Medieval manuscript unveils connection between Irish and Islamic medical traditions

A rare medieval Irish manuscript has revealed an unexpected cultural connection between Gaelic Ireland and the Islamic world, offering striking evidence of the transmission of Islamic medical knowledge to Western Europe.

The small vellum fragment, discovered inside the cover of a 16th-century Latin administrative book in Cornwall, England, was identified as an Irish translation of The Canon of Medicine by the renowned Muslim physician Avicenna (Ibn Sina)—a cornerstone of European medical education for centuries.

Professor Pádraig Mac Cáthain of University College Cork, who identified the manuscript, expressed surprise at finding an Arabic medical text in the Gaelic tradition. He noted it confirms that medieval Irish physicians engaged with Islamic science, especially in medicine.

Initial analysis shows it includes content on the physiology of the jaw, nose, and spine. Experts have verified its authenticity, calling it the first direct evidence of Avicenna’s influence in Gaelic medical circles. The fragment will be digitized and made publicly accessible.