Mac Carthaigh's Book
Encyclopedia
Mac Carthaigh’s Book is a collection of annals
of the period AD 1114
-1437
inclusive. It was compiled from earlier material by Fínghin Mac Carthaigh Mór
(c. 1562-1640) an Irish nobleman who was imprisoned for years in London. He was a patron of learning and a scholar in his own right. While in London in 1633 he employed Diarmaid Ó Súilleabháin who also kept the book in his castle until it was sacked by Radhulbh MacAmlaoibh, then his clan
took control of it, they copied and compiled these annals for him.
The original manuscript is currently preserved in the National Library of Ireland
. The annals were edited and translated by Séamus Ó hInnse and published in 1947 by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
under the title ‘Miscellaneous Irish Annals’.
Mac Carthaigh's Book is important as one of the few native records of events in southern Ireland for the period it covers and it provides us with some interesting information on the effect the Norman Invasion had on Munster. Besides relying on other Irish annals it drew upon some foreign sources, notably Giraldus Cambrensis
' Expugnatio Hibernica.
Annals
Annals are a concise form of historical representation which record events chronologically, year by year. The Oxford English Dictionary defines annals as "a narrative of events written year by year"...
of the period AD 1114
1114 in Ireland
-state leaders:*Domhnall MacLochlainn, High King of Ireland *Muircheartach Ua Briain...
-1437
1437 in Ireland
-Events:*Treatment of Foreign Merchants Act 1437*Last entry from Mac Carthaigh's Book...
inclusive. It was compiled from earlier material by Fínghin Mac Carthaigh Mór
Florence MacCarthy
Finnian or Fínghin mac Donnchadh Mac Cárthaigh , known to the English as Florence MacCarthy, was an Irish prince of the late 16th century and the last credible claimant to the MacCarthy Mór title before its suppression by English authority...
(c. 1562-1640) an Irish nobleman who was imprisoned for years in London. He was a patron of learning and a scholar in his own right. While in London in 1633 he employed Diarmaid Ó Súilleabháin who also kept the book in his castle until it was sacked by Radhulbh MacAmlaoibh, then his clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
took control of it, they copied and compiled these annals for him.
The original manuscript is currently preserved in the National Library of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
. The annals were edited and translated by Séamus Ó hInnse and published in 1947 by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Dublin, Ireland was established in 1940 by the Taoiseach of the time, Éamon de Valera under the . The Institute consists of 3 schools: The , the and the . The directors of these schools are currently Professor Werner Nahm, Professor Luke Drury and...
under the title ‘Miscellaneous Irish Annals’.
Mac Carthaigh's Book is important as one of the few native records of events in southern Ireland for the period it covers and it provides us with some interesting information on the effect the Norman Invasion had on Munster. Besides relying on other Irish annals it drew upon some foreign sources, notably Giraldus Cambrensis
Giraldus Cambrensis
Gerald of Wales , also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, archdeacon of Brecon, was a medieval clergyman and chronicler of his times...
' Expugnatio Hibernica.