Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to make an observation. Professor McCafferty has tremendous strength and great passion and interest in this area. He makes it come alive. He is exactly the type of person who should be teaching young minds in UCD and be a member of the Irish Manuscripts Commission. He is extraordinary. I have learned so much from him in the last five minutes in terms what we are told officially and what is the reality. I congratulate Professor McCafferty on that. One of the strengths of this committee is that we have the privilege of meeting people who are to lead or be involved in particular areas that really matter, as Mr. Parsons said, to who and what we are and where we came from.

I would also like to put some questions to Professor McCafferty. Is the Proclamation our most important manuscript? In regard to 1922, in Professor McCafferty's opinion, outside of the Book of Kells, what is the most precious manuscript that we have? If I were asked during a quiz what was our most precious manuscript, should I respond that it is the Book of Kells, or am I on the wrong track?