This site is currently in the final phase of being upgraded. Not everything may work as intended and in the interim, we are unable to offer you the previous, stable version of the website since we lack the storage capacity to keep both versions running on the server. It should not take long, however, before the final hurdles are overcome.
Agents



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About the selected image
Book of Kells (Dublin, Trinity College, MS 58), f. 200r. Retrieved through IIIF from digitalcollections.tcd.ie.

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

Randomised results

Scribes
  • Martin of Laon
    819–875
    Irish scholar and teacher at the cathedral school at Laon.
  • Máel Brigte húa Máel Úanaig
  • Thomas Arthur
    1593–1675
    Limerick physician educated at Bordeaux and a Catholic with an interest in devotional literature. One of his better known patients was bishop James Ussher, who at one time appears to have lent him a manuscript of the so-called Kilkenny recension of Latin lives of Irish saints. A manuscript of transcripts by Thomas is still extant.
  • William Gwavas
    1676–1741/2
    British barrister, Cornish-language scholar and collector.
  • John Colgan
    d. 1658
    Irish Franciscan at St Anthony’s College, Louvain; scholar, theologian, editor and hagiographer.
  • Samuel Bryson
    1778–1853
    Irish scribe from Belfast
  • Iolo Morganwg
    1747–1826
    Edward Williams, better known by the bardic name he chose for himself, Iolo Morganwg, was a Welsh poet and antiquarian as well as a literary forger.
  • Thomas Evans [of Hendreforfydd]
    fl. 1596–1633
  • Domhnall Ó Duibh Dá Bhoireann
    16th century
    Domhnall mac Aodha Ó Duibh Dá Bhoireann, main scribe of BL Egerton 88.
  • Ó Longáin family
    s. xviii–xix
    An Irish family of scribes who together produced hundreds of Irish-language manuscripts in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Art Mac Bionaid
    1793–1879
    Irish scholar, scribe and poet.
  • Seán Ó Conaire [ob. 1773]
    c.1739–1773
    Irish priest and scholar
  • Tadhg Ó Neachtain
    c.1670–c. 1752
    Irish scribe and scholar, son of Seán Ó Neachtain.
  • Seán Mac Gabhráin
    fl. early 18th c.
    Irish scribe.
  • Conaire Ó Cléirigh
    s. xvii
    A brother of Mícheál Ó Cléirigh and one of the occasional assistants of the Four Masters.
  • Authors

    A random selecton of authors and those so described.

  • Rhys Fardd
    fl. c.1460–1480
    Welsh vaticinatory poet.
  • Gregory the Great
    d. 604
    prefect and later, bishop of Rome known for instigating the mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons in Britain to the Christian faith. He is the author of a number of theological works, including the Dialogues, the Pastoral Rule, a commentary on the Book of Job, and many sermons and letters.
  • Guto'r Glyn
    fl. c.1431–c.1490
    Welsh poet who produced a substantial body of praise poetry. His patrons included men such as Sir Richard Gethin of Builth, William Herbert of Raglan, Sir Roger Kynaston of Knockin and Henry Griffith of Newcourt.
  • Philip Bocht Ó hUiginn
    d. 1487
    Philip Bocht (Poor) Ó hUiginn, Irish bardic poet, mainly of religious verse
  • Rhisierdyn
    fl. 14th c.
  • John Davies [of Mallwyd]
    d. 1644
    John Davies of Mallwyd, Welsh scholar, author of a Welsh grammar and dictionary
  • Marianus Scottus [Máel Brigte]
    fl. 1028–1082/3
  • Huw Jones
    1700?–1782
    Welsh poet, balladist and publisher.
  • Eoghan Ó Caoimh
    1656–1726
    Munster poet and scribe.
  • Mac Nía
  • Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel
    fl. 805–825/26
    Benedictine abbot of the monastery of Saint-Mihiel; scholar. Earlier scholarship suggested that he was of Irish or insular origin, or had spent time in an insular monastery, but more recent views favour a southern, perhaps Visigothic, background.
  • Cuanu [author of Liber Cuanach]
    author of Liber Cuanach; identified by Mc Carthy with Cúán úa Lothcháin
  • Ingomar
  • Aldfrith [king of Northumbria]
    d. 704/705
    Aldfrith son of Oswiu, king of Northumbria
  • Torna Ó Maoil Chonaire
    ob. 1468
    Irish poet, ollamh of the Uí Chonchobhair.