#theoldlibrary

Sorry if you missed us last Tumblr Tuesday, but we are back this week! I (Sabrina, your weekly Traveling Stories blogger) was on a bit of a mini vacation to the great country of Ireland! Only fittingly, this week’s blog is on the spectacular Old Library at Dublin’s Trinity College.

  One of Dublin’s biggest attractions, the Library at Trinity College is the largest library in all of Ireland and dates back to the establishment of the college in 1592.

  It currently holds 6 million printed volumes, which include collections of journals, manuscripts, maps and music that span over 400 years of academic development!

  The most famous of the manuscripts held at Trinity are the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow. The Book of Kells is extremely famous, as it is believed to have been created around 800 AD.  Containing the four Gospels, the book is written on prepared calfskin in Latin.  Both the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow are on display at the main chamber of the Old Library, known as the Long Room.

  The Long Room is filled with 200,000 of Trinity College Library’s oldest books. Originally only built to house books on the lower floor, the library had to expand around 1850 as it had become completely full. One of the main reasons for this being that in 1801 the Library was bestowed with Legal Deposit. This means that since that year, all Irish publishers and distributors have been required to present Trinity College Library with a printed copy of each of their works, at no cost! UK publishers and distributors are also obligated to provide a copy of each of their works to the Library if requested by the college. Talk about amazing! No wonder Trinity College Library has become the largest library in Ireland!

  To add to the awe-inspiring view of 200,000 antique books, the Long Room is lined with marble busts of great philosophers and writers of the western world and also of men connected with Trinity College. William Shakespeare is one of the first faces to greet you as you enter this portion of the library.

  In exploring the Library you may also come across one of the few remaining copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, as well as the oldest harp in Ireland (the model for the country’s emblem).

  All I can say is, if you want to see greatness, visit Trinity College Library at least once in your lifetime. There is nothing quite like walking down the Long Room and taking in the sight of so many amazing books. Even more so, knowing that you are standing in a library that once inspired such creative minds, like that of Bram Stoker.

  We at Traveling Stories always say that the world can be changed one book at a time. I think it is safe to say that Trinity College Library got the memo.

  -For more info visit the Trinity website at the following links-

History of the Library: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/about/history.php

The Old Library: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/bookofkells/old-library/

Book of Kells: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/bookofkells/book-of-kells/

The Old Library and Book of Kells Exhibit: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/bookofkells/

Legal deposit: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/collection-man/legal-deposit.php