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Acallam bec
prose
verse
A prosimetric narrative, related to Acallam na senórach, concerning the wanderings of Caílte and other survivors of the Fían at the time of Patrick’s advent in Ireland. While the dialogue between Patrick and a representative of Finn’s old fían is central to both Acallam na senórach and the later Agallamh na seanórach, the meeting between Patrick and Caílte occupies comparatively little space in this text.
Late Middle IrishEarly Modern IrishFinn Cycledialogue and question-and-answer literatureDialogue of the Elders
Dinnshenchas Érenn A, Dinnshenchas Érenn C
Dinnshenchas of Achall
verse
prose
beg. Achall ar aicce Temair
Cináed úa hArtacáin
Cináed úa hArtacáin
(d. 975)
Middle Irish poet.

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(ascr.)
Dinnshenchas poem mostly on Achall, i.e. the Hill of Skreen, Co. Meath, with prose on Duma nEirc and Duma nAichle. Both the poem and the prose text offer the story according to which Achall died of grief for her brother Erc, who was killed in vengeance for Cú Chulainn’s death, and was buried in the mound that would bear her name.
Middle IrishDinnshenchasUlster Cycledinnshenchasearly Irish verserevenge
Additamenta in the Book of Armagh
Entry forthcoming. View incoming data.
prose

A collection of charter-like records in Latin and Old Irish relating the activities of St Patrick in Ireland and the lands that were granted to him and his church. The collection can be divided into three parts: (1) a text about the foundation of Trim (Co. Meath), including an account of the conversion of Feidlimid son of Lóegaire mac Néill, king of Leinster; (2) a group of six records concerning churches in northern Connacht; and (3) a group of four records concerning churches in Leinster.

Old IrishLatin languagecharter textsIrish and Irish Latin hagiographyrecord sources for IrelandSaint PatrickLeinster/Cúige LaigheanConnacht/Cúige ChonnachtÁth Truimm ... TrimArd Macha ... Armagh
The advice to Doidin
form undefined
Early Irish tecosc-text in the form of legal advice addressed to one Doidin mac Nin(e).
Early IrishIrish wisdom literatureearly Irish legal textsDoidin mac Nine
Agallamh Leborchaim
form undefined
beg. A ingen a lúath, a láeb, a Leborcham, cía Ultu ána acca?

A prose introduction, including a list of Ulster women, and passage of rosc that are found as part of the early Irish tale Talland Étair. According to the tale, Leborcham is sent north to warn the wives of Ulster heroes and notables of the impending misfortunes of their husbands in battle. Her warning is uttered in the form of a rosc in which she presents a vision of the bloody outcome of the fight. Scholars like Dobbs have regarded the text as an interpolation, although this view may be open to debate.

Late Old IrishEarly Middle IrishUlster Cycleretoiric or rosc(ad)Leborcham
Aí Cana (lost)
prose
An early Irish legal text that is known only through allusions to it made elsewhere as one of the four ‘canons’ of poetic knowledge.
early Irish legal texts
Aí Cermnai
prose
An early Irish legal text, largely lost except for a fragment in a commentary on Cóic conara fugill. It is known through allusions to it made elsewhere as one of the four ‘canons’ of poetic knowledge.
Early Irishearly Irish legal texts
Aí Emnach
form undefined
An early Irish legal text, of which only one fragment has been identified.
Old Irishearly Irish legal texts
Aided Finn (Egerton 92)
form undefined
Fragment of a text relating a version of the story of Finn's death. Finn is said to have died in old age while attempting to leap the River Boyne over a place called Léimm (Find). His body is discovered by Aiclech, son of Dub Drenn, and the three sons of Urgriu. Aiclech severs the head and for this act, he is slain by his three companions.
Late Old IrishEarly Middle IrishFinn CycleFinn mac Cumaill (Find úa Báiscni)River Boyne
Aided Finn (Laud fragment)
form undefined
Fragment of a text relating a version of the story of the Finn's death. The Laud manuscript preserves the beginning of the text only. Another fragment, possibly of the same text, is preserved in Egerton 92.
Finn CycleFinn mac Cumaill (Find úa Báiscni)
Aided óenfir Aífe
prose
Short tale about the only son of Cú Chulainn and Aífe, and the boy’s death at the hands of his father. This entry covers two versions: (1) AOA I = a late Old Irish text preserved in the Yellow Book of Lecan, which is the best known version, and (2) AOA II = a younger, much abridged version in TCD 1336, which serves to introduce the topic of legal accountability and compensation (corpdíre).
Ulster CycleAífe ingen AirdgemeCú ChulainnConchobar mac NessaConnla (var. Connláech) or Conlaor Óenfir Aífe (‘Aífe’s only son’)ScáthachTrácht Éise
Aígidecht Aithirni
prose
verse
prosimetrum
The short prose text includes eight poems ascribed to Athirne.
Middle IrishUlster CycleIrish narrative literature about poetsAmairgen mac Eccit (Salaig)Athirne
Dinnshenchas Érenn C supplement
Dinnshenchas of Ailén Cobthaig
prose
verse
14 st.
beg. A Fedelm, a fholt-buide
Text on the dinnshenchas of Ailén Cobthaig
Middle IrishDinnshenchasdinnshenchasearly Irish verseAilén Cobthaig
Aingeal Dé dom dhín
verse
30 st.
beg. Aingeal Dé dom dhín

Irish poem of prayer for protection (30 qq). According to the editor, O’Nowlan, qq. 1–19 represent the original extent of the poem, ending as it does with a dúnad, while the remainder (beg. Dá apstol déc Dé) is an invocation that was added to the text.

Irish languagevernacular Irish verseIrish prayers and hymns
Aislinge Cormaic
prose
King Cormac mac Airt experiences a dream vision in which his wife Eithne Thóebfhota sleeps with the Ulsterman Eochu Gunnat and later returns to Cormac. The druids explains the dream to Cormac, saying that Eochu will be king of Tara for one year.(1)n. 1 31 note 109 Tomás Ó Cathasaigh, The heroic biography of Cormac mac Airt (1977).
Cycles of the KingsCormac mac AirtEochu Gunnat mac FéiccEithne Thóebfhota
Aithed Muire re Dub Ruis (lost)
Entry forthcoming. View incoming data.
prose

An early Irish tale known from the Middle Irish tale-lists (both A and B) but now lost. Its contents are unknown. A Dub Ruis appears in later narratives concerning his love affair with the Munster princess Mis but their relationship to the present text cannot be established.

Early Irishmiscellaneous textsDub Ruis
Dinnshenchas Érenn C, Dinnshenchas Érenn B
Dinnshenchas of Almu (prose)
prose
Dinnshenchas prose text on Almu (the Hill of Allen, Co. Kildare)
DinnshenchasFinn CycledinnshenchasAlmu/Cnoc Almaine ... Hill of Allen
Apair rim a Sétna
verse
20 st.
beg. Apair rim a Sétna
Late Middle Irish poem (20qq) in the form of a dialogue between Finnchú, saint of Brí Gobann (Brigown), and a certain Sétna, whose speech occupies the greater part of the text with prophecies of political upheaval and moral decline at the end of the world. The identity of this prophet is uncertain. The prose heading in one manuscript identifies him as Sétna of Clúain Becc (presumably Clonbeg, Co. Tipperary), but it may also be significant that in Irish genealogies, a Sétna is listed as either Finnchú’s father or his grandfather.
Late Middle IrishIrish syllabic verseIrish religious literaturevisions and eschatologydialogue and question-and-answer literatureliterature of political prophecyFinnchú of Brigownprophecies
Apocalypse of Thomas
Entry forthcoming. View incoming data.
prose

Apocryphal Latin text which gives an account of the signs that will supposedly appear in the final week before the Last Judgment. The vision is said to have been revealed by Christ to a certain Thomas, presumably the doubting apostle of that name. Different versions of the text have been transmitted, but a broad distinction is commonly made between (1) a short recension, which is possibly closest to the original, (2) an interpolated one, which contains a preface, and (3) various abbreviated texts.

Latin languagevisions and eschatologyapocryphal and pseudepigraphical literatureJesusThomas the Apostle
Dinnshenchas Érenn A, Dinnshenchas Érenn C
Dinnshenchas of Ard Lemnacht
verse
prose
beg. Senchas Arda Lemnacht láin
Text on the dinnshenchas of Ard Lemnacht.
Middle Irishearly Irish verseArd Lemnacht
Ars Bernensis
Entry forthcoming. View incoming data.
prose

Latin grammatical compilation thought to have been produced at an Irish or insular centre. It follows the model of Donatus' grammars and draws extensively on classical and Christian writings. No complete copy of the text survives. The extant sections are headed De partibus orationis, De nomine and De pronomine.

Latin languageHiberno-Latin literature and learning to c.1169: grammar
Ars Malsachani
Entry forthcoming. View incoming data.
form undefined
Malsachanus
Malsachanus
(s. viii)
Hiberno-Latin grammarian

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Latin grammatical treatise on the verb and the participle. In the Naples manuscript version of the text, there is also a section on nouns and pronoun but its relationship to the present text is unclear.
Latin languageHiberno-Latin literature and learning to c.1169: grammar
Dinnshenchas Érenn C supplement
Dinnshenchas of Áth Crocha
prose
verse
1 st.
beg. Atorchair leo na h-inis
Text on the dinnshenchas of Áth Crocha
Middle IrishDinnshenchasdinnshenchasearly Irish verseÁth Crocha
Dinnshenchas Érenn C supplement
Dinnshenchas of Athais Mide
prose
Text on the dinnshenchas of Athais Mide
Middle IrishdinnshenchasdinnshenchasAthais Mide
Dinnshenchas Érenn C, Dinnshenchas Érenn B
Dinnshenchas of Benn Boirche I
prose
verse
3 st.
beg. Boirche búadach, ba búaid fir
Text on the dinnshenchas of Benn Boirche
Middle IrishDinnshenchasdinnshenchasBenn Boirche

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What if appropriate information is missing?

Our datasets no doubt contain significant gaps that will have to be remedied, but this takes time. To compensate to some extent for situation, certain fallback values can be used to stand in for absent data, where possible:

  • Classification: Miscellaneous
  • Form: form undefined
  • Language: language undefined or unknown
  • Possible period: Date not defined

Some questions about possible strategies remain unsolved. For instance, should a text recorded as being written in Middle Irish but without a more precise indication of date be automatically assigned termini between 900 and 1199? But what if a modern scholar had written a poem in a decent attempt at Middle Irish? Should neo-Middle Irish get its own spot in the sunlight?