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171

NÓTAÍ

ĠAḂANN LE TUAIRISC AN UĠDAIR.

BRYAN MERRYMAN.—Depending on the approximations of O'Daly and O'Donovan for the date of Merryman's death, I had gone carefully through the pages of Irish Newspapers and Magazines for 1808, and for the two years preceding it as well as for 1809 and 1810, but without success. When the first sheets of the book had been printed off, however, I was fortunate enough to have my attention drawn by Mr. D. J. O'Donoghue, Librarian, National University, Dublin to an entry in the obituary column of Walker's "Hibernian Magazine" for August, 1805, reading:—

"At Limerick, mr. Bryan Merryman, teacher of the mathematics."

This led to my finding another obituary announcement in Faulker's "Dublin Journal" for Thursday, 1st August, 1805:—

"At Limerick, after a few hours illness, Mr. Bryan Merryman, teacher of mathematics."

Miss Eleanor Hull, Hon. Sec. Irish Texts Society. London, kindly examined for me the July numbers, in the British Museum, of the "General Advertiser and Limerick Gazette," and found in the issue of that paper for Monday, 29th July, 1805, the following:—

"DIED

On Saturday morning, in old Clare-street, after a few hours' illness, Mr. Bryan Merryman, teacher of Mathematics, etc."

In this brief notice we have clearly on record the place, day, date, and almost the very moment of the passing away of the author of "Cúirt an Ṁeaḋon Oiḋċe." We can now state that he retired to rest in his usual health on the Friday night, and died on Saturday morning, 27th July, 1805. The only important detail omitted in the notice was his age.

Thus, the account given many years ago in Limerick, by an acquaintance of Bryan's, to Walter and James Molony, and by them transmitted to Mr. Michael Keating, B.A., Feakle, to the effect that