O’DONOVAN, John. Leabhar na g-Ceart, or The Book of Rights now for the first time Edited, with Translation and Notes.

Illustrated. Dublin: Printed for the Celtic Society at the University Press by M.H. Gill, 1847. Octavo. pp. lxvii, 326, [4 (Publishers list)]. Publishers blind stamped cloth, New cloth spine, titled in gilt. New front endpapers. Untrimmed. A very good copy.
Sharpe & Hoyne 743. Petrie A Irish Type.
At the front of the book is a statement signed by W. E. Hudson, who oversaw the work on this volume for the Society and thanks those who helped. He attributes the frontispiece to the artist Frederic W. Burton (1816-1900) [who painted ‘The Meeting On The Turret Stairs’]. “As classic as it is Irish,” it depicts the three writers Luke Wadding, Roderick O’Flaherty, and James Ussher and is captioned ‘Beatha an staraidhe firinne’ - The historian’s food is truth - Irish Proverb.
This was the first book produced by the Celtic Society, which had been set up in 1845 in reaction to what was perceived as the restrictive class-based outlook of the Irish Archaeological Society. The chief promoter of the new society was John O’Daly, while still based in Kilkenny. In September 1845 he put out proposals in a Prospectus. The Book of Rights gives an account of the rights of the monarchs of all Ireland, and the revenues payable to them by the principal kings of the several provinces, and of the stipends paid by monarchs to the inferior kings for their services. It also treats the rights and stipends of lesser and inferior provincial kings for their services. These accounts are given in verse form:
“Entitled is the king of Ui Fiachrach Fionn
To four ships with a boat
Thirty women large and hardy
And three drinking horns”.
According to the old authorities, St. Benen was the author of the original Book of Rights. The present transcripts of it were copied from much earlier texts dating from around the period of Brian Boru.

[Cat 162]