Trinity College Dublin opens new Book of Kells Experience

3 January 2024, Dublin: Trinity College Dublin reveals The Book of Kells Experience, a new world-class immersive exhibition that digitally transports visitors into the illuminated pages of the 9th century manuscript and the globally renowned collections of the magnificent Old Library.

The new Experience is set within a new specially constructed pavilion in the historic grounds of Trinity, Ireland’s oldest university, marking the first opening of its kind for the city. Visitors will first view the Book of Kells in the Old Library, before marvelling at the Long Room, considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful libraries. ​ 

They then embark on a 360° immersive journey in the pavilion; filled with stories, sights, and sounds inspired by the ancient manuscript and the Old Library’s precious collections, including a spectacularly innovative digital reconstruction of the Long Room. 

The Book of Kells is one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, with locals and tourists alike awed by the intricate and elaborate artistry and vibrant pigments that detail the medieval manuscript. Now visitors to the Experience will be able to follow the Book on its extraordinary journey from Iona in Scotland in 800AD, over the Irish Sea to Kells, and onwards to contemporary Dublin in present day, as 1,200 years of history and stories unfold before their eyes.

The Book of Kells Experience also explores and showcases several of the books and manuscripts from the Old Library’s historically significant collections. Visitors will travel to 1916 to hear the Proclamation of the Irish Republic; interact with spirited sculptures including Ada Lovelace, Jonathan Swift, Rosalind Franklin and William Shakespeare; and witness the architectural evolution of the Long Room reimagined from 1732 to modern day.

The Experience is a key enabling project as part of the conservation works for the Old Library Redevelopment Project. The OLRP will safeguard the 18th century building and conserve its precious collections for future generations. Proceeds generated by ticket sales are reinvested back into Trinity. 

College Dublin to support the academic mission of the university and fund development projects and conservation programmes.

The Book of Kells Experience is now open at Trinity College Dublin, with tickets available HERE. You can follow updates at HERE.

*ENDS*

Notes to Editors 

The Book of Kells Experience

Trinity College Dublin

Open 7 days a week, from 9.30am - 4.30pm

@bookofkellsexperience

Tickets available from visittrinity.ie/book-of-kells-experience

Early-bird adult €21.50, from €12.00 for children and other concessions/group tickets available.

Breakfast Press View on 16th January from 10.00am - 12.30pm at the Old Library, Trinity College Dublin. RSVP to bookofkellsexperience@camrongloball.com 

For all PR requests, please contact Camron:

bookofkellsexperience@camronglobal.com

+44 (0)20 7420 1700

About Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1592, is Ireland’s oldest university and today has a vibrant community of 22,000 students and 3,500 staff. Cutting edge research, technology and innovation places the university at the forefront of higher education in Ireland and globally. It encompasses all major academic fields, and is committed to world-class teaching and research across the range of disciplines in the arts and humanities, business, law, engineering, science, social and health sciences. Trinity is ranked 1st in Ireland and in the top 100 world universities by the QS World University Rankings.

About the Old Library Redevelopment Project

The Old Library's precious collections, spanning millennia, have been in our care for over 400 years. The Library now faces conservation challenges with pollution and dust accumulation taking their toll, and an urgent need to improve fire protection and environmental controls.

The Old Library Redevelopment Project draws on the best 21st century design and technology to safeguard the 18th century building and conserve its precious collections for future generations. You’ll see progress underway with the team decanting 200,000 early printed books from the Library shelves. One by one, each book is cleaned with a specialised vacuum, measured, electronically tagged and linked to a catalogue record, before being safely relocated to a climate-controlled storage facility. The collections will remain accessible in our interim study centre during this landmark conservation project.