Book of Lismore

Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford, Ireland. Where, hidden behind a wall, the Book of Lismore was discovered in 1814.

Book of Lismore, is an Irish vellum manuscript, compiled in early 15th century, Lismore, Ireland. Its original name was Leabhar Mhic Cárthaigh Riabhaigh (The Book of Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach). It should not be confused with the similarly-named Book of the Dean of Lismore, a Scottish manuscript from the 16th century.

The manuscript was compiled from the early, and lost, Book of Monasterboice as well as other manuscripts. The Book of Lismore contains a variation of themes. Part of the book references the lives of Irish saints, notably, St Brigid, St Patrick, and St Columba. The Book of Lismore also contains Acallam na Senórach, a most important Middle Irish narrative dating to the 12th century, a text pertaining to the Fenian Cycle.

The book also contains Leabhar Ser Marco Polo, an Irish translation of The Book of Sir Marco Polo, or Il Milione.

Some of the pages and text of the book became mislaid to scholarly pursuit soon after its discovery in 1814, but it is believed that copies of these pages still survive in scholarly articles written in the 19th century.

Sources

Lives of saints, Author Whitley Stokes, Publisher Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1890.

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