A prosopography of poets, writers and scholars from Thomond

The list presented here forms a promptuarium or brief repository of detail on the poets, writers and scholars from the territory historically known as Thomond ( Tuadhmhumhain ). The list is neither exhaustive nor complete, but rather is a circumscribed enumeration of entries that draw from references in the annals, manuscripts and prose texts. The list is presented here in chronological form and entries are restricted to summary details of chief literary works, the location of scholarly individuals (if known) and other relevant particulars. The purpose of presenting this list is to aid the general reader and researcher alike in identifying individuals who contributed to the classical Irish literary tradition from the early medieval period to the beginning of the twentieth century. The compilation of lists of Irish poets and scholars has a long pedigree and can be traced to medieval author-lists. While much labour has been expended on past endeavours to produce a comprehensive listing of the literati of Ireland, what is attempted here is a more limited endeavour. The scope of this list is confined to the literati of Thomond and whose literary work—or whose role as manuscript custodians, scribes or amanuenses—contributed to, or in some way helped forward, the classical Irish literary tradition. This list stands as a modern contribution to the venerable tradition of listing the Irish literati and their works.