Trinity College & The Book of Kells {Ireland}

If there was only one thing you could do in Dublin, then Trinity College and the Book of Kells should be it. This was my absolute favorite part of Dublin. Trinity College itself is incredible place with its history reaching back to 1592 when it was founded by Queen Elizabeth I. In fact the full name of the school is College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin (near Dublin because originally the college was outside the walls of the city where now it is the central point of the city). This university boasts of not only being one of the most prestigious schools in Europe but is also considered one of the seven ancient universities in Britain and Ireland and Irelands oldest university.

But it is not just the outside of the university that is incredible, but also the inside. The library of the university is stunning with its long nave and arches paneled in dark wood. This library is any book lovers dream, to wander through the alcoves and be inspired by the words of old.

Trinity College is also home to The Book of Kells. The Book of Kells dates back to 800 AD when monks at the Columba Monastery painstakingly wrote and illustrated the gospels of the bible. The pages are a combination of traditional Christian iconography, Celtic knots, and what is known as Insular art that involves interlacing swirls or colors and figures. There are 680 pages altogether, all written on velum. It is difficult to really grasp the significance of these pages and the dedication of time and devotion that went into their creation. I could probably spend an entire day looking at the pages displayed and their delicate beauty.

Be sure when in Dublin to go and visit Trinity College and The Book of Kells. It is an absolute treasure of history, art, and spirituality and no visit to Dublin would be complete without it.