The Book of Kells

• Book of Kells folio 27v (symbols of the four Evangelists)
• Book of Kells folio 32v
• Book of Kells folio 34r (Chi Rho page)
• Book of Kells folio 96r (Matthew 22.11-16)
• Book of Kells folio 188r (opening word Quoniam of St Luke’s Gospel)
• Book of Kells folio 200r (beginning of the genealogy of Christ)
• Book of Kells folio 291v (portrait of St John)
• Book of Kells 292r (opening words of St John’s Gospel)

The Book of Kells (Trinity College Dublin MS 58) is celebrated for its lavish decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule".

The place of origin of the Book of Kells is generally attributed to the scriptorium of the monastery founded around 561 by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland. In 806, following a Viking raid on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath. It must have been close to the year 800 that the Book of Kells was written, although there is no way of knowing if the book was produced wholly at Iona or at Kells, or partially at each location.

It has been on display in the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin from the mid 19th century, and attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. Since 1953 it has been bound in four volumes. Two volumes are on public view, one opened to display a major decorated page, and one to show two pages of script. The volumes are changed at regular intervals.

Manuscripts Currently on Display

Book of Kells (Gospel book, c. 800)

Decorated opening

Gospel of Matthew: Portrait of Christ (folio 32v) and 8-Circle Cross (folio 33r).

Text opening

Gospel of Mark 6.3-15: 'A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country'; the twelve sent out to preach and heal.

Garland of Howth

Initial page for Gospel of Matthew, XPI autem gene[ratio] (folio 1r).

Ricemarch Psalter

Opening of Psalm 51, QUID GLORIARIS (folio 76r).