Trinity College Dublin - Old Library and Book Of Kells3

The Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition

Welcome to the Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition – a “must see” on the itinerary of all visitors to Dublin. Located in the heart of Dublin City, a walk through the cobbled stones of Trinity College Dublin will bring visitors back to the 18th century, when the magnificent Old Library building was constructed. Inside is housed the Book of Kells - a 9th-century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world. Visitors are welcomed by our friendly staff seven days a week. Please click on Opening Hours and Plan Your Visit for more information.

Visitors enter through the Library Shop and proceed to the Book of Kells "Turning Darkness into Light" exhibition; then to the Treasury where the Book of Kells and other related manuscripts are on view; then proceed upstairs to the magnificent Long Room which houses 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books in its oak bookcases.

Exhibitions are held in the Long Room to display the rich holdings of the Library and encourage further research. Click on Exhibitions and Events for information on the current exhibition, or download a brochure (PDF 281KB) of all exhibitions for 2010 directly.

General

Plan Your Visit
The Book of Kells is housed in the Old Library building. The Old Library is wheelchair accessible.

Admission to the Old Library includes the following:

The Book of Kells
Turning Darkness into Light exhibition
Long Room
Current Long Room exhibition
We do not take bookings or reservations, everyone joins the queue. However, if there is a queue you will not be waiting for more than 10 minutes. Allow at least 40 minutes to an hour for your visit which is self-guiding. Tours of the wider College campus, including entry to the Book of Kells, are also available.

Services

Location
Trinity College Dublin is right in the heart of Dublin and served well by cross city buses. The DART stations of Pearse Street and Connolly Station are a short walk away. Both LUAS lines are also a short distance away at Lower Abbey Street and the terminus on St Stephen's Green.

When you reach Trinity College Dublin there are two entrances:

Take the Nassau Street entrance and the Old Library is directly in front of you as you walk through.
Alternatively enter through College Green and the Front Gate. You will see the Campanile (bell tower) directly in front of you; the Old Library building is to the right of this. Go through the narrow lane between the Old Library and the 1937 Reading Room and turn left up to the Old Library entrance.

Opening Times

Opening Hours
Monday - Saturday 09:30 - 17:00

Sunday (May - September) 09:30 - 16:30

Sunday (October - April) 12:00 - 16:30

Public Holiday Arrangements 2010
Monday 25 October - October Holiday - open 12:00 - 16:30
The Old Library and the Book of Kells Exhibition will close for the Christmas and New Year period at 17:00 on Thursday 23 December 2010 and will re-open again on Tuesday 4 January 2011 at 09:30.

Public Holiday Arrangements 2011
St Patrick’s Day - Thursday 17 March - open 12:00 - 16:30
Good Friday - Friday 22 April - open 12:00 - 16:30
Easter Monday - Monday 25 April - open 12:00 - 16:30
May Holiday - Monday 2 May - open 09:30 - 17:00
June Holiday - Monday 6 June - open 09:30 - 17:00
August Holiday - Monday 1 August - open 09:30 - 17:00
October Holiday - Monday 31 October - open 12:00 - 16:30

Menu

Admission Prices
Adults: €9
Students/Senior Citizens: €8
Family Ticket: €18 (2 adults and 4 children)
Group Rate: €6.50 per person for groups of 10 or more
School Groups (18 years old and under) accompanied by their teachers: free admission from 1 October to 1 April
Children (under 12): free all the year around

Exhibitions and Events

Admission prices include entrance to all current exhibitions in the Old Library building.

The Book of Kells
The Book of Kells "Turning Darkness into Light" Exhibition is currently on view in the Colonnades of the Old Library. It can be viewed prior to visiting the original manuscript in the Treasury. The exhibition places the 9th- century manuscript in its historical perspective and allows the visitor to acquire a greater appreciation of the work than is usually possible. Related manuscripts are also on show and may include the Book of Armagh, the Book of Durrow, the Book of Mulling and the Book of Dimma.

Long Room Exhibitions
The Long Room is lined by 48 marble busts; look out for the bust of Jonathan Swift by Louis Francois Roubiliac. Also look out for one of the few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic and Ireland’s oldest harp, dating from the 15th century. As an emblem of early bardic society, this is the harp which appears on Irish coins. The attribution to Brian Boru, a High King of Ireland (died 1014) is legendary rather than factual.
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Campus Tours and Attractions

An official student-guided walking tour of the historic campus of Trinity CollegeDublin is available. The tour operates on a scheduled basis daily from Mid-May to the end of September. Outside this period tours may be offered on weekends only - ubject to tour guide availability.

The tours depart from a desk at the Front Arch of the College and last for 30 minutes. The tour gives an overview of the history of the College, its architecture, famous graduates, and an introduction to the Old Library and the Book of Kells. The campus tour price of €10 also includes admission to the Old Library and the Book of Kells exhibition.

Mid-May to end of September departure schedule: 10:15, 10:40, 11:05, 11:35, 12:10, 12:45, 14:15, 15:00, 15:40*

* Except Sundays

For more information e-mail joe@csc.tcd.ie.

Other Attractions in Trinity College Dublin
The Science Gallery is a world first. A new type of venue where today’s white-hot scientific issues are thrashed out and you can have your say.

The Douglas Hyde Gallery at the Nassau Street entrance of the College displays Irish and International contemporary art.

The Samuel Beckett Theatre is the campus theatre of the Department of Drama.
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