Discover a treasured 9th century manuscript at a 400-year-old university in the heart of Dublin city.
Trinity College Dublin is home to wonders big and small. Case in point: the Book of Kells Experience, which takes in the world-famous 9th-century illuminated manuscript, alongside the vast Long Room in the Old Library. This 65-metre vaulted chamber with dark oak beams and marble busts is often considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. While currently empty of most of its 200,000 early-printed books due to a major restoration project, visitors to the library can gaze in awe at Gaia, a huge illuminated sculpture of Earth suspended from the ceiling. No wonder Trinity College Dublin has crowned Europe’s Leading Academic Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards.
Trinity College Dublin campus
The Trinity Trails guided walking tours are led by expert student and alumni guides who know the campus inside out. From stopping by architectural marvels such as the Museum Building to hearing stories of famous former students such as Samuel Beckett and Bram Stoker (author of Dracula), it’s a riveting 45 minutes. Want to stay longer? Accommodation options are available during the summer months. Imagine waking up in Ireland’s oldest university with all of Dublin’s delights on your doorstep!
The Palace Bar, Dublin
The campus is nestled in Dublin city centre, so there’s no shortage of things to see and do nearby. Grafton Street, one of Ireland’s busiest shopping areas, is just across the road. The Irish Whiskey Museum is opposite Trinity’s main entrance, while one of the city’s best-loved pubs, the Palace Bar, where literary greats Patrick Kavanagh and Brendan Behan once held forth, is also close by. The campus is a short walk away from both the must-snap Molly Malone statue and the National Gallery of Ireland, where masterpieces by Van Gogh and Caravaggio, as well as pieces by Irish artists Jack B Yeats and Louis le Brocquy, are on show.
