Getting Ready for Ireland Tour

I grew up steeped in the pride of our Irish heritage, although that’s only one part of the complex mix of ancestry that makes me American.  My paternal great-grandfather emigrated from Lisburn, Northern Ireland (near Belfast) at the turn of the century.  I also have a maternal great-grandmother from outside the Dublin area.  I’m finally going to visit the Emerald Isle this summer, to both follow some of my ancestral threads and to explore the rich culture of textiles.

Our first stop will be Dublin, particularly to see the famous Book of Kells at Trinity College.  If you haven’t seen pictures of this amazing illustrated manuscript, the whole book is now available to view online in excellent resolution at http://digitalcollections.tcd.ie/home/index.php?DRIS_ID=MS58_003v

Here is a sample from on of the pages the is completely pictorial.  The elaborate Celtic knots must have been painstakingly drawn… so complex and beautiful!

I’ll be adding photos and posts about the sights, experiences, and of course textiles I come across during my trip, so check back!