Texts

Leabhar Branach ‘The book of the O’Byrnes’

  • Early Modern Irish
  • verse
  • Classical Irish poetry
A collection of bardic poetry written for and addressed to the Ó Broin (O’Byrne) chieftains of Co. Wicklow, the main sept of Gábhail Raghnaill. According to its modern editor, Seán Mac Airt, the “Leabhar Branach, apart from its linguistic value, is important in that it affords us some insight from an Irish standpoint into the life and fortunes of a sept bordering the Pale, during an interesting if unhappy era of our history” (vii).
Author
compiled by Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig
Manuscripts
(Unidentified)
The original manuscript written by Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig in the early part of the 17th century is now lost.
A direct transcript of Mac Giolla Phádraig's autograph manuscript.
Extracts
London, British Library, MS Egerton 176
Language
  • Early Modern Irish
Date
16th and early 17th centuries
Form
verse (primary)

Classification

Classical Irish poetryClassical Irish poetry
...

Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] Mac Airt, Seán [ed.], Leabhar Branach: The book of the O’Byrnes, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1944.
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
July 2012, last updated: January 2024