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St John from the St Gall gospel (St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 51). Source: Flickr.com.

A module for identifying agents - encompassing persons, peoples and organisations - and managing information about them has been around for many years, continually evolving as time went by, but what was absent all this time is a public interface for accessing relevant data in a user-friendly way.

This is a first attempt at offering such an interface, which is provided "as-is" and should be considered beta-quality for now (not that there is any official product release cycle as such but using the label is a convenient means to sound the right alarm bells). It currently consists of a basic search, aggregated data overviews for individual agents, and hover-card labels that you will meet elsewhere in the catalogue.

I am aware of duplicates, uneven coverage and other shortcomings that typically arise from the progressive nature of this website or simply, lack of personpower. An earlier version of the interface was available to editors partly because it helps us address some of those issues. None of these objections, however, seemed to weigh heavily against the alternative, which is having nothing at all to offer.

Note that for convenience's sake, many agents are not formally indexed but are nonetheless included by exclusive virtue of being linked. It is a wonderful forte of the system that allows us to retrieve and bring together disparate data from disparate data sources, but some useful metadata will be missing and discoverability is more limited as a result. For instance, we may be linking to a scribe whose name and associated data can be retrieved and presented, but without, say, a floruit it will be difficult to find this person within the appropriate time range. I say "difficult" because it is possible, to an extent, to rely on the dates we have, if any, for associated objects (manuscripts, scribal hands), but such a circuitous approach comes with limitations of its own and is not necessarily methodologically sound.

Meanwhile, I hope that the new interface will improve your experience in using this website. Next up are thematic categories for scribes (in the broadest, non-pejorative sense of the word), authors and scholars.

Last added

People

• David Powel
  c.1540–1598
  Welsh cleric (C of E), vicar of Rhiwabon (Engl. Ruabon), and historian, author of The Historie of Cambria, now called Wales (1584) and other works.
• Herbert F. Hore
  1817–1865
  Irish historian, archaeologist and author.
• Brian Mac Diarmada
  fl. 16th century
  Chieftain of Magh Luirg (Moylurg, bar. Boyle, Co. Roscommon) between 1568 and 1592.
• Ailerán of Clonard
  ob. 665
  Irish scholar of the monastery of Clúain Eraird (Clonard, Co. Meath) and author of Latin exegetical treatises.
• Foillán of Fosses
  fl. 7th century, d. 655
  Irish saint associated with Fosses (Fosses-la-Ville), in Wallonia, and brother of Fursa and Ultán.
• Aidan D. S. MacDonald
  1941–2013
• Louise H. van Wijngaarden-Bakker
  Dutch archaeologist and archaeozoologist.
• Willy Groenman-van Waateringe
  Dutch archaeologist.
• Finghin Ó Scannaill
  fl. 19th century
  Irish scribe who worked for James Hardiman.
• Hans Sloane
  1660–1753
  Sir Hans Sloane, Anglo-Irish physician and collector.
• Gruffudd Hiraethog
  d. 1564
  Welsh poet.
• Benignus Millett
  1922–2006
  Irish Franciscan priest and historian.
• Alexander Irvine [1773-1824]
  1773–1824
  Scottish clergyman, minister of Little Dunkeld (1806-1824), and a collector who took a great interest in Gaelic poetry.
• Iain Lom
  c.1624–c.1710
  Scottish Gaelic poet of the Macdonalds of Keppoch.
• Sìleas na Ceapaich
  c.1660–c.1729
  Scottish Gaelic poet, commonly known as Sìleas na Ceapaich (of Keppoch). She came from a noble family, and was the daughter if Gilleasbuig (Archibald), chief of the Macdonalds.

Institutions

• Duiske abbey

  Mod. Ir. Mainistir an Dubhuisce, also known as Graiguenamanagh/Graignamanagh abbey, is a Cistercian abbey founded in the 13th century in Graiguenamanagh (Co. Kilkenny).
  

• Brecon priory

  Benedictine priory, daughter-house of Battle Abbey.

• Ordnance Survey of Ireland
• Amiens, Bibliothèque municipale
• Tréguier cathedral
• Saint-Brieuc cathedral
• Rennes cathedral
• Vannes cathedral
• Mont-Saint-Michel abbey
• Quimperlé, abbey of Sainte-Croix
• Quimper cathedral
• Cwrt Mawr

  Building and estate near Llangeitho, Ceredigion.

• Liath Mór [Leamakevoge]
• Vienna, Archiv des Schottenstifts
• Cell Moinne [Kilmoon, Co. Meath]
  A foundation in the modern parish which is named after it, that of Kilmoon/Kilmoone (bar. Skreen, Co. Meath).
  

Randomised results

Scribes

Uilliam Mac Dhuibhne

fl. 15th c.

Irish scholar and scribe who adapted Innocent III’s tract De contemptu mundi in Irish.

Pádraig Ó Pronntaigh

d. c.1760

Ulster poet and scribe, who in one of his manuscripts gives his name as Pádraig Ua Pronntaigh mhic Néill mhic Seadhain, ó Loch Eírne.

Aonghus Ó Callanáin

fl. 15th century

Aonghus (Aonghas) Ó Callanáin, Irish scribe, responsible for writing parts of the Book of Lismore for his patron, Fínghin Mac Carthaigh Riabhach of Cairbre (Co. Cork). His transcriptions include texts of the ''Acallam bec'' and ''Suidiugud tellaig Temra''.

Muiris mac Torna Ó Maoil Chonaire

d. 1645

Irish scholar, poet and scribe of the Ó Maoil Chonaire family. He is known to have made a small contribution to the Annals of the Four Masters.

Tomás Cam Mac Fir Bhisigh

''fl. c''. 1400

Irish scribe, son and assistant of Giolla Íosa Mac Fhir Bhisigh

Risteard Ó Conchubhair

1561–1625

Irish scribe and physician from a medical family in Ossory.

Ewen MacLachlan

1773–1822

Gaelic scholar and poet; librarian at the University and King's College, Aberdeen (1800-1818); head of the Grammar School (1819-1822); was involved in the compilation of John Macleod’s Gaelic-English dictionary.

John David Rhys

1534–1609?

Welsh physician, scholar and grammarian

Anonymous [hand of CTC B.10.5]

s. viii

Marianus Scottus [Máel Brigte]

fl. 1028–1082/3

Aodh Ó Dálaigh

fl. mid–18th century

Irish scribe and poet

Pól Ó Longáin

1801–1866

scribe who was based in Co. Cork and belonged to the Ó Longáin family of scribes; son of Mícheál Óg and brother of Peadar Ó Longáin.

Maoílechlainn Ó Cianáin

fl. late 15th century

Irish scribe responsible for Dublin, King's Inns, MS 12-13 (c. 1491/2), a compilation of classical Greco-Roman tales in Irish

Robeartus Mac Síthigh

fl. early 15th century

Robeartus Mac Síthigh, Irish scribe, known as one of the three that wrote parts of the Book of Ballymote (RIA MS 23 P 12) under the tutelage of Domnall Mac Aedhagáin.

Colmán Banbán

d. 720

scriba at Kildare

Authors

A random selecton of authors and those so described.

David Jones [of Trefriw]

1708?–1785

Mo Chutu of Rahan and Lismore

d. 637

Mo Chutu mac Fínaill (Carthach the younger), patron saint of Rathan (Rahan, Co. Offaly) and Les Mór (Lismore, Co. Wexford)

Gilla in Choimded ua Cormaic

11th/12th century?

Taliesin

fl. 6th century

renowned British poet, known both as a historical poet at the court of Urien and other rulers and as a more fictionalised persona of supreme status. Poems attributed to him survive in the 14th-century manuscript now known as the Book of Taliesin (NLW Peniarth 2).

Finn mac Cumaill

Finn mac Cumaill (earlier mac Umaill?), Find úa Báiscni: central hero in medieval Irish and Scottish literature of the so-called Finn Cycle; warrior-hunter and leader of a fían

Flannacán [author of Don tres Troí]

fl. late 12th century?

Medieval Irish scholar who describes himself as the author of ''Don tres Troí''.

Conchobhar Ó Beaglaoich

fl. 1732

Irish priest and teacher based in Paris, editor of an Irish-English dictionary printed in the same city.

Gruffudd ab Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan

c.1485–1553

Welsh poet.

Laidcenn mac Bairceda

supp. fl. 5th century ?

early Irish poet, said to be of the Dál nAraidi. Two early poems (beg. ''Énna, Labraid'' and ''Nidu dír dermait'') belonging to the so-called rhyming ‘Leinster poems’ are ascribed to him.

Ieuan Gethin

fl. c.1390–1470

Ieuan Gethin ap Ieuan ap Lleision, Welsh gentleman poet from Morgannwg (Glamorgan).

Scandlán Mór

d. 643 x 646

King of Osraige, son of Colmán son of Bicne Cáech. He is best known in relation to the Synod of Druim Cett, at which time his father was king of Osraige and Scandlán, apparently a youth, was held hostage by Áed mac Ainmirech, overking from the Cenél Conaill branch of the Uí Néill. According to Adomnán, Colum Cille conferred a blessing on him and Scandlán would later take up the kingship of Osraige. He is sometimes given as a son of Cend Fáelad. Charles-Edwards suggests that a pedidgree may have been the source of confusion (Rawl. B 502: Cend Fáelad m. Colmain cuius filius Scandlain).

Goronwy Owen

1723–1769

Welsh poet and cleric.

Anonymous [LU scribe H]

s. xii

Anonymous scribe, usually known simply as H or the Interpolator, who significantly annotated, revised and interpolated parts of the Lebor na hUidre (RIA MS 23 E 25) and sometimes intercalated leaves to add material. The modern name H stands for ‘Homilist’, which stems from the fact that he added two homilies, Scéla laí brátha and Scéla na hEsérgi. His identity, background and precise floruit remain uncertain.

Giolla Riabhach mac Taidhg Chaim Ó Cléirigh

d. 1527

Irish poet, historian and scholar, who was a son of Tadhg Cam Ó Cléirigh.

Asporius

fl. c.600?

Asporius, known also as Asperius or Asper Minor (distinguishing him from Aemilius Asper), is the author to whom a grammar based on Donatus’ Ars minor is attributed. The possibility has been considered that he was an Irish or otherwise Insular grammarian and according to Vivien Law, he was probably active in Ireland or Burgundy.