This book is an updated version of the author’s 1984 publication The Irish hand: scribes and their manuscripts from the earliest times to the seventeenth century: with an exemplar of Irish scripts. In the preface to the 2014 edition, O’Neill states that his reason for rewriting this book was ‘to celebrate a uniquely long tradition’ and this publication certainly does that. With the new edition, the author has changed some details with regard to the format of the text, the most obvious being full colour reproductions instead of the black and white images used in 1984. In doing so, this book glorifies some of the most beautiful manuscripts and shows off the best of the written tradition and the most engaging scripts in our proud manuscript history.
As part of his revisions, O’Neill has re-organised the layout of the book. It is still divided in two, with part one dealing with the manuscripts in chronological order and part two examining the common features of Irish scripts. The original introduction to part one was written by Francis John Byrne and to part two by O’Neill; these have been revised and replaced by a single introduction at the start of the book by the author. He charts the arrival of writing in Ireland from its beginnings and incorporates updated evidence such as the Faddan More Psalter, found in 2006. The introduction includes a description of how a manuscript was made from start to finish, from making the vellum, ink and quills, to being written and decorated, and finally, bound. In addition to this, the author discusses the survival of manuscripts through the centuries, the impact of the printing press on manuscript production and their study up to the twentieth century. All of this is supplemented by high quality images of carved stones, wax tablets, manuscripts and maps.
Part one originally ranged from c.600 to 1636, now it spans from c.600 to 1900, incorporating some important later manuscripts. The author adds several new essays on manuscripts such as the Life of Columba by Adomnán, The White Earl’s Book and the Book of Pottlerath, the Life of St Colum Cille by Manus O’Donnell, The Great Book of Irish Genealogies in T.C.D., Forus feasa ar Éirinn, Cúirt an mheán-oíche, and the Life of St Mochua of Balla transcribed by Seosamh Ó Longáin.
In part two, the author has reprinted the entries on most of the same manuscripts from the original publication, but several errors such as omissions in transcription and translation have been rectified in this edition. The layout in part two has also been changed, as the new edition gives a page to each manuscript and writing sample under discussion. This allows for a clearer understanding of which manuscript image is matched with which discussion, something that wasn’t always immediately obvious in the first edition. For example, the discussion of MacRegol’s gospels continues onto the following page (p. 66) in the 1984 edition and therein it is not immediately clear on that page whether the first manuscript image shown is part of the MacRegol Gospel discussion or the following one (it is actually part of the following discussion on the Book of Dimma). Restructuring this section is a positive improvement and a great help to the reader.
Another section that has been updated is how writing is used in the modern era. The images of the poems Pangur Bán and Snowdrops, in particular, show how calligraphers can draw on the past and pay homage to the scribes and illuminators that went before them by reinventing how these scripts are preserved on the page. Here, the use of colour images re-enforces the beauty of these scripts.
The bibliography has been updated too from the 1984 edition and includes what is perhaps the biggest advancement of manuscript studies since this book was originally published: online sources where readers can view many of the manuscripts that are discussed in the book. The detailed index at the back of the book is a welcome addition to the 2014 publication also.
The Irish hand caters for readers new to manuscripts, who are being introduced to them for the first time. In addition, it is a useful book for teaching students about manuscript history in Ireland, giving enough information on the basics of manuscript studies without overloading the reader with information. O’Neill is careful not to use too much jargon and technical terminology which are often characteristic of manuscript descriptions in catalogues. Although the author must use some technical language, which he explains as each discussion progresses in part two, I would suggest that a short glossary explaining definitions such as the difference between majuscule, minuscule and other technical terms would benefit the reader, especially those who are new to the discipline.
In short, this book is an excellent introduction to Irish manuscripts and palaeography, especially for a student learning about manuscripts for the first time. It provides a thorough introduction to these fantastic sources from our past and charts the progression of writing in Ireland through 1500 years of history.
