Kells Town council is to consider leasing Kells Heritage Centre to Trinity College in Dublin so that a section of one of one the country's most famous Christian artefacts can be put on display there.
The suggestion, put forward by a Kells local resident, would, if successful, see the town council discussing the lease with Trinity College and establishing a branch of the Trinity College library in Kells so that the world famous 8th century Book of Kells could be put on display there.
It was also suggested by the council that Environment Minister Phil Hogan should make it a condition of the current €2m grant to Trinity College that every effort be made to ensure such a library branch be set up in Kells.
Speaking at the meeting local Councillor Brian Collins urged caution when it came to the campaign for the return of the Book of Kells to the town, as the council is currently involved in negotiations with Trinity College.
“If through our negotiations with Trinity College, Kells was to get just five per cent of the visitors to Trinity to see the Book of Kells it would treble tourism in the town and benefit the local economy.”
He said that “'The Kells Tourism Forum is full of energy and good ideas and if they want to be part of building tourism in the town in the years ahead they should come and talk to us.”
He also suggested that picketing or even talking about picketing outside the gates of Trinity College for the return of the book to the town was not the way to go about things.