The book of kells is one of the finest and most famous, and also one of the latest, of a group of manuscripts in what is known as the insular style, produced from the late 6th through the early 9th centuries in monasteries in ireland, scotland and england and in continental monasteries with hibernoscottish or anglosaxon foundations. It was created in a columban monastery in either britain or ireland and may have had. An illuminated manuscript written around 800ce, this exquisite work of art has stood for 1,200 years as the greatest example of medieval illumination and is one of the most studied books in the world. Reproductions from the manuscript in trinity college, dublin slipcased by francoise henry and john kennedy jan 1, 1974 4. Visitors will have access to the book of kells exhibition and the long room, which houses over 250,000 of trinity colleges most ancient books. Book of kells tour monastic treasures with a historian context. It is something all irish children learn about in school, is regularly discussed as part of irish history and art, and is generally considered to be the countrys most prized possession.
Mark and i decided to take a tour in order to skip the long lines and have a historian to tell us. The book of kells was closed for health and safety reasons the day prior to my tour which means i could have cancelled and received a full refund but instead of viator reaching out to me either with text message or email i found out at time of tour and now will have to argue with viator to get my money back. Seeing the book of kells in dublin changes in longitude. Jan 22, 2014 if you are planning on visiting trinity college library and the book of kells i would give yourself a minimum of two hours. Color your own book of kells dover art coloring book. Visit the trinity college library, home to the famous book of kells widely considered among the most important of all irelands ancient treasures. The book of kells has been on display in the old library at trinity college dublin from the mid19th century, and attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. It was created by celtic monks some time around 800 ad. The book of kells in trinity is considered one of irelands greatest national. Apr 19, 20 the book of kells, one of great treasures of medieval europe, is an illuminated manuscript gospel book in latin, containing four gospels of new testament matthew, mark, luke and john together with various prefatory texts and tables. Tour dublin personal and private dublin tours with tourdublin. We recommend booking trinity college dublin tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Beat the crowds early access to the treasury to view the incredible book of kells and the old library.
Located in the heart of the city centre in trinity college dublin, the exhibition displays the book of kells, a. Authenticity tours, which operates trinity tours, can facilitate any tour requests from members of the public or tour groups. Zoek en boek reizen en tickets voor het book of kells op viator. The book of kells a masterpiece of irish art youtube. I dont remember paying anything but we also had the opw card which was a big financial winner on our 12 day visit. Given the popularity of the book of kells exhibit, i would recommend booking that in advance and then showing your tickets to get the tour for an additional 4. Here are ten things you should know about this ancient masterpiece.
The book of kells is inches wide and 10 inches high. The tour covers as much of dublin as possible in 8 hours and includes the highlights shown below. Children 3 years and under are complimentary the book of kells is being removed from 4th november 2019 until early march 2020 due to essential restoration, and will be replaced with the only fine arts version approved by the 16th century. Jan 31, 2018 the book of kells is one of the top attractions for visitors to ireland. The book of kells and the long library is very worth a visit. My wife and i were on the first tour of the college a few euros or free, i cant remember and were deposited at the book of kells line afterwards. The guided tour gives an introduction to the book of kells. First your guide takes you through the colleges library, exploring the area known as the long room thats lined with books and statue busts of famous masters of science, literature, and art. The 9th century book is a richly decorated copy of the four gospels of the life of jesus christ. Book of kells, dublin ticket price timings address. Housed within the old library building, the book of kells is a precious 9th century manuscript, featuring an exquisite combination of ornate latin text and intricate illuminations.
Fasttrack easy access book of kells tour with dublin castle. The book is a masterwork of western calligraphy and represents the pinnacle of insular illumination. Tour met vroege toegang tot het book of kells, plus dublin castle 559. For conservation reasons, the book of kells is not on display from 4 november 2019 to early march 2020. Book your tickets online for the book of kells and the old library exhibition, dublin. The book of kells site is open daily with varying hours by season may to september. You will explore the book of kells rich ornamentation, multilayered symbolism and meaning. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. Lasting 35 minutes, the tour encompasses the four major squares of the college.
The book of kells, which is on display in trinity college, was written around the year 800 ad and is one of the most beautifully illustrated manuscripts in the world. Guided tours are also an option and recommended by past travelers. The book of kells was closed for health and safety reasons the day prior to my tour which means i could have cancelled and received a full refund but instead of viator reaching out to me either with text message or email i found out at time of tour and now will have to argue with viator to. Copulating cats and holy men kindle edition by worrall, simon. The library building itself was built between 1710 and 1732 so its almost a toddler in comparison. We booked the book of kells early access tour with dublin castle. Your tour of the book of kells, trinity colleges library, and dublin castle meets in the front of trinity college in central dublin. I love losing myself in their pages on a rainy day. The library is a great place to spend a few hours by yourself diving into the knowledge of books. The work is the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts for the intricacy, detail, and majesty of the illustrations. Visit trinity college dublin and the book of kells exhibition. Changes or cancellations requested less than 24 hours before the tour departure time are not possible.
The book of kells and the trinity college library are mustsees when visiting dublin, ireland. How to see dublins book of kells for free or half price. Wandering onto the gorgeous trinity college campus, i instantly fell in love with the beautiful architecture surrounding the campus. I found the book of kells interesting, no more than that.
Book of kells early access and dublin castle guided tour 2020. But the long library is another matter it was awe inspiring, you can smell the books but they wont let you lick them. The library is home to one of the rare full color facsimiles created in order to increase education, study and access to the book of kells located at trinity college in dublin. A visit to trinity college and the trinity college library to see the ancient book of kells truly made my dublin travel experience more complete.
The book of kells exhibition is located in the 18th century old. For more information, visit trinity colleges website. Discover how the worlds most famous medieval manuscript was made and learn about the rich symbolism behind it. Trinity college book of kells tour trinity college dublin. Stay at trinity college dublin in the heart of dublin and explore all that tcd has to offer including the book of kells exhibition, trinity gift shop and more. The book of kells is irelands greatest cultural treasure and the worlds most famous medieval manuscript.
Visiting the book of kells at trinity college library, dublin. You enter a room with large poster size copies of the book of kells and videos explaining more about it. I am doing some research into ticket options for trinity collegebook of kells on their website. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin 2020 all. Frequently asked questions about the book of kells faqs. The cliffs of moher are located in burren on the wild atlantic way, a winding coastal road notoriously difficult to navigate. Apr, 2020 the book of kells exhibition is a mustsee on the itinerary of all visitors to dublin. In this historianled book of kells tour with skiptheline tickets, we will visit the book, explore trinity colleges famed old library, and examine celtic artifacts at. Changes or cancellations requested less than 24 hours before the tour.
Take your group on the guided walking tour of trinity college campus with authenticity tours. Book of kells early access tour with dublin castle. Buy tickets to trinity college old library and book of kells exhibition. The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin 2020. The old library book of kells exhibition dublin visitor centre. Color your own book of kells dover art coloring book marty noble on. Visit the book of kells and the old library exhibition on. Spend less time reading maps and more time soaking up the scenery on a stressfree tour from dublin.
Fasttrack access book of kells and dublin castle tour dublin. Letzgo city tours is an exciting, innovative tour company created to offer extraordinary, high quality, intimate group tours. Talks on preservation activities in the old library take place monday to friday in the long room at 3pm. This illuminated manuscript contains the four gospels of the bibles new testament and other sacred texts, written in latin. I planned to buy the heritage island explorer guide but not sure if there is a way to book ahead of time and apply this discount. Book of kells irish cultural center and mcclelland library. Trinity college dublin updated april 2020 top tips. The old library and the book of kells is a lovely library thats often crowded. Do you need to book in advance to visit trinity college dublin. According to tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience trinity college dublin. The book of kells washingtoncenterville public library. The book of kells is a beautifully handilluminated manuscript, containing the four gospels of the new testament as well as various prefatory texts and tables bound in four volumes. Aug 12, 2010 an introduction to the book of kells and the beautiful film the secret of kells made by the studio cartoon saloon. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of kells.
Fasttrack easy access book of kells tour with dublin. Discover one of the most important highlights of irish heritage on this early access fully guided tour. Book of kells early access and dublin castle guided tour. The library is like a piece of heaven on earth for book lovers of course and also for others as it is exceptionally calm and informative. It is known for its worldrenowned artistry, as well as its many. Fasttrack easy access book of kells tour with dublin castle 559. I am doing some research into ticket options for trinity collegebook of kells on their website which shows they offer a regular ticket at the door for 10 or online fast track ticket for for old library exhibition and book of kells then i found a link on their website for the trinity college tour which is a scheduled 35 minute guided tour of the four squares of the campus followed. But despite visiting dublin on numerous occasions, i had never visited one of the most famous books, in one of the most famous libraries, in the world the book of kells in the trinity college library. I planned to buy the heritage island explorer guide but not su.
Trinity college and the book of kells exhibition selfguided visit to saint patricks cathedral dublin castle grounds georgian dublin phoenix park lunch in a traditional dublin pub guinness storehouse or jameson distillery. The book of kells and the old library exhibition, dublin. Authenticity tours offers a combined ticket which incorporates discounts on the cost of a guided tour of trinity college dublin and the admission fee to the book of kells and old library exhibition. If you book with viator, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. There were about 50 people in the line and we waited about 20 minutes to get in. The tour guy was knowledgeable but did not move the group out of the rain during the tour. The book is a major dublin attraction and attracts many travelers, particularly during summer. The exhibition that houses the ancient texts also provides for a visit of the old library which is well worth seeing. Confusion over trinity collegebook of kells tours dublin. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Fasttrack access book of kells and dublin castle tour.
The book of kells and the old library exhibition dublin. A visit to the book of kells is included and your students will gain valuable insight in the history of the college and the significance of the book of kells a tour not to be missed. A visit to the book of kells at the old library in trinity college dublin is a journey through some of irelands most iconic cultural heritage. Two volumes are on public view, one opened to display a major. Book of kells early access tour with dublin castle avoid the crowds and explore irish history in peace on this 2. First your guide takes you through the colleges library, exploring the area known as the long room thats lined with books and statue busts. It also sets in context the colleges old library and its long room, which houses 200,000 of the colleges vast collection of books. Talks last 1520 minutes and are free for ticket holders to the book of kells exhibition as well as trinity college students and staff. One of irelands major cultural and artistic treasures, the book of kells and the old library exhibition counts among the oldest texts in the world, dated to the 9th century.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket desk within the exhibition. It is known for its worldrenowned artistry, as well as its many hidden secrets and mysteries dating back to. Dublin book of kells and trinity college rick steves. It is indeed an interesting place to explore and spend some time at. To purchase a ticket for the guided tour, go to the authenticity tours desk, by the front gate, inside the campus. The magnificent book of kells is widely regarded as irelands most valuable national. Pride of place is given to the book of kells, an illuminated gospel manuscript dating from the 9th century. It contains the four gospels, preceded by prefaces, summaries and canon tables or concordances of gospel passages. The book of kells exhibition is located in the 18th century old library building in the heart of trinity college dublin. Apr 21, 2011 the book of kells was to be their masterwork. The book of kells is a permanent exhibit located within the mcclelland library.
Other displays include a rare copy of the proclamation of the irish. While the book of kells would be justly famous for its age alone, its renowned for its spectacular artwork. Avoid the crowds and explore irish history in peace on this book of kells and dublin castle exterior tour. Admission to the treasury to view the book of kells, entrance to the exhibition turning darkness into light and a fully guided visit to the old library of trinity college. Tripadvisor fasttrack easy access book of kells tour. Nov 05, 2015 together with the gospels of lindisfarne and the book of durrow, i would say that the book of kells is one of the greatest contributions to medieval art ever to come out of the british isles. It is the oldest university in ireland, founded in 1592 by queen elizabeth i, and is famous for its graduates such as swift, goldsmith, wilde and beckett.
It was created by celtic monks circa 800 or slightly earlier. Im a little worried about spending a lot of time in line. The book of kells is an artistic masterpiece acclaimed as the most beautiful book ever written. We had about a 20 minute wait to get into the library. Trinity college dublin 2020 all you need to know before. The tour concludes at the main entrance to the book of kells and groups proceed to a self guided tour of the book of kells. The book of kells here, is a manuscript of the gospel.
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