Event Detail
The Book of Kells remains, after many centuries, one of Ireland’s most popular attractions. Housed at Trinity College in Dublin, people willingly stand in long queues; waiting to see just a portion of one of the most richly decorated manuscripts on earth.
The Book of Kells is named for the town where it was discovered in County Meath, northeast of Dublin. It was here that Saint Columba established a monastery sometime during the sixth century. Three hundred or so years later, a group of monks arrived from Iona, in Scotland, seeking a safe place to reside after being routed by the Danes.
They remained at the monastery at Kells, where they are said to have completed the illustrated and “illuminated” manuscript of the four Gospels in Latin. It was discovered, strategically hidden for safe keeping, in an area bog and removed to Trinity College during the 17th century.
The manuscript of the Book of Kells is filled with symbolism and intricately detailed medieval art. The text is written in flowing Celtic script filled with skilled calligraphy and embellished with human and animal characters. The drawings are rich in symbolism, which scholars have spent years interpreting. Portraits of each of the evangelists precede their gospels. Analysis of the dyes used to add color to these impressive works of art has determined that they came from as far away as the Middle East.
The Book of Kells can be found at the Old Library at Trinity College in Dublin, where visitors can examine the original pages, on display in groups of just a few at a time. A copy of the entire manuscript can be seen at Kells, in St Columba’s Church, which is open to the public on a daily basis.