Ireland's most prestigious university was founded by Elizabeth I in 1592 in the hope of offering Dublin’s sons a reason to pursue their studies at home, away from the infectious threat of popery on the continent.
Today it is a venerable seat of learning that attracts students from all over the globe as well as international visitors who come to enjoy the relaxing greens, admire the architecture, take in the history and be astounded by what is possibly the world's most famous book. Housed within the college is the beautifully illustrated medieval manuscript that is a true labour of love: the Book of Kells.
Visitors can come and go in the college grounds pretty much as they please and there's no charge to wander around but, let’s face it, you are going to want to see the Book and we recommend you take a student-led walking tour to hear all the anecdotes that the college has accumulated, and, with alumni like the sharp-tongued satirist Jonathan Swift, the flamboyant wit Oscar Wilde and the existential dramatist Samuel Beckett, there are plenty of stories to share.
The buildings themselves are visual narratives, with Georgian squares fringed by statues and Regency splendour. The shock of the brutalist Berkeley Library, and other modern masterpieces from the architectural genius of Paul Koralek, do something to get you into the right frame of mind for the delights in the Douglas Hyde Gallery of Modern Art.
Trinity is, without a doubt, another world entirely in the heart of Dublin. Dip in and dip out of it as often as you please: you’ll be rewarded every time.
