The Book of Kells: A Must See for any Journey to the Emerald Isle!

Have you ever wondered whether the Book of Kells is an actual book? (It is - sorta.)

Ever wondered if it was actually written in Kells, Ireland or someplace else? (Truthfully, nobody knows for sure.) How about whether it's actually Irish? (Read on!)

Irish Expressions - Long room, Old Library, Trinity College

The Book is located in the Old Library, in Trinity College, Dublin Ireland. It can be seen by the public during scheduled tour times.

And it is definitely one of my top 10 recommended sights to see in Ireland!

Things to Know About the Book of Kells

Some think of the Book as some boring old medieval manuscript. It’s true that it’s old, and it is a manuscript, but it’s far from boring!

Instead, it’s a religious scripture that also happens to be one of history’s greatest works of art. It is one of the oldest 'picture books' in the world!

The Book was created around 800 A.D., during the deepest, darkest part of the Dark Ages. Hardly anyone at this time – except clergy and nobility – knew how to read and write.

Because so many couldn’t understand the written word, art became a critical means of self-expression, particularly in Ireland. Art was used to explain various ideas, but especially events and lessons from the Bible.

Irish monks at the monastery at Kells (in County Meath) and/or the island of Iona drew upon their learning and their exceptional artistic skills to create the extraordinary work we now call the Book of Kells.

For years, these Irish monks labored from dawn to dusk in the monastery’s scriptorium (“place of writing”), hunched over their benches, day-in, day-out.

Some of the craftsmanship is so intricate that seeing the details requires a magnifier to be seen clearly.

Because Irish monks used durable vellum (specially-prepared calfskin) instead of parchment or paper, we can still see the glorious riot of colors and gold leaf (a technique called “illumination”) they used to illustrate the gospels and their teachings.

The Book is remarkable because it somehow managed to survive in all its glory for more than 1,200 years. Now, it serves as a strong source of Irish national pride as well as religious inspiration.

And one more thing: The Book is 680 pages long - but it’s incomplete! Two pages are known to be unfinished, although no one knows why the monks never completed them.

Even so, it’s the finest medieval religious manuscript surviving today. And, it’s a wonderful, inspirational expression of Irish art.

For more information about the Book of Kells, visit the Trinity College website here!

Irish Expressions - Book of Kells. Photocredit MBell1975 via Flickr.

Want More Irish Landmarks?

Taking a virtual tour of beautiful Irish landmarks is one of our favorite ways to enjoy an Irish experience, wherever in the world we happen to be! That is why one of our most popular ebooks is called "Favorite Sights to See in Ireland."

That book is just one chapter in a downloadable, share-able collection of Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and more - that we have collected for you over the years.

Want them right now? Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side." You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now. What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear! Since 2009 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use. We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 50 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations! But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long.

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