12 Mr. Petrie on the Book of Mac Firbis. 



here it may not be improper to state, that the existence of this amended abstract 

 was unknown to Charles O' Conor of Belanagare, the best informed Irish scholar 

 of the last century, though he was aware of Mac Firbis's intention of writing it, 

 as he thus states, in speaking of the original work, in his preface to Ogygia Vin- 

 dicated, p. ix. " Of that work Mac Firbis intended a second draught, (as he 

 intimates,) with amendments and corrections, but whether he executed his design 

 we cannot learn." In this abstract the compiler re-wrote many introductory pas- 

 sages, corrected many errors, continued the pedigrees in many instances down 

 to that period, and added many collateral names not included in the original 

 work. In our transcript all these improvements, corrections, and additions have 

 been carefully inserted from both works ; and that they should not be con- 

 founded with the text of the original, they are all distinguished by marginal 

 references to the works from which they have been taken. In like manner 

 it has been deemed proper to distinguish several marginal observations which 

 occur in the original, and which were written by Charles O' Conor. 



The transcript has been made by Mr. Eugene Curry, a person in every way 

 qualified to do justice to the undertaking, whether as an Irish scholar, or a faithful 

 scribe ; and the labour and zeal which he has devoted to the work, are deserving 

 of the highest praise. With a transcript from his hands we must have felt satis- 

 fied ; but that no doubt whatever should exist of its perfection, the critical skill 

 of another Irish scholar of the highest distinction has been called into exercise, 

 and applied with an equal degree of patient ardour, — I need scarcely say that I 

 allude to Mr. J, O' Donovan, by whom the whole work, word for word, and letter 

 for letter, has been most carefully compared with the original. 



In connexion with a notice of a work so important, it would not be improper 

 to add some biographical account of its author ; unfortunately, however, but 

 few materials now exist to enable me to give such a sketch as would be satis- 

 factory, or as the subject deserves. 



Of his private history, all that is known may be told in a few words. He 

 was a native of Lecan, in the county of Sligo, called Lecan Mac Firbis, from 

 his ancestors, who, from the earliest times, were hereditary historians and anti- 

 quaries of the lower Connaught. It is to them that we owe the valuable manu- 

 script volume called the Book of Lecan, which was compiled in the 14th century, 

 and which is now one of the distinguished boasts of our library. 



