Trinity College Library

Trinity College and the University of Dublin are served by the Trinity College Dublin Library. It's a legal deposit or "copyright library" where Irish publishers are required to deposit a free copy of all their works.

It is Ireland's only library with such rights to works published in the United Kingdom. The Brian Boru harp, a national emblem of Ireland, a copy of the Irish Republic's 1916 Proclamation, and the Book of Kells is all permanently housed at the Library. At any given time, one of the four volumes of the Book of Kells is on public display. The volumes and pages on display are rotated on a regular basis; in 2020, a new display case will be constructed that will allow all pages to be seen, including those that have not been seen in public for decades. Members of the University of Dublin can also use the libraries of Tallaght University Hospital and Milltown's Irish School of Ecumenics.

The Long Room, the Old Library's 65-metre-long (213-foot) main room, was erected between 1712 and 1732 and houses 200,000 of the Library's oldest books. The Long Room had a flat ceiling at first, with only lower-level shelves for books and an open gallery. The room had to be expanded by the 1850s because the shelves had become overflowing due to the Library's authorization to get a free copy of every book produced in Ireland and Britain. The Long Room's roof was elevated in 1860 to provide room for an upper gallery. Marble busts decorate the walls of the Long Room. The institution acquired 14 busts by sculptor Peter Scheemakers, resulting in the marble bust collection. Many of the busts depict notable philosophers, writers, and college supporters. The most notable bust in the collection is Louis François Roubiliac's portrait of author Jonathan Swift.

LocationCollege Street, Dublin 2, Ireland