Book of Kells Experience

Book of Kells Experience, Trinity College, Dublin.

Housed in the Old Library of Trinity College, the Book of Kells, also known as the Great Gospel of Saint Columba, is an illuminated manuscript and Celtic Gospel book in Latin produced ca. 800 CE. It was created in a Columban monastery in either Ireland or Scotland, and takes its name from the Abbey of Kells, County Meath, which was its home for centuries. With its interlacing, animal motifs and ornate lettering, the book is recognised worldwide as a jewel of Medieval art.

The manuscript is on display in Trinity College but the visitor can only see two pages at any one time and these are not rotated for 12 weeks. There is also a digitised version of the entire manuscript online. The Book of Kells Experience, created as part of a project to restore the university’s Old Library and to ensure better conservation its books within the site, offers visitors a new way to see the illuminations. It has received favourable reviews from critics such as Jonathan Jones in The Guardian.

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