Welcome

ArCH is an acronym for Armarium Codicum Hibernensium - the Bookcase of Irish Manuscripts. Its mission is to create a series of facsimile editions of the major historical Irish manuscripts that will each be accompanied by a scholarly  commentary. Early Irish learned culture was remarkable both for the degree of its sophistication and for the generosity of its scholars in sharing their knowledge. The Anglo-Saxon Bede recorded the presence of throngs of foreign scholars among  the Irish who provided them gratis with books and instruction. His countryman, Aldhelm, wrote about the extraordinary flowering of learning in Ireland and  praised the ‘opulent and verdant country of Ireland’ that supported ‘a browsing crowd of scholars’. Through their generous support for scholarship and their willingness to share it with others, the early Irish made a decisively important contribution to Western culture at its formative stage. The presence of such scholars of high calibre in the cathedral and court schools of western Europe in the early Middle Ages, and their expertise in the craft of the scribe, are witnessed by the medieval manuscripts preserved in major European libraries. At home, these scholars expressed in writing a sense of Irish identity and so forged a cultural identity for their people.

Despite their immense significance, only a handful of manuscripts written by the Irish in the years before AD 1000 survive in Ireland - the vast majority are preserved in the great libraries of Britain and continental Europe. They are fragile testimony to the earliest period of Irish history when the foundations of nationhood were laid and they are not easily accessible to contemporary scholars on whom we rely to perpetuate the tradition of learning. ArCH will make a major contribution in this regard by creating accessible, digital photographic reproductions of these manuscripts.

Our aim, using high quality digital photography, is to make up to one thousand facsimiles of each manuscript selected for reproduction in facsimile. The facsimile will be presented in two forms. One form is a hard-bound copy for general distribution to libraries and the general public, and to scholars and students, at a reasonable price. This form is printed and bound in Ireland to sustain and support all-Ireland industry. The second form of presentation is a limited run of 100 specially bound facsimiles intended to reproduce the facsimile in every particular, especially its binding, thus perpetuating the craftsmanship of artisan bookmakers.

The ArCH undertaking is one of partnership. The established reputation of scholars in University College Cork in the key research areas of the Project facilitate cooperation with other academic institutions at home and abroad, and thus collective expertise is brought together. In collaboration with scholars in Medieval Studies, codicology and palaeography, each facsimile is accompanied by a companion volume that treats the contents of each manuscript. This commentary is a significant work in its own right as it offers valuable insight into each manuscript for both the academic and general reader. The Project also partners with industry, north and south of Ireland, to support local printers, craftsmen and expert bookbinders.

The ArCH undertaking is of immense importance for Irish scholarship, arts, culture, education, heritage and tourism. This has been reflected by the generous patronage that the Project has attracted to date from the Irish Government, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, and the willingness of private patrons at home and abroad to support an undertaking that enhances a wider appreciation of Ireland’s rich cultural patrimony.