Ireland’s oldest and largest medieval work “Shrine” is open for the first time – Huge
An unprecedented discovery appeared in 1986 in a simple lake in Northern County Longford. Due to the sediment in the water body, the fragments of highly decorated metal objects dating back to the 9th century were clearly preserved. And now, after a 39-year conservation project, the country’s oldest and largest medieval work, The Shrine, is now under observation.
The object is known as the book shrine of Lough Kinale after its lake of the same name, which includes a series of medals with precious stone inserts, as well as decorative metal products in the form of a cross. Part of the exhibition Words of the Tide: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe At the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, stunning artifacts complement many contemporary works.
The metal of the shrine is bronze and contains an oak container that will possess precious manuscripts related to Christian saints. It is used to convey the volume of various ritual activities and it will initially also have a leather strap to make it easier to transport.
On the waves It also includes a Viking sword found on the Shannon River in Limerick, and a beautiful example of a medieval brooch that dates back to the 8th or 9th century Ardshanbally brooch.
Thanks to scientific analysis, it was also confirmed that the manuscript borrowed from the Monastery Library in St. Ga, Switzerland has also been confirmed to originate in Ireland. The researchers determined that the kraft pages were made from leather from Irish cattle, and monks travelled to Switzerland with books more than a thousand years ago. The exhibition marks the first time in a thousand years that Tomis lived in Ireland.
On the waves Continued from Dublin until October 24. Learn more and plan to visit on the museum website.
