Book of Aicill and the Brehon Laws

MS1433 is a collection of early Irish Laws, comprising fifteen vellum bi-folios in three quires, written in iron gall ink. The four texts were brought together and bound in the 18th century in full sprinkled calf leather with the quires sewn twice on five flexible cords. In 1907 it was dis-bound and "vamped", and crudely bound in two separate book-cloth bindings. The impressions of tackets, and evidence from the binding structures indicate the original binding may have been limp. Drying sand and quill parings have also been found in the spine-folds.

The manuscript is being treated to remove disfiguring surface soiling, and to remedy distortions caused during the 20th century rebinding.

The treatment has included removal of the binding cover and thick adhesive residues from the spine-folds. Soiling has been reduced using an alcohol and water mixture, applied with swabs under magnification. Due to the low shrinkage temperature of old vellum the use of moisture has been controlled during all processes. Distortions have been reduced by hydrating the skin in a humidity chamber, and using clip and pin tensioning during the drying phase.

The manuscript will be rebound in a limp vellum, adhesive-free binding, and stored in a pressure box.