Thank you to everyone who braved the heatwave to join us for @liber-ray.bsky.social's Curator's talk and tour of Ink & Innovation!

What links this 1496 astronomical tract and the first President of Ireland? 📖🔎 Come find out tomorrow at our lunchtime Curator's Talk and Tour of the 'Ink & Innovation' exhibition by @liber-ray.bsky.social! Last few tickets available through the link below: www.tickettailor.com/events/royal...

The manuscript of the week is RIA MS 23 D 17, the Ó Cléirigh Genealogies. The scribe of this mid-17th C genealogical manuscript was Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh, one of the compilers of the Annals of the Four Masters.

Admittedly, the positioning of the RIA Library stamps in the past was not always ideal... but the effort made by someone to remove them from this book seems excessive!

A reminder to researchers and visitors that the Reading Room and the "Ink & Innovation" exhibition is closed today. They will both be closed on Thursday also, due to staff events and training. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 10(ii), the Book of O’Lees. This medical manuscript contains a translation from Latin into Irish of a highly organised medical treatise, with 44 tables outlining details of diseases, each divided into 99 compartments, across, aslant, and vertical.

🥵 So hot even the earth is wearing a sun hat! Les Terres du Ciel (Paris, 1884) by Camille Flammarion. A renowned French astronomer, many of Flammarion's works were deposited by J.E. Gore MRIA, his English language translator. This section criticises Pope Clement VIII's suppression of heliocentrism.

Here is a beautiful baby binding, and also, we are on 1,399 followers. 🫡

Dr Alison Ray gave a curator's tour of our exhibition, Ink & Innovation, during Re-mediating the Early Book Pasts and Futures (REBPAF) conference today. The conference is taking place over three days at the Royal Irish Academy. We're delighted to share our wonderful incunables with the conference!

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 26, the Book of Fenagh. Written in Irish in 1516 for Tadhg Ó Rodaighe, hereditary comharb of St Caillín in Fenagh. It is written on good quality vellum and contains prose and verse. The writing is in double columns and some capital letters are filled in red.

Working very hard on important reshelving work this Thursday afternoon... and definitely not getting distracted by enormous colour engravings of corpse flowers. Transactions of the Linnean Society, Vol. 13.

For an in-depth recent study of the Stowe Missal, see the PhD (2021) done in the Dept of Early Irish @ceilteachomn.bsky.social @maynoothuniversity.ie by my former student Lars Nooij. And: www.ria.ie/blog/bringin... Lars also recorded this video for @ria.ie: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V_P...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS D ii 3, the Stowe Missal. Written in Latin between A.D. 792-803, the Stowe Missal is a Mass-book of the early Irish Church, small enough to be carried around for the use of a priest on his travels.

This exhibition will be on display at the Royal Irish Academy until December, 2026. Opening hours are 10:00 – 17:00, Monday – Friday. Drop-in visits are welcome but, to avoid disappointment, we strongly advise visitors to contact  [email protected] or 01 609 0601 to ensure the room will be available.

Ink & Innovation - visit the @rialibrary.bsky.social exhibition showcasing some of the earliest printed books produced in Europe. Find out about ground-breaking developments in printing technology and the development of the profession in the 15th century: www.ria.ie/library/libr...

Today is the feast day of St Columba (Colum Cille), who according to tradition, wrote the Cathach (RIA MS 12 R 33) as a copy of a Latin psalter belonging to St Finnian in a single night. A dispute arose about the ownership of the copy leading to the battle of Cúl Dreimne in AD 561.

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 2, the Book of Lecan. The manuscript is an early 15th-century compilation of Irish genealogical, historical, biblical and hagiographical material.

The issue is now resolved, but please do reach out with any queries about the tour!

The summer Library newsletter is live! Take a look to discover more about our current exhibition, upcoming events, blogs, and more. mailchi.mp/ria.ie/libra...

The Library is delighted to announce that another Gaelic manuscript has been digitised and added to @dias-isos.bsky.social. RIA MS B iv 1 is a 17th century paper manuscript containing some 494 pages of mostly early modern Irish tales and verse. www.ria.ie/2026/05/26/a...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 6, The Annals of the Four Masters. This volume is one of a three volume set and covers the year A.D. 1170-1499. Each year’s entry is marked with a heading, “Aois Cr[íost]” or “Age of Christ” followed by the year in Arabic numerals and written in Irish below.

It is the last Friday of the month, which means the Cathach of Columcille (RIA MS 12 R 33) is on display from 10am - 4.30pm. The Cathach is the oldest extant Irish manuscript of the Psalter and very likely the earliest example of the form of Irish writing known as insular majuscule script.

Our wonderful colleague Rebecca Cairns is presenting her poster, The Birds of Ireland: Curating the Richard J. Ussher Collection, at @conulconference.bsky.social today! Congratulations, Rebecca! 👏👏👏

From the astronomical to the mathematical - we are enjoying diagrams this week! Read our latest blog by Dr Philip Beeley on an early edition of Euclid's 'Elements of Geometry' in the RIA Library collection, currently displayed as part of our exhibition, 'Ink & Innovation'. www.ria.ie/blog/the-ria...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS B ii 1. It contains an Irish translation of medieval Latin texts including an astronomical tract based on a medieval Latin version of a work by Messahalah, a Jew of Alexandria who wrote in Arabic c. 815, and a medical treatise by Petrus Musantinus.

Tá 29 comhalta nua glactha isteach in Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann i ngeall ar an ollmhéid atá curtha acu leis na heolaíochtaí, leis na daonnachtaí agus na heolaíochtaí sóisialta, agus leis an tseirbhís phoiblí. Is é comhaltas san Acadamh an onóir acadúil is airde in Éirinn, agus níl a shárú ann.

To mark #BiodiversityWeek2026 we are delighted announce the completion of a two-year project, funded by @heritagecouncil.ie, to catalogue the Ussher Bird Notes collection. Selected items have been digitised and are available to browse on @dri.ie Read more here: www.ria.ie/2026/05/22/p...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 12, the Book of Ballymote. It was compiled in AD 1391 at Ballymote, Co Sligo and contains genealogical, historical, topographical, biblical and hagiographical material. One of the most visually striking sections is a key to the Ogham alphabet.

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS C vi 1, the Book of Knockninny. It was compiled in 1718 for Brian Mág Uidhir of Knockninny, Co. Fermanagh. It contains a selection of historical poems & prose texts, & is a reworking of an older compilation made in 1638 for Brian Mac Cú Chonnacht Mág Uidhir.

We were delighted to welcome delegates from the Sacred Networks conference to the Library recently!

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 M 70, Leabhar Gabhála/Book of Invasions. Leabhar Gabhála is not the name of a specific manuscript. Rather it is an origin legend of the Irish people that exists in many variant versions, in poetry and prose.

G. Henry Kinahan MRIA was an important 19th C Irish geologist and his wife, Harriette, illustrated his work. The couple kept personal diaries for almost 60 years. Here Peadar McArdle, former director of @geolsurvie.bsky.social, shares his research into this collection! www.ria.ie/blog/the-hum...

We are delighted to welcome back Prof. Pádraig Ó Macháin, Anna Hoffmann and Ginevra Marchetti, UCC @nuaghaeilge.bsky.social, from the McCarthy MSI Project. They are continuing investigations with the early Gaelic manuscript collection @ria.ie, using multi-spectral imaging technology.

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS D ii 1, Book of Uí Mhaine or the Book of Hy Many. The contents of this late 14th century manuscript are described in a marginal note as ‘bolg an tsolathair’ (bag of mixed content/miscellany).

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we regret that our Curator's Talk & Tour of the Ink & Innovation exhibition has been postponed until Wednesday, 8 July. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and invite you reserve your place for the new date at this link: buytickets.at/royalirishac... @ria.ie

We love this colour version of the Three Candles Press printer's device. It is pasted onto an offprint of Séamus Ó Casaide MRIA's own copy of his paper, "An Old Almanac" from the Irish Book Lover (1933). The printer Colm Ó Lochlainn succeeded Ó Casaide as volunteer editor of the Irish Book Lover.

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 10(iii). This 15th century medical manuscript contains a translation of the major part of Book 1 of the Rosa Anglica of John of Gaddesden, with occasional pieces from Bernard of Gordon and Gilbert the Englishman interspersed.

Don't miss our Curator's Talk & Tour on 28 April, which is part of a programme of events to mark our new exhibition Ink & Innovation: the earliest printed books of the Royal Irish Academy. We're sharing a taster here and you can book your free place at the event now: www.ria.ie/events/ink-i...

Ink & Innovation is an exhibition of the earliest printed books in the Royal Irish Academy Library running from April to December 2026. Come and learn about early printing technology, the development of the printing trade and the varied interests of Renaissance readers: www.ria.ie/library/libr...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS C iii 1, the Annals of Connacht. This manuscript records episodes in the history of Gaelic Ireland from AD 1224-1544, with one later entry (in different ink) for the year 1562. There are short gaps in the text where it appears that a pair of leaves has been lost.

This is a fascinating exhibition! Looking forward to the lunchtime talk too! All free to attend

📚 Make sure to visit our new exhibition, Ink & Innovation and come along to our curator's lunchtime talk and tour on 28th April www.tickettailor.com/events/royal...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 E 29, the Book of Fermoy. Commissioned by David Mór Roche, it includes poems and prose relating to the medieval Roche family as well as a duanaire (poembook) containing copies of poems attributed to Gearóid Iarla, 3rd earl of Desmond (1338-1398).

Ink & Innovation: the earliest printed books of the RIA Library. Visit the @rialibrary.bsky.social exhibition showcasing 15th C books printed in Europe. Learn about early printing technology and wide-ranging interests of Renaissance readers. Info & opening hours: https://shorturl.at/vYvgX

'Water, Towns and Topography II', the #IHTA 2026 seminar is convened with the Irish Walled Towns Network, an initiative of @heritagecouncil.ie Free to attend, booking essential 📆20 May 2026 📍Royal Irish Academy, Dublin @ria.ie 🎟️ www.ria.ie/2026/03/30/i...

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 F 16, the Book of O’Gara. This important collection of poetry, compiled in the 1650s in continental Europe, preserves earlier material from sources that have since been lost.

Ink & Innovation: the earliest printed books of the Royal Irish Academy Library! Find out more about our exciting new exhibition by reading our latest blog, written by the curator, Dr Alison Ray @liber-ray.bsky.social (Collections & Archives Manager). www.ria.ie/blog/ink-inn...

Áine Brennan and Grace O'Connor talk about how they doubled social media interactions in @dculibrary.bsky.social post-Twitter. Emma Rothwell shares how she balances traditional curation with outreach demands in @rialibrary.bsky.social at #ASL2026

The Manuscript of the Week is RIA MS 23 P 16, Leabhar Breac. Written in the 15th century in Irish by Murchadh Riabach Ó Cuindlis (a scribe of the Book of Lecan), at Cluain Lethan and Lothra (Lorrha) in Múscraige Tíre, in north Co. Tipperary. It is the largest Irish vellum manuscript by one scribe.

A serendipitous coincide for #PatricksDay. The Royal Irish Academy @ria.ie @rialibrary.bsky.social has a dedicated web page for the Doegen Recordings of Irish Dialects 1928-1931 which are among the earliest audio recordings of Irish. 🎤: www.doegen.ie Project team: www.doegen.ie/team