Dublin Attractions

Venue: Trinity College Library    When: Daily

Trinity College Library is one of the most visited sites in Dublin. There is a permanent exhibition called The Book of Kells: Turning Darkness into Light in the Colonnades of the Old Library, which can be viewed prior to visiting the original manuscript in the Treasury.

The Book of Kells is an illustrated copy of the Gospels in Latin and dates back to 800AD. It is written on vellum and contains a Latin text of the Gospels in insular majuscule script accompanied by magnificent and intricate whole pages of decoration, with smaller painted decorations appearing throughout the text.

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 include the Book of Armagh, the Book of Durrow, the Book of Mulling and the Book of Dimma.

After you have checked out the library, a walk around the elegant grounds of the University is always a good idea. Make sure you see the Henry Moore statue in the lawns at the back of the Front Square.