamh Éirenn. Beginning ‘Fithil & Cithruadh da[m] ac Fircaegad Fachtna’. Ends with M[a]c Fir[cae]gat Fithil fial’, 1 quatrain. (Folio 8 verso, colum a, line 12.)

(xvii) Three alternative genealogies of Fionn. Beginning ‘Find m[a]c Cumguill [mhi]c Baisgne m[hi]c Oichi do Corca Oichi’. (Folio 8 verso, column a, line 16.)

(xviii) The numbers of the Fíana and their battles. Beginning ‘Tri caegat rifeindidh badur araen ra Find’. (Folio 8 verso, column a, line 31.)

(xix) On Parthalon and the origin of the Scots. Beginning ‘As airi tucad in tamleacht for muinntir Pairtholain’. (Folio 8 verso, column a, line 40.)

(xx) On Parthalon and the origin of the Scots. ‘Meallach lem bith a n-ucht ailoin’, 12 quatrains. Cf. Meyer ‘Mitteilungen aus irischen Handschriften (Fortsetzung)’, page 496; Skene, ‘Celtic Scotland’, volume 2, page 92. Printed by Mackinnon, ‘Descriptive catalogue of Gaelic manuscripts in the Advocates' library, Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland’, page 81. (Folio 10 recto, column a, line 8.)

(xxi) ‘Robad mian dom anmainsi’, 8 quatrains. See Meyer (editor), ‘Gaelic Journal’, volume 5, page 94. Subscribed “da f[e]cuin in fuil gles ortt a phinn ⁊ ni lór a fheabus do gles”. (Folio 10 recto, column a, line 30.)

(xxii) ‘Tuagh Inbir alaind gaethghlas’, 16 quatrains. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.16, folio 4 recto, column a, line 5.) (Folio 10 recto, column b, line 2.)

(xxiii) On Moses’ rescue of Gaoidheal Glas from snakebite. Beginning ‘Ceitri h-inuda na fil aittreb nathrach isin domhan .i. Eriu ⁊ Aru ⁊ Manund ⁊ ni fuil i cind Sleibe Ripin tuaig i tuaisgirt in beatha’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.1, folio 8 recto, column a, line 36. (Folio 10 recto, column b, line 36.)

(xxiv) Fulachtna Mórrigna. Beginning ‘Fulact na morrighna and so .i. crand a roth ⁊ crand a mol ettir teine ⁊ uisci’. See Mackinnon, ‘Fulacht na Morrigna’, page 74, and ‘Descriptive catalogue of Gaelic manuscripts in the Advocates' library, Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland’, page 133. Cf. D M N C, ‘An Ionndrainn’ (1916), page 335. (Folio 10 verso, column a, line 4.)

(xxv) ‘Cetri srotha nIfirnn ain’, 4 quatrains. (Folio 10 verso, column a, line 37.)

(xxvi) ‘Ni cumuing nech no dicell’, 2 quatrains. Subscribed by hand 3 ‘ni maith a t-egis do rindi an lai se[in] s’. (Folio 10 verso, column b, line 4.)

(xxvii) ‘Meisi Fuillechan feidil’, 13 quatrains. Cf. Flower, ‘Catalogue of Irish manuscripts in the British Museum’, volume 2, page 479. (Folio 10 verso, column b, line 9.)

(xxviii)(Hand 3). Homily, largely illegible and incomplete due to perished corner, beginning ‘Do smuain an Diabhal, dia fabadh se’. Headed ‘A Muire mor, a minn sochair’. (Folio 10 verso, column b, line 33.)

(xxix) Dindshenchas. ‘Dun M[ai]c Nechtuin Sgeine, cid dia ta? Ni [ansa]’. Beginning ‘Nechtuin in[gen] Sgeine do Corca Laidi’. Cf. Dottin, “Notice du manuscript irlandais de la bibliothèque de Rennes”, page 83. (Folio 8 verso, column b, line 7.)

(xxx) Dindshenchas, also concerning the son of Nechtan Sgéine. ‘Loch Eirne, cid dia ta? Ni [ansa]’. Beginning ‘Fer Uillne [ma]c Lug[dech] do Ernuib Mumum’. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.16, folio 4 verso, column a, line 9. (Folio 8 verso, column b, line 11.)

(xxxi) On dispute between the bainfhéinidh Creidine and her father Conall Cosdamuil. Beginning ‘Conoille Muirtheimne do cloind Conaill Cernaigh doib .i. Dal Runtar ⁊ Dal nImdha a Cuailcne’. Cf. Meyer, ‘Fianaigecht’, page xi. (Folio 8 verso, column b, line 22.)

(xxxii) ‘Tri fotain nach sechuinter’, 19 quatrains. Folio 8 verso, lower margin: “Lonn gach rí díageis co thó”, 2 quatrains. (Folio 8 verso, column b, line 40.)‘Oillill bocht . ni fetar riamh gus anocht’, 8 quatrains. Ascribed in quatrain 8 to “Mór Mumhan”. (Folio 9 recto, column a, line 34.)

(xxxiii) ‘A m[ac]cu leiginn lidha’, 8 quatrains. (Folio 9 recto, column b, line 7.)

(xxxiv) ‘Cidh do-den rim chnoim imhais’, 8 + 4 quatrains. (Folio 9 recto, column b, line 23.)

(xxxv) “Bé Boirche. Bec a Beind Boirchi na righ”, 9 quatrains. Headed ‘Be Boirche [ingen] Cinaet a crich Boirche .i. bean Beic isi rocan’. Subscribed by hand 5 “Comortus ann so ó Rudhruidhe re fear sgriobhtha an leabairsi”. (Folio 9 verso, column a, line 4.)

(xxxvi) ‘Labra cibe dia n-imdha’, 5 quatrains. (Folio 9 verso, column a, line 24.)

(xxxvii) ‘Oclaech bis a n-ulcai naim’, 20 quatrains. (Folio 9 verso, column a, line 34.)

(xxxviii) [Colum Cille]. ‘Laich tosaigh na h-aimsiri’, 11 quatrains. Cf. Flower, ‘Catalogue of Irish manuscripts in the British Museum’, volume 2, pages 479-480. (Folio 9 verso, column b, line 32.)

(xxxix) (Hand 4). From birth and life of St Moling. Beginning (acephalous) “...in cleir[ech] dibach d(iult)aghach...’na tard h-iarmoirecht, ol se”. Breaks off incomplete at folio 11 verso, column a, line 5 ‘Ro cuirsed na righa etir’. These words appear to be repeated by another hand, then rest of page blank. Cf. Stokes, (editor) ‘The birth and life of St Moling’, pages 286, line 4-292, line 2 (42-52). There is an illegible marginalium at folio 11 recto (hand 1?). (Folio 11 recto, column a.)