Trinity College

Trinity College which includes heritage architecture and a city
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Trinity College offers a welcome haven from the hustle and bustle of Dublin and it is one ivory tower you’d be happy to be trapped in for a long time.

Ireland's most prestigious university was founded by Elizabeth I in 1592 in the hope of offering Dublin’s sons a reason to pursue their studies at home, away from the infectious threat of popery on the continent.

Today it is a venerable seat of learning that attracts students from all over the globe as well as international visitors who come to enjoy the relaxing greens, admire the architecture, take in the history and be astounded by what is possibly the world's most famous book. Housed within the college is the beautifully illustrated medieval manuscript that is a true labour of love: the Book of Kells.

Visitors can come and go in the college grounds pretty much as they please and there's no charge to wander around but, let’s face it, you are going to want to see the Book and we recommend you take a student-led walking tour to hear all the anecdotes that the college has accumulated, and, with alumni like the sharp-tongued satirist Jonathan Swift, the flamboyant wit Oscar Wilde and the existential dramatist Samuel Beckett, there are plenty of stories to share.

The buildings themselves are visual narratives, with Georgian squares fringed by statues and Regency splendour. The shock of the brutalist Berkeley Library, and other modern masterpieces from the architectural genius of Paul Koralek, do something to get you into the right frame of mind for the delights in the Douglas Hyde Gallery of Modern Art.

Trinity is, without a doubt, another world entirely in the heart of Dublin. Dip in and dip out of it as often as you please: you’ll be rewarded every time.

Reviews of Trinity College

4.3
Top destination
5 - Excellent
241
" "5 - Excellent 42.35500878734622%
4 - Good
283
" "4 - Good 49.73637961335677%
3 - Okay
39
" "3 - Okay 6.854130052724077%
2 - Disappointing
4
" "2 - Disappointing 0.70298769771529%
1 - Terrible
2
" "1 - Terrible 0.351493848857645%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
2 Jan 2020

All the buildings were closed at the time of year we visited (between Christmas and New Year) but the grounds/outside of the buildings were worth a look.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
30 Sep 2019

Take the guided tour and go around lunchtime when there are fewer tourists.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
24 Jun 2019

Queue early to see the book of kells and Long library

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
16 Jun 2019

Book if you want to see the book of Kells

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveller
15 Jun 2019

Best to book if you want to enter. Could not be bothered to Queue

3/5 - Okay

Andrew
13 Apr 2019

I waited for about twenty minutes (thankfully under cover!) for the Book of Kells/Long Room exhibition, which is what I was expecting. I believe you can buy advance tickets online and get in straight away, but only at a certain time. The exhibition costs something like 14 euros, which personally I found a little bit steep for what you get. There's some information on aspects of the famous book. Don't take pictures of the thing itself though - they get really anal about it due to "copyright" (?). The Long Room was the real highlight to me, it really is a sight to behold. The college itself is scenic, but quite maze-like in that way that only university campuses seem to be. A bit disorientating.

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