Ireland’s Most Beautiful Library: The Long Room

Tones are low within the Book of Kells exhibit room. Upon exiting, a turn left leads guests up the stairwell to the Trinity’s famous library hall. The damp sounds of shoes on wooden floors increases as you approach the tall doorway of the Long Room. Like a panning shot in a Hollywood movie, the exquisite hall unfolds as you cross the threshold , revealing pillars of wood, slabs of texts and fine, rickety ladders.

Like a wooden ribcage, thousands and thousands of books line and intercept the long hall. The smell of soft dust and whispers fill the room as visitors extend the length of the beautiful library. The arched hollow of the ceiling acts as a spine, leading the eye down the hall, while statues of famous men bookmark the isles.

This is the Long Room, one of Ireland’s most famous sites located at the Library of Trinity College in Dublin.

5 Facts About the Long Room at Trinity

The Long Room holds over 200 000 books.
The library is home to the Brian Boru Harp, which inspired Ireland’s coat of arms and the Guinness beer logo. It’s the only country in the world to use a musical instrument as its logo.
The library was built over 280 years ago and is 65 meters long.
All publishers in Ireland must leave a copy of their written works at the library (copyright library)
Harry Potter was NOT filmed at the Long Room.

Why We Enjoyed Visiting the Long Room

Trinity College is one of the most famous universities in the world, but what does that mean and can tourists enjoy the campus?

With the Book of Kells being one of the most significant manuscripts in Ireland and the Long Room being an exquisite experience, it gives visitors a reason to visit the campus and connect with the history of Ireland.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit because it was short, sweet, educational and believe it is worth visiting as one of Dublin’s Must Do Sightseeing locations.

How To Get Cheap Tickets for the Long Room

The Long Room is included in your ticket for the Book of Kells exhibition. They have a number of ticket options depending on when you’re able to visit. We chose to visit in the late afternoon, which saved us a couple of Euro’s per person. This can be helpful when travelling from South Africa and looking for value for money.

Our tickets cost R369.96 for 2 adults. You won’t need more than an hour or so to visit.

Normal Price: 14 Euro’s per adult (kids under 12 are free).
Late Afternoon Price: 11 Euro’s per adult
Family Price: (2 adults & 2 children): 28 Euro’s
Groups: 11 Euro’s per person.

You can not buy a single ticket for the library as the Book of Kells and Long Room are housed together.

Shoestring Tip: If you are in the queue within the last half an hour before closing time, it’s rumoured that they will let you in for free. [We didn’t want to take this chance, but if it’s your only choice there’s no harm in trying.]