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Shrine of St Caillín

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Shrine of Caillín

The Shrine of St Caillín is a metal cumdach (a book-shaped shrine) built before 1536 to hold and protect the 15th century Book of Fenagh manuscript.[1][2]

It has been described s "something of a specialist in the production of battle talismans"[3] and according to legend, in his lifetime commissioned a number of battle standards, including this shrine.[3] The shrine was badly damaged in a 2009 fire at St Mel's Cathedral, Longford, where it had been kept since 1980.[1]

It was acquired by the National Museum of Ireland the following year, while the manuscript is in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy.[4] There is some doubt as to if the shrine was actually intended as a cumdach, given that it is smaller than the manuscript.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Scott (2017), p. 20
  2. ^ "The shrine of St Caillín of Fenagh and its place in Irish late medieval art". Royal Irish Academy, 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022
  3. ^ a b Lucas (1986), p. 19
  4. ^ Scott (2017), pp. 18, 20

Sources

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  • Lucas, Anthony. "The Social Role of Relics and Reliquaries in Ancient Ireland". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, volume 116, 1986. JSTOR 25508904
  • Scott, Brendan. "The Making of the Book of Fenagh". History Ireland, volume 25, no. 3, 2017. JSTOR 90014529
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