If you’re planning a trip to Dublin, you’ve probably heard mixed messages about the Old Library at Trinity College, especially the famous Long Room.
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Some visitors have heard it’s closed. Others are wondering if it’s worth visiting now that many of the books have been removed from the shelves.
Here’s what you actually need to know if you’re visiting the city.
Is the Old Library at Trinity College Open?
Yes. The Old Library (including the Long Room) remains open to visitors. However, it will be closed to the public at the end of 2027.
That means you can still see the Book of Kells through a new experience called “The Book of Kells Experience” or take a tour of Trinity campus and see the famous book courtesy of Trinity Trails.
The Book of Kells exhibition is kept downstairs in its own space, so the library clearance work has not really impacted it.
Why Are the Shelves Empty?
The Long Room is nearly 300 years old and requires essential preservation work.
This includes an upgrade to its fire prevention system and the installation of a more modern climate control system in an effort to protect and conserve its 200,000 volume collection.
Over the past few years, the books have been carefully removed, catalogued, vacuumed, electronically tagged, and placed into secure storage while restoration takes place, as you will learn from the video above.
So yes, many of the shelves are currently bare. But that doesn’t mean the visit isn’t worthwhile.
When the library eventually closes, The Book of Kells will be on display in a temporary space.
Is the Long Room Still Worth Visiting?
In my opinion, absolutely.
Here’s why:
✅ The Architecture is the Star of the Show
The Long Room is considered Ireland’s largest single room given its scale, symmetry, and barrel-vaulted ceiling.
It truly is one of the most impressive interiors in Dublin, even without the books, and most visitors are struck by this alone.
✅ The Book of Kells Exhibition Remains Unaffected by the Work
The Book of Kells exhibition is located downstairs in its own dedicated space, as mentioned above. The conservation work in the Long Room has not impacted this experience.
Even during future closures of the Long Room, the Book of Kells will continue to be displayed (in a temporary exhibition space if needed).
✅ You Can See Conservation in Action
Trinity College has installed digital screens showing conservators at work cataloguing, cleaning, and preserving the collection.
It’s actually a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s great libraries is being protected for future generations.
✅ Other Rare Items to See During a Visit
It’s not just the Book of Kells that attracts visitors.
The attraction also houses the famous Brian Boru harp, the original 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, selections from the Fagel Collection, as well as marble busts, with four sculptures of women added in recent years to the collection of great thinkers, which was previously men-only.
These include Rosalind Franklin, who sequenced DNA; Ada Lovelace the mathematician; folklorist and Abbey Theatre founder Lady Augusta Gregory, and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft.
Who Should Visit Right Now?
The Long Room is still worth visiting if you’re interested in Irish history and architecture, if you really want to see the historic Book of Kells, and if you’re curious about conservation projects.
However, if your main goal is to see the shelves packed with books from end to end, you should probably wait until after 2027.
If you’re still planning to visit the Old Library and Book of Kells exhibition, here’s what you need to know before you go.
Practical Visitor Guide
Location: Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin D02 PN40. It is easily walkable from Grafton Street, Temple Bar, O’Connell Street, and St. Stephen’s Green.
You won’t need a rental car while staying in Dublin’s city center since its public transport system is quite good.
Tickets & booking: Entry to the Long Room and the Book of Kells is included with a ticket to the Book of Kells Experience. If you are traveling during the peak travel season (e.g. summer), I’d book ahead.
Best time to visit: To avoid large crowds, I’d go early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Cruise ship passengers often visit mid-day, typically from late spring through early fall. The summer months are the busiest.
Typical length of time for a visit? You should allow for 60-90 minutes in total. In that timeframe, you’ll be able to see the Book of Kells exhibit, experience the Long Room and still have extra time to read displays and such.
Is it worth the price of admission? Yes, if you take into account all that you can see for the price of one ticket. You’ll be seeing one of Ireland’s most famous cultural treasures, stepping into a historic 18th-century library, getting a glimpse of a sacred text that is over 1,000 years old, and getting up close to unique Irish artifacts, like the Brian Boru harp.
If budget is a concern, you can still see other great Irish treasures and artifacts at any one of the National Museum of Ireland locations or in the Chester Beatty Library, both of which are free to visit.
Can you take photographs? Photography is allowed but you must not use a flash. Some sections of the attraction may be off limits to photography. Be sure to obey the rules.
Accessibility: Because the Book of Kells Experience is spread across two buildings, there may be areas that are not accessible-friendly
For example, there are no bathrooms in the Old Library building, but in the second building, the Red Pavilion, there are low lighting and sensory sound controls and there are visitor toilets. Plans to modernize the Old Library building are currently underway as part of the redevelopment project.
Are you planning to visit the Old Library at Trinity College this year? Let me know in the comments below.
