When Christianity came to Ireland, so did Latin and Uncial scripts. A sub-style of Uncial evolved in Ireland known as ‘Half-Uncial’ or ‘Insular Uncial’ (i.e. used only in Ireland and Britain). This is a clear and beautiful script characterised by very rounded letters which do not distinguish between upper-case and lower-case letters. It is not clear where this script first began, but evidence points to it being originated by Columba/Columcille, who was renowned for his skill as a scribe. The most spectacular version of the script can be seen in the Book of Kells.

Below, is a modernized Half-Uncial, from Edward Johnston’s ‘Writing, Illuminating & Lettering’ (1906).

There was another script that developed in Ireland c.800 AD called ‘Irish Miniscule’. This hand was more cursive and pointy with a vertical emphasis in contrast with the rounder shaped letters of Half-Uncial. Irish Miniscule continued to be used for the writing of Gaelic/Gaeilge while Insular/Half-Uncial was used for religious texts written in Latin.