Trinity College, Dublin

At the south end of the O'Connell Bridge, which spans the Liffey in the center of Dublin city, the street forks. D'Olier Street, to the left, leads southeast into Pearse Street. Westmoreland Street, straight ahead, runs in a gentle curve to College Green, with the main entrance to Trinity College, in spacious park-like grounds which are open to the public.

Picture - Georgian exterior of Trinity College, Dublin.

Picture - Interior of Trinity College in Dublin.

Picture - Grand archway at Trinity College in Dublin.

View a slideshow of Trinity College Pictures

Trinity College Map

Important Information:

Official site: www.tcd.ie

Address: College Green, IRL-2 Dublin, Ireland

Opening hours: Jan 1 to Dec 31: 9:30am-5:30pm; Sun: 12pm-5pm

Useful tips: Admission cost to Colonnade.

Transit: Rail: DART to Tara Street; Bus: 14, 15, 46

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In front of the 300ft/90m long Palladian facades are statues of Oliver Goldsmith and Edmund Burke (by Henry Foley, 1863 and 1865). The university, founded by Elizabeth I in 1591, was confined to Protestants until 1793, and Roman Catholics were excluded from fellowships and scholarships until 1873. In 1903 women were admitted to degrees for the first time. Alumni of Trinity College have included Samuel Beckett, Edmund Burke, Robert Emmet, Oliver Goldsmith, Jonathan Swift, J. M. Synge and Oscar Wilde. It now has over 5,000 students.

After the noisy traffic of College Green the entrance courtyard of Trinity College is a haven of peace. On the left stands the Chapel (since 1973 open to all denominations having a university chaplain), on the right the Examination Hall (1779-91; originally a theater), both designed by Sir William Chambers. Beyond the Chapel is the Dining Hall (by Richard Cassels, 1743), which is hung with portraits of notable members of the university. In the second courtyard is a sculpture by Henry Moore.

The Colonnade houses exhibitions including the Book of Kells.

Related Attractions

Old Library

For tourists the most interesting building on the Trinity College campus is the Old Library. Since 1801 the library has been a copyright library, i.e. it is entitled to receive a copy of every book published in Ireland and Great Britain. It now has some 5,000 manuscripts and two million printed books. Among its treasures are manuscripts, incunabula and early printed books. On the ground floor, the so-called Colonnades, the Book of Kells (eighth century) is displayed. This book, containing the four Gospels, has some 340 richly decorated pages, one of which is on show each day; the beginnings of the Gospels and of individual chapters have particularly elaborate decoration.

Other especially valuable treasures are the "Book of Durrow" (seventh century), the "Book of Dimma" (eighth C.), and the "Book of Armagh" (ninth century, with an 11th C. leather binding). From the ground floor a handsome staircase by Cassels leads up to the Long Room, 200ft/60m long with a timber barrel-vaulted roof. Here can be seen marble busts of famous members of the university and an Irish harp, one of the oldest instruments of its kind.

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New Library

Southeast of the Old Library of Dublin is the New Library (by Paul Koralek, 1967).

Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is housed in the Trinity College library in Dublin. It was completed by monks and features the four Gospels. The book is an excellent example of Irish book-illumination.

Dublin Experience

A tourist attraction on the Trinity College campus is the "Dublin Experience," a multimedia show about the history of the city. This takes place in the Arts Building in summer.

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