Latest news with #BookofLeinster
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Irish Times
Netanyahu lashes out at world leaders
Flash flooding on Australia's southeast coast that has killed at least three people and cut off towns, isolating tens of thousands of residents. Video: Reuters President Donald Trump said there were "many concerns" about South Africa he wanted to discuss during a meeting with president Cyril Ramaphosa. (Reuters) Eyewitness footage shows moment shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez was restrained by security officers after fatal attack on Israeli embassy staffers in DC. Dublin City Council has started to clear a large illegal landfill site in Darndale on the north of the city. Video: Bryan O'Brien The Israeli military said that it fired near a diplomatic delegation which had "deviated" from an approved route in the occupied West Bank. Video: Reuters Israeli attacks on Jabalia overnight have resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries, mainly to children, according to reports. Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin, an expert in medieval Irish manuscripts, and John Gillis, who led the conservation, talk about the Book of Leinster. Video: Ronan McGreevy Gordon Manning speaks to members of the Dublin Senior Camogie squad ahead of this week's Camogie Association vote on the wearing of shorts. Video: Bryan O'Brien Conor Gallagher reports on Pravfond, set up by Putin, that intelligence agencies say does more than its stated goal of protecting the rights of Russians abroad 14-year-old Cara Darmody started a 50-hour disability rights protest outside Leinster House to highlight delays in children getting an assessment of needs.
The Journal
21-05-2025
- General
- The Journal
Medieval manuscript the Book of Leinster goes on public display in Trinity College
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'. Advertisement '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 . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
The ‘Wikipedia of the age': Myths, legends and seating arrangements at the Hill of Tara in 900-year-old manuscript on public display
Every medieval society had a hierarchy and Irish society before the Anglo-Norman invasion was no different. A tantalising glimpse of that society is contained in the Book of Leinster, which is to go on public display from Wednesday for the first time since it was compiled 900 years ago. The book contains a diagram of the seating, or more accurately the benching, arrangement in the Teach Miodhchuarta, or Mead Hall, at Tara, with the king in the middle. There is no table, but there is a long spit in the centre. The guests are arranged according to rank, but the diagram shows that poets, musicians and scribes ranked the same as nobles. There is a large image of a jester, and the hierarchy of guests is completed by a detailed account of the cuts of meat – the king getting the best, of course. The 12th-century, pre-Anglo Norman invasion book, on calf vellum, will be displayed as part of the Book of Kells experience in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). READ MORE The book, written in old and middle Irish, was rescued from oblivion by Welsh scholar Edward Lhwyd, who gave it to English aristocrat Sir John Sebright, who in turn presented it to TCD along with other ancient Irish manuscripts in 1786. A page of the Book of Leinster, which is going on display in Trinity College Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill It was in a poor state, with staining resulting from techniques used by previous antiquarians. The book amounts to the 'Wikipedia of the age' for Irish scholars, according to the TCD curator of manuscripts and archives, Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin. It contains no less than the origin story of the Irish people and their language. The Lebor Gabála Érenn was an attempt by medieval scholars to trace the origins of the Irish people from the Book of Genesis to the first settlers who came from Galicia in modern Spain. The story of how Breogán built a huge tower in the city of Briganti (now A Coruña) from which his son first spotted Ireland is so important to the origin myths of Galicia that the page from the Book of Leinster mentioning his name was lent to a museum in Santiago de Compostela. 'Establishing the identity and language of the Irish people was very important at the time that the manuscript was written, which is why the text was produced,' says Ní Ghormáin. The Book of Leinster was compiled by Áed Ua Crimthainn, who was abbot of the monastery of Tír-Dá-Glas on the Shannon, now Terryglass in Co Tipperary. 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. There is also an account of the siege of Troy. [ It's one of Ireland's most important prehistoric sites, but you may not have heard of it Opens in new window ] It has taken two years of conservation, funded by the Bank of America, to get the manuscript into a state that it can go on display, albeit for just three months because exposure to light will degrade the manuscript over time. Chief manuscript conservator of TCD library Dr John Gillis, who has led the project, said new vellum needed to be found and weak areas reinforced with a form of thin collagen. He is hopeful that DNA analysis will be able to locate the source of the calf vellum and give a more accurate age for the manuscript. 'It is a privilege to be working with these manuscripts. You can never escape that fact. As a manuscript, it is a unique object. There is no other copy.'
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
'Wikipedia' of the Middle Ages goes on display at Trinity
One of the most important surviving medieval manuscripts written in Irish goes on public display after a two-year long project to conserve it. The Book of Leinster, which was written in the 12th century in Old and Middle Irish is regarded as major source of Irish literature and history from the medieval period. It will be available to view until mid-August as part of a new exhibition that forms part of the Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College, Dublin. Having survived the for almost a millennium, in recent years the Book of Leinster was beginning to show its age, so the university embarked on a conservation project which took two years to complete. The 400-page manuscript on vellum, which came to Trinity in 1786 in an unbound state, was unable to be put on display to the public or researchers for some time due to its fragile condition. Dr John Gillis, Chief Manuscript Conservator at the Library in Trinity College Dublin carried out the conservation work by himself with a intricate and innovative toolkit that he has acquired and developed over decades of doing this specialised work. "A single folio from the initial examination stage through to the cleaning and then, if there's distortion, removing distortion from the vellum, to the repair, to the physical damage, could take three or four days," said Dr Gillis. "There's so much in it. It's like the Wikipedia of today." He said the meticulous conservation work also involved replacing part of the manuscript with new vellum and reinforcing weakened areas with a form of thin collagen. All of the work needs to be reversible to allow for any future changes in technology to restore the document but its improved condition now means it can once again be displayed and handled. 'Important source of Irish historical information' Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin, Curator of Manuscripts and Archives at the Library in Trinity College Dublin says the Book of Leinster is one of the most important surviving scripts written in Irish and the stories and it contains tell us about life in the time of the many scribes behind it, who penned it over a fifty-year period. "It's a very important source of Irish historical information and mythological information," she said. "It contains some really important texts, such as one of the most complete copies of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, or the Cattle Raid of Cooley, which is the story of the warrior Cú Chulainn. "There's also lots of genealogical lists, myths and sagas, poetry. It's really a compendium of information. There's so much in it. It's like the Wikipedia of today. It's a real snapshot into the Middle Ages." It was by the man known as the prime historian of Leinster, Áed Úa Crimthainn, abbot of Tír-Dhá-Glas (Terryglass) monastery in Co Tipperary. It was formerly known as the Lebor na Nuachongbála or Book of Nuachongbáil, a monastic site known today as Oughaval in Co Laois where the document was discovered before it was brought to Trinity College in the 18th century. Other significant Irish language medieval manuscripts including the Yellow Book of Lecan and texts of Brehon law will go on display alongside the Book of Leinster in the exhibition which runs until 12 August.
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
5 things you didn't know about the epic Book of Invasions
Analysis: The Lebor Gabála Érenn tells an epic origin story for Ireland and the Irish language through a series of mythical invasions By , TCD In the 12th Century, a monastic scribe in the Irish midlands compiled an epic origin story of the Irish people to be included in the Book of Leinster, a manuscript now housed in the library of Trinity College Dublin. This story, as it is contained in the Book of Leinster, is now known commonly as the first redaction of Lebor Gabála Érenn, often called the Book of Invasions in English. The title is now applied to five separate redactions, or versions of the story, which are preserved across 18 different medieval and early modern manuscripts, each containing an array of prose and poetic sections. Each version of this story can provide us with a fascinating insight into the attitudes and identities of Irish people at the time of their composition, so here are five interesting things that you might not have known about the Book of Invasions. Ireland's origins are presented through a series of mythical invasions As the title of the story suggests, the Book of Invasions presents the origins of the Irish people as the result of six successive waves of invasion. According to the most popular first redaction, these waves of invasion were as follows: Cessair: Grand-daughter of the Biblical Noah, she arrived with her followers in Ireland before the Flood but their settlement was destroyed by the Flood, leaving only Cessair's husband Fintán. According to this story, Fintán survived and lived for thousands of years by becoming a salmon, an eagle, and then a hawk. Partholón: Partholón is said to have arrived in Ireland from Greece with his followers 300 years after Cessair. They brought farming to the deserted island, but were all killed by a plague, leaving Ireland empty once again. Nemed: Thirty years after the death of Partholón and his people, Nemed brought settlers from Scythia in modern-day Eastern Europe and Central Asia. According to the Book of Invasions, they came into conflict with the Formorians, a mythical group of supernatural beings who lived in Ireland. The descendants of the Nemedians became known as the Fir Bolg. Tuatha Dé Danann: Probably the best-known group of invaders, the Tuatha Dé Danann are presented as supernatural beings who arrived in Ireland in dark clouds. They came into conflict with both the Fir Bolg and the Formorians, and included well-known characters from Irish mythology like their king, Nuada, the Dagda, and Lugh. Milesians: Sons of a legendary conqueror of Spain, Míl, including Íth, Éremon and Éber Finn, who come into conflict with the kings of the Túatha Dé Danann. Ultimately, it is agreed that the Milesians would live above the land in Ireland, while the Túatha Dé Danann would retreat underground. As a result, the Aos Sí or Sídhe or Irish folklore are often claimed to be linked to the Túatha Dé Danann It attempts to explain the origins of the Irish language The Book of Invasions attempts to link the Irish language to the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel by creating the character of Fénius Farsaid. Fénius is claimed by the legend to have been a king of Scythia, and one of the builders of the Tower of Babel. When, as in the Old Testament of the Bible, the Tower of Babel is destroyed, a grandson of Fénius', Goídel Glas, is said to have combined the best elements of all of the languages to create Goidelic, the pre-cursor of the Irish language. According to the legend, the language is named after him but it is much more likely that the character was named as such to link him to the language. From RTÉ Brainstorm, what's behind Irish language's religious roots? Ireland's history is linked to characters from the Bible Just like how the origins of the Irish language are linked to the Tower of Babel, the Book of Invasions makes a concerted effort to create Biblical origins for the Irish people. Partholón, for example, is described as a direct descendant of Noah through his son Japhet. The genealogy of Nemed is also traced through this line, through Japhet's son Magog. This Christianisation of Irish mythology is not surprising, given the fact that the Book of Invasions was produced in a monastic environment, and this process of Christianisation is particularly clear in the development of the story of Cessair. According to historian John Carey, an earlier version of the first settlers of Ireland, the first woman was Banba, an Irish sovereignty goddess, not Cessair. Each version presents a slightly different history As mentioned above, there are a huge variety of versions of the Book of Invasions, and each is slightly different. In its description of the arrival of the Milesians in Ireland, for example, the first redaction tells of three kings of the Túatha Dé Danann, Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine, who divided the island of Ireland into three and ruled these three parts equally. In a different version of this story, known as Tochomlad mac Miledh a hEspain i nErind, or The Progress of the Sons of Míl from Spain to Ireland, the three kings shared the kingship of Ireland alternately, each holding the kingship for a turn at a time. Historian Edel Bhreathnach suggests that this version of the story dates to the 12th Century, a period during which the dominant political family, the Uí Néill, were struggling to maintain control of the kingship of Ireland. This difference between the first recension and Tochomlad mac Miledh a hEspain i nErind may be a result, then, of this changing political landscape. The story was likely influenced by European Christian writing The writers of the Book of Invasions were likely inspired by the Old Testament, and by epic origin stories of other civilisations. It is clear that they were influenced by famous 4th and 5th Century Christian writings, including Eusebius' Chronicon, Historiae Adversum Paganos by Orosius, and De Civitate Dei, or The City of God, by St Augustine. Overall, the Book of Invasions is a fascinating compilation of Irish mythology, composed as a Christian history of the Irish people, and can teach us much about Christian attitudes in Ireland at the time that it was composed.
