Fragmentary Annals of Ireland

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The Fragmentary Annals of Ireland are a Middle Irish combination of chronicle from various Irish annals and narrative history. They were compiled in the kingdom of Osraige, probably in the lifetime of Donnchad mac Gilla Patráic (died 1039), king of Osraige and of king of Leinster.

The Fragmentary Annals survive in a single example copied in 1643 by Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh from a lost fifteenth century original by Giolla na Naomh Mac Aodhagáin (died c.1443). Mac Fhirbhisigh's manuscript is incomplete and includes five fragments of annals beginning in 573 and ending in 914. The manuscript is currently held by the Royal Library of Belgium. What has survived joins the synopsis of the hypothetical Chronicle of Ireland.

Two modern editions of the Fragmentary Annals have been published:

  • John O'Donovan (editor & translator) Annals of Ireland: three fragments. (Dublin 1860)
  • Joan N. Radner (editor & translator) Fragmentary annals of Ireland (Dublin 1978)

References

  • Radner, Joan N., "Writing history: Early Irish historiography and the significance of form", Celtica, volume 23, pp. 312–325. (etext (pdf))

See also

External links