Pages from the Book of Leinster, a 12th-century Irish manuscript containing some of the most important early writings in Old and Middle Irish, have gone on public display for the first time in years. This follows an extensive conservation effort allowing the fragile text to be safely handled, studied, and exhibited.

The newly conserved folios are the centrepiece of the Library of Trinity College Dublin’s new exhibition, “The Book of Leinster − Preserving for the Future,” which opened last month and will run until August 12, 2025. The exhibition is part of the Book of Kells Experience and also features other significant medieval Irish-language manuscripts, including Brehon law texts and the Yellow Book of Lecan.

A Treasure of Medieval Ireland

Known in Irish as Leabhar Laighean, the Book of Leinster is a vital source for understanding medieval Irish history, mythology, and literature. It includes annals and genealogies of Leinster kings, accounts of invasions and battles, and the etymology of hundreds of place names. The manuscript also contains literary masterpieces such as Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) and Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland).

“The Book of Leinster provides us with an unparalleled snapshot of the Middle Ages in Ireland,” said Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin, Curator of Manuscripts and Archives at Trinity College. “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.”

“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.”

Conservation Efforts

Since its arrival at Trinity in 1786, the Book of Leinster had been kept out of public view due to its delicate state. The manuscript’s 400 vellum pages—previously unbound and heavily damaged—underwent a comprehensive conservation process that has taken more than two years to complete.

“Over the past two years we have undertaken meticulous conservation of this extremely fragile and important manuscript,” explained Dr John Gillis, Chief Manuscript Conservator at Trinity College Dublin. “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.”

“We were successful in our efforts to stabilise this precious manuscript and now it can be safely handled, studied and displayed. We also recorded all evidence of sewings and other marks to help better understand the manuscript’s own past.”

A Cultural Legacy

The restoration project was made possible through a grant from Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project, which has supported over 275 conservation initiatives in more than 40 countries since its launch in 2010.

Fernando Vicario, CEO of Bank of America Europe DAC, commented: “We are delighted that the conservation has been a success. It was an honour to be part of preserving this precious manuscript… We look forward to seeing the Book of Leinster and hope that many more people will now be able to enjoy this treasured work for years to come.”

Mícheál Hoyne, Assistant Professor in the Department of Irish and Celtic Languages at Trinity, noted that the manuscript’s survival into the modern era is itself a story of rescue and rediscovery.

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

“Since then it has been the responsibility of Trinity to preserve and study this vital source for Irish language, literature and learning in the Middle Ages. The conservation work now carried out on the manuscript is the latest chapter in that story. Scholars continue to explore the riches of this book, so it is vital that we preserve and protect this manuscript for future generations.”

A digital exhibition featuring medieval Irish manuscripts from Trinity’s collections is also available online for those unable to visit in person.

Top Image: Photo courtesy Trinity College Dublin