The Library at Trinity College
The beautiful campus in downtown Dublin houses one of the
oldest and finest universities in Europe. Trinity College has had
a library since granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592.
The main chamber of the library itself, nearly 65 meters in
length, boasts approximately 200,00 of the Library's oldest
books. It had been completed with a flat plaster ceiling and
shelves for books only on the lower level. In 1860 the roof was
raised and the ceiling finished as shown in the photograph and
additional book storage added.
Marble busts line both sides of the central floor and one of the
few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish
Republic is on display here. In addition to the Book of Kells,
other medieval manuscripts including the Book of Armagh and the
Book of Durrow are housed here. The Library of Trinity College
holds the largest collection of manuscripts and printed books in
Ireland.
Other cultural sights in Dublin include the National Museum in
which is displayed such treasures as The Tara Brooch and the
Ardagh Chalice. Ireland has one of the oldest, continuous lines
of habitation in the world and research here gives much insight
into history as far back as the Neolithic and Mesolithic ages.
Return to the main tour