The banquet of Dun na n-Gedh : and the battle of Magh Rath : an ancient historical tale now first published from a manuscript in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin / with a translation and notes by John O'Donovan.

Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The banquet of Dun na n-Gedh : and the battle of Magh Rath : an ancient historical tale now first published from a manuscript in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin / with a translation and notes by John O'Donovan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    early a period. Several specimens of this style of composition, writ- ten by the celebrated Shane O’Dugan, who died in 1372, are to be found in the Book of Hy-Many, but the most elaborate and celebrated work in this style is that entitled Caithreim Toirdhealbhaigh, i. e. The Triumphs of Turlogh [O’Brien], written in the year 1459, by John, son of Rory Magrath, chief historian of Thomond. Of this work, which comprises the History of Thomond for two centuries, there are extant in Dublin several paper copies; it was translated, towards the close of the last century, by Theophilus O’Flanagan, assisted by Peter Connell, but was never published. Its style far exceeds that of the present story, in the superabundant use of epithets, and in extravagance of conception and description, as may appear from the following extract, which is a description of Donogh Mac Namara, chief of Claim Cuilen, in Thomond, harnessing himself for battle : “ A. D. 1309 t)’ aicle na h-ima- jcillrha pin Oonnchaió pe n-a oeaj- muincip, po eipi£ 50 h-úipmeipneac, opjapóa o’a eioeao pein ’pan íonaopoin. Qjup cujaó ap o-cup a uapaleioe o’a lonnpaijio, .1. cocun oainjean, oeaj- cúmca, oluic-iomaipeac, oin-eicpijeac, oeapj-anpaóac, oep-ciumap-blcnc, oe- alb-nuaóac, oac-cpoióeapj, oiojpaipe, ajup 00 cuip uime 50 h-éapjcuó an c- eioeaó oip-ciúmpac poin, ajup ip e corh- pao 00 óíon a óeaj-cocun Oonncaió, .1. o íoccap a maoc-bpá jao mín-copcpa, £0 mullaca j;lun ^apca, jleijil, coip; ajup 00 jabao uime-piun ap uaccap an íonuip pin,lúipioc láin-cpeabpaó, luib-jléijeal, leabap-cpuinn, áóbal, paippinj, op-bóp- oac, oioppaió. opuunneac, olúic-cliucac, oei^-pi^ce, blaic, buan-pocaip, cneip- ciuj, cpaoib-jlic, ceipc-piajlac, puaic- “ After that harangue of Donogh to his brave people he arose on the spot with courage and activity to clothe himself in shining armour. His noble garment was first brought to him, viz., a strong, well- formed, close-ridged, defensively-furrowed, terrific, neat-bordered, new-made, and scarlet-red cassock of fidelity ; he expertly put on that gold-bordered garment [or cotun] which covered him as far as from the lower part of his soft, fine, red-white neck, to the upper part of his expert, snow-white, round-knotted knee. Over that mantle he put on a full-strong, white-topped, wide-round, gold-bordered, straight, and parti-coloured coat of mail, well-fitting, and ornamented with many curious devices of exquisite workmanship. He put on a beautiful, narrow, thick, and saffron-coloured belt of war, embellished with