The Cathach of Colum Cille: An Introduction

The Cathach is the oldest extant Irish illuminated manuscript, dated to c. CE 600. The surviving 58 folios contain Psalms 30:10 to 105:13 (Vulgate version). Legend has it that Colum Cille copied the manuscript from a psalter lent to him by St. Finnian. A dispute over the ownership of the copy was resolved by the King of Tara in a very early copyright ruling: "To every cow her calf, so to every book its copy". This full-color 84-page booklet introduces readers to the provenance, art history and biblical content of the manuscript.