History
Edward Lhuyd obtained the book from one of two sources; Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh about March 1700 at An Pháirc, An Spidéal; or from Dáithí Óg Ó Dubhda of Bunnyconnellan, County Sligo, in the same year. Ó Flaithbheartaigh and Ó Dubhda would have obtained them from Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, whose family created and preserved the book. Lhuyd bound together seventeen manuscripts as a single volume and dubbed them The Yellow Book of Lecan.
Some of the manuscripts were written by Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh between c.1398 and c.1417. Nollaig Ó Muraíle calls it
a great composite manuscripts. Ninety-nine folios of Giolla Isa's survive (which may be termed, for convenience, 'Leabhar Giolla Íosa' - LGÍ), containing some of the most important Irish literary texts from the Old and Middle Irish periods, including the only (virtually) complete copy of Rescension I of Táin Bó Cúailnge. Two colophons by Giolla Íosa indicate 1392 as the date of writing, though the work may not have been brought to completion for some years after that"
Giolla Íosa was assisted by his student, Murchadh Ó Cuindlis. Ó Cuinnlis penned an excellent manuscript in east Ormond (now County Tipperary in 1398-99) which is now part of YBL.
Giolla Íosa wrote that he wrote this book for himself and for his son after him, and elsewhere, that it was for himself and his family after him.
Ó Muraíle further states:"That is one index of Giolla Íosa Mac Fir Bhisigh's importance; to his scribal labours we owe the preservation of the most celebrated of medieval Irish tales, Táin Bó Cúailnge." (p. 23) YBL also contains Aided Nath Í, Togail Bruidne Da Derga, Táin Bó Fraích, Longes ma nUislenn; Dá Brón Flatha Nime and Mesca Ulad by his son, Tomás Cam Mac Firbhisigh.
In 1986 (see below) Professor Tomás Ó Concheanainn stated his belief that much of the Yellow Book of Lecan/Leabhar Giolla Íosa was derived from Leabhar Gleann Dá Locha (The Book of Glendalough) and Lebor na Nuachongbála now The Book of Leinster.
A fragment of the Yellow Book is in the hand of Solamh Ó Droma, one of the three scribes of the Book of Ballymote.
Lhuyd derived the title from a note by Ciothruadh Mac Fhirbhisigh:
ar an Buide Leacain anim an leabhair so; mise Cirruaidh mac Taidg Ruaidh/The Yellow Book of Lecan is the name of this book; I am Ciothruagh son of Taidg Ruaidh
Read more about this topic: Yellow Book Of Lecan
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