Irish book shrines: a reassessment

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to attempt to determine the dates and sequence of the constructional phases of the Irish book shrines. There are eight known book shrines from Ireland, and in order of chronology they are: the Lough Kinale book shrine, the Soisceál Molaisse, the Shrine of the Stowe Missal, the Shrine of the Cathach, the Misach, the Shrine of the Book of Dimma, the Shrine of the Book of Moling and St Caillin's book shrine. The historical references to the lost book shrines of Durrow and Armagh, and the Kells cover/shrine have also been assessed. Due to inadequate publication and the complex multiperiod additions to the shrines, the sequences and dates of the constructional phases have been misinterpreted in the past. Recent research on the primary inscriptions on the Shrine of the Stowe Missal and the Soisceál Molaisse have necessitated narrowing the dates in which these shrines were constructed. However little research has been carried out on the late medieval phases of the shrines and this thesis has provided a full dating sequence for all phases of the shrines.