A reward of £2,001 has been offered by the Mayor of Kilkenny, Mr Paul Cuddihy, for the return of an ancient book belonging to the city.
The book, Liber Secundus, is more than 450 years old and has been missing since the 1870s. "We think someone borrowed it about 130 years ago and forgot to return it," says Mr Cuddihy.
Described by the mayor as a "historical treasure", the book is an official record of life in Kilkenny for 100 years from the 1540s. It was part of a collection of historical documents kept in the Tholsel, Kilkenny's City Hall. Mr Cuddihy thinks it could be in an attic and someone may be "blissfully unaware" they are in possession of an important historical document.
"Whoever returns it will receive a reward of £2,001, no questions asked. The people of Kilkenny have a priceless collection of documents in City Hall which are a link with our history over hundreds of years," he said. "However, the collection is incomplete until the Liber Secundus is returned."
Mr Cuddihy said the book may have been genuinely borrowed for research, "but there will be no fine for a late return or anything like that".
He went recently with a former mayor of the city, Mr Tony Patterson, to Tipperary after people there suspected they had found the Liber Se- cundus in their collection, but it turned out to be a false al arm. "We're willing to travel further. It's like the Holy Grail," he said. Mr Cuddihy can be contacted at 05621076 or 087-2618927.
