Book of Kells app

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“Christ Enthroned” from the The Book of Kells.

The Book of Kells is now available as an iPad app.

It’s the latest technological iteration of the 9th century calf-skin copy of the four gospels, originally hand-produced by Irish monks.

The colorful, intricate images of the illuminated manuscript have been reproduced for many years in conventional books and more recently on CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.

The Book of Kells for iPad was designed and developed by X Communications in partnership with Trinity College Library Dublin,” according to a release. “The images used for the iPad app were digitised by The Digital Resources & Imaging Services in Trinity College Library from transparencies provided by Faksimile-Verlag Luzern who published a facsimile of the manuscript in 1990.”

The app, which costs $12.99, allows the user to scroll through all 680 pages of the manuscript.

A nice feature indeed. But still no substitute for visiting Trinity College and working your way through the permanent The Book of Kells exhibit, finally reaching the glass case and peering onto the manuscript itself.