Irish Museum Unveils 1,300-Year-Old Monk Doodles: Hangovers, Bad Ink, and Viking Fears

In a charming twist of history, the National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street has unveiled a treasure trove of 1,300-year-old doodles, scribbled by Irish monks who clearly had more on their minds than just prayer and parchment. These quirky marginalia, part of the Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe exhibit, are on display until October 24, offering a rare peek into the human side of monastic life.

The star of the show? Priscian’s Institutiones Grammaticae, a sixth-century text adorned with Old Irish scribbles from the 850s, likely penned by monks in northern Ireland’s Nendrum or Bangor monasteries. These notes aren’t your typical holy musings. One monk grumbles about being “ale-killed”—a medieval hangover confession that proves even the devout enjoyed a pint too many. Another laments shoddy supplies, writing, “New parchment, bad ink. O I say nothing more.” You can almost hear the eye-roll.

The exhibit, featuring over 100 artifacts including 17 manuscripts on loan from Switzerland’s Abbey Library of St. Gall, also captures darker moments. One monk frets about Viking raids, noting, “Bitter is the wind tonight, it tosses the ocean’s white hair: I fear not the coursing of a clear sea by the fierce heroes from Lothlend.” It’s a poetic mix of dread and defiance, showing these monks faced real-world fears alongside their spiritual duties.

Other highlights include an 8th-century brooch, a Viking sword, and the Lough Kinale Book Shrine, Ireland’s oldest and largest sacred book container. Curator Matthew Seaver calls the doodles “full of human voices, humor, frustration, and resilience,” revealing the personalities behind the quills. Free to the public, this exhibit is a must-see for anyone curious about the messy, relatable lives of medieval monks.