340 



This extract, taken in connexion with the entry in the 

 Oxford MS., is exceedingly curious, as it notices the fact 

 that Thomas Earl of Desmond was learned in ancient Irish 

 writings ; and therefore incidentally confirms the probability 

 of his accepting ancient MSS. as a ransom for the Mac 

 Richard. The place called Bally-in-spoill is now unknown ; 

 but from the record in the Book of Pedigrees it seems pro- 

 bable that it was a village on the banks of the Suir. 



4. Another interesting entry, which enables us to date 

 one portion of the volume, occurs on fol. 86, a, in the hand- 

 writing of the original scribe, at the end of a very valuable 

 fragment of Cormac's Glossary : 



l]' h-e analao in nj^epna in The year of our Lord when 



uaip DO pcpibao in panapan po this Glossary of tlie Psalter was 

 na palcpac, .i. mile bliaoan written, was 1453; on the 5th 

 ajup ceicpi .c. bliaoan ajup day of the month of February, 

 qii bbaona Dec, ajup Da .n. m and the eighth day of the moon. 

 cuiceDlaDomi pebpaajupin I am John Boy O'Clery who 

 coccmao la oon epca. llTipi wrote it, and for Edmund Butler 

 peaan buiDi o cleipi do pcpib, MacHichard was it written, 

 ajup D'emann buicilep m*^ pip- 

 cepo DO pcpibao. 



It appears therefore that this portion of the volume was 

 transcribed (doubtless from much more ancient documents, 

 perhaps from the veritable Psalter of Cashel itself) in the 

 middle of the fifteenth century for Sir Edmund Butler, 

 commonly called Mac Richard ; and that it subsequently 

 passed into the family of Desmond, having been received in 

 ransom of Mac Richard by Thomas Earl of Desmond. 



This MS. having been for the last two centuries in Eng- 

 land, appears to be wholly unknown to our historians. The 

 rules of the Bodleian Library do not permit its MSS. to be 

 lent, and as there is no accurate catalogue of the valuable, 



Annals, printed by the Irish Archaeological Society, p. 165, note , for a further 

 mention of Earl Thomas. 



