The Cathach of St. Columba, also called the Cathach (which means "the Battler"), is a religious book from around 550 A.D. It is the oldest surviving written work in Ireland and the second oldest Latin psalter in the world. The cumdach, which is a special metal box used to protect holy books, was made in the late 1000s and was repaired in the 1300s and 1500s. The shrine was owned by the Chiefs of Clan Ó Domhnaill, the Lords of Tír Chonaill, and was used as a symbol of strength and protection during battles.

The Cathach was taken to Europe in 1691 after the Treaty of Limerick and remained there until 1813. In that year, the cumdach was opened, revealing the manuscript, which had not been seen in Ireland for over 100 years. At that time, the manuscript was in very poor condition but was restored in 1982. The surviving pages were reattached to new vellum leaves. Despite this work, the Cathach is still heavily damaged, with only 58 of the original 110 vellum pages remaining.

Today, the manuscript (RIA MS 12 R 33) is kept in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, and the cumdach is displayed in the archaeology section of the National Museum of Ireland.

History

An Cathach was used to inspire and protect soldiers during battles. It was believed to help the leaders of the Donegal clan win wars. Before fighting, a monk or holy person, often from the Clan McGroarty and in a state of grace, would wear the Cathach and the cumdach, or book shrine, around their neck. They would then walk three times clockwise around the warriors of Clan O'Donnell.

As the acting chief of Clan O'Donnell, Brigadier-General Daniel O'Donnell (1666–1735) inherited the manuscript. He believed, as tradition stated, that carrying it into battle could bring victory to members of the Cinel Conaill. He first fought for King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland. After the Treaty of Limerick, he went into exile in France and served King Louis XIV as an officer in the Irish Brigade. He placed the Cathach in a silver case and stored it in a Belgian monastery for safety. In his will, he instructed that the manuscript be given to whoever could prove they were the chief of Clan O'Donnell.

Through an Irish abbot, the Cathach was returned to Sir Neale O'Donnell, 2nd Baronet, of Newport House, County Mayo, in 1802. His son, Sir Richard Annesley, gave the relic to the Royal Irish Academy in 1842. The pages of the manuscript were stuck together until they were separated at the British Museum in 1920. It was further restored in 1980–81.

Description

The manuscript contains a Gallican version of the Vulgate Bible, specifically Psalms 30:13 to 105:13. It is traditionally believed to have been written by St. Columba (Colum Cille, died 597). The manuscript is dated between 560 and 600, measures 27 cm by 19 cm, and currently has 58 pages. The complete manuscript would have had about 110 pages.

The decoration includes only the first letter of each Psalm. Each letter is made with a thick black line larger than the main text and decorated with trumpet, spiral, and guilloche patterns. The letters are often outlined with orange dots and have parts colored white, madder, pink, or orange. Art historian Françoise Henry called these initials "an essential landmark in the history of insular illumination" and suggested that the now-missing front page would have provided important information about Irish illumination.

After the initials, a series of letters gradually shrink in size before blending into the main text.

Irish manuscripts were usually written in local scripts. The Cathach was mostly written by a single scribe who used a rounded letter style with strong Latin or wedge-shaped serifs on vertical strokes. Historian and calligrapher Timothy O'Neill noted that the scribe used an edged quill, held flat to create thick downward strokes and thin horizontal lines.

The cumdach (book shrine) is a wooden box covered with bronze and gilt-silver plates, with mounts holding glass and crystal. Before this, the manuscript was likely kept in a leather satchel called a "tiag," similar to one used for the 9th-century Breac Maodhóg.

The shrine went through three main stages of construction. The first was completed between 1062 and 1098 in Kells, County Meath, while the manuscript was owned by the O'Donnells. A new front face with a large seated Christ, flanked by a Crucifixion scene and a saint (likely Columba), was added between 1350 and 1375. Further additions and repairs occurred in the 16th century and again in 1723 under Daniel O'Donel in Paris.

The cumdach has been continuously used since its creation, including by the Magroarty family of Ballymagrorty, County Donegal, one of whom died in 1497 during a capture of the shrine. It is now in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland.

The long and short side panels include inserts and mounts from different construction phases. The long sides have traditional animal designs and abstract patterns, while the short sides have more complex Viking-inspired Ringerike-style patterns.

The shrine has several inscriptions added or modified over time. Some lettering is damaged, with misspellings and contractions. The inscriptions, written in Irish and placed clockwise along the shrine’s back, are signed by goldsmith Sitric Mc Meic Aeda, who states he built the shrine under the direction of Domnall Mac Robartaigh, an abbot at Kells. Domnall was commissioned by Cathbarr Ua Domnaill.

The full inscription is translated as:

Nothing is known about Sitric beyond a record that his father worked as a craftsman in Kells. Due to the many misspellings and inconsistent script, it is suggested that Sitric may not have been literate and copied a script provided to him.