IT IS one of the most famous monastic manuscripts in the world, attracting over half-a-million visitors annually as well as the adulation of scholars worldwide . . . but now its rightful owners want it back.

Kells Town Council is set to pursue Trinity College for possession of the Book of Kells, claiming that the world-renowned manuscript should be returned to its home town in Co Meath. Councillors claim that the town is missing out on a tourism windfall by allowing the Dublin university to host its most famous artefact.

The manuscript, which is hailed as the world's most important example of calligraphy from the Middle Ages, has been on display in Trinity College for more that 400 years. However, Kells councillors claim that the time has come to return the tome to the town that gives it its name.

"We need the book back, " says local councillor Sean Drew. "There is a groundswell of opinion in Kells that the book should be returned.

In terms of tourism, having the book back in Kells would completely transform the town." According to Drew, there is no reason why the manuscript, which is thought to date from AD 800, should be housed in Dublin as opposed to the town in which it was produced.

"The government keeps talking about decentralisation . . . well, maybe it is time to decentralise some of Dublin's tourist attractions, " said Drew. "Dublin is choca-block with tourist attractions and the town is full of tourists. Having the Book of Kells back in Kells would encourage tourists to leave Dublin and would be a huge boost to the local economy here."

However, Kells Town Council is likely to face stiff opposition from Trinity College, which has housed the manuscript since the mid-16th century. According to a spokeswoman at the university, Trinity operates a policy that the book should not be moved. This policy was adopted in the best interests of preserving the book, she said.

The dispute arose following a Kells Town Council trip to the island of Iona, Scotland. The visit was organised as part of the Co Meath town's plan to form a tripartite link between Kells, Derry and Iona, which are regarded as St Columba's three main sites.

Iona has successfully managed to promote its links with the Catholic saint and its visitor centre attracts roughly 350 visitors a day. The visiting Meath councillors were struck by the vibrant tourism sector relating to St Columba and are now seeking to establish a similar market in Kells.

The Book of Kells is Ireland's third-largest tourist attraction . . . it attracted 529,898 visitors to Trinity College last year . . . behind only the Guinness Storehouse and Dublin Zoo.

THE Book of Kells (less widely known as the Book of Columba) is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Celtic monks around AD 800. It is one of the more lavishly illuminated manuscripts to survive from the Middle Ages and has been described as the zenith of western calligraphy. It contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin, along with prefatory and explanatory matter decorated with illustrations and illuminations. Today, it is on permanent display at the Library in Trinity College Dublin.

The name 'Book of Kells' is derived from the Abbey in Kells, Co Meath, where it was kept for much of the medieval period. The Abbey of Kells dates back to the late sixth century, the time of the Viking invasions, and founded by monks who travelled from a monastery at Iona. The Scottish island, which had been a missionary centre for the Columban community, was founded by St Columba in the middle of the sixth century. When repeated Viking raids made Iona too dangerous, the majority of the community removed to Kells, which became the centre of the group founded by St Columba.

The date and place of production of the manuscript has been the subject of debate. Traditionally, the book was thought to have been created in the time of St Columba, possibly even as the work of his own hands. However, it is now generally accepted that the style of script in which the book is written did not develop until well after Columba's death, making it impossible for him to have written it.

The manuscript was never finished. Although there are several theories about its place of origin the most widely accepted is that it was begun at Iona and finished at Kells.

Wherever it was made, the book probably arrived in Kells in the early 11th century, and was definitely there by the 12th.

WIKIPEDIA