Book of the De Burgos
Gaelic manuscripts produced during the late medieval period in Ireland were typically plain and unadorned, but what distinguishes Seanchas Búrcach from other manuscripts of the period is its unusual visual style. Its vivid illustrations, although crudely executed, are intensely realistic. Shown here is one of the MacWilliam Burke ancestors, Tomás Mac Emoind Albanach (d. 1402). Against an arresting backdrop of red and blue, this medieval warrior has an almost cartoon-like quality, his sword and shield held dramatically aloft. The colours appear to leap off the page, drawing one's eye to the huge, green hound at his side.
The manuscript is one of the last of the great family books written in Irish and is one of the most iconic from the Irish language collection held in the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
Shelfmark: TCD MS 1440
Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin