The ''Great Book of Lecan'' or simply ''Book of Lecan'' () ( RIA, 23 P 2) is a late-medieval Irish

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

written between 1397 and 1418 in Castle Forbes, Lecan (Lackan, Leckan; Irish ), in the territory of Tír Fhíacrach, near modern Enniscrone,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...

. It is in the possession of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...

. Nollaig Ó Muraile dated it to –1432 or possibly even a little later. Cites both Ó hUiginn and Nollaig Ó Muraile. Another estimate dated it to the early 15th century. is written in

Middle Irish Middle Irish, also called Middle Gaelic (, , ), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of Late Old English and Early Middle English. The modern Goideli ...

and was created by Ádhamh Ó Cuirnín,

Murchadh Ó Cuindlis () was an Irish scribe of the Ó Cuindlis family of brehons and scholars. Other renderings of his name have or , The relevant material is available in the free preview at the URL. and sometimes . He was said to be a native of Bally Lough Dea ...

, and an anonymous third scribe for Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh. The material within was transcribed from the '' Book of Leinster'', latter copies of the '' Book of Invasions'', the '' Dinsenchas'', the ''

Banshenchas ''An Banshenchas'' (literally "the woman lore") is a medieval text which collects brief descriptions of prominent women in Irish legend and history into a poetic narrative. Unlike much of early Irish literature, ''An Banshenchas'' may be attrib ...

'', and the '' Book of Rights''. At one stage it was owned by James Ussher. After it was seized from

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

by troops under the command of Sir John Fitzgerald, 2nd Baronet, in 1689 during the

Williamite War in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobitism, Jacobite supporters of James II of England, James II and those of his successor, William III of England, William III, it resulted in a Williamit ...

James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

deposited it at the Irish College, Paris. In 1787, the Chevalier O'Reilly returned it to Ireland, where it was at one stage in the possession of Charles Vallancey, who passed it on to the Royal Irish Academy. There were originally 30 folios; the first nine were apparently lost in 1724. These contained a large section devoted to the pedigrees and history of the Norse and Norse–Gaelic families of Ireland, which are nowhere else preserved. See Bugge's introduction. The pages are covered in a greasy substance which makes them transparent and reduces their legibility.

External links

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has a facsimile

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Book of Lecan Irish-language literature Medieval literature 15th-century manuscripts Early Irish literature 1410s books Irish-language manuscripts Royal Irish Academy Library Irish books Medieval history of Ireland

See also

External links

References