Book of Kells Experience, Trinity College

The ornately illuminated 9th-century gospel manuscript, Ireland's most famous medieval treasure.

Our plan

Self-guided across two buildings starting at the Old Library entrance -- the historic Old Library/Book of Kells exhibit plus a modern digital experience. Allow about 90 minutes.

The story

The Book of Kells is an illustrated manuscript and Celtic Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created in a Columban monastery in Ireland or Scotland, and may have had contributions from various Columban institutions across Ireland and Scotland. It is believed to have been created c. 800 AD. The text of the Gospels is largely drawn from the Vulgate, although it also includes several passages drawn from the earlier versions of the Bible known as the Vetus Latina. It is regarded as a masterwork of Western calligraphy and the pinnacle of Insular illumination. The manuscript takes its name from the Abbey of Kells, County Meath, which was its home for centuries.

From Wikipedia: Book of Kells · photo via Wikimedia Commons