560 



vered, and renders it a matter of great congratulation to the 

 friends of Irish history that they have been transcribed, and 

 their contents made accessible to Irish scholars. The Mar- 

 tyrology of Donegal was not altogether the work of Michael 

 O'Clery, although he was probably the principal com- 

 piler. He was assisted, as Colgan tells us, by the other three 

 antiquaries, who were also his colleagues in the compilation 

 of the Annals of the Four Masters ; and there were likewise 

 others in the Convent of Donegal, who gave their aid by sup- 

 plying notices of those Irish saints who had lived in foreign 

 countries, or whose acts were recorded by foreign historians. 

 The MS. which contains this valuable work is divided into 

 two parts. In the first part the saints are in the order of the 

 months of the year, at the days on which their memories were 

 honoured in Ireland. In the second part the names of the 

 saints are arranged alphabetically. In both parts several cu- 

 rious notices occur incidentally, in which ancient books, not 

 now known to exist, are quoted, and in which ancient croziers, 

 shrines, and reliquaries, are mentioned, most of which have 

 entirely disappeared. A note at the end of the volume informs 

 us that the Martyrology was begun and finished in the Con- 

 vent of Donegal, and that it was completed on the 19th of 

 April, 1630. 



The second volume is even still more important, for it 

 contains copies of some of the original documents from which 

 the former work w as compiled. These are also in the autograph 

 of Michael O'Clery, transcribed by him from ancient MSS., 

 which have probably long since perished. Tlie first sixty-seven 

 pages of the volume are occupied with some ancient poems in 

 the Irish language, all bearing out the history of thelrish saints, 

 with several other documents of very great interest to the 

 student of church history. Amongst them are the Confession, 

 or Litany of St. Kiaran, the Lorica (as it is called) of St. 

 Columbkille, the history of the twelve apostles of Ireland, 

 &c. This portion of the volume contains also the only copies 



