The collection was presented to the Library in 1961 and was given the accession number Acc.3184. Since ca. 1970, part of the material has been missing, and the new manuscript numbers, MSS.14877-14881, represent what is left of the collection. For a listing of the collection while it was still complete, see J. Mackechnie’s 'Catalogue of Gaelic Manuscripts in Selected Libraries in Great Britain and Ireland', 2 vols (Boston, Mass., 1973), vol. 1, pages 337-343. The collection is listed there under its earlier reference number, Acc.3184.

The new manuscript numbers correspond to Mackechnie's listing as follows:

Acc.3184, section A - MS.14877, but missing all except no. 7.

Acc.3184, section B (beg. on p. 338, middle of col. 2) - MS.14878.

Acc.3184, section C - MS.14879.

Acc.3184, section D - missing

Acc.3184, section D2 - MS.14880

MS.14881, not recorded in Mackechnie, is a later acquisition of further collected poetry of Rev. Dr Alexander Irvine.