The Book of Kells is one of Ireland's beloved treasures. It's an illuminated manuscript from the ninth century, a collection of the four gospels. That the Book is so well preserved given its age--approximately 1200 years old--and that the illustrations are so vibrant are amongst the reasons it's so extraordinary. Beyond simply being a work of art, its history is fascinating; it even survived a raid in which dozens of monks were killed! Maybe it does have a bit of divine luck. Its origins are quite mysterious, though it's suspected to have been at least partially created in Scotland before the aforementioned raid led the surviving monks to Kells. It's made of vellum, so quite delicate, hence the reason it's under such careful care. In fact it has been in the care of Trinity College since the 17th century in order to protect it. To view the Book of Kells, you will need to visit Trinity College Dublin. I can't recall if we bought tickets ahead of time or upon arrival, but you can buy them online. There's an exhibit about the book as you make your way toward the pages on display to provide context to what you'll see. There are only two pages from the Book open at any given time; they change every six weeks or so. And you get to leave through the Long Room on the way out, which IMO is itself worth the price of admission. read more

I've read about and admired the artwork of the Book of Kells since I was small, so to be able to see a small scrap of the real thing was exciting...but. The museum was small and crowded, and navigating from exhibit to exhibit was confusing -- I was attempting to listen to the audio guide, and kept ending up pausing to search around for the correct exhibit. (Maybe put arrows on the floor to guide visitors?) The enlarged illuminations, with discussions of all the symbolism, were likely the best part, as I learned a lot about the Book... but I'd almost prefer to buy a book *about* the Book of Kells, with high-quality close-up photographs. I'd be able to see more detail, suffer less crowding and frustration with the navigation, and sit down occasionally and use the restroom when needed. (There is nowhere to sit and rest, and no restrooms in the building.) So! If you love history, come see the single illuminated page on display (if you're patient enough to wait for a chance to get close enough), learn a bit about the creation and the history of the Book, then move upstairs to marvel at the Long Library, with its beautiful arched ceiling and weight of history. In the Long Library, there is ongoing work to restore and catalog the thousands of historical works on the shelves -- plus the shelves themselves. It's a glorious space, with a few benches where one can sit and admire without getting dizzy. The Harp of Brian Boru (the actual harp that is the symbol of Ireland, centuries old) is on display here, and was a real wonder: warm dark wood with delicate carving, worn through years of use, and inlaid gemstones (some missing). The final part of the tour is in a different building, where many of the most famous works from the Long Library are featured in a really creative interactive exhibit: images of busts of the authors talk to you, and to each other. There are representations of the digital archives as well, allowing you to appreciate how many important works are stored in the Long Library, and what a Herculean task is underway in restoring and cataloging them all. The exit is through the gift shop, which had a diverse and high-quality collection of souvenirs of the college and the museums (not just cheap tchotchkes and tshirts). read more

The Book of Kells - The Long Library - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

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An incredible experience that must be done at least once. Located inside The Old Library, Trinity College. The self-guided tour takes about 1.5 hours and during that time you're able to view the 1,200 year old illuminated manuscript of the four gospels. You also get to see the Long Room. The Long Room is a library with over 200,000 books. No pics allowed. read more

The Book of Kells - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

It's a bit obligatory to go here. It's a small exhibit and crowded with people. Every time slot was sold out the day we went. The highlight was the Long Room, which is a really cool space. Not many books, but they warned us about that, oh, say ten times. read more

For the price I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed by this. The campus was gorgeous and I'm thankful I booked the earliest ticket otherwise I feel this would have been unbearable as it was already incredibly crowded. I'm the section with all the descriptions of the book it's almost impossible to read as everyone is blocking the way. Also a weird amount of people are just listening to the audio guide on their phone without headphones? Common courtesy is definitely gone. The Long Library is breathtaking but god forbid you step in the way of someone doing a full 20 picture photoshoot. I actually quite liked the digital experience and videos. read more

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Amazing library and amazing book of Kells displaced. Love the college, very lively and easy to access to the library via purchased tix online. Staff are nice, friendly and very knowledgeable and were given information of the place. The library was just majestic and fairytales like. Just simply amazing just to be in it. The globe was beautiful and majestic turning and glowing. The whole thing can be fast within 20-30mins or can be awhile while you just admiring the details of everything. This is was my 1st place upon landing to Dublin and so glad that I did since the line was massive upon my leaving. read more

The Book of Kells - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

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Once upon a time, this Faerie Queen visited the beautiful, Book of Kells. The "experience" is great! You learn a great deal about the book, history, and the writers/artists. The book is gorgeous! This is located in the heart of Trinity College, in and of itself, a place of beauty. The end. read more

The Book of Kells - This is the Long Room you get to visit after The Book of Kells (No photography allowed). - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

Arguably the most famous artifact in Ireland - we reserved time to visit during our family holiday in Ireland, and learned a lot about the heritage of this lovely corner of Europe. The Book of Kells is housed in the Treasury and is magical, and well worth the visit all by itself. But there is so much more! There are a few other holy books besides the Book of Kells, and I loved learning about them all in the antechamber to the Treasury that houses the original Book of Kells. I was especially fascinated by the symbolism of peacocks and eagles, and the gorgeous alphabet and word calligraphy on these ancient texts. Will be happy to return. read more

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Best part of the tour was the campus tour, led by a former student. My tour guide, Johann, provided some great historical context, fun superstitions, and campus stories. He was funny yet not over the top, and very friendly. That was definitely the highlight and a must do if you're booking this. The rest of it just got a little worse. The book of kells itself was really amazing and quite remarkable in its detail but that lasts just a few minutes. There are a few exhibits and a self guided audio tour about the book, which are somewhat interesting to read. The long library was really beautiful but completely filled with people and no books! Apparently they are undergoing a major renovation project because the building is not up to code so they had to remove all the books - that really takes away from the feel of what is supposed to be a library. The room itself is amazing though. They are reportedly closing the library for 10-15 years to undergo these major renovations so at least I got to see it before it closed! In response to that, they built this kind of ugly red tin container in the middle of one of the quads which houses this "multimedia" exhibit on the library/book. That part was completely a waste of time and money. Not much in the space other than a few placards and these large movies that weren't really all that entertaining or informative. Definitely could've skipped this part and saved myself the 20 minutes I spent there. In total, took me about 2 hours to do the entire experience. read more

The Book of Kells - The library with a lot of people and no books! - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

It was a great time getting to see the book of kells and learning it's history. The interactive experience allowed me to better understand the history of the book of kells and its importance in history. One wish I have is to have an English translation of the book available for purchase. I wish that the knowledge was shared beyond just scholars. The Trinity library didn't have its books present due to the library overhaul for repairs and cleaning, but it's still breathtaking. I've read online that Jk Rowling imaged the library in her books based upon this very library... which makes sense because it looks very Potter-esque! It gets a 4 out of 5 due to the books not being present and it being really crowded in the library. Pros: Trinity college tour and book of kells tickets are reasonably priced Cons: The walking tour is challenging for people who recently had surgery or have mobility concerns. Very few seating options and none marked for handicapped. (I recently had surgery prior to my visit) Tips: Meet at the clock tower in the quad if you're going on a walking tour, not the library. read more

Great experience. A little expensive but we did it with the campus tour. Our guide was very informative and the kells experience was a lot of fun. Super informative and beautifully presented read more

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Definitely get tickets in advance as they fill up pretty quickly. We got tickets for 6:30pm and long story short, showed up at 7:15pm. The security guard was super kind and let us into the library for two minutes. We then went to the digital experience which was somewhat supplementary as the actual books are not all on the shelves as they are in the middle of routine upkeep. Staff was super helpful. They went above and beyond to get some worth of our tickets. I think if we stayed in the city the next day, they would have honored our tickets. That being said, dropping a star because I think paying 25 Euros doesn't get you much. read more

Was ok. Very steeply priced as with everything in Dublin. Paid 21.5EUR for a self-guided tour. I would say I learned alot, but the Longroom is undergoing renovation and all the books are off the shelves. Being able to see one of the original proclamations was good as well. Again very steeply priced and they know it is a money grab. Wish the church still had this vs having it donated by the Bishop to Trinity College. read more

Incredible experience which combines history, religion, culture, and tradition. Loved the audio guide. The staff was knowledgeable and eager to answer questions. We spent hours here just taking it all in and learning about the Book of Kells. We were visiting in the off-season (early November), and easily booked tickets the day of when we arrived. My one caution: It is a little tricky to find the exit of the Trinity College campus, so just be sure you know we're you're going when you're leaving. read more

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If universities, libraries, & ancient manuscripts set your heart afire, the Book of Kells at Trinity College is a must-see in Dublin. Timed tickets for self-guided tours are available online starting at €21.50. Known for its intricate lettering, art, & symbols, the Book of Kells is a religious manuscript created by Celtic monks in the 9th century. Photographs of the displayed book is not allowed. The tour includes access to the Long Room of the Old Library. Unfortunately, many of the books have been removed in an effort to restore & preserve the delicate pieces. Still, the magnitude of the shelves (& remaining books) are a sight to behold. Currently on display is an illuminated globe entitled "Gaia," which looks as if it's floating above the library. The whole thing is breathtaking, juxtaposing some of the oldest books with modern technology. Our last stop before strolling around the rest of the college was the gift shop where I purchased my most-used souvenirs from this trip! read more

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The Book of Kells at Trinity College is a must-see in Dublin. A well done interpretive exhibit, the Book of Kells Experience, precedes one's view of the illuminated manuscript book of the Gospels. The Book of Kells is thought to have been created about the year 800. The exhibit describes its creation and significance as the premiere example of Irish monastic art. The exhibit continues to the second floor Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College. The room has changed since I last visited in 2017. The majority of the books lining the elegant wooden shelves have been removed for conservation. The busts of four women, including Ada Lovelace and Mary Wollstonecraft, have been added to the many representations of literary and intellectual persons. A new globe artwork named Gaia floats above the Long Room. As of 2024 admission is by timed ticket. Visitors can obtain a ticket in advance by booking through the website or at the entrance. read more

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What a cool place to go to right inside of Dublin University. Learn about the original book, so amazing, but also at the end you get to go to the huge library with the globe which is not only amazing for all of the photos and pictures that you can get but also all the historical books that you see from afar on the shelves. Afterward you can head to the experience building where there are more interactive activities. Only takes an hour and a half if you are quick. read more

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What an awesome experience! We were able to get tickets online before we left on our trip. The prices were reasonable IMO. The self guided audio tour was very informative. There were 2 pages from the Book of Kells on display (no photos)- it was pretty amazing to see the actual pages. We had bought the Book of Kells Experience which included the Long Room, the Library and interactive displays I would recommend getting this tour for the whole experience. The library was just plain amazing and seeing the large Gaia hanging from the ceiling, took my breath away. Afterwards, we walked around campus and enjoyed the vibe of this famed college. The gift shop had lots of cool merch too! read more

The Book of Kells - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

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Time slotted ticket for a self guided tour - glad we had WiFi and brought headphones. Overall multiple things to look at and maneuver through people. Book of Kells was vivid and memorable. Long library was quite the sight. Despite being there during a once in a hundreds year event of cleaning the books (many shelves were empty), there were screens and videos showing the process of restoration which was cool to see. Immersion tour add on was an interactive way to visualize the journey of the book from origin to university. read more

The Book of Kells - Library - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

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Definitely a spot to visit in Ireland. As many people say get your tickets in advanced as they can sell out. It was really neat to walk around and see the libraries that many famous authors visited. read more

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I could have passed on this. It's crowded af even with a timed ticket just to see one page of a book in a dark room in plexiglass that's guarded with no pictures allowed. The long room is renovating the books so over 90% are removed. Trinity College is also under construction. I preferred shopping on Grafton street honestly. read more

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The book of kells was amazing to view and truly an incredible experience. The long room itself was beautiful and the couple shelves with books on them were truly inspiring. My only complaint is that we were not warned in advance enough that the books had been removed from the library. I found out the books were removed the day before our tour via text I believe trinity should warn in advance if the books are gone. Otherwise such a interesting and amazing library. I love the set up and cannot even imagine what it holds! read more

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The Trinity College Tour was great. The Long Library was stunning!!! A definite must see. read more

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This is a sight you must see while in Dublin. I was blown away with all the books and history of this university library . The architecture is phenomenal! I honestly can't express the feeling of being there seeing all the marble sculptures of the scholars, writers,poets and people of intelligence, influential writers. read more

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Like most of the tours and entrance tickets for our Europe trip I booked this tour off Get Your Guide and I would say it was one of our highlights. For the book itself - the colors in the book of Kells are just so bright and beautiful even at its advanced age. They really pop, and it's shocking how well preserved the manuscript is. For the book of Kells experience - it's mainly projections on a wall, but it is a nice little add-on that showcases more of the designs in the book - which is only open to two pages at a time when you see it. Our tour (LetzGo tours) also included the nearby Molly Malone statue as well as an outdoor view of the castle and green and the Arnaldo Pomodoro sculpture at Trinity College. (There's one by him at Berkeley College as well) Due to how the Book of Kells is presented (the tour doesn't take place indoors) I really don't think it's required to book a tour to have a great experience (similar to Tower of London), but we were only in town for the day and found our tour guide to be a great value add in general as he also included stops outside the book itself and recommended local businesses to try like Murphy's ice cream. All in all I would say that it was a fantastic visit and the Book of Kells is definitely a must do if you're visiting Dublin. read more

This is an absolutely stunning place to visit for anyone who loves books, history, and beauty. We did a tour of Trinity College then toured the Book of Kells exhibit and it was just a wonderful way to spend a day. I am still in awe at having seen a page from the book itself, and see the library before it transitions to a virtual exhibit. I am particularly impressed by the staff here who noticed our discomfort when an unruly group of high school kids came through when we were there and allowed us to leave and return to the exhibit so we could enjoy it without hollering and kids blocking every pathway. Truly a bucket list experience. read more

Must visit for us in September 2023 This is a return visit to Trinity College One of the greatest treasures of its kind, the Book of Kells is an illuminated religious manuscript from the medieval period. Written in Latin, it contains the four Gospels of the New Testament and would have been crafted by the Celtic monks in the Columban monastery on Iona, circa 800. read more

The Book of Kells - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

4/13/23 - we paid for a time slot today and waited outside in line. No issues. You walk in and there are several areas explaining the Book of Kells. Walk a little further in and it's located in the center of the room in a Plexiglass or bullet proof clear casing. The book literally looked new for being 800 years old. It looked fake. Very vibrant and colorful with rich colors and the writing was unique. Giving it just 1 star. The best part was walking to the long library which was part of the tour. That was a 5 star. You have a 30 minute window with the ticket. Then you exit through the tourist trap of stuff to buy when you exit. read more

The Book of Kells - Outside entrance - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

People say that you should book ahead and we did BUT we arrived 20 minutes late (thanks to a rainstorm and we're still able to visit.). However I would think if we had visited in the afternoon or summer it might have been a different story. Very good history of the Book of Kells but I have to say I was a bit disappointed as it only showed one page. The next room is the library and it's something to be seen. Floor to ceiling books that are currently being restored. read more

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Hey, fellow adventurers! Today's review is about the Book of Kells at Trinity College. It's like stepping right into a time machine and diving headfirst into the ancient wonders of Ireland. It's a fascinating experience, I'm docking one star because, dude, the long room is currently going through some renovations, so let's talk about the Book of Kells itself. This thing is a true work of art. It's this old-school illuminated manuscript from back in the 9th century. The detail and colors are mind-blowing! You'll be in awe of the intricate illustrations crafted by these ancient Irish monks. It's legit magical! The Book of Kells is written on vellum pages, historically a type of material made from prepared animal skin, and created from materials from other lands. The designs are so delicate and subtle, so exact and compact, so full of knots and links, with colors so fresh and vivid, that some might say that all this was the work of an angel, and not of a man. The exhibition that surrounds the Book of Kells gives you some insights. You'll learn about the insane amount of work that went into preserving this incredible piece of history. The displays tell you all about the techniques they used and the visions of these monks who were on a whole different level of creativity. Visit my TikTok, and you can watch a video tour here! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRvnBn1p/ read more

The Book of Kells - I buy rosaries from all over the world, and give them to my mom 'cause she collects them. - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

Absolutely loved this experience! Before going in to see the book, there's a huge exhibit explaining the importance of the book, how it was created and important symbolism and imagery in the book. It was so thorough and I reeeally loved seeing all the information before actually seeing the book. Favorite part was learning about the different styles of the scribes. When I saw the book, I was able to appreciate it so much more. After seeing the book, you're taken through Trinity College Library. This was also stunning. Seeing the renovation process there, the collection of books, it was overwhelming and stunning. read more

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Beautiful stop within Trinity College. While the visual of the book is not impressive in and of itself, in context it's simply brilliant. A beautiful piece of history that's so incredibly well preserved. Very busy on a weekday but we'll worth the stop. Our tour guide Paul was exceptional. So much knowledge that was conveyed in an easy way to take in. Certainly a recommended stop when in Dublin. read more

The Book of Kells - Museums Near Me - Dublin, D

If you are not already aware--if you are first time visitor to Dublin you must see the Book of Kells or else customs will not stamp your passport to leave. And you have to buy tickets for it and it's a timed entry. You are not allowed to take pictures of the book but when someone tells me I can't take a picture, I take a picture and got yelled at for doing so. I'll post it here for Yelp people only--not a big deal--no flash used, but probably won't be welcomed back to Ireland now. Frankly I am not a history major, and not very cultured, so I don't understand the whole thing. There are a lot of old books here. Our tour group took us here for the 1st day. Just a note: We were told they are closing the library and Book of Kells for a long time soon for some reason. I need to do more research on this place. It's in Trinity College which is another big tourist location. read more

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Book of Kells / Trinity College was a great visit for my family. We happen to be in Dublin when several Indian people gather & toss dry paint on ea other in celebration of the beginning of spring. It is a big event that takes place on the grounds of Trinity College. Huge crowds. We went to book of kells experience also on the grounds. My kiddos found it interesting. What a wonderful huge old wood library and unique one! I would recommend to anyone visiting Dublin. read more

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Unbelievable. The Book of Kells is a manuscript Gospel book, created around 800 by monks. It is extremely well preserved. It is renowned for its elaborate and dramatic decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels of the New Testament, written in Latin. It is housed at Trinity College Library in Dublin. No pictures or videos! Sorry! You're gonna have to go. read more

This was a nice experience we choose to do the self guided tour, I love it buty son said having most of the books gone and it being a a really short walk Thur it was a bit underwhelming. read more

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This place is something else.. you see, breath, smell, feel, listen to history and art. It really fills your heart. Download the app with the audio guide and you'll learn so much more. read more

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This is a nice tour to see a beautiful piece of history. They do require you to purchase all your tickets online, so those that arrived thinking they could buy there were sadly mistaken. They also do timed entries which is supposed to help with crowd control. Sadly we ended up being in during a high school visit time and the kids were a bit on the rambunctious and loud side. The displays were nice and I loved seeing the materials they used back in the day. We also loved seeing the book, that is until the group of kids came in and took it over (even going so far as to start taking photos). Sadly the 1 security guard didn't stand a chance at stopping them. I would probably suggest having at least 2 in there. The end of the tour leaves you off in the long library which to me was the best part. read more

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I came here through a walking tour that gave "skip the line" access. It was peak tourist season and time of day, and the museum section (before the book and library) was stuffed with people. I dislike crowds and don't know how they determined when too many was too many, if they did at all, but it felt really crowded. The library part was quite crowded as well. Expected to a degree, but I felt like it detracted from the experience. The book itself is opened to a different page that rotates every so often, behind glass, with a strict no photography policy. The library is grand and amazing, photos do a reasonable job of representing what you'll see in person, to be honest. I'm a nerd for this sort of thing, so I was really into it, but it may feel a bit anti climactic. I think a guided tour is probably worthwhile, as you'll get information given to you about what you're seeing. As I understand it, they will be doing a renovation pretty soon for the first time in its history. This will probably take quite a long time, so you should see it before that happens. read more

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This may be an unpopular perspective, but the Book of Kells exhibit was just okay to us. There were some interesting elements, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend this portion of the visit to others, unless they are historians or highly religious. Interesting hearing how ancient the book is and how it was carried, corrected, and pigments used to write it. Well-transcribed sections and free audio tour available. Bring headphones. No photography near actual book, which is encased in glass in a separate, darkened room. We pre-purchased tickets online and arrived at our chosen time with no line at all (Nov. weekday). Even though we didn't love this portion of our Trinity College visit, it was worth the money to go towards preservation of historical artifacts and spaces. read more

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