Trinity College

Trinity College


Walk the cobbled lanes of Ireland’s oldest university, alma mater to literary greats and home of the precious Book of Kells.

Trinity College, the University of Dublin, is a campus in the city centre. Admire the bell tower and stone buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and view modern art. Learn about famous Irish authors who studied here. Browse the galleries or take a tour to view the relics in the Old Library, with ancient gospels and medieval art exhibits.

Ireland’s oldest university was founded in 1592 on the grounds of a dilapidated monastery. Trinity College weathered many momentous changes that took place in the country, including religious conflicts. It was mainly a university of Protestants, but Roman Catholics could enter from 1793. The satirist Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver’s Travels in 1726, boarded here when he was just 14. A far more dedicated scholar was Oscar Wilde, who excelled in Greek literature and graduated in 1874. Wilde later became famous for the novel The Picture of Dorian Grey. Women were allowed to study here from 1904. Today, with more than 15,000 students, it is a popular place for further education and research, and one of the top universities in the world.

Enter Front Gate and walk over cobblestoned Front Square. You can’t miss the Campanile, the stand-alone bell tower. Step closer to see that the corner sculptures all represent different sciences. Sign up for a 30-minute guided tour, led by a Trinity College student, to learn about the history, architecture and famous graduates. 

View the original 9th-century Book of Kells gospel and other medieval manuscripts in the stately Old Library. Head upstairs to the Long Room with marble busts of alumni, a 15th-century harp, and one of the few surviving copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. Other attractions include the Science Gallery with rotating exhibits, the Douglas Hyde Gallery with contemporary art, and the Geological Museum showcasing rare species. 

Trinity College is centrally located on College Green. There are numerous public transport options and it is a stop on Dublin’s hop-on, hop-off bus tour. Entrance to Front Square is free but you pay to enter the library. Paid tours are available on weekends, and some weekdays in summer. There is a café.

Trinity College Travel Guide Video

Reviews of Trinity College

4.3
Top destination
5 - Excellent
241
" "5 - Excellent 42.35500878734622%
4 - Good
283
" "4 - Good 49.73637961335677%
3 - Okay
39
" "3 - Okay 6.854130052724077%
2 - Disappointing
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" "2 - Disappointing 0.70298769771529%
1 - Terrible
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" "1 - Terrible 0.351493848857645%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

All the buildings were closed at the time of year we visited (between Christmas and New Year) but the grounds/outside of the buildings were worth a look.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Take the guided tour and go around lunchtime when there are fewer tourists.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Queue early to see the book of kells and Long library

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Book if you want to see the book of Kells

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveller

Best to book if you want to enter. Could not be bothered to Queue

3/5 - Okay

Andrew

I waited for about twenty minutes (thankfully under cover!) for the Book of Kells/Long Room exhibition, which is what I was expecting. I believe you can buy advance tickets online and get in straight away, but only at a certain time. The exhibition costs something like 14 euros, which personally I found a little bit steep for what you get. There's some information on aspects of the famous book. Don't take pictures of the thing itself though - they get really anal about it due to "copyright" (?). The Long Room was the real highlight to me, it really is a sight to behold. The college itself is scenic, but quite maze-like in that way that only university campuses seem to be. A bit disorientating.

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