This diverse collection of medieval Irish records, written in Latin and French between 1172 and 1320, was first published for the Rolls Series in 1870. It was edited by the pioneering antiquary and archivist Sir John Thomas Gilbert (1829–98), who selected the documents primarily from archives in Dublin. The assembled material concerns the early administration of the English settlement in Ireland, touching on a variety of topics, including international trade, municipal elections, maintenance of urban defences, administration of Church lands, alcohol taxes and the grievances of ordinary citizens. As such, this is an invaluable aid in the study of medieval Irish economic, political, social and administrative history. The material is divided into ninety-seven separate sections and is supplemented by fifteen appendices, all of which are summarised in English. A discussion of the principal manuscripts and a general index accompany the text.
