The Eleventh Day


The most famous tourist attraction in Dublin must be the Book of Kells. You have to book a time slot in advance online. 

So what is the Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is a collection of decorative very old scriptures. They are kept in safe keeping in Trinity College. Trinity College is one of the most prestigious universities in the British Isles. 

We don’t know exactly when the first Christians came to Ireland but by the 5th century the Pope sent the first bishop there. Monasteries were founded at first in Iona in Scotland and then in Durrow in Ireland. Christianity also introduced many new practices including writing. The Book of Kells was written in ca 800 AD. 

The Book contains some scriptures of the Bible beautifully scribed on animal skin using various pigments. The letters are decorative and the book includes detailed pictures. Possible writing mistakes were covered with eg other pictures. Someone has said the book is like an intricate colouring book. 

When you visit the Book of Kells you can also continue to the Long Room of the library of Trinity college. The library has books spanning over a millennium. The library is to be closed for a while because of the ‘dusting’ of the delicate books. Apart from books you can see busts of famous people and the oldest harp in Ireland. 

The harp is the symbol of Ireland. The origin is not quite clear. It may have been associated with a legend or a poem.

PS. How would you know if someone studies at Trinity College? They will tell you.







The Long Room


Shakespeare



The oldest harp

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