IOO [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



Irish literature is divided into three stages, ist, Old Irish, 

 8th to 1 2th century, as the Irish of the Book of Armagh ; some 

 passages in the Book of the Dun Cow, and the language of the 

 Glosses ; little of it is preserved in Ireland. This was the 

 classical age of the Celtic which after the Anglo-Norman 

 invasion gradually lost its purity and native simplicity. 2nd, 

 Middle Irish, 12- 15th century. This is the language of our 

 most important manuscripts, as the Book of Leinster, Book of 

 Dun Cow, Leabhar Breac, Book of Ballymote, and Annals of 

 the Four Masters. 3rd, Modern Irish, 1 5th century, till present 

 time, as Keating, Ossianic Tales, etc. 



Literature classified into — (1) Ecclesiastical and religious 

 writings; (2) annals, history, genealogy; (3) tales, historical 

 and romantic ; (4) law, medicine, and science. 



The Glosses are the most ancient extant of Irish literature ; 

 they consist of explanations of texts of Scripture. The " Book of 

 Armagh," early in 9th century, has some old Irish interspersed 

 through it. Tripartite life of St. Patrick, date from 8th to 

 10th century ; copies are in T.C.D., Oxford, and British 

 Museum. The " Leabhar na Geart," or " Book of Rights," 

 written about the 14th century ; copied from older manu- 

 scripts ; language very ancient in style. The " Leabhar na 

 Heera," or " Book of the Dun Cow" (nth century), now in the 

 Royal Irish Academy, contains romantic tales in prose, elegy 

 on St. Columkille, &c. The "Book of Leinster" (1160), in 

 Trinity College, Dublin, contains historical sketches, romantic 

 tales, topographical tracts, genealogies, &c. The " Leabhar 

 Breac," or " Speckled Book of MacEgan," in Royal Irish 

 Academy, date end of 14th century, contains a lot of Latin 

 mixed with Irish, and treats principally of religious subjects, 

 also lives of St. Brigid, St. Patrick, St. Columkille, and 

 Alexander the Great, date end of 14th century. " Book of 

 Ballymote," in Royal Irish Academy (date 1391)1 contains 

 prose and verse. '' The Yellow Book of Lecan " (1390), prose 

 and verse, ^historical, topographical, sketches of several battles, 

 &c. All the above five are published in fac-simile by the 



