Bicycles at trinity college, dublin how to see the book of kells for half price or free. On my last trip to the emerald isle, i had one mission see the book of kells and the magnificent library it is housed in. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin. One of the big highlights of visiting dublin is a stop at the old library of trinity college dublin to take a peek at the famous book of kells. Fasttrack access book of kells and dublin castle tour dublin. The book of kells is an illuminated manuscript gospel book in latin, containing the four gospels of the new testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. Housed within the old library building, the book of kells is a precious 9th century manuscript, featuring an exquisite combination of ornate latin text and intricate illuminations. Book online so you dont have to wait for tickets and try to get there early before the crowds. The tickets can be bought on location the till is located in the souvenir shop, just beside the library entrance or online and give access to both the book of kells and the long room. Trinity college dublin, founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth 1, provides for a fascinating visit and it is one of irelands top attractions.
There are two primary reasons why so many people go to see the book. The book of kells will take us to one of the most visited touristic attractions in dublin, ireland, which is trinity college library where the book if kells is placed and which is considered the. Dublin has over 1,000 pubs and several hundred types of beers. When visiting the dublin area, expedia can provide you with extensive the book of kells information, as well as great savings on nearby hotels and flights. Kells had high crosses or termon crosses, entrance points which stood at the 5 entrances to the monastery see map below which shows medieval kells, which roughly corresponds with monastic kells. Book of kells exhibition dublin visitors centre dublin. Strolling the campus of trinity college, citys historic seat of learning, is a great way to start a visit to dublin. The book of kells exhibit and the old library are well worth the time and cost. Instead, the highlight for me was getting to see trinity college librarys magnificent, librarylustinducing long room. Trinity college library is the home to the book of kells. Stay at trinity college dublin in the heart of dublin and explore all that tcd has to offer including the book of kells exhibition, trinity gift shop and more. Im a little worried about spending a lot of time in line. As much as i love everything morgan library, i still cannot skip a visit to work called the most beautiful book in the world in an 1896 new york times article. Dublin, the longest singlechamber library in the world and worth a visit on its own.
Apr, 2020 the book of kells exhibition is a mustsee on the itinerary of all visitors to dublin. The facts given above are based on traveler data on triphobo and might vary from the actual figures. Admission to the treasury to view the book of kells, entrance to the exhibition turning darkness into light and a fully guided visit to the old library of trinity college. Lasting 35 minutes, the tour encompasses the four major squares of the college. Trinity college dublin is right in the heart of dublin and served well by cross city buses.
It is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels dating from more than years ago. Worth visiting while in dublin the book of kells and the. The college and its beautiful buildings are worth visiting on their own, but tourists tend to head straight to the library building to view one of dublin s top attractions. You enter a room with large poster size copies of the book of kells and videos explaining more about it. Take your time here because when you walk into next room with the actual book. What an excellent visit facilitated by the passion and enthusiasm of anne our. I planned to buy the heritage island explorer guide but not su. The book of kells is a 9 thcentury gospel manuscript which contains the four gospels of the life of jesus. But despite visiting dublin on numerous occasions, i had never visited one of the most famous books, in one of the most famous libraries, in the world the book of kells in the trinity college library. After a viking raid which killed many members of their community they moved inland to kells, county meath about 70 kilometers northwest of dublin and continued work on the book. The book of kells is an illuminate medieval manuscript that contains the four gospels of the new testament that was created in 800 ad and is considered one of irelands national treasures. New statistics reveal more americans than ever before are visiting the book of kells. How to see dublins book of kells for free or half price.
So many books in library it is fascinating that they are still used by students today. England has the stonehenge, china has the great wall and ireland has the book of kells. A visit to the illuminated manuscript, the book of kells, in trinity college library in dublin, ireland. The book of kells exhibition is a mustsee on the itinerary of all visitors to dublin, ireland. Book of kells early access and dublin castle guided tour 2020. So, we thought wed put together an opinionated list of our favorite things to do in dublin, organized around a 36hour window. Attractions normally visited before or after visiting book of kells people normally club together trinity college dublin and natural history museum while planning their visit to book of kells.
Located in the heart of the city centre in trinity college dublin, the exhibition displays the book of kells, a. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous book of kellswidely considered among the most important of all irelands ancient treasures. Avoid the crowds and explore irish history in peace on this book of kells and dublin castle exterior tour. The book of kells is an illuminated manuscript of the biblical new testament gospels in latin and created in a british or irish columban monastery dating back to c. Located in the heart of the city centre in trinity college dublin, the exhibition displays the book of kells, a 9th century manuscript that documents the four gospels of the life of jesus christ. Skip to main content trinity college dublin, the university of dublin. Last year more than one million people visited the attraction, often a mustsee on tourist itineraries for visits to dublin. The old library book of kells exhibition dublin visitor centre. The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the worlds most famous medieval manuscript. Considered to be irelands greatest national treasure, the book of kells isnt the only treasure youll find in the old library, however. Columcille and his monks contributed to keeping the light of learning alive in europe during its dark ages. Very few things on this planet have stood the test of time. If you are planning on visiting trinity college library and the book of kells i would give yourself a minimum of two hours.
Directions to trinity and the book of kells exhibit. Everything you need to know about visiting dublin for the. When visiting trinity college, there are 3 main things you will want to see. Parliament square at trinity college, dublin the book of kells. It was created in a columban monastery in either britain or ireland and may have had. Fully guided visit of th century dublin castle exterior and gardens. And hence couldnt imagine skipping the one at trinity college when i visited with my sister.
Jamess gate brewery, a brewery founded in 1759 in dublin by arthur guinness, is today the largest brewer of stout. 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. Would recommend booking online and arriving earlier in the day. There are two luas stops situated less than a minutes walk from trinity college. Seeing the book of kells in dublin changes in longitude. A visit to the book of kells at the old library in trinity college dublin is a journey through some of irelands most iconic cultural heritage. We had about a 20 minute wait to get into the library. Book of kells, dublin ticket price timings address. One of the examples of an illuminated manuscript in existence, the lavishly decorated book of kells is one of irelands finest cultural treasures. No visit to dublin, irelands capital city is complete without a visit to the countrys oldest university and the academic birthplace of so many of its. I arrived at the library exhibit entrance and purchased my ticket to view the book just before it started to rain. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous. Discover how the worlds most famous medieval manuscript was made and learn about the rich symbolism behind it. The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the worlds.
The book of kells is displayed at the end of an exhibit titled turning darkness. The star of the show is the book of kells, a breathtaking, illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the new testament, created around ad 800 by monks on the scottish island of iona, but more stunning still is the 65m long room, the librarys main chamber, which houses around 200,000 of. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin 2020 all. The exhibition is a mustsee and is located in the heart of dublin city, a walk through the cobbled stones of trinity college dublin. I had heard that the library was a mustsee even if you just have one day in dublin but just brushed it off its more than just a place for book lovers, the book of kells exhibit at trinity college is an interesting lesson in art, history, and religion. Visiting the long room at trinity college library in dublin. For me, it held one of the crown jewels of literature, the book of kells.
Generally speaking, the library closes at 1700, though there are some exceptions. Visiting the book of kells at trinity college library, dublin. While we were visiting dublin last summer we were able to go to the trinity college library and see the book of kells. Located in the heart of dublin city centre, at the historic trinity college, this international attraction draws in crowds from around the world by the thousands. Listen as your guide brings medieval ireland to life.
This past summer i was able to visit the exhibit on the book of kells in dublin and i felt overwhelmed at this amazing work of art and spirituality. It is indeed an interesting place to explore and spend some time at. If you are looking for the book of kells travel information, expedia has you covered. I wondered if something might bring home the rich world that opened to me in that experience the brilliant, rich, deep treasure that we experienced. The entrance points were at carrick gate, maudlin gate, canon gate, farrell trim gate and dublin gate. We entered directly for a morning tour time with online passes, but later in the day the queues were. The book of kells in trinity is considered one of irelands greatest national. Check out our resources for adapting to these times. Apologies about the shakes and the poor quality i tried to fix that, but wasnt.
Trinity college in dublin, to be exact, holds many a wondrous treasure for the insatiable scholar and fewer curiosities for the vaguely obligated tourist. If you are visiting dublin for the first time, buckle up as im about to share information that will help you see more, know how to get from dublin airport to the city center, decide when is the best time to visit dublin, delve deeper into the citys history and. Visiting dublin travel tips for the intellectually curious. Top tips for visiting book of kells old library the. Beat the crowds early access to the treasury to view the incredible book of kells and the old library. In a nutshell, the book of kells is a collection of ancient books which retells the gospels. On my previous trips to dublin, i had walked by trinity college many times but never ventured inside. The book of kells is a work of art from the dark ages, believed to. The book of kells in trinity is considered one of irelands greatest national treasures. One of the most unique and special destinations in the world, kells welcomes you to come and explore and become a part of its special story. New yorkers used to visiting the morgan library for their share of antique books might be tempted to skip a visit to dublins book of kells, an illuminated manuscript of the gospel that dates from at least the year 800 a. Visit trinity college dublin and the book of kells exhibition.
Top tips on parking near the book of kells parkpnp blog. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. This manuscript is the finest example of insular art in existence. 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. The book has been visited by many famous figures and continues to grow in popularity. Bought a timed ticket for 10 am, so had most of the tourists in dublin. Trinity to shelve book of kells for four months the irish times. The book of kells and the long room are one of the most popular attractions in dublin so prepare for long lines. The book of kells is ancient at least 1,200 years old, and maybe even older than that. Maximize your time in irelands vibrant capital with a 24. The book of kells is one of irelands greatest treasures. The old library and the book of kells is a lovely library thats often crowded. Book of kells and old library in dublin visit a city.