insular art

Words on the wave: Tracing Continental connections in early medieval Ireland

A major new exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland explores how people travelled between early medieval Ireland and continental Europe 1,000 years ago, seeking learning, refuge from Viking raids, and religious fulfilment through self-imposed exile. Diarmuid Ó Riain, Matthew Seaver, and Maeve Sikora describe how this exchange of ideas and artistic styles is reflected in the artefacts and manuscripts on display.

Ogham inscription discovered on Pictish cross found near Doune

Such inscriptions are relatively rare in Scotland, with only 35 currently known

BELOW Lying off the west coast of Scotland, the tiny island of Iona with its 6th century monastery was a beacon of Christian scholarship and creativity during the Medieval period.

Exploring Scotland’s most sacred place

The Scottish island of Iona was one of the most influential Christian centres in Early Medieval Europe. But how much of its first monastery, built in the 6th century, has survived to the present day? As 2013, the 1,450th anniversary of its foundation, approached, it was time to find out, as Peter Yeoman explains.