If you’re a bibliophile, a trip to Dublin, Ireland, isn’t complete without a visit to one of the most famous libraries in the world: the Trinity College Library!
Personally, this gorgeous library has been on my bucket list for about 15 years, so I was over the moon to visit when I was in Dublin last October. But when I went to book my tickets, there was a catch…
I received a notice saying that most of the books had been removed because the library was under construction to “update it for a modern age.” Now, I had no idea what that meant, but I can tell you I wasn’t happy about it. What could they possibly be adding to this gorgeous library? After all, so much of its beauty lies in that old architecture.
So, I’ve been keeping an eye on their website since then to see what was going on and what the renovations would reveal. After months of waiting, I finally got the updates I’ve been waiting for, and I wanted to share them with you so you know what to expect!
FAQs About Trinity College Library
- How much are tickets? Depending on the experience you choose, tickets will cost between €21.50 and €31.
- How long does it take to tour? Again, this depends on the experience you choose. If you just want to visit the library section, plan for 90 minutes. If you want to tack on a campus tour, plan for a couple of hours.
- Do I need to buy tickets in advance? Yes! The experiences at Trinity College Library are based on timed entry, and there’s no guarantee that you can get a ticket just by showing up.
- What does my ticket include? With the new experience, your ticket includes The Book of Kells and the Old Library, the Long Room, and three experiences in The Pavilion.
- Was the Trinity College Library in Harry Potter? As a Potterhead myself, I was very interested in this question. But sadly, the answer is no. However, there’s a theory that the architecture in the Long Room inspired the Jedi Archives in Star Wars.
Visiting the Trinity College Library in 2024
The Old Library and Book of Kells
The first stop on your journey through the Trinity College Library is the ground floor of Old Library. This space houses a small museum for the Book of Kells, a 1200-year-old Biblical manuscript. This book is incredibly special because of its colorful, full-page illustrations that have somehow survived all this time.
The museum has tall displays with enlarged images from the book that allow guests to see all the intricate details hidden in the illustrations. As you go through this room, you’ll also learn more about the history of this book and what makes it so unique.
Once you’ve finished in the Old Library, you’ll file into a small, dark room called the Treasury, where the actual Book of Kells lays under glass. It’s a neat experience to see this beautiful book in person. The illustrations and handwriting are amazing, and the book is surprisingly large! It definitely fits the definition of an “ancient tome”!
Since the manuscript is so old and sensitive to light, pictures aren’t allowed at all in this section.
The Long Room and Gaia
Next up is the Long Room, the most famous portion of the Trinity College Library. If you’ve seen pictures of the library, this is probably the part that was showcased because it’s so gorgeous!
The Long Room features high, arched ceilings and row after towering row of bookshelves, complete with wooden ladders and marble busts of famous writers.
Down the center of the room, glass display cases house noteworthy antique books featuring unique binding styles, decorative covers, and even illustrated edges! I love painted and illustrated edges, so I had a blast looking at all of these old volumes.
The Library is also home to the Brian Boru Harp, which is the oldest harp in Ireland and what inspired the national harp symbol!
Now, here’s where things start to differ from the Trinity College Library tour you were probably expecting. As of right now, all the books have been taken out of the Long Room, with the exception of the first four rows. This is supposedly going to be the case until renovations finish completely in 2025.
In addition to the books being removed, the library has added a large art installation to the room called Gaia. Gaia is an “illuminated artwork by Luke Jerram.” It’s a 3-dimensional model of Earth that uses NASA imagery to give us a glimpse of what our planet looks like from outer space. This large globe is prominently displayed over the stairway to the ground floor, near the Brian Boru Harp.
Here’s a glimpse of it from the updated website.
The Pavilion
The Pavilion is a brand-new addition to the Book of Kells Experience, making it the largest section of change to this tour. The Pavilion consists of three digitally enhanced areas that aim to bring the experience to life in an immersive way.
The first room you’ll enter is the Secret Life of the Collections. Here, you can interact with famous authors through a variety of digital elements. The room focuses on some of the earliest printed books that were in the Long Room and the stories of their authors.
Next is the Book of Kells 360. This 360-degree display features the Book of Kells and its history, starting in the Scottish Isles in 800 A.D. to now in the Old Library’s Treasury. The screens showcase those gorgeous illustrations in a beautiful, moving display that will really immerse you in the artwork along with its story.
Finally, the Pavilion wraps up with the Long Room Reimagined, a retelling of the history of the Long Room, using projections to bring the stories of its architecture and collections to life as well. It has a very futuristic look to it, thanks to all the display panels and bright picture.
This is honestly what I was afraid they were going to do to the original Long Room, so I’m glad they were able to bring a modern twist to the experience without ruining the architecture.
There’s More to See on YouTube!
Closing Thoughts on the Trinity College Library
Despite my disappointment at the lack of books in this famous library, I’m happy to say that our experience was still a positive one. Honestly, I’m very interested in returning to Trinity College in the future to see the Long Room again (with books), and see the new Book of Kells Experience for myself.
What do you think about these changes? Let me know in the comment section below!
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Stay tuned for more Dublin posts coming soon. But in the meantime, you can read about more fun things to do in town with these posts:
- From Dublin to Belfast: Full Review of Our One-Day Tour
- Spilling the Tea on Dublin’s Exciting Vintage Tea Trips Experience!
Thanks for reading, and happy travels!
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