Free exhibition in UCC to display one of Ireland's most important medieval manuscripts

The handwritten Annals of Inisfallen is close to a thousand years old.

One of Ireland's most significant medieval manuscripts is now available for the public to view in a major new free exhibition in University College Cork (UCC).

Close to a thousand years old and handwritten in Irish and Latin, the 57 vellum leaves of The Annals of Inisfallen document the history of Ireland; death, conflict, dramatic weather events and unusual occurrences from the late 11th century onwards.

The manuscript has been in the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford, England, for more than 250 years.

Invasions of Ireland from the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann, Viking raids on Skellig Michael off the coast of Kerry, and the coming of the Normans are all detailed in the manuscript, while much of the later, contemporary section focuses on west Munster and is an important source for the development of the Irish language.

The manuscript is thought to have been initially copied in the monastery of Lismore in Co Waterford from materials created in the monasteries of Clonmacnoise in Co Offaly and Emly in Co Tipperary. 

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In the 12th century, the manuscript was brought to west Munster, most likely to the island monastery of Inisfallen, where the annual records were continued. Its pages preserve a unique record of Ireland's political, ecclesiastical and cultural life across generations.

Pádraig Ó Macháin, Professor of Modern Irish at UCC said: “This powerful, all-action history book is a monument to the work of a multitude of scribes who facilitated the transition from Latin to Irish as the language of record and scholarship, a language that, remarkably, is still very much with us.” 

The exhibition, Recording the Past: The Annals of Inisfallen and the Making of Irish History, in the Glucksman in UCC, will see the annals on public view until November 1.

The 57 vellum leaves of The Annals of Inisfallen preserve a unique record of Ireland's political, ecclesiastical and cultural life across generations.

Prof. John O’Halloran, president of UCC, said: “The Annals of Inisfallen is one of the great treasures of Ireland's written heritage. This exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to engage with a manuscript that has shaped our understanding of medieval Ireland.

“By bringing together scholarship, interpretation and digital access, we hope to inspire new audiences to discover the richness of our shared history and the extraordinary work of the scribes who preserved it.”