Today is a great day for Irish historical studies...

[Catalpa]

In what might be one of the great 'finds' in Irish History an Ancient manuscript has been uncovered by a bulldozer somewhere in the midlands.

Lets hope the damage isn't too great and that we can learn a great deal from this very exciting discovery.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0725/manuscript.html

[doheochai]

In what might be one of the great 'finds' in Irish History an Ancient manuscript has been uncovered by a bulldozer somewhere in the midlands.

Lets hope the damage isn't too great and that we can learn a great deal from this very exciting discovery.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0725/manuscript.html

I doubt very much that it will back up your notions about maintaining the purity of the Irish nation.

[Catalpa]

In what might be one of the great 'finds' in Irish History an Ancient manuscript has been uncovered by a bulldozer somewhere in the midlands.

Lets hope the damage isn't too great and that we can learn a great deal from this very exciting discovery.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0725/manuscript.html

I doubt very much that it will back up your notions about maintaining the purity of the Irish nation.

I doubt very much if you give a ************************ about the Irish Nation anyway...

[doheochai]

[quote:1tefq0c3]

In what might be one of the great 'finds' in Irish History an Ancient manuscript has been uncovered by a bulldozer somewhere in the midlands.

Lets hope the damage isn't too great and that we can learn a great deal from this very exciting discovery.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0725/manuscript.html

I doubt very much that it will back up your notions about maintaining the purity of the Irish nation.

I doubt very much if you give a **** about the Irish Nation anyway... :?

[/quote:1tefq0c3]

I certainly wouldn't give a **** about the Irish nation you want anyway

[revereie]

Writing ... pah - just another immigrant invention - honestly weren't we better with our ogham ? Or rather; / /// \ \\ \/\/\/\ \\\ //// ?

But seriously, if its as old as its being said (1,200 yrs old), it'll date from the time that Irish mythology was first recorded (Cuchulainn et al) !

[jjcarroll]

Writing ... pah - just another immigrant invention - honestly weren't we better with our ogham ? Or rather; / /// \ \\ \/\/\/\ \\\ //// ?

But seriously, if its as old as its being said (1,200 yrs old), it'll date from the time that Irish mythology was first recorded (Cuchulainn et al) !

I am suprised that this is getting so much attention, and although strongly interested in this find, would caution people a bit against excessive expectation. First off, it is seemingly in Latin and secondly, it seems to be a Psalm book.

[revereie]

Don't worry - i'm not expecting anything like the Táin (which comes frm nmerous different sources anyway) but anything from that fledling era when everything started to be first recorded must be remarkable.

[Catalpa]

[quote:a1gqwuoa]

In what might be one of the great 'finds' in Irish History an Ancient manuscript has been uncovered by a bulldozer somewhere in the midlands.

Lets hope the damage isn't too great and that we can learn a great deal from this very exciting discovery.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0725/manuscript.html

I doubt very much that it will back up your notions about maintaining the purity of the Irish nation.

I doubt very much if you give a **** about the Irish Nation anyway...

I certainly wouldn't give a **** about the Irish nation you want anyway[/quote:a1gqwuoa]

Sad but true, you wouldn't!

[Catalpa]

Writing ... pah - just another immigrant invention - honestly weren't we better with our ogham ? Or rather; / /// \ \\ \/\/\/\ \\\ //// ?

But seriously, if its as old as its being said (1,200 yrs old), it'll date from the time that Irish mythology was first recorded (Cuchulainn et al) !

I am suprised that this is getting so much attention, and although strongly interested in this find, would caution people a bit against excessive expectation. First off, it is seemingly in Latin and secondly, it seems to be a Psalm book.

Latin was the language of the Church at the time so no surprise there.

A Psalm book dating from the 8th Century is a truly amazing discovery.

This was written on vellum (calf hide) and for an original manuscript to survive for so long is - be of no doubt - a major find.

Two provisios though.

1 That this is a multi page find and not just a few scraps.

2 That it can be restored to a readable condition.

A couple of years at least of restoration will be needed before we will know just exactly what it is we have got here.

[MikeW]

Catalpa

from the photos of it it certainly appears to be mutiple pages, though how many I don't know(the photo in the link isn't a very clear one, lot clearer in the Indo). Some of it is definately legible, in fact if you can read Latin, you could practically read it from the photos, but the rest is going to be dicey. Sounds like there was a lot of luck involved as well, bulldozer driver paying sufficent attention that he noticed it, and there was someone there (maybe the driver) who new enough to rebury it until the experts showed up.