90 Royal Irish Academy. 



Dec. 2ncl, 1878, declaring his willingness to withdraw if it were decided 

 that he had been entrusted with the duty merely in his capacity of 

 Librarian ; but, otherwise, expressing his desire to continue and com- 

 plete the work with which he had been charged by the Resolution of 

 the Committee. Council on that occasion directed that a Report should 

 "be made of all the Resolutions passed in reference to the editorship of 

 the Book of Leinster. This Report was accordingly prepared and pre- 

 sented at the Meeting of 20th January, 1879, to the Council, who 

 decided that it should be referred to this Committee, as involving a 

 matter primarily within their jurisdiction. Accordingly, in pursuance 

 of this reference, the Committee took the Report into their consi- 

 deration, and passed the following Resolution : — 



" That, by their Resolution of the 22nd April, 1876, this Committee- 

 appointed Dr. Atkinson, therein described by his then official designa- 

 tion of Librarian, to supervise the publication of the Book of Leinster 

 in its passage through the press, and, on the completion of the work^ 

 to prepare such prefatory matter as might seem to him suitable as an 

 introduction to the work ; 



" That such duty was entrusted to him on the ground of his per- 

 sonal fitness to discharge it, and not in his official character as Libra- 

 rian for the time being ; and « 



"That the Committee therefore consider that Dr. Atkinson con- 

 tinues to be still charged with the duties so entrusted to him." 



Mr. Gilbert has not, however, accepted their construction of their 

 own Resolution, and does not withdraw his claims. 



Dr. Atkinson, being thus authoritatively recognised as the respon- 

 sible editor, then took steps to prepare his introduction to the work^ 

 and accordingly, as was natural, applied to Professor O'Looney to be- 

 furnished with the catalogue referred to in the Minutes of the 14th 

 December, 1872, and which had been submitted by him to the Academy 

 in the year 1873, and which, therefore, should have been in the 

 possession of the Academy. Professor O'Looney, who had, up to this- 

 time, Dr. Atkinson informs the Committee, worked harmoniously 

 under his supervision, declined to furnish the catalogue. On this- 

 refusal being made known to the Committee, they passed a Resolution 

 on 15th February, 1879 :— 



"That, observing in the minutes that a descriptive catalogue of 

 the Book of Leinster by Professor O'Looney was laid before the Com- 

 mittee on the 14th December, 1872, Professor O'Looney be requested 



