This was Day 3 in Dublin and we spent about 4 hours with a tour guide. James was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and brimming with historical details. The highlight for me was the Book of Kells exhibit at the library at Trinity College It was a well thought out exhibit in which selected pages and images from the Book had been digitized and blown up so you could see the details. The book is a 4-volume work from 800 A.D. consisting of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Of course, there was one of the actual four books, well protected in a special glass case and opened to a particular page.
Upstairs we spent time in the Long Room, a stunning long barrel vaulted reading room with layers of stacks on each side of a central aisle. It was built between 1712 and 1732 with the impressive ceiling only added in 1860 to provide room for more books. All in all, there are 200,000 volumes in this space.
Along the sides at the ends of the stacks are busts of notable individuals from Cicero to Jonathan Swift. We felt fortunate to be able to get into this space as all the books are being moved out and the building closed and renovated beginning in several months!
Guide James is obviously fond of the whole Trinity campus and consequently, gave us names and dates about other buildings including the historic earth sciences building (detail in header photo), two other libraries, and the lovely campanile in the center of the green. Today, there are 19,000 undergraduates at Trinity and about 7,000 graduate students.
Our next stop was Dublin Castle. This castle was from the 13th century to 1922 the center of British rule in Ireland. After independence, it became and still is the site for state occasions such as presidential inaugurations. We did not tour inside, but instead spent time walking around some of the perimeter of this large and sprawling complex.
Our last stop on this comprehensive tour was St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Established in 1191 and the site of where St. Patrick baptized people, this cathedral was initially a Roman Catholic Church. Later, it became the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, an Anglican Church. Steeped in history, and like many sites in Dublin, it is associated with Jonathan Swift, one of its many deans. Swift is buried here in an upright position.
Outside the cathedral is a lovely park created by the Guinness family. Known for their beer and ales, this family has been a generous benefactor throughout Dublin.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
