34 The Rev. J. H. Todd on an Ancient Irish Missal. 



died A. D. 704. He has, however, omitted to notice the fact that this Litany 

 is not in the original hand of the MS., but in the later handwriting, of which 

 I have several times spoken. The date, therefore, which is thus obtained 

 applies to all these additions, made, as we have seen, by one Maolcaich ; and, 

 as they must, therefore, be referred to the eighth century, they furnish a strong 

 additional evidence of the very high antiquity of the original Missal. 



Dr. O'CoNOR proceeds to describe the contents of the MS. as follows : — " The 

 Litanies are followed by the Agnus Dei, and then by a short prayer wliich is 

 ascribed to St. Ambrose : after which another commemoration begins of all the 

 principal saints of the Old Testament, followed by Apostles, Martyrs, &c., down 

 to St. Patrick. Forty-six others follow him, all Irish, the latest of whom is 

 St. Kevin, the founder of Glendaloch. So that here again is a second enumer- 

 ation of Irish worthies, terminating before the middle of the seventh page." 

 Here again Dr. O'Conor omits the fact that this second "enumeration of Irish 

 worthies" is also in the more recent hand, which is thus again referred to the 

 same period as before. Dr. O'Conor proceeds : — 



" The Missa Cotidiana is followed by the Missa apostolorum et martirum 

 et sanctorum et sanctarum virginum, Missa pro pcenitentibus vivis, Missa pro 

 mortuis." 



I unfortunately neglected to note whether the " Missa pro mortuis" is in 

 the original or in the more modern hand — a matter of considerable interest, as 

 some would deem it an objection to the high antiquity of the original MS., 

 that it contained such an Office. 



At p. 70 the Missal terminates, and the Ordo Baptismi begins, giving the 

 rites and ceremonies of baptism, as practised in the ancient Irish Church, and 

 occupying 41 pages. At the end there are three or four pages more, contain- 

 ing a tract in very ancient Irish, of which Dr. O'Conor takes no notice. It is 

 probable that he found it difficult to read, as I confess I myself did also. But 

 I could very easily have transcribed it, and would have done so, if the noble 

 possessor of this most interesting relic of our Church would have consented. 

 It appeared to be a general explanation of the Mass, and, if it were made public, 

 it would, 1 have no doubt, be of great value, as establishing what the doctrine 

 of the Irish Church on the subject of the Eucharist at that early period was. 



