The Annals of Ulster are a chronicle of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 and AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhri Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the province of Ulster. Later entries (up to AD 1540) were added by others.
Previous annals dating as far back as the 7th century were used as a source for the earlier entries, and later entries were based on recollection and oral history. A century later, the annals were themselves in turn to become an important source for the authors of the Annals of the Four Masters. The language used was Irish, with some entries in Latin. Because the earlier annals are copied verbatim, the annals are useful not just for historians, but also for linguists studying the evolution of the Irish language.
The library of Trinity College Dublin possesses the original manuscript, although the Bodleian Library in Oxford has a contemporary copy which fills some of the gaps in the original. There are two main modern English translations of the annals — Mac Airt and Mac Niocaill (1983) and MacCarthy (1893).
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Last updated: 10-18-2005 15:55:44
