Three Historical Poems Ascribed to Gilla Cóemáin: A Critical Edition of the Work of an Eleventh-Century Irish Scholar

This book on Gilla Cóemáin’s poetry has its genesis in a thesis which was examined for the degree of D. Phil. at the University of Oxford in January 1997. There are five poems which have been ascribed with a high degree of consistency to Gilla Cóemáin in manuscripts dating from the mid-twelfth to the nineteenth century. These are: 'Hériu ard inis na rríg' ('Hériu ard'), 'At-tá sund forba fessa' ('At-tá sund'), 'Annálad anall uile' ('Annálad'), 'Góedel Glas ó tát Goídil' ('Góedel Glas'), and 'Tigernmas mac Follaig aird'. The first three have been edited in the present work. Two of our three poems, 'At-tá sund', and 'Annálad' were written in the shadow of 'Lebor Gabála Éirenn', but do not form part of that prose-verse text. However, it is fair to conclude that the first poem, 'Hériu ard' did form a part of R1 (recension a) from at least the twelfth-century since its first couplet is quoted in the 'Book of Leinster' (L) copy of that redaction. 1. Gilla Cóemáin and his Work // 2. Manuscripts and Ascriptions // 3. Examination of the Manuscripts and Relationship of the Manuscripts // 4. Editorial Policy // 5. Analogues and Possible Sources // 6. Metre // 7. Language and Dating // 8. Texts and Translation: I. 'Hériu ard inis na rríg' – II. 'At-tá sund forba fessa' – III. 'Annálad anall uile' 9. Textual Notes and Commentary // Appendices: Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing 'Hériu ard inis na rríg' – Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing 'At-tá sund forba fessa' – Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing 'Annálad anall uile' – Metrical Ornamentation in the Poetry of Gilla Cóemáin, Flann Mainistrech, Gilla Mo Dutu and Airbertach Mac Coisse – Concordance of Extra and Other Significant Quatrains in 'Hériu ard' // Bibliography – Index of Personal Names – Index of Place and Population Names.