The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the worlds. The exhibition is a mustsee and is located in the heart of dublin city, a walk through the cobbled stones of trinity college dublin. Book online so you dont have to wait for tickets and try to get there early before the crowds. You enter a room with large poster size copies of the book of kells and videos explaining more about it. Check out our resources for adapting to these times. Trinity to shelve book of kells for four months the irish times. Would recommend booking online and arriving earlier in the day. Discover how the worlds most famous medieval manuscript was made and learn about the rich symbolism behind it. Instead, the highlight for me was getting to see trinity college librarys magnificent, librarylustinducing long room. The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the worlds most famous medieval manuscript.
The dart stations of pearse street, tara street and connolly station are a short walk away. Parliament square at trinity college, dublin the book of kells. The old library book of kells exhibition dublin visitor centre. Lasting 35 minutes, the tour encompasses the four major squares of the college. How to see dublins book of kells for free or half price. Trinity college dublin is right in the heart of dublin and served well by cross city buses. 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. I arrived at the library exhibit entrance and purchased my ticket to view the book just before it started to rain. 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. Visiting the book of kells at trinity college library, dublin.
Book of kells early access and dublin castle guided tour 2020. The book of kells exhibition is a mustsee on the itinerary of all visitors to dublin, ireland. The book of kells is a 9 thcentury gospel manuscript which contains the four gospels of the life of jesus. It is indeed an interesting place to explore and spend some time at. The book of kells exhibit and the old library are well worth the time and cost. 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. Located in the heart of the city centre in trinity college dublin, the exhibition displays the book of kells, a. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. 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. The book of kells and the long room are one of the most popular attractions in dublin so prepare for long lines. If you are looking for the book of kells travel information, expedia has you covered.
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. There are two luas stops situated less than a minutes walk from trinity college. The book of kells is a work of art from the dark ages, believed to. One of the examples of an illuminated manuscript in existence, the lavishly decorated book of kells is one of irelands finest cultural treasures. If you are planning on visiting trinity college library and the book of kells i would give yourself a minimum of two hours. For me, it held one of the crown jewels of literature, the book of kells. Visiting the book of kells at trinity college in dublin. Jamess gate brewery, a brewery founded in 1759 in dublin by arthur guinness, is today the largest brewer of stout. The book of kells is ancient at least 1,200 years old, and maybe even older than that. 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 is displayed at the end of an exhibit titled turning darkness. Im a little worried about spending a lot of time in line. It was created in a columban monastery in either britain or ireland and may have had. The old library and the book of kells is a lovely library thats often crowded.
Seeing the book of kells in dublin changes in longitude. 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. 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. 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. Columcille and his monks contributed to keeping the light of learning alive in europe during its dark ages. And hence couldnt imagine skipping the one at trinity college when i visited with my sister. Skip to main content trinity college dublin, the university of dublin. Trinity college in dublin, to be exact, holds many a wondrous treasure for the insatiable scholar and fewer curiosities for the vaguely obligated tourist. Apologies about the shakes and the poor quality i tried to fix that, but wasnt. 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. Top tips on parking near the book of kells parkpnp blog. When visiting trinity college, there are 3 main things you will want to see. 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.
Listen as your guide brings medieval ireland to life. 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. So many books in library it is fascinating that they are still used by students today. 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. 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. 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. Fully guided visit of th century dublin castle exterior and gardens. The book of kells is one of irelands greatest treasures. 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. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous book of kellswidely considered among the most important of all irelands ancient treasures. 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. Book of kells exhibition dublin visitors centre dublin. 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. Visit trinity college dublin and the book of kells exhibition.
Worth visiting while in dublin the book of kells and the. It is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels dating from more than years ago. Generally speaking, the library closes at 1700, though there are some exceptions. I planned to buy the heritage island explorer guide but not su. Directions to trinity and the book of kells exhibit.
The facts given above are based on traveler data on triphobo and might vary from the actual figures. Apr, 2020 the book of kells exhibition is a mustsee on the itinerary of all visitors to dublin. Trinity college dublin, founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth 1, provides for a fascinating visit and it is one of irelands top attractions. Dublin, the longest singlechamber library in the world and worth a visit on its own. Book of kells, dublin ticket price timings address. Last year more than one million people visited the attraction, often a mustsee on tourist itineraries for visits to dublin. 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. 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 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.
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. More americans than ever visiting trinitys book of kells. Book of kells and old library in dublin visit a city. 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. Trinity college library is the home to the book of kells. We had about a 20 minute wait to get into the library. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin.
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. 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. A visit to the illuminated manuscript, the book of kells, in trinity college library in dublin, ireland. England has the stonehenge, china has the great wall and ireland has the book of kells. 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. Very few things on this planet have stood the test of time. Dublin has over 1,000 pubs and several hundred types of beers. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin 2020 all. The book of kells in trinity is considered one of irelands greatest national treasures. Everything you need to know about visiting dublin for the. Considered to be irelands greatest national treasure, the book of kells isnt the only treasure youll find in the old library, however. We entered directly for a morning tour time with online passes, but later in the day the queues were.
The entrance points were at carrick gate, maudlin gate, canon gate, farrell trim gate and dublin gate. There are two primary reasons why so many people go to see the book. New statistics reveal more americans than ever before are visiting the book of kells. 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. While we were visiting dublin last summer we were able to go to the trinity college library and see the book of kells. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous. In a nutshell, the book of kells is a collection of ancient books which retells the gospels. So, we thought wed put together an opinionated list of our favorite things to do in dublin, organized around a 36hour window. Fasttrack access book of kells and dublin castle tour dublin.
Beat the crowds early access to the treasury to view the incredible book of kells and the old library. Top tips for visiting book of kells old library the. Visiting dublin travel tips for the intellectually curious. 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. 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. The book of kells in trinity is considered one of irelands greatest national. This manuscript is the finest example of insular art in existence. Visiting the long room at trinity college library in dublin. Kells was once known as the splendour of ireland and st. Book your tickets online for the book of kells and the old library exhibition, dublin. 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.
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