348 [Proc. B. N. F. C. 



be traced generation by generation. * * * On the 22nd 

 day of the month of January, a.d. 1632, this book was com- 

 menced in the convent of Dun na ngall, and it was finished in 

 the same convent on the loth day of August, 1636, the eleventh 

 year of the reign of our King Charles over England, France, 

 Alba, and over Eire. — Your affectionate friend, Brother 

 Michael O'Clery." O'Clery having thus collected his mate- 

 rials, and having found a patron willing both to identify him- 

 self with the undertaking and to defray its expenses, he betook 

 himself to the quiet solitude of the monastery of Donegal, then 

 presided over by his brother. Father Bernardine O'Clery, where 

 he arranged his collections of ancient books, and gathered 

 about him such assistants as he had known by experience to be 

 well qualified to carry out his intentions in the selection and 

 treatment of his vast materials. In the copy of the work pre- 

 sented to Ferral O'Gara, the chiefs of the abbey of Donegal 

 inserted a testimonium as to the labours of the four scribes. 

 The part of this which is specially of value to us is that in 

 which they enumerate the ancient books (manuscripts) brought 

 together by the Four Masters, and from which they compiled 

 their great work, and they testify to having seen these in the 

 hands of the Four Masters while the work was in progress. 

 The testimonium goes on to say — " The old books (manuscripts) 

 which they collected were the ' Annals of Clonmacnoise,' an 

 abbey founded by Holy Kieran, son of the carpenter ; * The 

 Annals of the Island of Saints on Lough Rive' (Ree) ; 'The 

 Annals of Senat MacMagnus on Lough Erne' (now called 

 ' The Annals of Ulster') ; ^The Annals of the O'Maolconarys' ; 

 ' The Annals of Kilronan,' compiled by the O'Duigenans ; and 

 ' The Annals of Lacan,' compiled by the MacFirbisses," as well 

 as other books of less account. Most of these books are now 

 unknown, and are probably no longer in existence, and had 

 Michael O'Clery and his companions not undertaken their work 

 at the time they did, many of the facts they record would have 

 been lost for ever ; for their labours were hardly concluded 

 when the great rebellion of 1641 broke out, and the country 



