Historic 700-year-old/14th Century manuscript returns home to Kilkenny's St Canice's Cathedral

An ancient manuscript penned in Kilkenny almost 700 years ago by an infamous bishop has returned to its original home of St Canice's Cathedral.

The cathedral now begins a year-long exhibition dedicated to the remarkable 14th-century manuscript known as The Red Book of Ossory.  

The 79-page vellum artefact was a record kept by the 'extraordinary' Bishop Richard Ledrede in St Canice's Cathedral 700 years ago. It goes on public display at the cathedral for the first time in history in a year-long exhibition offering a unique glimpse into life in medieval Ireland through the lens of Bishop Ledrede.

On loan from the Representative Church Body Library the book is returning ‘home’ to go on public display for the first time in history.

People from across the county are invited to preview the exhibition and its centrepiece, The Red Book of Ossory, from Monday, July 29 at St Canice’s Cathedral. The 79-vellum page artefact will 'spark imagination and connect local people with their history', according to the Very Reverend Stephen Farrell, Dean of Ossory. 

The unveiling of a new exhibition at St Canice’s Cathedral tells the stories of Medieval Kilkenny and the lives of our forebearers. It offers a glimpse into the life of ordinary citizens through the lens of the extraordinary  Bishop Ledrede – who held the See of Ossory from 1317 to 1360. 

A man of faith and science, Ledrede wanted to reinvigorate his See. To bring order and stability to the townspeople and clergy, setting traditions and laws to reflect the societal challenges of his time. He set out his vision within the pages of The Red Book of Ossory. 

See www.stcanicescathedral.ie.