Leabhar na nGenealach
Encyclopedia
Leabhar na nGenealach is a massive genealogical collection written mainly in the years 1649 to 1650, at the college-house of St. Nicholas's church, Galway
, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add material until at least 1666, five years before he was murdered in 1671. It was published in a five volume edition in Dublin in 2004 as The Great Book of Irish Genealogies.
"by far the largest and fullest body of Irish genealogical lore", it contains roughly twice as much material as found in the Book of Ballymote
and the Book of Lecan. It preserves notes on families from all parts of Ireland
, Gaelic Scotland
, the pre-Gaelic
, Viking
and Old English peoples of Ireland
. It features an eighteen page preface, nine 'books' or divisions and a seventy-four page Clar or general index in double columns. It consists of eight hundred and seventy one pages, 95% of which is in Mac Fhirbhisigh's handwriting. The remainder is in the hand of an unknown amanuensis
, and incorporates some pages written in 1636 by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
.
Many questions concern Leabhar na nGenealach. In the words of Nollaig Ó Muraíle
:
Nor is it known how he supported himself in Galway, though he did commissions for the Poor Clares and John Lynch while there. O Muraile suggests that it was a work compiled in his spare time, in between possible tutorial work for the children of local families (see The Tribes of Galway). Unlike the Four Masters, he appears to have had neither patron nor sponsorship of any sort.
As to the question of why he wrote Leabhar na nGenealach, Mac Fhirbhisigh himself stated it was his intention to "... do mhórughadh glóire Dé agus do ghéunamh iúil do chách i ccoithchinne/to increase the glory of God and to give knowledge to everyone generally". Thus it appears to have been a labour of love, and as a strong defence of traditional Gaelic
learning, though not uncritically so. That it seems to be a book written for all the peoples of Ireland is indicated by the following:
The díonbhrollach describes the contents of the book, including:
of Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland) by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
for a summary which deals with the legendary invaders of Ireland from the time of Partholón
to Míl Espáine
. Following this, Mac Fhirbhisigh begins the book proper, with the genealogies of Síol Éreamhóin (Érimón).
" (the propagation of the family of Partholón) it describes the ancestry and descendants of Partholón
, who was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland
. It covers pages 27 to 30 in the autograph
of the work. The following divisions cover all the invaders of Ireland up to the Milesians
.
, representing just under half of the total text. It concerns the following groups and dynasties, and their many sub-divisions: Cenél nEógain
and Cenél Conaill
(Northern Uí Néill
); Clann Cholmáin
and Síl nÁedo Sláine
(Southern Uí Néill); Uí Briúin
and Uí Fiachrach
(Connachta
); Airgíalla
(including the Uí Maine, the Déisi
and the Dál Riata
); the Laigin
.
While much of Book Five's information is derived from the Book of Lecan or the Book of Ballymote
, Mac Fhirbhisigh added material not found in either of these sources; indeed, much of it is entirely unique to Leabhar na nGenealach. In a small number of cases - Ó Néill
and Mac Suibhne - this is due to Mac Fhirbhisigh updating pedigrees to his own lifetime. In the U F tract this applies to the later generations of the Clan MacFhirbhisigh
, their pedigree appearing in no later manuscript. The Leabhar Oirghiallach is in many instances very obviously drawn from versions of the Books of Lecan and Ballymote, yet once again there is unique material concerning Clann Mca Domhnaill, a Gallóglaigh family. They derive from a leabhar teagloim, and a Leabhar Balbh Shémus Mec Fhirbhisigh, neither of which now survives. The latter, The Dumb Book of Séamus Mac Fhirbhisigh was written by Mac Fhirbhisigh's great-grandfather, Séamus mac Diarmada Chaoich.
Other sources for the remaining subjects include: Senchus fer n-Alban
; the Book of Uí Maine, from sections now missing; Amhra Colm Cille; Opus chronologicum by Ubbo Emmius
; versions of De Shíl Chonairi Móir, De Maccaib Conaire, the Duan Albanach; the poem 'Saor do leannán, a Leamhain' by Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh (fl. 'c'. 1200). Leabhar Laighin is in part derived from the books of Lecan and Ballymote, and the Book of Glendalough (aka Book of Leinster
). However, once again, entirely unique material found in no other surviving manuscript is preserved here by Mac Fhirbhisigh. The only source explicitly named - though he refers vaguely to other books - is once called Leabhar Buidhe Lecan Mec Fhirbhisigh, now lost.
, known as the Síol Ír. The material was derived from Leabhar Uí Dubhagáin (aka the Book of Uí Maine). This section is followed by a shorter one treating of the Dál nAraidi
and the descendants of Fergus mac Róich
. It ends with a version of 'Clann Ollamhan Uaisle Eamhna', similart to, though not exactly, the one found in the Book of Uí Maine
Mac Fhirbhisigh added "a great amount of additional material ... both in the margins and interlineally ... those inserted between the lines are variant readings, some of them of considerable interest, deriving as they do from quite a different recension
of the work; ... represented by just one manuscript older than LGen, namely RIA B iv2."
.
Pages 640.5 to 645.5 feature the descendants of Brian Bóruma, such as the O'Brien
s, including the Anglo-Irish
Plunkett
family. This was a fabrication, based on the Plunkett's status in the late 16th century, claiming them as descended from King Donnchad mac Briain, who died in Rome
in 1064. As did Geoffrey Keating, Mac Fhirbhisgh reserves doubts on this, though pointing out that it should not be discounted merely because of Donnchad's age, as "there is no period in a man's life in which he may not beget." The families of Eustace
, Bennett and Power, along with others, are given the same ancestor.
Further sections concern the descendants of Cian mac Ailill Aulom
, which were at least partly assembled in the early 8th century. The final section is at least in part derived from the Book of Ui Maine.
, and Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh's recension of Naoimhsheanchas Naomh Inse Fáil. Mac Fhirbhisigh thought well enough of Ó Cléirigh's additions to incorporate them into LGen. While most of the text was written at that period [i.e., c.1650], it is clear from variations in the ink and handwriting that Dubhaltach made numerous later additions to the work. The most notable of these appear to date from 1653, and other insertions may have been made in 1657 and 1664."
The Naoimhsheanchas is set out in much the same manner as Leabhar na nGenealach itself; "... the layout of the saints genealogies (on pp. 697-739) exactly parallels the sequence of the secular genealogies of the Gaoidhil (or Gaelic
people) in LGen."
Rém Ríogharaidhe Éreann, a catalogue of the Kings of Ireland to 1198, concludes the book. Mac Fhirbhisigh's main source is very likely to be RIA MS C iii3 or volume c of the autograph
section of the Annals of the Four Masters
- which he refers to as Leabhar Airison Fhearghaill Uí Ghadhra, Fearghal Ó Gadhra being a patron of the annals - covering the years AM
2242 to AD 1171. Mac Fhirbhisigh notes that the text was completed "...i cColáisde na Gaillmhe dhia Céadaoin vii. Augusti. anno MDCXLIX/in the college of Galway
, 8 August 1649." Given that Galway was within days of plague, famine and siege, O Muraile expressed the wish "for the merest hint by Mac Fhirbhisigh of what conditions were like in the stricken city while he was penning his list of Irish kings!"
. D[ubhaltach Mac] F[hirbhisigh] arranged and wrote it during July (?) 1653. This is followed by three poems from pages 935 to 957: 'Triallam timcheall na Fodla'; Tuilleadh feasa ar Eirinn oig'; 'Foras focal luaightheal libh'
The Cuimre is an adbridgement of Leabhar na nGenealach. The original is now lost, but it survives in two apparently incomplete 18th century transcripts; RIA MS 24 N2, and Maynooth Irish MS B 8. While containing about 30% of the material of Leabhar na nGenealach, it also contains much new, and some unique material. Mac Fhirbhisigh began it on Monday April 1, 1666, at his home at Castletown, Co. Sligo. By Saturday May 5, he had completed some 45% of the surviving material, and would appear to have finished prior to returning to Dublin and work for Sir James Ware
.
Mac Fhirbhisigh was stabbed to death by Thomas Crofton in a shebeen at Doonflin, Co. Sligo, in January 1671.
, had been studying the book since 1971. It was published in five volumes by De Burca Books in 2004 in Dublin.
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add material until at least 1666, five years before he was murdered in 1671. It was published in a five volume edition in Dublin in 2004 as The Great Book of Irish Genealogies.
Description and compilation
Described by Eoin MacNeillEoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill was an Irish scholar, nationalist, revolutionary and politician. MacNeill is regarded as the father of the modern study of early Irish medieval history. He was a co-founder of the Gaelic League, to preserve Irish language and culture, going on to establish the Irish Volunteers...
"by far the largest and fullest body of Irish genealogical lore", it contains roughly twice as much material as found in the Book of Ballymote
Book of Ballymote
The Book of Ballymote , named for the parish of Ballymote, County Sligo, was written in 1390 or 1391....
and the Book of Lecan. It preserves notes on families from all parts of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Gaelic Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the pre-Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
, Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
and Old English peoples of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It features an eighteen page preface, nine 'books' or divisions and a seventy-four page Clar or general index in double columns. It consists of eight hundred and seventy one pages, 95% of which is in Mac Fhirbhisigh's handwriting. The remainder is in the hand of an unknown amanuensis
Amanuensis
Amanuensis is a Latin word adopted in various languages, including English, for certain persons performing a function by hand, either writing down the words of another or performing manual labour...
, and incorporates some pages written in 1636 by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh , sometimes known as Michael O'Clery, was an Irish chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the Annals of the Four Masters, assisted by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, and Peregrinus Ó Duibhgeannain.-Background and early life:Grandson of Tuathal...
.
Many questions concern Leabhar na nGenealach. In the words of Nollaig Ó Muraíle
Nollaig Ó Muraíle
Nollaig Ó Muraíle is an Irish scholar. He published an acclaimed edition of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh's Leabhar na nGenealach in 2004. He was conferred with the honour of admittance to the Royal Irish Academy in 2009.-Life and career:...
:
" ... who or what prompted Mac Fhirbhisigh to undertake the compilation of Leabhar na nGenealach? ... how much planning and organisation (such as the collection of source material) preceded the writing of the book ..? Did he, at any time during the compilation ... entertain hopes of seeing it printed ...? Unfortunately, we have very little in which to base even the most tentative of answers to these questions. We simply do not know ..."
Nor is it known how he supported himself in Galway, though he did commissions for the Poor Clares and John Lynch while there. O Muraile suggests that it was a work compiled in his spare time, in between possible tutorial work for the children of local families (see The Tribes of Galway). Unlike the Four Masters, he appears to have had neither patron nor sponsorship of any sort.
As to the question of why he wrote Leabhar na nGenealach, Mac Fhirbhisigh himself stated it was his intention to "... do mhórughadh glóire Dé agus do ghéunamh iúil do chách i ccoithchinne/to increase the glory of God and to give knowledge to everyone generally". Thus it appears to have been a labour of love, and as a strong defence of traditional Gaelic
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
learning, though not uncritically so. That it seems to be a book written for all the peoples of Ireland is indicated by the following:
"Na slioinnte, iomorra, da suarraighe atáid, ní fuigfeam dar ndeóin éanghloinneadh aca gan a aireamh ó a cheap fén/of the surnames, moreover, however undistinguished they may be, we do not willing leave a single one of them without reckoning it from its own stock".
Díonbhrollach (preface)
This preface states it was ... compiled by Dubhaltach Mac Fhiribhisigh of Lecán, 1650.The díonbhrollach describes the contents of the book, including:
- An extended title on the contents, place and time of writing, author and purpose of composition.
- A defence of senchas, the truthfulness and validity of the tradition.
- Critical remarks on the supposed descent of all the Irish from Míl EspáineMíl EspáineIn Irish origin legends, Míl Espáine or Míl Espáne is the ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland, the "sons of Míl" or Milesians, who represent the vast majority of the Irish Gaels....
- Mac Fhirbhisigh's law, which states:
It is customary for great lords that, when their families and kindreds multiply, their clients and their followers are oppressed, injured and wasted. [translation by Thomas Charles Edwards in Early Irish & Welsh Kinship, p. 221]
- How Leabhar na nGenealach deals with all race and all peoples of IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
- free and unfree tribes, Fir BolgFir BolgIn Irish mythology the Fir Bolg were one of the races that inhabited the island of Ireland prior to the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann.-Mythology:...
, GaelsGaelsThe Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
and all subsequent invaders. - A note on dialectDialectThe term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
. - An apology by Mac Fhirbhisigh for any deficiencies of this first draft ...Till God give us another time more tranquil than this to re-write it.
Rémhrádh (introduction)
Begins with the following introduction: "Senchus genealach gabháltas uasal Éreann agus Albansgot go ccraobhsgaoileadh a ccineadhach ó créudthós na n-aimsior n-aicsidhe gus aniú (mar ghebh mid/The history of the genealogies of the invasions of the nobles of Ireland and of the Scots of Alba with the genealogical branchings of their races from the beginning of visible times until today, as we find, according to the order". Mac Fhirbhisigh draws upon a recensionRecension
Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author...
of Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland) by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh
Mícheál Ó Cléirigh , sometimes known as Michael O'Clery, was an Irish chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the Annals of the Four Masters, assisted by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, and Peregrinus Ó Duibhgeannain.-Background and early life:Grandson of Tuathal...
for a summary which deals with the legendary invaders of Ireland from the time of Partholón
Partholón
Partholón, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland, supposedly first to arrive after the biblical Flood. They arrived in 2680 BC according to the chronology of the Annals of the Four Masters, 2061 BC according to Geoffrey Keating's...
to Míl Espáine
Míl Espáine
In Irish origin legends, Míl Espáine or Míl Espáne is the ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland, the "sons of Míl" or Milesians, who represent the vast majority of the Irish Gaels....
. Following this, Mac Fhirbhisigh begins the book proper, with the genealogies of Síol Éreamhóin (Érimón).
Leabhar I to IV
This is the first division or 'book' of Leabhar na nGenealach. Titled "Craobhsgaoileadh Cloinne PartholónPartholón
Partholón, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland, supposedly first to arrive after the biblical Flood. They arrived in 2680 BC according to the chronology of the Annals of the Four Masters, 2061 BC according to Geoffrey Keating's...
" (the propagation of the family of Partholón) it describes the ancestry and descendants of Partholón
Partholón
Partholón, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland, supposedly first to arrive after the biblical Flood. They arrived in 2680 BC according to the chronology of the Annals of the Four Masters, 2061 BC according to Geoffrey Keating's...
, who was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It covers pages 27 to 30 in the autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
of the work. The following divisions cover all the invaders of Ireland up to the Milesians
Milesians
Milesia, Milesian, Milesians, or Miletans may refer to:* In Irish mythology, the Milesians were the descendants of Míl Espáine, the final invaders of Ireland who defeated and displaced the semi-divine Tuatha Dé Danann...
.
Leabhar V
Book five comprises some three hundred and fifty pages of the autographAutograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
, representing just under half of the total text. It concerns the following groups and dynasties, and their many sub-divisions: Cenél nEógain
Cenél nEógain
Cenél nEóġain is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Eógan mac Néill , son of Niall Noígiallach who founded the kingdom of Tír Eoghain in the 5th century...
and Cenél Conaill
Cenél Conaill
The Cenél Conaill is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history. They were also known in Scotland as the Kindred of Saint Columba....
(Northern Uí Néill
Uí Néill
The Uí Néill are Irish and Scottish dynasties who claim descent from Niall Noigiallach , an historical King of Tara who died about 405....
); Clann Cholmáin
Clann Cholmáin
Clann Cholmáin is the name of the dynasty descended from Colmán Mór , son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill — they were the kings of Mide — they traced their descent to Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall Cremthainne.Related dynasties descended through Conall...
and Síl nÁedo Sláine
Síl nÁedo Sláine
Síl nÁedo Sláine is the name of the descendants of Áed Sláine , son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Part of the Southern Uí Néill—they were the kings of Brega—they claimed descent from Niall Noígiallach and his son Conall Cremthainne....
(Southern Uí Néill); Uí Briúin
Uí Briúin
The Uí Briúin were an Irish kin-group. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brion, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the Uí Fiachrach and Uí Ailello, putative descendants of Eochaid Mugmedon's...
and Uí Fiachrach
Uí Fiachrach
The Uí Fiachrach were a dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the coicead or fifth of Connacht at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descent from Fiachrae, an older half-brother of Niall Noigiallach or Niall of the Nine Hostages...
(Connachta
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach...
); Airgíalla
Airgíalla
Airgíalla or Airgialla was the name of an Irish federation and Irish kingdom which first formed around the 7th century...
(including the Uí Maine, the Déisi
Déisi
The Déisi were a class of peoples in ancient and medieval Ireland. The term is Old Irish, and derives from the word déis, meaning "vassal" or "subject"; in its original sense, it designated groups who were vassals or rent-payers to a landowner. Later, it became a proper name for certain septs and...
and the Dál Riata
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
); the Laigin
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin , were a population group of early Ireland who gave their name to the province of Leinster...
.
While much of Book Five's information is derived from the Book of Lecan or the Book of Ballymote
Book of Ballymote
The Book of Ballymote , named for the parish of Ballymote, County Sligo, was written in 1390 or 1391....
, Mac Fhirbhisigh added material not found in either of these sources; indeed, much of it is entirely unique to Leabhar na nGenealach. In a small number of cases - Ó Néill
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
and Mac Suibhne - this is due to Mac Fhirbhisigh updating pedigrees to his own lifetime. In the U F tract this applies to the later generations of the Clan MacFhirbhisigh
Clan MacFhirbhisigh
Mac Fhirbhisigh was the surname of a family of Irish hereditary historians based for much of their known history at Leckan, Tireagh, Co. Sligo. They claimed descent from Dathí , said to be one of the last pagan Kings of Connacht, and were thus one of the many families who sprang from the Uí...
, their pedigree appearing in no later manuscript. The Leabhar Oirghiallach is in many instances very obviously drawn from versions of the Books of Lecan and Ballymote, yet once again there is unique material concerning Clann Mca Domhnaill, a Gallóglaigh family. They derive from a leabhar teagloim, and a Leabhar Balbh Shémus Mec Fhirbhisigh, neither of which now survives. The latter, The Dumb Book of Séamus Mac Fhirbhisigh was written by Mac Fhirbhisigh's great-grandfather, Séamus mac Diarmada Chaoich.
Other sources for the remaining subjects include: Senchus fer n-Alban
Senchus fer n-Alban
The Senchus Fer n-Alban is an Old Irish medieval text, believed to have been compiled in the 10th century. It may have been derived from earlier documents of the 7th century which are presumed to have been written in Latin...
; the Book of Uí Maine, from sections now missing; Amhra Colm Cille; Opus chronologicum by Ubbo Emmius
Ubbo Emmius
Ubbo Emmius was a German historian and geographer.-Early life:Ubbo Emmius was born on 5 December 1557 in Greetsiel, East Frisia, Germany. From the ages of 9 to 18 Emmius studied in a Latin school, before having to leave on the death of his father, a Lutheran preacher...
; versions of De Shíl Chonairi Móir, De Maccaib Conaire, the Duan Albanach; the poem 'Saor do leannán, a Leamhain' by Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh (fl. 'c'. 1200). Leabhar Laighin is in part derived from the books of Lecan and Ballymote, and the Book of Glendalough (aka Book of Leinster
Book of Leinster
The Book of Leinster , is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled ca. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18...
). However, once again, entirely unique material found in no other surviving manuscript is preserved here by Mac Fhirbhisigh. The only source explicitly named - though he refers vaguely to other books - is once called Leabhar Buidhe Lecan Mec Fhirbhisigh, now lost.
Leabhar VI
This book outlines the history and genealogical ramifications of the descendants of Íor son of Míl EspáineMíl Espáine
In Irish origin legends, Míl Espáine or Míl Espáne is the ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland, the "sons of Míl" or Milesians, who represent the vast majority of the Irish Gaels....
, known as the Síol Ír. The material was derived from Leabhar Uí Dubhagáin (aka the Book of Uí Maine). This section is followed by a shorter one treating of the Dál nAraidi
Dál nAraidi
Dál nAraidi was a kingdom of the Cruthin in the north-east of Ireland in the first millennium. The lands of the Dál nAraidi appear to correspond with the Robogdii of Ptolemy's Geographia, a region shared with Dál Riata...
and the descendants of Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
. It ends with a version of 'Clann Ollamhan Uaisle Eamhna', similart to, though not exactly, the one found in the Book of Uí Maine
Mac Fhirbhisigh added "a great amount of additional material ... both in the margins and interlineally ... those inserted between the lines are variant readings, some of them of considerable interest, deriving as they do from quite a different recension
Recension
Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author...
of the work; ... represented by just one manuscript older than LGen, namely RIA B iv2."
Leabhar VII
Book seven deals with the descendants of Ebhar mac Milidh, written or begun in 1649, comprising pages 599 to 689 (eight-five pages are blank). As Mac Fhirbhisigh intended to merely summarise material, he did not reproduce the original texts, which were extracts from Saltair Chaisil, written in LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
Pages 640.5 to 645.5 feature the descendants of Brian Bóruma, such as the O'Brien
O'Brien
The O'Brien dynasty are a royal and noble house founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais or Dalcassians. After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he established himself as High King of Ireland...
s, including the Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
Plunkett
Plunkett
Plunkett, a surname originating in Ireland, and of Norse or Norman origin, may be spelled Plunkett, Plunket, Plunkit, Plunkitt, Plonkit, Plonkitt, Plonket, Plonkett, or Plunceid, and may refer to:* Baron Plunket, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
family. This was a fabrication, based on the Plunkett's status in the late 16th century, claiming them as descended from King Donnchad mac Briain, who died in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1064. As did Geoffrey Keating, Mac Fhirbhisgh reserves doubts on this, though pointing out that it should not be discounted merely because of Donnchad's age, as "there is no period in a man's life in which he may not beget." The families of Eustace
Eustace
Eustace is the rendition in English of two phonetically similar Greek given names:*Εὔσταχυς meaning "fruitful", "fecund"; literally "abundant in grain""; its Latin equivalents are Fæcundus/Fecundus...
, Bennett and Power, along with others, are given the same ancestor.
Further sections concern the descendants of Cian mac Ailill Aulom
Ailill Aulom
In Irish traditional history Ailill Ollamh , son of Mug Nuadat, was a king of the southern half of Ireland. Sabia, daughter of Conn of the Hundred Battles, was his wife. He divided the kingdom between his sons Éogan, Cormac Cas, and Cian. Éogan founded the dynasty of the Eóganachta...
, which were at least partly assembled in the early 8th century. The final section is at least in part derived from the Book of Ui Maine.
Leabhar VIII
Titled Naoimhsheanchas, this book concerns the genealogies of the Irish saints. "This now extends from p. 692 to p. 753, but it contains various layers of material inserted at different times and from quite a variety of sources. They include the Book of Leinster, the Book of Ui Maine, Leabhar BreacLeabhar Breac
Leabhar Breac is an Irish language publisher based in Indreabhán in the County Galway Gaeltacht of Cois Fharraige.Specialising in fiction, and named after the 15th century manuscript Leabhar Breac, the publishing house was founded in 1995 by Darach Ó Scolaí and Caomhán Ó Scolaí...
, and Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh's recension of Naoimhsheanchas Naomh Inse Fáil. Mac Fhirbhisigh thought well enough of Ó Cléirigh's additions to incorporate them into LGen. While most of the text was written at that period [i.e., c.1650], it is clear from variations in the ink and handwriting that Dubhaltach made numerous later additions to the work. The most notable of these appear to date from 1653, and other insertions may have been made in 1657 and 1664."
The Naoimhsheanchas is set out in much the same manner as Leabhar na nGenealach itself; "... the layout of the saints genealogies (on pp. 697-739) exactly parallels the sequence of the secular genealogies of the Gaoidhil (or Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
people) in LGen."
Rém Ríogharaidhe Éreann, a catalogue of the Kings of Ireland to 1198, concludes the book. Mac Fhirbhisigh's main source is very likely to be RIA MS C iii3 or volume c of the autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
section of the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
- which he refers to as Leabhar Airison Fhearghaill Uí Ghadhra, Fearghal Ó Gadhra being a patron of the annals - covering the years AM
Anno Mundi
' , abbreviated as AM or A.M., refers to a Calendar era based on the Biblical creation of the world. Numerous efforts have been made to determine the Biblical date of Creation, yielding varying results. Besides differences in interpretation, which version of the Bible is being referenced also...
2242 to AD 1171. Mac Fhirbhisigh notes that the text was completed "...i cColáisde na Gaillmhe dhia Céadaoin vii. Augusti. anno MDCXLIX/in the college of Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, 8 August 1649." Given that Galway was within days of plague, famine and siege, O Muraile expressed the wish "for the merest hint by Mac Fhirbhisigh of what conditions were like in the stricken city while he was penning his list of Irish kings!"
Leabhar IX and the Clár
Covering pages 768 to 852, it consists of eleven distinct sections, almost all on the post-Gaelic invaders (Vikings, Normans, Welsh, etc. ..). Pages 853-932 comprise the Clár, or index of the secular genealogies, whilc pages 926-932, Clár Naomh nÉireann, is an index concerning Irish saints. It finishes with a dedication and note by Mac Fhirbhisigh: Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, DF do theagair agus rus graif for Iuil, 1653/To the greater glory of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. D[ubhaltach Mac] F[hirbhisigh] arranged and wrote it during July (?) 1653. This is followed by three poems from pages 935 to 957: 'Triallam timcheall na Fodla'; Tuilleadh feasa ar Eirinn oig'; 'Foras focal luaightheal libh'
Cuimre na nGenealach
for the full article, see Cuimre na nGenealachCuimre na nGenealach
Cuimre na nGenealach is an abridgment of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh's Leabhar na nGenealach, written at his home in County Sligo in the spring and summer of 1666.-Origins and background:...
The Cuimre is an adbridgement of Leabhar na nGenealach. The original is now lost, but it survives in two apparently incomplete 18th century transcripts; RIA MS 24 N2, and Maynooth Irish MS B 8. While containing about 30% of the material of Leabhar na nGenealach, it also contains much new, and some unique material. Mac Fhirbhisigh began it on Monday April 1, 1666, at his home at Castletown, Co. Sligo. By Saturday May 5, he had completed some 45% of the surviving material, and would appear to have finished prior to returning to Dublin and work for Sir James Ware
Sir James Ware
Sir James Ware was an Irish historian.-Early life:Born at Castle Street, Dublin, Ware was the eldest son of James Ware, who arrived in Ireland in 1588 as a secretary to Lord Deputy FitzWilliam. His father was knighted by King James I, was elected M.P...
.
Mac Fhirbhisigh was stabbed to death by Thomas Crofton in a shebeen at Doonflin, Co. Sligo, in January 1671.
Modern Edition
Leabhar na nGenealach was edited and published in 2004 as the The Great Book of Irish Genealogies. The editor, Nollaig Ó MuraíleNollaig Ó Muraíle
Nollaig Ó Muraíle is an Irish scholar. He published an acclaimed edition of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh's Leabhar na nGenealach in 2004. He was conferred with the honour of admittance to the Royal Irish Academy in 2009.-Life and career:...
, had been studying the book since 1971. It was published in five volumes by De Burca Books in 2004 in Dublin.
See also
- Genealach Chloinne Fheorais
- Leabhar Cloinne Maoil RuanaidhLeabhar Cloinne Maoil RuanaidhLeabhar Cloinne Maoil Ruanaidh, or the Book of Mac Dermot, is the title given by Nollaig Ó Muraíle to "a collection of genealogies sometimes referred to as 'The Book of Mac Dermot' ..." which now forms the fourth and most significant part - 'd' - of RIA MS 539 [D i 3].A colophon on folio 43r reads...
- Leabhar Ua MaineLeabhar Ua MaineLeabhar Ua Maine is an Irish genealogical compilation, created c...
- MS 1467MS 1467MS 1467, earlier known as MS 1450, is a mediaeval Gaelic manuscript which contains numerous pedigrees for many prominent Scottish individuals and clans. Transcriptions of the genealogies within the text were first published in the early 19th century and have ever since been used by writers on the...
- Lost Annals of Lecan
- Ó Cléirigh Book of GenealogiesÓ Cléirigh Book of GenealogiesThe O'Clery Book of Genealogies, aka Royal Irish Academy Ms. 23 D 17Written by Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, one of the Four Masters, who was transported in the 1650's to Ballyacroy, County Mayo, "under the guidance of Rory O'Donnell, son of Col. Manus O'Donnell, slain at Benburb, 1646."Upon his death...
External links
- http://www.deburcararebooks.com/geneal.htm
- http://www.isos.dias.ie/english/index.html