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Marking Glasgow’s 850th anniversary as a Bishop's Burgh, one of Scotland’s most significant treasures, the Blacader Prayerbook, will be on show in Glasgow Cathedral’s nave for one day only, on 29 September.
A public holiday, the day was chosen to enable as many Glaswegians and visitors as possible to see this extraordinary artifact during the five hours it will be on display.
Entry to Glasgow Cathedral, which is under the care of Historic Environment Scotland, is free of charge.
In the afternoon of the 29th, the Mediaeval Glasgow Trust is organising a Symposium in celebration of the Prayerbook’s visit and to mark Glasgow’s 850. This event will take place in the aisle that Archbishop Blacader commissioned for the Cathedral and will run from 13:30 to around 16:40, ending with a final opportunity to view the Prayerbook in the Cathedral nave.
Presentations will last 20 minutes each, and there will be an opportunity for questions before the break at 15:00 and at the end.
Welcomed by Rev. Ian Black and introduced by Archdiocese of Glasgow Archivist Mary McHugh, Irene O’Brien will open the Symposium with a discussion on ‘The Importance of the Written Archive Towards Understanding Glasgow’s Mediaeval Origins’. Dominic D’Angelo will then speak on Glasgow as Rome’s ‘Special Daughter’. Mary Craig’s talk on ‘Glasgow’s Virgin Martyrs’ will bring the first half to a close. After a short break, Neil Baxter’s ‘Three Bishops’ will be followed by Chris Cassells of the National Library of Scotland, who will talk about the Blacader Prayerbook. Dr Gordon Wyllie of the Trust will conclude the day’s events by discussing Archbishop Blacader’s Will. Following questions and a summing-up, there will be a last chance to view the Prayerbook.