The book of kells exhibition is located in the 18th century old library building in the heart of trinity college dublin. Seeing the book of kells in dublin changes in longitude. Lasting 35 minutes, the tour encompasses the four major squares of the college. Kells bay guests can enjoy a 600 feet walk through palm gardens, to the blue flag kells beach. Located in the heart of the city in trinity college dublin, the exhibition displays the book of kells, a 9th century manuscript that documents the four gospels of the. How to see dublins book of kells for free or half price. The library building itself was built between 1710 and 1732 so its almost a toddler in comparison. Visit trinity college dublin and the book of kells exhibition. This was an incredible library to witness, and as a librarian, ive seen a lot.
Dublin citys most extraordinary sights a sevenhour tour of the seven wonders of dublin city which brings our guests to the very heart of dublin with an intimate glimpse into dublin through the ages with coffee within the shadow of its ancient walls and lunch in an old school house. It was created in a columban monastery in either britain or ireland and may have had. The kells bay house and gardens is ideally located along the popular ring of kerry. Frequently asked questions about the book of kells faqs. Visitor attractions include the old library and the book of kells exhibition, gift shop, science gallery, zoological. Copulating cats and holy men kindle edition by worrall, simon. Generally speaking, the library closes at 1700, though there are some exceptions. Nov 05, 2015 the book is believed to have been brought to kells following a viking raid on the monastery on the island of iona, scotland, in 806. The book of kells is located in the old library building, on the south side of library square, inside trinity colleges main campus. Aug 15, 2019 pride of place is given to the book of kells, an illuminated gospel manuscript dating from the 9th century. After a viking raid, the book was moved to kells, ireland, sometime in the 9th century. Reserve your spot today and pay when youre ready for thousands of tours on viator. I dont believe the faithful should be charged a fee to make a pilgrimage to a religious institute or to venerate a sacred object. This beautiful slipcased book has fullsized photographs in color of every page in the original book of kells, plus interesting and explanative text, and lots of closeups of the fantastic interlace designs.
Nov 22, 2015 the ticket includes admission to see the book of kells, as well as entry to the long room in the old library. So you may be wondering what is the book of kells and what is so special about it. The book of kells is one of the finest and most famous, and also one of the latest, of a group of manuscripts in what is known as the insular style, produced from the late 6th through the early 9th centuries in monasteries in ireland, scotland and england and in continental monasteries with hibernoscottish or anglosaxon foundations. I planned to buy the heritage island explorer guide but not su. After an exciting first day in dublin, we were excited to explore some more. Day 2 in dublin the book of kells letters of wanderlust. This official guide by the former keeper of manuscripts at the library of trinity college, dublin, where the book of kells is on permanent display, provides fascinating insights into one of the greatest surviving examples of medieval art. It was stolen in the 11th century, at which time its cover was torn off and it was thrown into a ditch.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Book of kells tour monastic treasures with a historian. Prepaid admission to the treasury to view the book of kells as well as to the exhibition turning darkness into light. The debate centers on whether the book was begun on iona and finished at. The book of kells seldom comes to view in the historical record. Tripadvisor fasttrack easy access book of kells tour with. The book of kells and trinity college had been on my must see list for years. It remained at kells throughout the middle ages, venerated as the great gospel book of st colum cille, a relic of the saint, as. Old library, which is a part of trinity college, is the largest library in ireland and is most famous for being home to the famous book of kells, an illuminated manuscript of a gospel book. Discover one of the most important highlights of irish heritage on this early access fully guided tour. We wish to inform you that the book of kells and old library exhibition will temporarily close to visitors until further notice. Housed within the old library building, the book of kells is a precious 9th century manuscript, featuring an exquisite combination of. The best way to get to the book of kells exhibition is to take public transportation.
Admission to the trinity library and kells exhibit is 9 for adults for self guided tour and a family ticket is available. This decision has been made to protect the health and safety of our visitors and the university community. 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. The old library gets very busy during the summer months, so its recommended to go online and buy a fasttrack ticket, which gives timed admission to the exhibition and allows visitors to skip the queue. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of kells. Confusion over trinity collegebook of kells tours dublin forum. Trinity college is home to the famous book of kells.
Created by celtic monks in a monastery on a scottish island in the 9th century, the book of kells is an irish national treasure. Guests can also take boat trips to the skellig and valentia islands. Enjoy ease of access with online fasttrack ticket entry to the book of kells. While the book of kells would be justly famous for its age alone, its renowned for its spectacular artwork. Thanks all for sharing the last post we reached over 2500 people, if each person was to share and like the page then we become a force with the potential of reaching thousands of people. Learn about the symbolism and craftsmanship behind the book of kells, a 9th century manuscript documenting the life of jesus christ. Dont miss out on great deals for things to do on your trip to dublin. The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the long room is one of the worlds most beautiful libraries. Tripadvisor fasttrack easy access book of kells tour. The grand chained library holds many rare works on irish history and presents frequently changing displays of classic works. The tour was informative and our guide was fun and friendly.
We went on a short walking tour of trinity college that included admission to the library and the book of kells. All groups must enter via the entrance on nassau street. Please note the new rules of admission for groups entering the. The first time i saw an illustration from the book of kells, in an art history class, i fell in love. It is the oldest university in ireland, founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth i, and is famous for its graduates such as swift, goldsmith, wilde and beckett. Check out the best tours and activities to experience the book of kells. Youll still get only a fleeting moment with the book of kells. Nov 22, 2019 the book of kells is a stunningly beautiful manuscript containing the four gospels. The library is like a piece of heaven on earth for book lovers of course and also for others as it is exceptionally calm and informative.
It is known for its worldrenowned artistry, as well as its many hidden secrets and mysteries dating back to the 800. A typical itinerary is as follows meet at hotel or other agreed location and proceed to classical dublin trinity college with free admission to book of kells old parliament building halfpenny bridge merchants arch city hall after a coffee stop on me. Admission prices will be reduced by 15 percent while the book of. The book of kells is one of the main things i wanted to see in dublin. Trinity college old library and book of kells exhibition heritage.
You can take the dart to either pearse street, tara street or connolly stations, which are all a short walk away. Take your time here because when you walk into next room with the actual book. The annals of ulster, describing it as the chief treasure of the western world, record that it was stolen in 1006 for its ornamental cumdach shrine. Book online so you dont have to wait for tickets and try to get there early before the crowds. You will explore the 9th book of kells rich ornamentation, multilayered symbolism and meaning. The book of kells is one of dublins main tourist attractions, but is it worth the 10 entrance fee. The book of kells, dating from about 800 ce, is a beautifully decorated manuscript of the four gospels. Avoid waiting in long lines at the book of kellsone of the most important highlights of irish heritage dating back to the ninth centuryon this earlyaccess tour.
Dating back to the ninth century, this book is one of the finest illuminated manuscripts in the world and a key artifact of medieval history. It is irelands most precious medieval artifact and is generally considered the finest surviving illuminated manuscript to have been produced in medieval europe. Meet at the easytofind trinity college in central dublin, and set off listening to the elaborate history from. The tour ends at the library and youre left on your own. Written on vellum and containing a latin text of the gospels, it is one of the most popular sights in dublin. Students benefit from a high level of personal attention that ensures student success. Trinity college old library and book of kells exhibition.
Im a little worried about spending a lot of time in line. The book of kells here, is a manuscript of the gospel. Pride of place is given to the book of kells, an illuminated gospel manuscript dating from the 9th century. I was excited about seeing the book of kells but was disappointed when we were told there was an 11 admission fee to get into the library. But since the walking tour on our first day in dublin ended at trinity college, we thought we would be flexible and swap. 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. Guided tours visitors and book of kells trinity college dublin.
Get the most out of your chance to see the precious 9thcentury book of kells by beating the crowds and enjoying early entrance. The book of kells exhibit is located on the campus of trinity college in the heart of dublin. The book of kells and old trinity college library dublin. A visit to the book of kells at the old library in trinity college dublin is a journey through some of irelands most iconic cultural heritage. The book of kells was probably produced in a monastery on the isle of iona, scotland, to honor saint columba in the early 8th century. Oct 28, 2016 how to get to the book of kells exhibit. Today the book of kells and the library that it lives in are a couple of the most popular attractions in dublin. The book of kells museums and attractions dublin city.
Trinity college dublin is the oldest university in ireland, founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth i and famous for its graduates such as swift, goldsmith, wilde and beckett. The old library and the book of kells is a lovely library thats often crowded. You can also purchase your tickets online ahead of time. Prepaid admission to the treasury to view the book of kells as well as to the exhibition turning darkness. We started off with a campus tour 14 with the book included. Located in the heart of the city centre in trinity college dublin, the exhibition displays the book of kells, a. Book of kells, dublin ticket price timings address. With over 2000 of the oldest books housed in this gorgeous library, plus the book of kells, the 9th century gospel manuscript, what else could you ask for.
This place is an absolute mustsee for people interested in ancient books, journals and manuscripts. The book of kells at trinity college in dublin will be removed from public display from november 4, 2019 to early march 2020. Trinity college guided walking tour for groups visiting dublin. The 9th century book is a richly decorated copy of the four gospels of the life of jesus christ. Book of kells removed from public display through march.
The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the worlds most famous medieval manuscript. Enjoy a walking tour of the th century dublin castle exterior and gardens. These online fasttrack tickets, for an adult ticket, allow you to get in straight away, without waiting in the queue. Bicycles at trinity college, dublin how to see the book of kells for half price or free. The best way to see the book of kells is early in the morning, before the rest of dublin is awake. Book of kells the library of trinity college dublin. Discover how the worlds most famous medieval manuscript was made and learn about the rich symbolism behind it. Beat the crowds for earlyaccess to the old library in trinity college to get an upclose look at this celebrated text. You enter a room with large poster size copies of the book of kells and videos explaining more about it. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin 2020 all.
We had originally planned to visit trinity college to see the old library and the world famous book of kells on day 2. Dublin seven wonders in seven hours with free admission to. It is indeed an interesting place to explore and spend some time at. This is a precautionary measure to minimise the spread of covid19. The book was created sometime around the year 800 but scholars have been unable to determine where. The magnificent book of kells is widely regarded as irelands most valuable national treasure. No trip to dublin is complete without a visit to the old library of trinity college to admire the book of kells. Well, first of all, it probably dates back to the 9th century. Admission to the book only is 11, which seems a bit of a hike. Aug 29, 2017 is early access to the book of kells worth it. Book of kells early access and dublin castle guided tour 2020. Meet at the easytofind trinity college in central dublin, and set off listening to the elaborate history from a guide who unlocks secret mysteries of the book. Beat the crowds early access to the 16 th century college to view the world renowned 7 th century book of kells and trinity colleges old library europes longest vaulted library experience a fully guided visit to both venues with an expert local english speaking guide.
Youll still get only a fleeting moment with the book of kells, as the constant flow of viewers is hurried past. Since the book of kells has textual errors and such ornately decorated pages, historians believe it was for altar furniture for special occasions rather than for daily use. 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. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin. I am doing some research into ticket options for trinity collegebook of kells on their website. A packed tour that will provide our guests with the full dubli. Apr 21, 2020 the book of kells exhibition is a mustsee on the itinerary of all visitors to dublin. Book of kells and old library in dublin attraction frommers. No book evokes such passion amongst art lovers as the 9th century illuminated manuscript known as the book of kells. The exhibition that houses the ancient texts also provides for a visit of the old library which is well worth seeing.
Visit the 18th century old library at trinity college, in the heart of dublin city, to view the lavishly decorated 9th century book of kells. Apr 17, 2014 the book of kells and the old library exhibition. The old library is located in the middle of the trinity college campus. Only groups who will or have purchased a book of kells ticket may remain on the grounds. 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. Kells grade 12 is an opportunity for students to partake in a program that provides a tutorial approach in a classroom setting. Brought from scotland to kells, a town northeast of dublin, it is a richly illuminated manuscript which depicts the four gospels of the new testament and celebrates the life of christ. Book of kells and old library in dublin attraction. Confusion over trinity collegebook of kells tours dublin.