Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PAGE OF KELLS
The history of the
Book of Kells
(
Click here
) is almost as fascinating as its illuminations. It is thought to have been
created around AD 800 by the monks at St Colmcille's Monastery on Iona, a remote island off the coast of Scot-
land. Repeated looting by marauding Vikings forced the monks to flee to Kells, County Meath, along with their
masterpiece. It was stolen in 1007, then rediscovered three months later buried underground. The
Book of Kells
was brought to Trinity College for safekeeping in 1654, and is now housed in the Old Library (
Click here
), with
half a million visitors queueing up to see it annually. The 680-page (340-folio) book was rebound in four calf-skin
volumes in 1953.
And here the problems begin. Of the 680 pages, only two are on display - one showing an illumination, the other
showing text - hence the 'page of Kells' moniker. No getting around that one, though: you can hardly expect the
right to thumb through a priceless treasure at random. No, the real problem is its immense popularity, which makes
viewing it a rather unsatisfactory pleasure. Punters are herded through the specially constructed viewing room at
near lightning pace, making for a quick-look-and-move-along kind of experience.
To really appreciate the topic, you can get your own reproduction copy for a mere €22,000. Failing that, the Old
Library bookshop stocks a plethora of souvenirs and other memorabilia, including Otto Simm's excellent
Exploring
the Book of Kells
(€12.95), a thorough guide with attractive colour plates, and a popular DVD showing all 680
pages for €31.95.
