When asking the lovely taxi man- what are the best things to see in Dublin...Im afraid the Book of Kells didnt feature. After seeing it now myself...I think a tour of the Guinness factory was perhaps a wise suggestion by my driver.
The book, which since 1953 is actually now 4 bound volumes of which two are on display at any times, is an elaborately decorated manuscript of the four New Testament Gospels produced by monks around 800AD.
Wikipedia says "The illustrations and ornamentation of the Book of Kells surpass that of other Insular Gospel books in extravagance and complexity. The decoration combines traditional Christian iconography with the ornate swirling motifs typical of Insular art. Figures of humans, animals and mythical beasts, together with Celtic knots and interlacing patterns in vibrant colours, enliven the manuscript's pages. Many of these minor decorative elements are imbued with Christian symbolism and so further emphasise the themes of the major illustrations."
There you have it!! The display is housed in the fabulous Trinity College but in reality consists of little more than about 10 pages blown up as exhibits with some minor text about the meaning behind some of the elaborate drawings...and the two books- both open to a page each under glass. Still as you can see from below- it was very popular with tourists- and at 9Euro entry- must be a good money spinner for the College as well.
More "wow" was the Long Hall of Trinity College which one walks through on the way out as part of the exhibit of The Book. The air was redolent of old leather, dusty covers and creaky bindings- from floor to vaulted ceilings ancient books covered every shelf with busts of various famous people and excellently preserved medical tools as well as books lay on displays in the center. To be able to peer back in history down this hall and read about the ways in which a surgeon in the 1400's recommended the removal of one's appendix was worth the entire 9 Euro entry fee courtesy of the Book of Kells.
Should the Book of Kells be in the 1000 places to see before you die book?? Well.......no from my point of view. Id say the Vatican probably houses a vast number of historical treasures in their bookshelves so on the basis that if they were all counted as being as important as this the book of Kells then there would not be any more slots for a historical monument to take..Id say no, the Book of Kells you can live without seeing before you die.
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