Trinity College Dublin: The Book of Kells and Everything Around It

The Long Room is better than the Book of Kells. That’s a genuinely controversial opinion to hold while standing in the queue at Trinity College, but the 65-metre barrel-vaulted library hall with its 200,000 leather-bound volumes in dark oak shelves and the smell of centuries of paper is a more immersive experience than two pages of a 9th-century manuscript viewed through glass in a room designed to control crowds. You should see both, and most visitors come primarily for the Kells. But spend twice as long in the Long Room, because that space is one of the genuinely extraordinary rooms in the world.

Trinity College was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I on the site of a dissolved Augustinian monastery. It remains the only constituent college of the University of Dublin – a constitutional oddity that gives it a slightly different standing from any other Irish university. The campus sits directly in the middle of the city, entered through a Corinthian stone archway off College Green, and covers 47 acres of cobbled squares and Georgian buildings that function simultaneously as a working university and a public park.

The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is a 9th-century illuminated gospel book created by monks, almost certainly on the Scottish island of Iona before Viking raids prompted a move to Kells Monastery in County Meath. It arrived at Trinity in 1661. The elaboration of the carpet pages, the decorated initials, and the interlaced human and animal figures is extraordinary – the technical achievement of the calligraphy and illustration across 680 vellum pages represents years of skilled monastic labour.

Only two pages are displayed at any one time; the exhibition rotates them to protect the vellum from light exposure. The exhibition leading to the display covers the history of early Christian manuscript production and the specific techniques used in this volume. Allow 30-40 minutes before reaching the book itself.

Combined tickets for the Book of Kells and Long Room run around €18-22 for adults. Book online in advance, especially in summer – walk-up availability in July and August is genuinely limited. Opening hours are 09:30-17:00 Monday through Saturday, shorter on Sundays.

The Long Room

The Long Room is the upper floor of the Old Library, above the Kells exhibition. The 65-metre barrel-vaulted hall with marble busts of scholars lining the walkway between two levels of dark oak shelving was originally designed in 1732 with a flat roof. The vault was added in the 1850s to create space for more books, inadvertently producing the dramatic ceiling that makes the space look medieval. The busts were placed later. The entire thing is younger than it looks – which is, in a way, a perfect piece of library theatre.

An original printing of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic is displayed near the far end. A harp, believed to date from the 14th or 15th century and known as the Brian Boru Harp, is also displayed here – it became the basis for the Irish national symbol.

The Campus

Front Square and Library Square are freely accessible (no ticket required) during daylight hours. The campanile in Front Square, mid-19th century and 30 metres tall, is the visual anchor of the college. The Science Gallery on Pearse Street just south of the main campus runs rotating contemporary exhibitions on science and society intersections; entry is usually free and the quality is higher than most free galleries in the city.

The Douglas Hyde Gallery inside the Arts Building (entered from Nassau Street) is a free contemporary art gallery running four or five exhibitions per year. Worth checking what’s showing.

Eating Around Trinity

The tourist-facing restaurants on Dame Street directly outside the college archway are overpriced and not worth your time. Walk 10 minutes and the options improve significantly.

The Winding Stair on Ormond Quay is the benchmark for modern Irish cooking: seasonal menu, around €35-50 per person, consistent for years. The smoked salmon with brown bread is reliable. Govindas on Aungier Street serves good-value vegetarian Indian food for under €12. The Fumbally Cafe in the Liberties neighbourhood (20 minutes’ walk) has excellent coffee and lunch plates.

Getting Around Dublin

The Luas tram green line (to Broombridge, with stops at St. Stephen’s Green) and the DART suburban rail both serve the city centre. Dublin Bikes (station on Westmoreland Street adjacent to the college) costs €5 for a 3-day ticket with unlimited 30-minute trips. Most of central Dublin’s main attractions are walkable from Trinity. The National Museum of Ireland (free, two locations – Archaeology on Kildare Street and Decorative Arts at Collins Barracks) both deserve time that most visits to the city don’t give them.