Book of Fenagh

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19th century reproduction of the Book of Fenagh. The original is held by the Royal Irish Academy

The Book of Fenagh (

Classical Irish by Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire in the monastery at Fenagh, West Breifne (modern-day County Leitrim).[1] It was commissioned by Tadhg Ó Rodaighe, the coarb of the monastery, and is believed to derive from the "old Book of Caillín" (Irish: Leabar Chaillín), a lost work about Caillín, founder of the monastery.[1] Ó Maolconaire began work about 1516.[1]

Provenance

Folio

The O'Roddy coarbs and descendants retained the book down to Brian O'Roddy,

catalogue number is RIA MS 23 P 26: Cat. No. 479.[1]

John O'Donovan made a facsimile transcript in 1828, and a manuscript English translation in 1830.[5] The first published edition was in 1875, edited by William Maunsell Hennessy and translated by Denis H. Kelly from O'Donovan's facsimile.[5] The Irish Manuscripts Commission published a supplementary volume in 1939 with material missing from previous versions.

Contents

[4]
Part Form Subject
1A Prose Introduction and Genealogy of St. Caillín
1B Poetry 14 poems about Caillín, Magh Rein (south County Leitrim), and the Bell of Fenagh (Clog Na Riogh, "the bell of the kings", now in St Mel's Cathedral[6]).
1C Prose Introductions to Poems
2A Prose Caillín and Tadhg O'Roddy
2B Prose Ó Maolconaire discusses the Old Book of Caillín
3 Poetry The O'Donnells and other families
4 Prose Genealogies of Conmaicne, O'Crechan (probably of Conmhaícne Dúna Móir[7]), and the Abbot of Fenagh
5 Poetry Six poems: five on the O'Neills and other families, and one on Caillín

Marginal notes in Irish adorning the book are commentaries by the noted Irish antiquarian Tadhg O'Rodaighe (floruit 1700) from Crossfield in Fenagh. The book was used as a source for the Annals of Connacht and the Annals of the Four Masters.[5]

Cumdach

Shrine of Caillín

A metal cumdach (a book-shaped shrine) known as the "Shrine of Caillín" was built before 1536 to hold and protect the manuscript.[8][9] Caillín is described by Lucas as "something of a specialist in the production of battle talismans"[10] and according to legend, in his lifetime commissioned a number of battle standards, including this shrine.[10] The shrine was badly damaged in a 2009 fire at St Mel's Cathedral, Longford, where it had been kept since 1980.[8] It was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland the following year, while the manuscript is in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy.[11] There is some doubt as to if the shrine was actually intended as a cumdach, given that it is smaller than the manuscript.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Book of Fenagh". Royal Irish Academy. 31 August 2015.
  2. ^ Hennessy 1875, p.ix
  3. ^ a b Cunningham, Bernadette (15 June 2016). "Celebrating 500 years of the Book of Fenagh". Royal Irish Academy. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Book of Fenagh history". fenagh.com. Fenagh Visitors Centre. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b c RIA 2016
  6. ^ "The Bell of Fenagh". Fenagh Visitors Centre. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  7. ^ Hennessy, in: Ó Maolconaire 1875, p.383 fn.13
  8. ^ a b c Scott (2017), p. 20
  9. ^ "The shrine of St Caillín of Fenagh and its place in Irish late medieval art". Royal Irish Academy, 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022
  10. ^ a b Lucas (1986), p. 19
  11. ^ Scott (2017), pp. 18, 20

Sources

Further reading

External links

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