Newly displayed 1,300-year-old doodles suggest that medieval monastic life wasn’t all about solemn chants and holy scripture.
Now on view at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, the scribbles are part of the « Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe » exhibit until October 24.
In a release shared with Fox News Digital, the museum confirmed that the medieval-focused exhibition features over 100 objects and free admission for visitors.
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Seventeen ancient manuscripts, on loan from Switzerland’s seventh-century Abbey Library of St. Gall, will be on view for visitors.
One of the exhibit’s most curious books is called Priscian’s Institutiones Grammaticae, which contains « thousands of scribbles in the margins by monks in the Old Irish language, » according to the museum.
Though the book was written in the sixth century, the doodles were penned most likely by northern Irish monks in the 850s.
« It was probably written in the monasteries of Nendrum or Bangor in the North of Ireland but was on the Continent within a decade of being written, » the press release noted.
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The museum also said the books feature « witty banter » – but you’d need to understand Old Irish to get the jokes.
Curator Matthew Seaver shared some of the highlights of the doodles with The Guardian. One monk wrote that he was « ale-killed » — or having a hangover.
Other friars scribbled complaints about cold weather and poor-quality materials.
« New parchment, bad ink. O I say nothing more, » one humorous scribbling reveals.
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In another entry, a monk worried about a Viking raid. The writing reads, « Bitter is the wind tonight, it tosses the ocean’s white hair: I fear not the coursing of a clear sea by the fierce heroes from Lothlend. »
Seaver noted that the scribbles are « full of human voices, humor, frustration and resilience. »
« [They] offer us a rare and very real glimpse into the daily lives and personalities of early medieval Irish monks, » the historian said.
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Also on display is an 8th-century brooch, a Viking sword and Ireland’s oldest and largest container of sacred books, called the Lough Kinale Book Shrine.
In a statement, NMI chair Cathal O’Donoghue said he was « honored to be entrusted with such a significant loan. »
« This is the most significant exhibition at the National Museum, Kildare Street in decades, » O’Donoghue said.
« The exhibition of the manuscripts provides a unique context for the display of artifacts from our own collection, many of which have recently been conserved and are on public display for the first time. »
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Publish date : 2025-07-22 08:00:00
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