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1,200 year old prayer book found in bog to go on display

Ornate 1,200-year-old prayer book finally goes on display

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, June 8, 2011, 7:32 AM

Updated Wednesday, June 8, 2011, 11:02 AM

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The Faddan More Psalter, 1,200 year old prayer book found in bog in 2006

Photo by PA

The Faddan More Psalter, an ornate 1,200-year-old prayer book found by chance in a County Tipperary bog in 2006, finally went on public display in Dublin yesterday.

The book was reportedly used by Irish monks for praying and for teaching in the 8th Century.

The ancient prayer book, called a psalter, was unearthed by a turf cutter in the Faddan Mor bog in County Tipperary in July 2006.

Yesterday the priceless book went on on display for the first time in the exhibition: 'The Treasury: Celtic and Early Christian Ireland' at the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street in the city center.

Museum director Dr Pat Wallace told The Journal: 'I am honored that an object as unique as the Faddan More Psalter is going on display during my time as Director.'

All of the conservation work on the psalter took place in the National Museum's own laboratories. Experts believe the papyrus-lined cover of the book is clear evidence of close contact between Ireland and the Mediterranean region well over one thousand years ago.

Nster.com

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Springfield9 | Dec 16, 2011, 10:02 AM EST

I cna hear it now as clear as a bell, (1200 Years ago) "Where, in the Holy Namme did I put that Psalter?"

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manymoons2 | Jun 29, 2011, 10:23 AM EDT

Ahhh, I withdraw my previous comment...have changed my mind.

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manymoons2 | Jun 29, 2011, 10:20 AM EDT

Towngate~~I read the articles as much to hear what you have to say! Keep it up, you keep me in stitches of laughter. I like the way you dance on point with your opponent.

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Towngate | Jun 12, 2011, 06:40 AM EDT

Georgie an expert?! He may keep saying it until he believes it - but no sane person ever will!

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 09, 2011, 04:44 PM EDT

Towngate--I guess you know what is it feels like to be an expert on nothing. I don't. I suggest you stop posting here for 12 months, during which time you start reading some Irish history or even folklore. When you come back in a year maybe you'll be able to at least appreciate the expertise of others.

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Towngate | Jun 09, 2011, 06:23 AM EDT

Cathy: I don't know how anyone can be surprised at, or deny the Mediterrenean connection when that is where the religion itself originated! ~ ~ ~ This book is a great find to add to all the others over the years. The bogs are surely great storehouses of what went took place on the old shamrocky mossbank long before "Ireland" or 'The Irish' were ever thought of, and most of which has still to be uncovered ... as the previously unknown sand-covered Cities presently being uncovered in Egypt. Watch this space.

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Towngate | Jun 09, 2011, 06:02 AM EDT

"Georgie-ga-ga" is obviously in his final 'throes' and won't be long now, hopefully. When he resorts to ranting about being an 'expert' on anything and misquoting and attempting to degrade honest Commenters with downright lies - making statements of their comments based on his bigotry and deliberate misunderstanding of them. Georgie, I have never made the statements you allege and challenge you to provide your evidence from the IrishCentral Archive.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 09, 2011, 02:40 AM EDT

bunkerhill: I'm fully aware of all that. I thought you were claiming a link between hy-brasil and this Egyptian monk. I would have been surprised, as I am an expert on hy-brasil and have never heard of such a link.

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seanomelbourne | Jun 08, 2011, 07:00 PM EDT

I remember reading an article about gold found in an ancient Egyptian tomb and the gold was mined in Ireland. A book "titled The History Of whiskey" states that Irish monks observed perfumes been distilled in ancient Iraq (10 century) and returned to Ireland with the now famous "pot still"

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kaydog1 | Jun 08, 2011, 06:41 PM EDT

I will be happy to answer any questions regarding this book just as soon as I get a chance to look at it. I have offered $50 US (cash money) for this psalter, and expect it to arrive in the Post any day now, so post your questions accordingly. Also, I do have a Latin textbook, so if it IS in Latin, I should have no problem translating it, and you may be assured that I will use a different coloured ink than the origional, so that you'll be readily able to tell MY notes in the margin from those of the earlier owners.

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bunkerhill | Jun 08, 2011, 05:32 PM EDT

GeorgeDill - The legend of Atlantis was found in Plato's writing, supposedly passed on by an ancestor Solon who said it came from an Egyptian priest. The Egyptian said it was recorded on heiroglyphics. The time was approx 9600 BC. It is readily available on the internet as are the faeance beads found in Irish tombs.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 08, 2011, 04:04 PM EDT

bunkerhill: Any chance you could give us a source for your reference to the Egyptian priest and Hy-Brasil? The latter is a topic I'm interested in, but I never heard about the Egyptian priest. Thanks.

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bunkerhill | Jun 08, 2011, 03:28 PM EDT

It is great that this historical prayer book was found and has been restored. Also that no one absconded with it and no other "group" in the "British Isles" can claim it as their own which is usually what happens. I agree that the language is probably Latin. I was always puzzled about how people from different European countries communicated with each other until I was told many of them spoke Latin as a second language. As to whether or not Ireland had contact with the Mediterrean, Egyptian Faeance beads have been found in Irish tombs dating back 5000 years ago. Look on the internet. They are the blue beads. Also the story of Atlantis (Hy-Brasil) came from an Egyptian priest. I hope Ireland is recovering it's ancient history.

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luckysusan | Jun 08, 2011, 02:15 PM EDT

Are there pictures available?

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AlunPalmer | Jun 08, 2011, 01:54 PM EDT

Well, this proves that the custom of reading in the bathroom, aka the bog, goes back to ancient Irish monks!

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