The narrative comes to an abrupt end on the 28th line of page forty-four; "Tanic trí mile saigdeor ón Pharlemeint i nÁth C. i n-aghaidh Laighneach agus each...." It is housed at the Boole Library at University College, Cork, as MS 3.
Charles Dillon concurs, stating that The Cín Lae was written in abbreviated form, apparently as a memory aid to the author who may have intended to produce a fuller history of the period at a later date.
The text begins thus: One the eve of the Feast of Saint John Capistranus the lords of Ulster planned to seize in one night, unknown to the English and the Scots, all their walled towns, castles and bawns.
[Saturday 23 October 1641, Old Style] On one occasion Ó Mealláin describes O'Neill rousing the troops: Do bhí an General ag teagasc imeasc an tsloigh.
Atá, daoine san tír, Cathanaigh, Duibhlinigh, muinter Ara, Ibh Eathach agus clann Aodh Bui uile an Ruta ag ithe capall, each: deireadh earraigh; a ghoid; fuadach cat, madraidh; ag ithe daoine, leathar carbaidhi, agus leathar fo na aol."