G 28

A Passion Sermon

18th cent. Paper. 16.3 × 10 cms. Pp. [6]+70+[6]. There is no scribal signature but a comparison with G 64 infra and R.I.A. Mss. 23 I 22 and 23 A 45 shows that the handwriting is that of Muiris Mac (alias Ó) Gormáin, the scribe of the above-mentioned R.I.A. mss. (the second of which was written in 1745). It is stated in the R.I.A. Cat. Ir. Mss., p. 1982 that this scribe is not to be confused with the scribe of similar name, Muiris Ó Gormáin, but the present cataloguer agrees with Flower (B.M. ii, p. 48) in making no distinction between the two. Eg. 128 written 1748-49 - the earliest writing by this scribe in the British Museum - shows a hand similar to that of the present ms. and the above-mentioned R.I.A. mss. and it also shows the style of handwriting which he used in later mss. This is particularly clear in the scribal signature, etc. (Eg. 128, fol. 62b [p.120]) except for his use of `mac' here when later he had adopted `Ó'.

R.I.A. 23 I 22 contains a similar transcript of the sermon contained in this ms.; the running title ("Seanmóir Aoine an Cheusda") is not, however, included in the present copy. There is no authorship assigned to the sermon in either of Mac Gormáin's transcripts. The colophons in four other transcripts (G 229 infra written c. 1712, R.I.A. 23 B 1, 12 E 10, B.M. Eg. 197) state that it was preached at Louvain by S.D. (i.e. Seán Ó Dúlaidh). S. Ó Dúlaidh (John Dowley), a secular priest, was Vicar General of Tuam 1653 and of Killala 1654 (see Commentarius Rinuccinianus, ed. Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh, O.F.M.Cap.) and is the author of the Teagusg Críosdaidhe printed at Louvain 1663. The colophon in another transcript ms. 12052 M of Ir. Mss. in Liverpool Museum (catalogued by A. Mac Lochlainn, Celtica, Vol. iii, p. 217), assigns it to "Antoin O Collobhan (leg. Corrobhan?) brathair bocht d'ord San Proinnsias do chonuent Ardmach" (p. 536). This person would appear to be Anthony Corrovan (Corevan, Corvan), O.F.M. who was Guardian of Armagh 1690-1716 (See Seanchas Ardmhacha, vol. i, no. 2, p. 85). The ms. is bound in full rexine. The first and last unnumbered fly-leaves are vellum and they contain fragments - possibly from the same document - of a law case, involving persons names Tenner and Howard, relating to property in or near Kilkenny c. 1695. These leaves may have been the original binding of the ms. when it was in Phillipps' possession. The signature of W. Shaw Mason and Phillipps Ms. 9363 appear on the recto of the second fly-leaf. The other fly-leaves (front and end) are blank. The pagination is scribal.

Page

1 [Seanmóir Aoine an Cheusda. Headed Ad majorem Dei Gloriam. Christus dedit semetipsum pro nobis ... ad Titum 2.° 6. This is followed by the Irish rendering of the above Latin quotation: Do thoirbhir Criosid e féin air ar son ... do chum Títus. Beg. Is ionghantach uathbhasach (a cháirde) an taisbeanadh deir an fáidh soisgealdha ansa seiseadh caib. dfaghail dhó fein ar Dhia mhor na Glóire. Ends p. 70.

70 Anon. Beg. A Rígh na cruinne fuar penoid a bpéinbhruid mhóir, 1 st. A prayer for grace.