The Book of Fermoy (, aka RIA MS 23 E 29 or the Book of Roche, leabhar de Róiste) is a medieval Irish text dated to the 14th to 16th century AD. The majority of the book consists of a compendium of poems, historical tracts and genealogies related to the medieval Roche family compiled in the 1450s and 1460s.
History The book was written in the Irish language in the fifteenth century by several scribes. The 238 pages contain numerous tales, histories, and biographies. James Henthorn Todd acquired the work in 1858 – he suggested the title "Book of Roche" would be equally applicable to the work on account of the large quantity of content relating to the history of the Roche family of Fermoy; one "David [Mór] son of Maurice son of John Roche" is mentioned in the text as a patron of one set of scribes.
Contents Summary based on Todd (1868). Folio numbering follows Eugene O'Curry's added pagination as in Todd. (a/b refer to each side of the page) FolioTitle or incipitContent notes1-8 Leabhar Gabhála Part of the Leabhar Gabhála including the biblical beginnings to the history of Partholon and Nemed9-23"Book of Fermoy" (according to )Numbered from p. 22, suggesting loss of earlier content.
Contents include "Legend of Mór Mumham", including "Elopement of Ruithcearna with Cuana mac Cailcin"24Bai Fingen mac Lucta aidchi Samna i nDruim FinginStory of fifty wonders witnessed when Conn of the Hundred Battles was born, as related to Fingen mac Luchta King of Munster25Cia so agras coir um CruachainPoem on the right of sovereignty of Connaught26Mor loites lucht an indluigPoem "Much do slandering people destroy" 27Baile suthach Sith Emhna"The fairy hill of Sith Emhna", written in praise of Raghnall mac Gofraidh, King of the Isles28Gerr o dob inghill mna MumhanThought to be an elegy to Siubhan daughter of Cormac Mac Carthy29-31Incipit Cath Crinda"Here begins the battle of Criman" - relating to the rise of Cormac mac Airt as a king of Ireland32Bruíden Meic dareo annso sísana"The court of the son of Daire" Rebellion of the Athech-Tuatha against the Milesians33a Aní diaroibe in Ces for Ultaibh só sisAccount of the origin of the debility of the Ultonians33bCinaeth O'Hartigan cecinitPoem describing the death and burials of the seven sons of Aedh Slaine (Áed Sláine)33bFothad na Canoine cecinitPoem to Aedh Oirnighe on becoming King of Ireland 79334bIndarba Mochuda ar RaithinAccount of the banishment of St. Mochuda from Raithin38-42Betha Sain SeoirsíLife of Saint George42b-43Scēl Saltrach na MuiceStory of the Pigs 44-48Destruction of Jerusalem under Vespasian and Titus48bIndescipherable poem49-50Tochmarc TreblainneThe courtship of Treblainn, daughter of Cairbre Niafar, King of Leinster, by Froech, son of Fidach, of the Firbolgs51Tale of Cairbre Crom, King of Hy Maine, Connaught, his murder, and restoration by St. Ciaran of Clonnmacnois51b-55Biography of Conn of the Hundred Battles56Eulogy poem to David Mac Muiris Roche, Lord of Fermoy57aAroile duine truagh bochtTale of a poor man and King David57aCeitre hairdi an domain; toir, tiar, ter, tuaighAccount of four people (corresponding to the points of a compass) who lived through the deluge57aDá mac amhra..Legend relating to King David57a-58a Bo bí aroile urraíghiLife and Martyrdom of St. Juliana58aTuaruscbail Iudáis ScairiothAccount of Judas Iscariot; relating to a legend of St. Brendan58bMearugud Clereach ColuimcilleAccount of the journeys of two of St. Columcille's clerics59bBeatha Bairre Corcaídhe annso sís"The Life of Barre of Cork"60a-61bBeata MolagaLife of Saint Molaga61bEctra Cormaic macAirtAdventures of Cormaic macAirt62bAcso ant adhbhar fanabar Domnach Crom DubhTale on origin of the name Crom Dubh Sunday63-72aAccount of the life of Christ, and acts of successive Roman emperors to the destruction of the Temple under Titus72aAroile oglach do bí in abdaine DrumanaighFool story72b-73aDa bron flatha nime..Story of the biblical Elias and Enoch 73aExtracts from the life of St. Ambrose73bblank74-74bGabum dechmadh ar ndana13th C.religious poem by Donnchadh Mór O'Daly, abbot of Boyle (incomplete)75aGarb eirge idhna bhrathaJudgement day poem by Donnchadh Mór O'Daly75aO Mhuire, a mathair ar natharPoem to the Virgin Mary76bMianna Cormaic mic AirtPoem "The Desires of Cormac Mac Airt"76bGearoid Iarla dochum na Fuatha bega sosiisPoem attributed to Gerald, fourth Earl of Desmond (d.1397)77aO mnaib ainmnighther Eri"From women Eri is named" Pangyric to the wife of David son of Morris Roche, daughter of O'Brien77bEogan mac Conchobair hi Dalaighe"Rogan, son of Conchobhair O'Dalaighe" Pangyric to the wife of David son of Morris Roche, daughter of O'Brien78Cerball mac Conchobhair i Dhalaige"Cearbhall, son of Conchobhair, mac conchobair" Elegy to the wife of David son of Morris Roche, daughter of O'Brien79aA tegh beg tiaghar a tegh mór"From a small house people go to a big house". Pangyric on Diarmait O'Brien79bCath almhaine so"The battle of Almhain here" (prose) 80bLongarad Coisfhind amuig Tuatha..Legend of Longarad of Disert-LongaradSome missing leaves85a-88bFeacht naen dandeachadh Fiachna Find mac Baedain meic Murcertaigh meic MuredhaighLife of the 6th C. Mongan, son of Fiachna, King of Ulidia. Version of the Echtrae Mongain maic Fiachna89a-Feacht naen da roidhe conn .c. cathach mac Feidhlimigh rectmair mic Tuathail techtmair mic Feradaigh find fechtnaig..Tale of Conn of the Hundred Battles, his grief on death of Eithne Taebhfada, and the visitation of Becuma Cneisgel of the Tuatha de Danann (Version of Echtra Airt meic Cuind)92bMaelmuire magrath .cc..Poem, panygric to Emma daughter of the Earl of Desmond (14th. C)93a-96Poems, Pangyrics on David Roche of Fermoy96List of land of the estate of the Roches of Fermoy (partly illegible)
Schedule of rents97missing98Account of early colonists of Ireland, and of Tuan mac Cairill98b Bliadain don cuaille co certVerses on the lifespans of men and animals, and on durations of tillage in fields99a(Loss of pages) Last page of the Tale of Lady Eithne99bFintan and the Hawk of Achill100aEnd of (incomplete) poem. Characters include Cormac and Diarmid mag Carthaigh100a-103a18 short poems. Possible school lessons or practice103aMuircheartach O Floinn .cc.Poem in praise of Mór and Johanna. daughters of Owen Mac Carthy103bEogan mac Aenguis dalaighPoem in praise of Johanna wife of David Roche of Fermoy104More poems similar to those on folios 100-103105a-Imrumh churaigh ua corraVersion of The Voyage of the Uí Chorra109Righal nell noigiallaigh os clann Ethach, anso"Inauguration of Niall of the Nine Hostages over the clann Eochaidh"110Cesta grega andso"Greek questions here"111-116Altromh tighi da medarLegend of Eithne, daughter of Dichu. The poems Dena damh a cana pen, Denum impodh inisnimhuch, Goirid mhe a muintir nimhe, and Cluittir libh fert fiail Ethne are inserted in the latter part of the tale.166bEoghan mor u daligh .cc.Poem beginning "Teach me, O' Mary", partly illegible117aPoem on the crucifixion and passion of Christ117b-119aBrian o huiginnPoem. Pangyric on David son of Maurice Roche, contains a list of places he had plundered in Munster119a-120aSeaan og mac rait .cc.Poem in praise of the territory held by David son of Morris Roche, of Fermoy120aOMaothagan .cc.Poem in praise of Cathilin mother of David son of Morris Roche121aCormac mac Eoghain u DalaigPoem in praise of Cathilin, daughter of Tadgh Mac Carthy, mother of David son of Morris Roche121bUa Maethagan .cc.Poem in praise of Morris, son of Morris Roche121bNote (in English) stating "The former pages of this Book, from the beginning to this page, was 288"122Formerly black, now scribbled. Including notes by latter editors including William O'Hara (1805), and Eugene O'Curry (1858)123aPoem in praise of Cathilin, daughter of Tadhg Mac Carthy123bMaithiar mór o cillin .cc.Poem. Difficult to read124-126Tochmarc EmireFragments of the "Wooing of Emer"127Page apparently not numbered by mistake by O'Curry128-129Druighean da DeargaVersion of the tale "Palace of Da-Dearga" (Togail Bruidne Dá Derga), concerning the death of Connaire MórRemainderThe remainder of the work contains medical tracts, which did not consider formed part of the "Book of Fermoy". A final fragment has the conclusion of a religious tract
References
Sources
O'Neill, Timothy. The Irish Hand: Scribes and Their Manuscripts From the Earliest Times. Cork: Cork University Press, 2014.
External links