THE BOOK OF KELLS
Ireland’s Illuminated Treasure at Trinity College Library
The
Book of Kells is one of Ireland’s most precious national treasures.
Essentially an illustrated bible in Latin created in the early 9th Century,
the book gets its name from the Abbey of Kells in County Meath where
it was discovered. Its exact date of origin is uncertain. The four gospels
and prefatory texts are surrounded with rich designs and illustrations
produced by the monks of the monastery on the island of Iona between
Ireland and Scotland who moved to Kells after 806AD. During the reformation,
in 1653, when Cromwell’s protestant roundheads were in power in
the British Isles, the Book of Kells was moved to Dublin for safe keeping.
It came to Dublin’s Trinity College after Henry Jones became the
Bishop of Meath in 1661.
Book of Kells Exhibit
Trinity
College is at the heart of old Dublin and the Book of Kells exhibit in
the
Trinity
College Library is one of Dublin’s most
visited tourist sites. The book itself, actually in four separate volumes
of 340 folios, is on display with only two volumes on display at a time
in an atmosphere protected glass case. The exhibit surrounding it, “Turning
Darkness Into Light”, presents the lavish illustrations and its
and importance in connection with early Irish history with enlarged panels
several darkened rooms. The illustrations combine humans, animals and
mystical creatures with Christian icons and fascinatingly intricate patterns
called Celtic knots. The story of the book of Kells has been recently
illuminated itself in the animated film "The Secret of the Kells", so
might be especially interesting to kids who have seen it.
Old Trinity Library
After
passing through the Book of Kells displays in the treasury, stairs lead
up
into the
Old Trinity Library, the oldest surviving building at
Trinity College. The college itself was founded under charter from Queen
Elizabeth in 1592, but the Old Library was built between 1712 and 1732,
designed by Thomas Burgh. The main chamber of the Old Library called
the Long Room holds almost 200,000 of the collections oldest books on
high shelves above the gallery. The library at Trinity College was not
open to the general public in the 1700's
(see Marsh's
Library) and had become so full by 1850, the roof was raised
for a vaulted ceiling
and
more bookcases.
Revolving exhibits of important books are on display in cases down the
center
of the gallery, with books from early editions of Sherlock Holmes to
Darwin.
For 2009 to 2010 exhibitions will cover present great detective fiction,
Napoleon and the history of Dublin (see Dublinia
Vikings).
Also on display is the original oak harp with brass strings from the
1400s from which is
taken
the symbol
of Ireland on the country’s coins and its most famous beer
(see Guinness
Storehouse).
Visiting the Old Library and Book of Kells
The Book
of Kells exhibit is open everyday. Admission to the Trinity Library
and Kells
exhibit is €9 for adults for self guided tour
and a family ticket is available. The Old Library is located in the middle
of the Trinity College campus. The library shop through which one enters
and leaves the exhibit specializes in items related to the Book of Kells
and other medieval manuscripts, Celtic art, Irish history, the college
and city of Dublin. A visit to the Book of Kells and library can be combined
with one of the guided talking tours of Trinity College, though the tours
with tickets available on the campus grounds are entirely separate
from the book exhibit and library. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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