Bound up in riches

Bernard Meehan’s new history of the Book of Kells is a reminder of what an amazing creation it really is, writes Peter Murray

THE 500,000 visitors who file past the Book of Kells in Trinity College library each year, pausing to admire its elaborately decorated vellum pages, continue a tradition of veneration and respect that stretches back well over 1,000 years.

From the time it was first compiled, the Book of Kells has enjoyed extraordinary fame, while its ownership, involving both privileges and responsibilities, has often been contested.