Skip the Line: The Book of Kells Exhibition & Old Library Admission Ticket
4.5
Skip the Line: The Book of Kells Exhibition & Old Library Admission Ticket
By The Book of Kells & Old Library
About
Tucked away in the magical Old Library of Trinity College Dublin sits one of Ireland’s most prized possessions just waiting to be discovered.
The Book of Kells, a precious 9th century manuscript, is an exquisite combination of ornate Latin text and intricate illuminations.
Discover how the world’s most famous medieval manuscript was made and about the rich symbolism behind it. You’ll also gain access to the Long Room, one of the world’s most beautiful libraries and home to 250,000 of Trinity College’s most ancient texts.
A visit to the Book of Kells is a journey through some of Ireland’s most iconic cultural heritage.
Read more
Ages 13-99
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
- Access to the Book of Kells Exhibition and the Long Room.
- Entry/Admission - The Book of Kells & Old Library
What's not included- The Audio Guide is not included. It costs €5.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 115401P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 115401P1
About the operator
- johnkF9190NU00Book of KellsWe had Richard as our tour guide and he was as on point as possible! He was funny, jovial, friendly and most of all, informative. He took us around Dublin and explained everything in detail and was very accommodating to the entire group, taking pictures, advising restaurants and places to avoid. I can’t say enough about our Book of Kells tour with him.
- RWDENVER00Overpriced, marginally interesting20$ to see a mostly empty library and see a page from the book of kells was not worth it! Very disappointing for the price. Relatively crowded, not that interesting. Can't believe we planned our day around it-all 3 of us thought it was an overpriced, touristy, let-down. If it were 5$ and I happened to be walking by it would be worth seeing.
- Blueridgemama195800Very engaging, informative. Great guide!This tour was great. Everything organized beautifully and a guide who is well informed and a great communicator. He also made certain that everyone could hear him at all times. Go Brian! We came home after vacay and watched Michael Collins to try to get further history elucidation. Additionally, Brian took extra pains after the tour to set us on a path to a good lunch spot. We went for the early tour (8a.m) and I’m glad we did. Tour completed at a good time and place for lunch and further city sightseeing. As a P.S. I’d like to say that I took the time to give negative (but I hope constructive) feedback on a DIFFERENT tour we took later in the day, so I wanted to make sure that I also stressed the positive one! This tour was exactly as described and more. Very engaging.
- Y5930DFlisab00A must see!What a great historical library! The family loved it. Staff is very friendly. Would highly recommend buying tickets ASAP!
- Mamagoose7500AmazingThe book of Kells and the library are fantastic. Also, there is a free audio download for your phone so bring your headphones so you can listen as you walk through.
- 81darryla00Total let down.We booked our time and date on the web site and paid 15EU each due to our age, normally 18EU each. My wife is a book freak and we had come from Australia and the main thing she wanted to do was to take in the smell and of all the books in the "long room" library upstairs. We get there and the library has no books in it and no atmosphere as it is being renovated. A bit of a rip off to see nothing. Very little chance of us getting back there. Sorry cannot recommend this place or the corporation that controls it.
- X6782YImaggiek00Cashier to the rescue!My wife and I stopped in to take a tour and didn't realize we needed to book ahead. Our flight was leaving that afternoon so we only had the morning and this was the part of the trip I was most excited for. Needless to say we were disappointed, but we stopped in at gift shop and while chatting with our cashier, we shared we didn't get in to the tour. He gave us a smile and walked us over to the entry, sharing that we were his guests and they let us in. It was a wonderful surprise and made our whole trip. Great staff, beautiful exhibit and interesting information shared.
- rafterchick00Fun fact: most of the books are GONESome were really eager to visit this library. My audio unit kept repeating Station #1 no matter what I did and since it was so continuously crowded, it wasn't conducive to hunting down a different audio box without holding us up. My husband was the one who wanted to really see this place, so he was truly disappointed that most of the books were cleared out for cleaning and archiving. We felt that fact should have been known up front.
- MAP1200It's been on my bucket list for years, finally got there!Very well organized, seeing the book was easy to do - as well as the old library. Most of books were gone due to remodeling/refurnishing, but just seeing the Book of Kells was worth the visit.
- retireeVancouver00Information boards were excellent; the 2 page spread of Book of Kells was a disappointmentWhat was "Very Good" about this visit were the numerous information boards in the room before going into another room to actually see a two page spread of the Book of Kells which is kept in a glass enclosed display case. There are these 2 rooms to visit which then exit into the old library itself where visitors walk through a main corridor to view the old books on tall book cases. These old books are being packed into storage boxes - gone by the end of this year - for a building renovation. The information boards in the first room offered plenty of information about the Book of Kells such as: the origin of the Book, found in a bog but protected from the elements inside a box, sample of materials used to make the inks, the numbers of calf skins required to make the Book, how the Book was then bound, and an explanation of the symbols used (fish, snake, peacock, use of royal colors) and their meaning. Guests can stay as long as they like in this room weaving back and forth through the throng of people. Of our 1 1/2 hour visit, we spent most of that time reading these information boards and looking at the artifacts and displays underneath which illustrated the information. I was fascinated with the content of each information board which had large printing and was placed up high on the wall above guests' heads. The next room has only the Book of Kells on show inside an enclosed display case that is roped off so guests can't really get a close up look at the 2 page spread that is open. One just catches a glimpse and is pushed along to the exit quickly by the crowd of people behind. Seeing the Book of Kells was a disappointment for me as the illustration that was open was very poor with weak, faded colors, no clear image and the print was fuzzy and very faded. Was this the manuscript's best pages? I have seen much better examples of illustrated manuscripts from the middle ages in museums. Visitors exit into the old library. In June there were still old books on the shelves, but the book collection is being packed up, perhaps completed by this winter so that the building can be renovated. Videos showed librarians preparing these books for storage - cleaning, labelling, and cataloging them into a database. These tall, fragile looking books, I am sure, were centuries old. It was interesting to see the ladders used to reach the top shelves and even a spiral metal staircase leading to an upper floor. The shelves are roped off so visitors can't browse the titles - one just looks at them from the main library corridor. The white busts of literary people, each named, were still on display along the main library corridor. We used about 1 1/2 hours for this visit, with the longest time spent in the room with the information boards about the Book of Kells. The college campus was not of interest to us. We were part of a tour group on this visit so I don't have any information about purchasing tickets to see the Book of Kells.
- janetlD9592DA00Must seeThis is an absolutely must see when in Dublin. It was in walking distance of our hotel. The only problem I had was that they let so many people in at a time it's difficult to get close enough to see everything. It was absolutely packed and there was a school group of young people that were extremely rude. Other than that it was amazing, expecially the long hall.
- Nicolas C00No books on shelves!Disappointing without books on the shelves even if the room is beautiful by itself. In addition, our request to go in earlier than our booked time was rejected ... just few minutes before 3 couples without tickets were allowed to go in after negotiating with the staff. Not worth the money.
- AntoinetteVI00Great experienceGreat experience, we did the guided tour on the app which was very informative. The Book of Kells we found very impressive. The Great Hall is being emptied at the moment and lot’s of the statues are wrapped in bubble wrap which took away a part of the charm. Nevertheless a great experience.
- KimN68300Recommended visit to The Book of KellsThis is all about the history...I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the Book of Kells. The museum portion of the visit is very informative and seeing such a piece of history was a special experience. The general library is also very interesting with a cast of historians who had studied in this spot. Tickets seemed to be booked for the day or next so we were fortunate to be able to get tickets in person for 2 days ahead. We did the self-guided tour, which was sufficient with a lot of information provided in the museum section.
- NachoDavis00Book of KellsVery interesting book, and library. Best get a viewing spot reserved on the website for Book of Kells. Worth the time and it's not far from Temple Bar too.
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
397 reviews
Excellent
229
Very good
104
Average
47
Poor
10
Terrible
7
Anne L
Brisbane, Australia6 contributions
Jun 2019
To see the Book of Kells was a wonderful experience but it was also a frustrating one in that there was no line of order to process the large number of visitors through the display thus making it difficult to see some of the works. The day we visited there was a very large number of visitors but that is probably the usual for this amazing attraction.
We thoroughly enjoyed the breathtaking library with its astonishing number of books. Truly remarkable!
We thoroughly enjoyed the breathtaking library with its astonishing number of books. Truly remarkable!
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bigwawao
New York City, NY10,127 contributions
Oct 2019
Heard of the Book of Kells even before I started planning to visit Dublin.
An ancient religious manuscript that is more than a thousand years old. Well preserved and restored.To be honest, it was a sort of a letdown. The other exhibits were more interesting and they led you to another room where the actual Book of Kells was on display.
There are some question if the actual book or a facsimile is on display. I did ask a staff and he said what I am seeing is the actual book. But it looks so recent... or well preserved.
You get to see the book for a very short time in order for others to get a chance. Not the whole book is on display. I believe they rotate the different gospels for display.
The old library, on the other hand, is absolutely stunning. I felt like I was in a Harry Potter show. Even my wife who is not a museum person agreed that the Library exceeded the book itself.
I feel that the Book is just like any ancient manuscript- supported by a very efficient PR department. As a comparison, I went to the Warren Beatty Museum where they displayed a host of other ancient religious manuscripts. I was more entranced there than with the Book of Kells. And its free.Don't get me wrong. The Book of Kells is worth seeing. But it does not do justice to the hype around it. If I had to choose only one (just the books, not including the library), I would go for the Warren Beatty Museum.
Tip- get your tickets online. When I went there first thing in the morning there was an extremely long line for tickets, and a longish line for those already with tickets. How the line appeared for those with tickets, I don't know as I went first thing in the morning...
An ancient religious manuscript that is more than a thousand years old. Well preserved and restored.To be honest, it was a sort of a letdown. The other exhibits were more interesting and they led you to another room where the actual Book of Kells was on display.
There are some question if the actual book or a facsimile is on display. I did ask a staff and he said what I am seeing is the actual book. But it looks so recent... or well preserved.
You get to see the book for a very short time in order for others to get a chance. Not the whole book is on display. I believe they rotate the different gospels for display.
The old library, on the other hand, is absolutely stunning. I felt like I was in a Harry Potter show. Even my wife who is not a museum person agreed that the Library exceeded the book itself.
I feel that the Book is just like any ancient manuscript- supported by a very efficient PR department. As a comparison, I went to the Warren Beatty Museum where they displayed a host of other ancient religious manuscripts. I was more entranced there than with the Book of Kells. And its free.Don't get me wrong. The Book of Kells is worth seeing. But it does not do justice to the hype around it. If I had to choose only one (just the books, not including the library), I would go for the Warren Beatty Museum.
Tip- get your tickets online. When I went there first thing in the morning there was an extremely long line for tickets, and a longish line for those already with tickets. How the line appeared for those with tickets, I don't know as I went first thing in the morning...
Written February 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
baymontsvp
West Bend, WI287 contributions
Mar 2019
We have been to Dublin a number of times and always missed the Book of Kells due to our limited availability. So this trip we made a point to see it. It is hard to believe how much time a monk took to illustrate a single page. In our age of technolgy this could be done in a day.... with time out for lunch.
I found the Old Library a rare treat and would have loved to be able to pull out an old book and turn the pages.
I found the Old Library a rare treat and would have loved to be able to pull out an old book and turn the pages.
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan D
1 contribution
Aug 2020
I love the new layout, the new lighting works very well and it is much easier to see the Book of Kells. It's good that it is now the focus of exhibition.
The page on display at the time of my visit, the Virgin with child, is the oldest illustration of the virgin in a European manuscript and is very special.
The page on display at the time of my visit, the Virgin with child, is the oldest illustration of the virgin in a European manuscript and is very special.
Written August 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Dublin-stories,
Many thanks for taking the time to review the Book of Kells and Old Library.
We are delighted to hear you enjoyed the new display for the Book of Kells and that you felt it was a special experience to view the Virgin and Child page.
Best wishes,
The Book of Kells team
Written September 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debbie K
Dublin, Ireland3 contributions
Aug 2019
An amazing experience. To be able to see & admire the talent & meticulousness required to make the collection on show, absolutely fabulous. Considering the artists had very basic & natural tools to ply their talent, utterly unbelievable that they managed to produce such outstanding results
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MumzRule
Snellville, GA13 contributions
Sep 2020 • Friends
Was such an enjoyable experience, especially for the art history lover in me. Book of Kells Exhibit was immersive, colorful and beautiful. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable, willing to chat. They also did a great job of social distancing and ensured everyone wore their mask. Missed this last year when was closed for renovation. So glad we were able to get in this year.
Written September 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear MumzRule,
Many thanks for visiting the Book of Kells and Old Library and for taking the time to leave a review.
We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your visit.
Your feedback on our guides and the social distancing measures in place is much appreciated.
Thanks again.
Best wishes,
The Book of Kells team
Written October 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
QM79
18 contributions
Aug 2020
I have lived in Dublin for many years but I have never visited this attraction. So as I was at home from some of my annual leave, I attended the Book of Kells and Old Library in August 2020, when tourist numbers in Dublin were very, very low. Because of this, I was able to view the Book of Kells and the library on my own without anyone else, which was a privileged. I booked and paid online ahead of the visit and this process was very straightforward and I would recommend it, particularly if you would like to select a particular time or day. I entered the college from Nassau Street and a very friendly guide ushered my to the entrance of the exhibit. I viewed the Book of Kells exhibition which was interesting and viewed the book itself by myself. It was lovely to see the Book close up. The Old Library is magnificent and was the highlight of the visit. The staff were all lovely and very knowledgeable and friendly. If you live in Dublin or close by I would highly recommend a visit. While large crowds may have made my experience a lot different, I am still glad I had a chance to see this exhibition. Plenty of Covid protocols in place which made me feel safe. From those holidaying at home in Ireland, now is a good time to go!!
Written August 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David K
Dublin, Ireland13 contributions
Sep 2020
First off the rice €16 for 1 ticket is really a lot, especially for what you get.
When you enter there are some paintings / drawings/ prints of old Celtic passages and abstracts from the book, it's ok a nice start, but they were not very many.
Next the book, it's a bit like The Mona Lisa, very very underwhelming and I know the lighting has to be low due to the age of the book, but really, wasn't great.
Up the stairts to the long room/The Old Library which is a fantastic room, if the sun is not trying to beat in through the drawn blinds, yes again I know to Protect the books which is amazing.
The Busts are there but there is no real information about each one, the glass cabinets in the middle hold some old documents, but it's all really a bit of nothing.
I live in Dublin and I went to take a guest, but never again, the price and the lack of what you get is terrible, Stay away,
When you enter there are some paintings / drawings/ prints of old Celtic passages and abstracts from the book, it's ok a nice start, but they were not very many.
Next the book, it's a bit like The Mona Lisa, very very underwhelming and I know the lighting has to be low due to the age of the book, but really, wasn't great.
Up the stairts to the long room/The Old Library which is a fantastic room, if the sun is not trying to beat in through the drawn blinds, yes again I know to Protect the books which is amazing.
The Busts are there but there is no real information about each one, the glass cabinets in the middle hold some old documents, but it's all really a bit of nothing.
I live in Dublin and I went to take a guest, but never again, the price and the lack of what you get is terrible, Stay away,
Written September 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi W9417AFdavidk,
Thanks for taking the time to share feedback on your experience at the Book of Kells and Old Library.
We are very sorry to hear you did not find your visit to be worth the price of admission.
Revenue from ticket sales goes directly towards the conservation of the Book of Kells and the Old Library collection, however it is our goal to offer a memorable and enjoyable visitor experience.
You are right about the lighting in the Treasury - since the Book of Kells is 1,200 years old it is extremely light sensitive. We are disappointed to hear that you found it underwhelming.
The glass cabinets in the middle of the Long Room showcase rotating exhibitions featuring items from the Old Library's precious collections, however your feedback is much appreciated.
Thanks again for sharing your experience with us.
We have certainly taken your comments in to appreciation.
Best wishes,
The Book of Kells team
Written September 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vanessa P
Calgary, Canada1,385 contributions
Sep 2019
Buy the ticket in advance as there is a long line to get in. If you like book you will love this place. This book os Kells is known to be one the of the oldest books that ever exited and the art on the book in very unique.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ARose
Charlotte, NC912 contributions
Sep 2019
Youre likely going to make a visit here because it is on the must see list. That being said, buy a ticket before hand and be prepared to wait in lines. You will wait in a security line and then an entrance line, which enters through the gift shop which would be another line. Its a great space to see, but all the people could be overwhelming. Just make sure you stop and look at the books on exhibit in the library, those are some of the main attractions to see.
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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