Texts

verse beg. Ard na scéla, a mheic na ccuach

  • Middle Irish
  • verse
  • Early Irish poetry

Poem in memory of Éicnechán mac Dálaig (d. 906), king of Tír Conaill.

First words (verse)
  • Ard na scéla, a mheic na ccuach
Author
Ascribed to: Flann mac Lonáin
Flann mac Lonáin
(d. 891 x 918)
early Irish poet; called ‘the Virgil of the Irish’ (Firgil Gáedel) and ‘King of the Poets of Ireland’ respectively.

See more
The eulogy proper — the first 55 stanzas in Dobbs’s edition — is attributed to Flann mac Lonáin. This is followed by an epilogue of later date, corresponding to §§ 56-64 of Dobb’s edition.
Manuscripts

Three independent copies (Dobbs):

ff. 62r–63r
beg. ‘Ard na scéla, a mheic na ccuach’
ff. 165v (line 16)–168r (line 11)
rubric: ‘Flann mac Lonáin Ollamh Connochd .cc.’
beg. ‘Ard do sgél a mic na ccúach’
f. 63v
rubric: ‘Flann mac Lonain ollam Connacht cecinit’
beg. ‘Ard do scela a mic na cuach’
Language
  • Middle Irish
  • Secondary language(s): Early Modern Irish
  • Middle Irish (?). The language of the epilogue is Early Modern Irish and has been dated to the 15th century (Dobbs).

Date
Cf. Katharine Simms, ‘The Donegal poems in the Book of Fenagh’, Ériu 58 (2008): 40–42.
Form
verse (primary)
Length
Number of stanzas: 64

Classification

Early Irish poetryEarly Irish poetry
...

Early Irish poetryEarly Irish poetry
...

Sources

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] [tr.] Dobbs, Margaret E. [ed. and tr.], “A poem ascribed to Flann mac Lonáin”, Ériu 17 (1955): 16–34.
Edition, with translation, based on RIA B iv 2
[ed.] OʼKeeffe, J. G. [ed.], “Eulogy of Echnechan son of Dálach king of Tír Conaill, † 906”, in: J. Fraser, Paul Grosjean, and J. G. OʼKeeffe (eds), Irish texts, fasciculus I, London, 1931. 54–62, i (corrigenda) + fasc. V: 100 (corrigenda).  
Edition of a poem ascribed to Flann mac Lonáin, beginning ‘Ard do scela a mic na cuach’; from Rawlinson B 504, fol. 63v
Celtic Digital Initiative: <link>
Edition of the poem from Rawlinson B 514.
Contributors
C. A., Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
May 2012, last updated: January 2024