Codex Usserianus Primus

Paleographers generally date the manuscript to the sixth or seventh century, making it one of the oldest surviving Gospel books. It is closely associated with early medieval Irish monastic culture. This early dating places its creation well before the Book of Kells.

The manuscript survives only in a fragmentary condition, containing remnants of the Gospels written in an Old Latin version rather than the later standard Vulgate. The extant leaves are written on vellum and display an early, simple style of insular script. It does not exist as a complete, bound book.

The manuscript is held at the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland. It is part of the institution's renowned collection of early medieval insular manuscripts. Researchers can access it through the library's archives.

It is named after James Ussher, the 17th-century Archbishop of Armagh and a prominent scholar who collected many ancient Irish manuscripts. His collection eventually formed the basis of the historic holdings at Trinity College Dublin. The 'Primus' designation indicates it was the first of several manuscripts cataloged under his name.