Tripadvisor fasttrack easy access book of kells tour. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin 2020 all. Trinity college is irelands top university and most historical and is an unmissable attraction in the irish capital. How to see dublins book of kells for free or half price. Book of kells early access and dublin castle guided tour 2020. Today it remains a vibrant, cosmopolitan campus in the heart of dublin. While there might be a few other ways to get early access to the book of kells, i loved the tour that i went on because our library visit was followed by a walking tour of trinity college, downtown dublin, and dublin castle. See all 44 trinity college dublin tours on tripadvisor. The best way to get to the book of kells exhibition is to take public transportation. The book of kells is a handwritten manuscript version of. We recommend booking trinity college dublin tours ahead of time to secure your spot.
College green trinity college dublin, dublin 2 ireland. The campus tour was 35 minutes, during which our enthusiastic guide told us stories about the architecture and history of the school. The tour takes 35 minutes and covers the history of trinity college as well as the book of kells. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous book of kellswidely considered among the most important of all irelands ancient treasures. Trinity college student tours an unmissable experience. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous book of kellswidely. Visit the book of kells and the old library exhibition on. Entrance to trinity college grounds is free, there is a charge for entry to the library and the book of kells exhibition area. The magnificent book of kells is widely regarded as irelands most valuable national treasure. Patrick is said to have baptized converts some 600. Since tickets can only be purchased on the same day, i am wondering if queues are long in june and if everyone is in same queue whether they are trying to. It is the jewel in trinitys crown and is considered a great treasure and the finest piece of celtic art in existence. The fairytale traveler experience at the book of kells.
Trinity college dublin panorama of long room library. The worldfamous long room library in trinity college, dublin. In the 18th century, the college received the brian boru harp, one of the three surviving medieval gaelic harps, and a national symbol of ireland, notably used on the irish euro coins. We took a tour of trinity college through authenticity tours you sign up with them onsite at the main gate that included tickets to the book of kells and the old library. The guided tour of the college lasts 35 minutes, encompasses the four major historic squares of the college, provides an insight into the history of the college, its buildings, its historic contextand throws light on irelands past, present and future through the story of an institution that has done much to shape it. Visitors can combine a tour here with a visit to nearby dublin castle. It holds many rare and ancient texts, most notably the book of kells, the book of durrow, and the book of armagh. It also sets in context the colleges old library and its long room, which houses 200,000 of the colleges vast collection of books. Seeing the book of kells in dublins trinity college is a breathtaking experience as you behold the ancient manuscript. Beat the crowds for earlyaccess to the old library in trinity college to get an upclose look at this celebrated text. It is a richly decorated copy of the four gospels and portrays the life of jesus christ. The library of trinity college dublin serves trinity. Google book of kells trinity college and it will pop right up first in the search results. Our guide gave us both an introduction to the old buildings on campus and some insights into what it is like to attend the university today.
The book of kells exhibit is located on the campus of trinity college in the heart of dublin. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous book of kells. Wandering onto the gorgeous trinity college campus, i instantly fell in love with the beautiful architecture surrounding the campus. Frequently asked questions about the book of kells faqs. Your tour of the book of kells, trinity colleges library, and dublin castle meets in the front of trinity college in central dublin. Trinity college book of kells tour trinity college. Fasttrack easy access book of kells tour with dublin castle. Trinity college and the book of kells are truly mustsee attractions for any visitor thats interested in immersing themselves in the rich culture of the celtic homeland. Trinity college dublin 2020 all you need to know before. The library began with the founding of trinity college in 1592.
The bell tower in the library square is the perfect place to get a photo. Plan to visit the book of kells and the old library exhibition, ireland. See all 43 trinity college dublin tours on tripadvisor. The two ways to avoid paying the 10 fee to see the books of kells are as follows to see the book of kells and the old library for half price, visit 30 minutes before the library closes. Frankly i feel its not worth just seeing the book of kells without more trinity college context. The long room library is rightly counted as one of the great, most beautiful libraries in the world, and is one of irelands most visited attractions. Trinity college dublin all you need to know before you. The long room is the main chamber of the trinity college old library and my gosh is it stunning. You can take the dart to either pearse street, tara street or connolly stations, which are all a short walk away. Using a backstory which includes wineries, vikings and remote scottish islands, the book of kells can depart the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Most of your questions are answered on the trinity college website for the book of kells exhibition, especially the plan your visit and book online pages off the menu on the left side. The book of kells is the worlds most famous medieval manuscript and dates from the 9th century. Book of kells tour monastic treasures with a historian.
Authenticity tours offers a combined ticket which incorporates discounts on the cost of a guided tour of trinity college dublin and the admission fee to. The book of kells and trinity college had been on my must see list for years. Visit the book of kells, trinity college old library, and the national museum of ireland on this book of kells tour of monastic treasures with a historian. The book of kells is by far the librarys most famous book and is located in the old library, along with the book of durrow, the. Dublin book of kells and trinity college rick steves. Book of kells trinity college dublin, dublin traveller. Right in the heart of downtown dublin is trinity college, where you can find the long room and the book of kells. Authenticity tours offers a combined ticket which incorporates discounts on the cost of a guided tour of trinity college dublin and the admission fee to the book of kells and old library exhibition. Experience a fully guided visit to both venues with an expert local english speaking guide.
Many people compare the long room in trinity college to the library from harry potter. I am sure i have not done the book of kells, the long room of trinity college justice with all the history, but let me tell you, it was a great tour and i recommend it to anyone new to dublin and enjoys a nice walk, this is a great tour. In 1661, henry jones presented it with the book of kells, its most famous manuscript. The campus tours policy outlines that authorised tours of campus are conducted. The library is open everyday all year round, except for a period extending from just before christmas into the new year. The guided tour gives an introduction to the book of kells. Due to its picturesque setting and the famous people connected with it oscar wilde studied here trinity college is one of the citys main tourist.
Discover the book of kells through trinity colleges free. Guided tours visitors and book of kells trinity college dublin. Avoid the crowds and explore irish history in peace on this book of kells and dublin castle exterior tour. Authenticity tours, which operates trinity tours, can facilitate any tour requests from members of the public or tour groups. A ticket to the book of kells includes access to the trinity college librarys long room, where youll find an original copy of the 1916 proclamation of the irish republic and a medieval harp. Trinity college is located in the centre of dublin, ireland, on college green opposite the former irish houses of parliament. I took the 20minute studentled tour of trinity college. Seeing the book of kells in dublin changes in longitude. Lasting 35 minutes, the tour encompasses the four major squares of the college. First your guide takes you through the colleges library, exploring the area known as the long room thats lined with books and statue busts. Trinity college is located in college green at the top of dublins dame street. Trinity college tour the book of kells ireland with locals. A visit to the book of kells is included and your students will gain valuable insight in the history of the college and the significance of the book of kells a tour not to be missed.
We started with the tour in the campus, and listened to the stories about students life. It is the oldest university in ireland, founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth i, and is famous for its graduates such as swift, goldsmith, wilde and beckett. Generally speaking, the library closes at 1700, though there are some exceptions. There is a pretty basic 35 minute tour run by undergraduate tour guides with a good sense of humour. The tour concludes at the main entrance to the book of kells and groups proceed to. Trinity college was founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth i of england.
It was created in a columban monastery in either britain or ireland and may have had. The book of kells and the old library exhibition, dublin. Whether a rousing account of the history of women in the college, or a lushly illustrated coffee table edition, trinitys book collection will both exhilarate and delight. At trinity college, the two main tourist destinations are the book of kells and the long room in the old library. The rich history of trinity college dublin makes for compelling reading. The book of kells is one of irelands most famous cultural treasures, and can be found carefully preserved and on display in trinity college, dublin. The trinity college walking tour, which can include book of kells entry if you buy that version of the ticket, makes it far more interesting and memorable. Confusion over trinity collegebook of kells tours dublin forum. A visit to trinity college and the trinity college library to see the ancient book of kells truly made my dublin travel experience more complete. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. The entire first floor of the book of kells exhibit is set up nicely as a self guided tour through blown up illuminated replicas of the manuscript. Take your group on the guided walking tour of trinity college campus with authenticity tours. Further materials are held in storage in stacks, either in closed access within college or at a book depository in the dublin suburb of santry.
The book of kells is one of dublins main tourist attractions, but is it. After the tour, you can take in the grounds of trinity college. Trinity college library dublin, ireland library, tour. Check out the best tours and activities to experience the book of kells. The book is beautifully illustrated and is said to far surpass any other book of its era in. Trinity college book of kells long library trinity. And we went to trinity college dublin to have a look at the book of kells and library, with the famous long room. Beat the crowds early access to the 16 th century college to view the world renowned 7 th century book of kells and trinity colleges old library europes longest vaulted library. Dont miss the opportunity to see the inside of the magnificent old library with the book of kells. It also includes entry to see the book of kells and the long room, which are 20 by themselves, so the 30 price was very. It is set on forty seven acres in the heart of dublin city and this beautiful campus is filled with leafy, cobbled.
Trinity college is one of the most recognised colleges in the world, synonymous with its excellent educational curriculum, particularly its humanities, science and medical programs, and ranks highly in the world top universities. A walk around trinity college in dublin, inside the narrow room library and outside the building that houses the book of kells. Bicycles at trinity college, dublin how to see the book of kells for half price or free. Located in trinity colleges treasury, the tour includes a visit to the extended space library, one of europes most glorious libraries home over 200,000 of trinitys oldest novels. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin.