HENNESSY, William H. Ed. by. The Annals of Loch Cé. A Chronicle of Irish Affairs from A.D. 1014 to A.D. 1590.

Two volumes. Folding litho frontispiece of manuscript. London: Longman & Co., 1871. Royal octavo. pp. (1) 653, (2) 689. Title-pages printed in red and black. With a folding lithographic facsimile of MS H.1.9 (TCD) as frontispiece. Quarter roan over cloth boards, titled in gilt. Light rubbing to extremities only; previous owner’s signature on the front free endpaper. A near-fine, clean and complete set of an increasingly hard-to-find foundational Irish historical text.

These Annals were compiled under the patronage of Brian MacDermott, Chief of Moylurg and begin with the Battle of Clontarf and continue up to 1636, the later entries being additions to the original compilation. They are a primary source for the history of north Connaught. Dr. Leland presented T.C.D. with the original MS. The Annals of Loch Cé remain one of the great monuments of Irish medieval historiography, preserving a continuous chronicle of Connacht affairs from the aftermath of Clontarf (1014) to the closing years of the sixteenth century. Compiled at the Franciscan centre on Lough Key, the annals record dynastic successions, inter-clan conflicts, church foundations, famines, natural events, and the shifting political world of the O’Conor, MacDermot and De Burgh lordships.
Hennessy’s 1871 first edition, issued as part of the Rolls Series, was the first rigorous scholarly treatment of the text, based principally on the important Trinity College manuscript H.1.9. His careful transcription, chronological alignment, variant readings, and orthographic clarity have ensured its lasting authority. The work remains essential for researchers of Gaelic Ireland, genealogy, territorial history, and the wider annalistic tradition.

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