Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College Dublin or "Coláiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath" in Irish, is formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth. It was founded in 1592 by from Queen Elizabeth and is is Ireland's oldest university.

Trinity was set up in part to consolidate the rule of the Tudor monarchy in Ireland, and it was the university of the Protestant Ascendancy for much of its history. Roman Catholics had been permitted to enter as early as 1753,although certain restrictions on their membership of the college remained until 1873. However the Catholic Church in Ireland forbade its adherents from attending until the late 20th century. It wasn't until 1904 that women were first admitted to the college as full members.

Trinity College is a legal deposit library for Ireland and the United Kingdom, and therefore legally entitled to a copy of every book published in Great Britain and Ireland and consequently receives over 100,000 new items every year. The Library contains circa five million books, including 30,000 current serials and significant collections of manuscripts, maps, and printed music.

The Book of Kells is by far the Library's most famous book and is located in the Old Library, along with the Book of Durrow, the Book of Howth and other ancient texts. Also incorporating the Long Room, the Old Library is one of Ireland's biggest tourist attractions, and holds thousands of rare, very early, volumes.

Amongst the graduates are included notable people in the fields of arts and sciences like Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett (Nobel Laureate in Literature), Ernest Walton (Nobel Laureate in Physics), three holders of the office of President of Ireland, and one Premier of New Zealand (Edward Stafford).

Opening Times

Tours
Mid-May to end of September departure schedule:
Monday to Saturday - 10:15, 10:40, 11:05, 11:35, 12:10, 12:45, 14:15, 15:00, 15:40

The Old Library and Book Of Kells Exhibition
Monday - Saturday 09:30 - 17:00
Sunday (May - September) 09:30 - 16:30
Sunday (October - April) 12:00 - 16:30
Please check the website for Public Holiday Arrangements

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Ticket Prices

The Old Library and Book of Kells Exhibition
Adults: €9
Students/Senior Citizens: €8
Family Ticket: €18 (2 adults and 4 children)
Group Rate: €6.50 per person for groups of 10 or more
School Groups (18 years old and under) accompanied by their teachers: free admission from 1 October to 1 April
Children (under 12): free all the year around

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