The Book of Kells Experience

Book of Kells at Trinity College Dublin is absolutely worth a visit. The experience feels special without being overwhelming modern, well-designed, and easy to enjoy even if you’re not a history expert. The exhibition explains the story clearly with visuals and digital displays, and seeing the manuscript in person is truly unforgettable. The famous Long Room is stunning and very atmospheric. The site is wheelchair accessible, with helpful staff and elevators available. Public toilets are nearby, and while there’s no on-site visitor parking, public car parks are within walking distance. A meaningful, beautiful stop in the heart of Dublin highly recommended if you want culture without the stress. #LetsGuide #VanieOnVacation #DublinOnGoogleMaps

A truly fascinating and culturally rich experience that offers a deep insight into one of Ireland’s greatest treasures. The Book of Kells Experience combines history, art, and spirituality in a beautifully curated exhibition that captures the skill and devotion of the monks who created this masterpiece over a thousand years ago. The exhibition itself is well laid out, with clear storytelling and impressive visuals that explain the creation of the manuscript and its incredible detail. The lighting, atmosphere, and overall presentation make it easy to appreciate both the artistry and the reverence behind the book. The short film at the start gives great context and helps visitors understand just how remarkable the work is. The real showstopper, however, is the Long Room Library — one of the most breathtaking spaces in Dublin, if not the world. Walking through it feels like stepping back in time. The scale, the scent of old wood and books, and the sheer sense of history are unforgettable. The only slight downside is that it can get quite busy, which makes it harder to take in the exhibits at your own pace. The display area for the Book of Kells itself is smaller than expected, and you don’t get much time to linger. A few more interactive or modern interpretive elements would really enhance the experience, especially for younger visitors or families. Still, this is an essential stop for anyone visiting Dublin — an inspiring reminder of Ireland’s deep scholarly and artistic heritage, and a beautifully preserved piece of world history. Well worth seeing once in a lifetime. 🇮🇪📖✨

Amazing. Do this. Go here. First of all, the place looks little phenomenal. Its really really interesting and super well built with tons of history and cool facts in every tiny crevice of the campus. And even better is that the tour guides know these details and they di give you a really good overview of everything. Additionally, the old library is a magnificent sight. With the atlas sculpture and the harp! Really really cool!

The history and culture are so well preserved and presented. Top-notch storytelling, especially the audio tour. The campus is nice and made for a lovely stroll around. But with all due respect, I found the reviews of this place to be severely overblown. I would not use the term "breathtaking" or even consider this a must see, not for €25. The display of the book itself is small and completely forgettable. As of Nov 2025, there were almost no books in the main library hall. What really ruined it for me? The hundreds of people climbing over each other to snap the perfect IG photo with the globe. Otherwise, this was an amazing cultural touch point with really interesting visual immersion.

This experience is usually associated with the Trinity Trails campus tour (33.5€ for the combined ticket): after the tour ends you can go to the Old Library Building. On the ground floor there is a room with informative panels on the Book of Kells, which is a beautiful illustrated manuscript dating back to 800 AD and containing the Gospels in Latin. In a second room there's the Book of Kells itself, closed in a cabinet (photographs are not allowed). Then on the first floor there's the Long Room, a huge wooden library with vaulted ceiling: unfortunately almost all of the books are off the shelves for a restoration project, but it's still totally worth visiting it. Finally in a separate red building there's a second interactive exhibition.

The whole experience was pretty well done. The best part of course seeing the Book of Kells. The library was incredible. Unfortunately most of the books were removed for renovation, but enough were still there to get the feel of it. The red building at the end was a full immersive experience - that made me dizzy and nauseous. I wish I could’ve purchased a ticket without the red building (just the book of Kells and the library), but the option wasn’t available. Recommend buying tickets online in advance to get your preferred timed entry.

HISTORIC BOOK! Interesting process on how it was created, handed down, and preserved. The long hall( library was amazing). Evolution of mapping. Wonderful that these historic volumes are being carefully taken care of and digitalized for the whole worldto access. Thoroughly enjoyed the debate between iconic busts in the second half!

A Treasured Experience - The Book of Kells Our self-guided tour of the Book of Kells, with audio assistance, was incredible! We chose the 3 pm weekday slot, which coincided with several school tours – the atmosphere was lively, but occasionally loud. Highlights: - Exquisite Manuscripts: Marveling at the illuminated pages, intricate designs, and rich history of the Book of Kells was awe-inspiring - Informative Audio Guide: The self-guided tour's audio assistance provided valuable context and insights, enhancing our understanding and appreciation - Trinity College Setting: The Old Library's stunning architecture added to the experience Tips for Visitors: - Weekdays can be busy with school groups; consider a weekend or morning visit for a quieter experience - Allow at least 1-2 hours to fully absorb the exhibit The Book of Kells is a masterpiece of medieval art and a highlight of Dublin's cultural offerings. Don't miss it!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Just a warning for tourists - the Library is currently under renovation. Trinity College is worth a walk through campus, but try for other attractions until work is completed.

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.

Pre COVID, While in Dublin my sister and I visited Trinity College specifically to view The Book of Kells. We got there around 11:00 am and there was an approximate 1-2 hour wait to get in. No thanks, it was slightly raining and we didn't want to wait that long in line. Pope Francis was coming to Dublin, so that may have increased attendance, I don't know, but we opted to arrive later. We went to a pub (we were in Dublin!) and went souvenir shopping and then returned around 2:30 pm and only had to wait about 10 minutes which was perfect. The Book of Kells was awesome but what was as amazing was the library. Oh my God, as a lover of books I was in awe of the library! Fantastic! I enjoyed my visit there very much.

Did the Book of Kells, Trinity College Tour, primary due to rumors that book of Kells line was long and the tour allowed you to skip the line, at the of our visit the line was only about five minutes, and our tour guide just had us pop in at the end of the line, The tour was interesting but I don't think it is a must do, Book of Kells exhibit was interest, but the long room library is very nice to look at if you like libraries and old books, Gift shop was too crowded to move around so we didn't spend much time at all in the gift shop. An hour to tour the college, and 30 minutes for the book of Kells. Worth seeing once, if there were to be a next time I would skip the tour.

Went for the first tour this morning not knowing that the library is under renovation. Almost all of the books are removed from the library so it definitely takes away from the experience. There is no doubt that the Book Of Kells is an amazing historical object, the introductory information is interesting and you are ready to see it and walk into a very darkened room and the book is in a small plexiglass case and you only see 1 of its pages ...I don't want to say it was a let down or disappointing but with all of the information you read to get to that room and then just see the 1 page is a little bit of a let down..for me anyway. I'm sure I'll upset someone else reviewing this but I'm just being honest. The entry fee is like $22 USD which is a little steep considering most of the library experience is under construction currently.

As others have noted, you need to purchase a timed ticket to enter, and there are lines outside for the next two entry times (e.g. 10 and 10:30). They let in each group at their ticketed time. The exhibit is excellent, and provides a lot of information about the scribes, how they worked, and the history surrounding the book. The only downside is that despite the timed tickets, the exhibit was terribly crowded and it was hard to get to see some of the parts of the exhibit until the crowds thinned out a bit. I'd recommend just hanging back for maybe 15 minutes and then spending some time in the exhibit. The book itself is alone in a room in a case with a page open; this is changed every couple of months. The Long Library is also part of the experience, and it is truly impressive. They are working on a major restoration project which means many books are off the shelves at present, but this doesn't really detract from the room. The self guided tour ends in a gift shop that was insanely crowded. We moved on fairly quickly as it was literally too packed to move around and see any of the merchandise. Definitely worth seeing the exhibit, book, and library, but be prepared for the crowds, even away from peak tourist season.

This was absolutely amazing. This is a wonderful place to visit especially if you love books and libraries. It's astounding that this place has over 200,000 of the the Library's oldest books. Unfortunately the actual Book of Kells was not on display. But they do have an exhibit which you can walk through at your leisure. But the Long Room is a definite sight to see at Trinity College.

Almost anyone who visits Dublin has Book Of Kells on their list to visit which implies two things - 1) This is a must see and 2) It will be awfully crowded. Here's a tip, come here first thing in the morning. Buy tickets online or in the visitor center here at the library. I arrived at 8.30 and got the ticket at a kiosk in the visitor center. When I went to the entrance at 9, there was already a huge line of about 30 people waiting but all of those people hadn't bought their tickets yet. There was another line for ticket holders in which I was the only one standing. They opened the place earlier than the start time to get the ticket holders in and guess what I was the first one to enter. I got to enjoy the place all by myself. The highlight of course was the long room. It was a dream come true for me. I usually visit a library in every new city that I travel to but this was different. Just standing there among the books and being lost in history was an experience like nothing else. If you are not into books or appreciating old libraries, this will be an underwhelming experience for you. If you love being around books and everything about it, make sure to take the time to plan early and visit this and it won't disappoint you.

My Book of Kells experience was amazing--but mostly because there were hardly any tourists there due to covid. Ireland had opened up not long before I spent the night there for a layover. With approximately 4.5 hours to spend in town, I laid out my sightseeing goals in advance. The Book of Kells was definitely first priority because I belong to a calligraphy guild and this was one of the pieces so many of my guild members have either been to or desire to see with their own eyeballs. Yes, the exhibit is small. Yes, if it were a regular day, I would feel irritated because it would've been too crowded. Yes, it seems a bit over priced for what it is. But the calligrapher in me who can never have enough nibs or walnut ink geeked out over reading about vellum, ink production, and writing instruments. Also, the fact that Ireland just opened up to tourism not long ago means this is the perfect time to visit. There were incredibly small numbers of people at every tourist attraction I visited. It was amazing to see some of the poems that I had heard in class. One of my favorites was featured in one of my classes prior to practice and it's called Pangur Bán, about an Irish monk and his cat. (See photos) The highlight of the exhibit is the Book itself, of course. The line was incredibly short compared to others' experiences. I waited about 8 minutes to see it. You can't take pictures of it but you can take pictures of any other part of the exhibit. As I waited in line, I admired the way they set up the book. It's in a large glass box in a dark room with a single light on it. In my mind's eye, I imagined a scribe hunched over the vellum, with a single source of light, silently working away at an illuminated section. It's hard to fathom that this literal masterpiece survived over a thousand years. If you don't care about the process of creating the book, or are not religious, or don't want to stand in a long line just to glance at a page in an old book for about 60 seconds before moving on, then you wouldn't like this exhibit. But if you're a lover of ancient workmanship and artistry, interested in the religious aspects and symbolism in the artwork, are a calligraphy nerd, or just an artist who admires the ingenuity displayed by immensely old dudes, then The Book of Kells is a must see. Also included in the price is entry to the Long Library, so if libraries or Harry Potter is your thing, it's worth the cost of admission to see both.

A must see in order and to learn and understand the book's significance. Great visual explanation. Beautiful architecture. Many interesting facts. The only drawback- the crowdedness of it as some people just need reminders to keep moving if they are not interested in reading the displays.

Stunning. The Long Hall is epic and really beautiful. Folks are mostly quiet which gives the hall an added feeling of reverence.

Get tickets online in advance to avoid the line or get their early. The museum was interesting to hear about what it's made from and where it came from. Book is cool to see. So much details but it's two books each open to a page The library is what I was most excited to. So beautiful!!!!

It's touristy and crowded so you need to just take a deep breath and as soon as you walk in, jump into the scrum over where the Book of Kells is displayed. (You are constantly warned that photographing the Book of Kells is not allowed and they do hurry you along.) After you finish peering through the glass case (because the lighting sucks), then if you want to learn more, walk around and read all the displays in the room. Or do what I did and immediately walk up the stairs to the old library to admire its awesomeness. The Book of Kells is anticlimactic next to the old library. (Unless you are not a fan of old libraries.) It's hard not to at least marvel at this one, tho. It's worth it to wander the entire length of the library, take a few selfies and read some of the different historical plaques. It has the feel of a museum. It was very crowded when I was there, like shoulder to shoulder, so be mentally prepared to have your space invaded. Everyone will be walking around looking up. The ceiling is quite beautiful. There are stairs that lead down to the gift shop and ultimately outside. I'm glad we took the time to visit but I seriously doubt I'll ever return. This was more of a bucket list item I wanted to check off. If you go, buy your tickets online and try for an early entrance time.

This is a popular thing to do in Dublin. When I saw pictures of the Old Library, I knew I had to see it. We bought tickets online ahead of time. When we got there, there was a long line of people waiting for tickets, but we went right in at our ticket time. The Book of Kells exhibit was pretty boring. There was a bunch of information about it and then just a large book on display. Once we went through that, it was onto the Old Library with the long room. It was just as incredible as the pictures look. The book shelves go to the ceiling all the way down the room. There's also not much to do there once you look around and take it in. It's definitely overpriced for what it is, but I'm glad I got to see the long room.

Trinity College and the Book of Kells is a must visit for a tourist in Dublin. Affordable and you can schedule your visiting time accordingly. Beautiful and historical information is housed here, so take your time and enjoy the audio tour available via the app that comes with your tickets. The long room with all those old books was a book lovers dream! The smell of the old books was amazing.

Very interesting piece of history that is broken down in sections and thoroughly explained with wall murals. They were doing renovations when we went, but the library was still gorgeous and you could feel the history in the room.

Our Dublin tour with Brian was simply outstanding. We honestly could not have asked for a better host - Brian was incredibly knowledgeable, answered any questions we had, made some great lunch recommendations, and was genuinely a great conversation. I really can not say enough good things about this tour - Brian's expertise and personality truly lifted it above and beyond similar walking tours I've experienced. For myself and my partner, this tour was our favourite part of our time in Dublin, and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone else looking to do the same. Thanks, Brian!