Trinity College Dublin

Located in the heart of Dublin and founded in the dissolved Augustinian monastery, the university campus is 190,000 square metres (2,045,142 square feet) and a beautiful oasis for students.

Although only Protestants could study at Trinity College when it opened, Catholic students were admitted from 1793.

Several of Ireland’s most notorious citizens have studied at Ireland’s oldest university, including Samuel Beckett, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and Edmund Burke.

The Library of Trinity College

The Library of Trinity College holds Ireland's largest collection of books and manuscripts. Since 1801, it has received a copy of all the paperbacks published both in Ireland and Great Britain free of charge. As a result of this right, it has nearly 3 million books distributed in 8 different buildings.

The oldest building, called the Old Library, was built between 1712 and 1732. One of its highlights is the Long Room, the structure’s 65-meter-long (213 ft) main hall. It houses 200,000 of the Library’s earliest books.

The endless shelves packed with all types of books give off a very distinct smell of wood mixed with old paper. You’ll also marvel at the room’s dozen marble busts looking down on you and admire a medieval Gaelic harp, one of the oldest in Ireland made of oak and willow with bronze strings.

Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is the Library’s treasure. This famous manuscript contains the 4 Gospels of the New Testament written in Latin and beautifully decorated with bright colours.

It's thought that the Book of Kells was transcribed during the 9th century by the monks of Iona Abbey. At that time, the Vikings raided Iona and the monks that survived fled to the Abbey of Kells.

Hundreds of years later, the manuscript was sent to Dublin and then to Trinity College in 1661 for its preservation. Currently, the Book of Kells is on display at the Old Library and accompanied by an exhibition that explains in detail its content.

A Must-See

Exploring Trinity College is a definite must when visiting Dublin. The University’s campus is ideal for strolling around, admiring the various elegant buildings, and marvelling at the Book of Kells, surrounded by century-old books and magnificent decorations and sculptures.