Trinity College
Dublin
Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland, founded in 1592. Its main entrance is on College Green, in the heart of the city.
A university in the heart of the city
Trinity College was founded in 1592, by order of Queen Elizabeth I. At first it stood outside the city; today it is surrounded by streets and shops. The campus has squares, lawns, sports grounds and buildings from many different periods.
Every year a great many visitors come in through the main gate. In the squares, students, teachers and curious tourists mingle.
The front on College Green
The front was built between 1752 and 1759. It is nineteen windows long, in grey stone, with Corinthian columns of Portland stone. In the middle is a triangular pediment. In front of the gate, on two lawns, stand the statues of Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith. They are by John Henry Foley and date from the 1860s.
The Book of Kells
The most famous treasure of Trinity is the Book of Kells. It holds the four Gospels in Latin and is full of colourful decorations. It was written in a monastery on the island of Iona or at Kells, in Ireland. You can see it during a visit to the campus. Check the official website for where it is on show: the old library is about to be restored.
