Birr Early Christian Monastic Site

An extraordinary manuscript

The original monastic site is adjacent to Birr castle in Church Street behind the wrought-iron gates of the old church erected by the Parsons family from the castle.

In the late 8^th or early 9^th century when the monastery at Birr was at the height of its power, a scribe named Mac Regol wrote and illuminated an extraordinary manuscript.   Although his images have been described as primitive, Mac Regol’s gospel is recognized as a unique and important work of art.  It is now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. However beside the R.C. Church (Wilmer Road), in the library (tastefully converted from a Pugin designed convent chapel), is the only copy of the  Four Gospels known as the Book of Birr or Macgregols Gospels.