G 79

Tales

18th cent. Paper. 20 × 16 cms. 158 pp. Scribe: Uilliam Ó Heidirsgeoil, `Baile na gCúndúnach', 1777. Réamonn Moireis, one-time owner, wrote the quatrain in English on p. 138 i. Unidentified hands: (a) the poem on p. 125 i (perhaps the handof Seadhan Ó Murchadha, G 80, pp. 1-55); (b) the quatrains in English on pp. 106, 126; (c) the Irish version of an English quatrain on p. 126 i (perhaps the hand of Éamonn Cionnt; cf. G 80).

The following entries by owners and others occur in the manuscript: (a) `Michael Driscoll of Condonstown parish of Clonmult Barony of Lord Barrymore Country of Cork 4th day of February on th' (pp. 17, 33, 65); (b) `Thimothy Driscoll his Book Dated 5 day of September 1809' (p. 103); (c) `Crioch le Toruigheacht an Dhiolladh dheacar. Ní féidir liom an sgríbhinn do thioscan. Reamonn Moireis' (p. 38), `An Bhruighean Chaerthainn mar leannus le Reamonn Moireis Octb 27th' (p. 106) (see also under p. 138i below); (d) `Timothy Keliher his hand and coppy B[ook] Dated June 7th 1822 Daniel Keleher his Book Dated June 4th 1799' (p. 93 upper marg.); (e) `Daniel Keliher his hand and book Dated the 30th Day of June 1822' (p. 106m); (f) `Sheagheann O Cheliheir a Gluinn Muilt a leamhair agus a laimh sgriomhainn' (p. 118 vertical); (g) `John Keliher his hand and copy' (p. 129 lower marg.); (h) `Michal Brien hand' (p. 24 vertical); (i) `Gulielmus Taylor legit hoc librum, scripsit quatuor dicem qui vivit in villa, vacata [sic], Deerpark Junii, Duodecim Anno Dominio 1805 - Gulielmus Taylor' (p. 38); (j) `Patrick Leary' (p. 103 vertical); (k) `Eamonn Cionnt' (repeated several times in another hand) (p. 106). Other jottings include `Scio(?) mortalium omnibus ...' (p. 1).

The above names would suggest that the manuscript remained in the near vicinity of its place of origin for over fifty years after which time it was presumably acquired by Pól Ó Longáin from whose collection it subsequently passed into Phillipp's possession. The present manuscript has several links with G 80 below: the latter, written a few miles away in the nearby parish of Ardagh, appears to have been the exemplar for a few items in this manuscript (e.g. items on pp. 39, 103, below); both manuscripts from time to time shared a common owner (see G 80 for `Daniel Keliher' and `Thimothy Driscoll', one- time owners of present ms); the scribe of G 80, pp. 57-102, Eamonn Cionnt, signs his name on p. 106 (top of page) of present manuscript. See also G 109 for Réamonn Moireis and Daniel Keliher.

The manuscript is in poor condition, a fact noted by Phillipps in his Catalogue (under no. 10839) where he says: `... [it is] very much thumbed and dirtied, and, perhaps ... [is among] the volumes described as being in the hands of a labourer, which he read out of, every evening, to amuse his children'. An old pagination, 7-21, on the first eight leaves (pp. 1-15) shows three leaves missing at the beginning; the same number, at least, is missing at the end. The first and fourth leaves are now only fragmentary, the last three badly frayed at the edges; pp. 91-106 are loose. The binding - of otter skin - is badly worn and now loose; the number `10841' labelled on recto of front cover; `10841 Ph', `Phillipps MS 10841' on p. 1. There is much staining. On a slip pasted inside the front cover Pól O Longáin has listed the contents of three spearate manuscripts, the items listed for `Vol. 2' forming the contents of the present manuscript. The whereabouts of the other two volumes apparently nos. 10839, 10840 in the Phillipps Collection is not known.

Page

1 (7) [Eachtra an Ghiolla Dheacair.] Acephalous. Beg. Do tugsamar cugaibh, acht cheanna ó nach fuil giolla agam corresponding more or less to ed. Hogan and Lloyd, p. 10.21 (= ed. An Seabhac, p. 11.1). Ends (p. 38) níor mhaithidh leis breitniughadh eattorta air eagla diomdha aoin díobh seoch a chéile. Foll. by `Gurab í sin Eachtra an Ghiolla Dheacair sgriobhtha le hUilliam Ó Heidirsgeoil a mBaile na gCúndúnach annso bhliadhain daois Xpt 1777'.

39 Eachtra et Imtheacht Ghonnuill Ghulban ┐c. Beg. Airdrighe uasal óirnídhe ro ghaibh ríoghacht Éirionn san aimsir anall .i. Niall Naoighiallach. Includes (p. 87i) the scribal comment: `Ag so corúghadh eile air an scaith sin'. Ends (p. 103) with poem Och ón as crádh croidhe liom. 19 qq. Foll. by `Críoch le hUilliam Ó Heidirsgeoil annsa mb[l]iaghuin daois Chriost 1777'. The first 3 pages of the text has a glossary on outer margins.

104 Ní hóigbhean teasbaidh ná seinbhean chríona an chuach. 14 stt. Preceded (p. 103) by the following prose passage: `Seádhan ruadh Ó Seitheacháin máighistir sgoile rófhoghlamtha róiomráidhteach rena linn san iarthar an uair táinidh tonn mhór daois chSeádhain do pós se óigbhean róniata san gcómharsanacht, inghean sgolóige saidhbhre do stoc tháir ar a dtugaidís an chuach ón nguith bhinn do bhí aice. Níor thaitnidh sin le Mac Cártha Mór Ó Suilliobháin Mór ┐ le hiomad eile duaislibh an iarthar a dteagasgóir ┐ a noide múinte fein do phósadh acht bean uasal do phríomhstoc oirdhearc na dúithche, dá bhrígh sin cómhchruinníghid do gach leath dochum Seádhain do dhíthceannadh muna dtugadh raosúin róneartmhara uaidh cad é an fáth nar tharcuisnidh iad fein ┐ é fein le pósa cómh uirísiol sin, go dtug Seádhan na raesúin doibh mar leanus'. Críoch. Uilliam Ó Eidirsgeoil a mBaile na gCundúnach do sgríobhidh é' (p. 105).

106 Contains names of former owners (for which see introductory remarks above) and a stanza in English, beg. If this Book by chance a thief should take.

107 An Bhruighean Chaothrainn (`An Bhruighean Chaorthainn' written above) mar leannus. Beg. Ríghe uasal oirdhearc do ghaibh airdcheannas na gceithre dtreabha Lochlann dár badh comhainim Colgán. Ends (p. 125) Sdo bhadar treimhse dá leighios ann. Críoch. Foll. by `Uilliam Ó Eidirsgeoil a mBaile na gCundúnach do sgríbhidh et do chríochnaidh an sgéal so. Gaibh a léaghthóir thuigsionach leighsgéal na locht niomdha chídhfir ann ┐ go carrthanach guidh deaghbhás don sgríbhinneoir. 1777'.

125 i Air tulaigh am aonar aig déanamh cumha. 8 stt.

126 `Lines by W.C. Bally, Barr. of Barrymore'. A part of my work is done. 1st. Followed by Irish version of same Atá páirt dom obair críochnuighthe. 1st.

127 Oicheadh Chlainne Uisnig ┐c. Beg. Ríghe uasal oirdheirc róchómhachtach do ghaibh cumas et ceannus chóige Uladh dar bhainim Connchúbhar mac Feachtna. Ends (p. 138) Gurab amhlaidh sin táinidh bás Dheirdre. Fóircheann.

138 i `Laimh Reamoinn Moireis a nDuingoorne Oct 26th/32'. How sad it is fair little book. 1 st.

139 Tóruigheacht Dhiarmuda et Ghráinne. Beg. Lá dar eirigidh Fionn mac Cumhail a nAlmhuinn leathanmhór Laigheann do shuidh air an bhfaithche amuith. Breaks off p. 158 with an tuisge leat chum Diarmada go luaith a Fhinn ná raghfuidh an (tulach) = ed. ITS xlviii, line 1668.