PAGES FROM THE Book of Leinster, a medieval manuscript written in Irish, has gone on display in the library at Trinity College today following a major restoration project.

Written in Old and Middle Irish in the 12th century, the Book of Leinster, or Leabhar Laighean, is an important source of Irish literature and history from the medieval period.

A rich text, the manuscript contains historical and genealogical information, mainly related to Leinster kings and heroes, mythological and historical accounts of invasions and battles, descriptive prose and verse and the history and etymology of nearly 200 place-names.

The book came to Trinity in 1786 as a collection of loose vellum pages and until now, its fragile condition meant it could not be displayed to the public. 

Now that the manuscript has been cleaned, repaired and had its different sections re-assembled, it has been put on display in an exhibition titled “The Book of Leinster − Preserving for the Future”, which will run until 12 August. 

The restoration project was supported by funding from Bank of America. 

Other significant Irish-language medieval manuscripts, including Brehon law texts and the Yellow Book of Lecan (Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin), are also on display. 

Dr John Gillis, the chief manuscript conservator, who has led the project, said that over the past two years, the team had undertaken “meticulous conservation of this extremely fragile and important manuscript”. 

“This involved replacing losses where necessary with new vellum, particularly the vulnerable backfolds, and reinforcing weakened areas and tears in the manuscript with a form of thin collagen,” he said.

Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin, the curator of manuscripts and archives at the library, said the book “provides us with an unparalleled snapshot of the Middle Ages in Ireland”. 

“It includes a significant version of the famous Irish saga Táin Bó Cúailnge, or the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is the story of the warrior Cú Chulainn,” she said.

“Most famously, it contains the Irish ‘Book of Genesis’, Lebor Gabála Érenn, which establishes Ireland, the Irish people and their language in a biblical world setting. 

“According to the manuscript, the Irish language was created after the confusion at the Tower of Babel, thus avoiding all the shortcomings of other languages.

“This origin story was particularly relevant in medieval times when Irish was threatened by the enormous prestige of Latin.” 

Mícheál Hoyne, assistant professor at the Department of Irish and Celtic Languages added: 

“The Book of Leinster was rescued from possible oblivion by the Welsh scholar Edward Lhwyd at the end of the 17th century.” 

“At that time the native schools of history, poetry and law had collapsed and traditional Irish learning was in danger of being forgotten altogether. The manuscript then spent most of the 18th century inaccessible to Irish scholars in an English nobleman’s library. It was finally presented to Trinity College as a gift to the Irish people in 1786.”

The Book of Leinster is on display as part of the Book of Kells Experience and tickets can be bought here.