Valuable replica of Book of Kells stolen from Co Meath church

A replica of the Book Of Kells worth €15,000 has been stolen in Co Meath.

Sgt Dean Kerins, a Garda Crime Prevention Officer in Co Meath, said the copy was stolen from a glass cabinet in St Colmcille’s Church in Kells some time between November 1st and yesterday.

The glass case was untouched in the theft, which was reported to gardaí yesterday.

The highly decorated facsimile is one of three such copies in the town.

The others are kept in St Columba’s Church and the Town Hall.

St Colmcille’s Church is on the main Kells to Navan Road at the entrance to the town.

The original Book of Kells was housed in the town for centuries but was moved to Trinity College in the mid-19th century. The priceless manuscript, which has been bound into four volumes, attracts over 500,000 visitors to Trinity College each year.

The theft of the piece was included in a list of 'crazy predictions' posted on Faecebook by magician Keith Barry last Thursday.

“Ireland will have the heaviest snowfall in history this Christmas, the Book of Kells will be stolen, NASA will discover foreign metal on Mars proving life other than here on Earth,” he wrote.

A number of posters to the Meath Crime Prevention Page on Facebook have jokingly suggested gardaí should "ask Keith Barry" about the theft.

Gardaí are asking for anyone with information on the theft that doens’t involved Keith Barry to contact Kells Garda station on 046-9240999 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.