Editing Book of Armagh (section)

==History==
The manuscript was once reputed to have belonged to [[St. Patrick]] and, at least in part, to be a product of his hand. Research has determined, however, that the earliest part of the manuscript was the work of a scribe named [[Ferdomnach of Armagh]] (died 845 or 846). Ferdomnach wrote the first part of the book in 807 or 808, for Patrick's heir (''comarba'') Torbach, abbot of [[Armagh]].<ref name="TCDBookArmagh">{{cite web|title=Beyond the Book of Kells: The Book of Armagh|url=https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/whats-on/details/event.php?eventid=124745618|website=www.tcd.ie|access-date=4 October 2017|language=en}}</ref> Two other scribes are known to have assisted him.

The people of medieval Ireland placed a great value on this manuscript. Along with the [[Bachal Isu]], or Staff of Jesus, it was one of the two symbols of the office for the [[Archbishop of Armagh (Roman Catholic)|Archbishop of Armagh]]. The custodianship of the book was an important office that eventually became hereditary in the MacMoyre family. It remained in the hands of the MacMoyre family in the townland of [[Ballymoyer]] near [[Whitecross, County Armagh]] until the late 17th century. Its last [[hereditary]] keeper was [[Florence MacMoyer]]. By 1707 it was in the possession of the [[Brownlow (disambiguation)|Brownlow]] family of [[Lurgan]]. It remained in the Brownlow family until 1853 when it was sold to the Irish antiquary, [[William Reeves (bishop)|Dr William Reeves]]. In 1853, Reeves sold the Book to [[John George de la Poer Beresford]], [[Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland)|Archbishop of Armagh]], who presented it to [[Trinity College, Dublin]],<ref>Atkinson, E. D., [[Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland|R.S.A.I.]] (1911). [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/DromoreUlsterDiocese.pdf ''Dromore, An Ulster Diocese''], p. 19.</ref> where it can be read online from the Digital Collections portal of the Trinity College library.<ref name="DigitalCollections">{{cite web |title=Book of Armagh, TCD Digital Collections |url=https://digitalcollections.tcd.ie/concern/works/3j333696h?locale=en |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=digitalcollections.tcd.ie |language=en}}</ref>