Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland and among the older ones in Europe. One of the virtues of being founded so early (1592) is that you get to claim a prime spot in the heart of the city. And Trinity College is right in the middle of things, its large green spaces protected from the bustle of central Dublin by buildings dating as far back as 1712.

That's all well and good, but the reason most casual visitors stop by this place is the Book of Kells, an elaborately illustrated Latin translation of the four gospels of the New Testament. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures of it. And since they only display two pages at a time -- one of illustrations, and another of text -- you're not going to be able to see the whole thing. They do change the pages that are on display regularly.

Before you reach the book, you walk through an exhibit on its history. This was pretty interesting. It described the processes that would have been involved back then in making a book like this, such as the kind of materials used and how these were acquired. One of the inks, for instance, came from lapis lazuli, whose only known source at the time was a mine in Afghanistan. It also talks about who wrote the book and where it has been over the years.

But why look at just one book when you can see thousands. After you emerge from the Book of Kells viewing area, you come to the old library of Trinity College. Stacks and stacks of old books, piled to the ceiling. It made me wonder, how did anybody ever find anything before Google?

Also on display at the library is the oldest harp in Ireland, which is apparently the model for the Guinness logo. You can't play it, though. There are model harps in the gift shop that you can play. But be careful, they are easily and noisily knocked over.

During our jaunt around the main parts of Dublin, we felt obligated to check out the campus of Trinity College. The weather was pretending to be nice but threatened rain, so we just walked around the main courtyard/grounds and took a few photos. A tour is available, but we opted out of the organized/informative route and simply admired the architecture and great big old trees. I tried to channel inspiration from some of the great minds that had studied there, imagining discussions that took place under those trees... but eventually gave in and headed to a pub to celebrate St. Patty's Day with the rest of the city.

The nearest I was going to get to Irish academia was to join the hoards of visitors and tour the famous Trinity College. It’s a cracking visit, but your concentration levels will need to be finally honed before you embark on this tour.

This magnificent seat of learning has existed since being founded by Elizabeth I in 1592, and an interesting, yet disturbing, fact is that Catholics were not allowed to study there (unless they converted to Protestantism) until the late 1960s. The grounds of this venerated University are impressive, and if you enter the main gates, by the statues of Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith, you’ll be standing in Parliament Square with the 100-foot tall 1850s bell tower looming in front of you. This does seem to be a bit of a folly; it certainly has pride of place next to one of Henry Moore’s famous "reclining forms." There’s a range of age to the buildings, with the 300-year-old red-bricked Rubrics, the Dining Hall (1761), the interdenominational chapel built in late 1790s, and the modern Berkeley Library (1967).

Inside, there are two stunning features – the book of Kells (a work of art completed in the early 800s by monks from Iona depicting the gospels on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the old university library built in 1732.

The library is over 200 feet in length and houses in excess of 200,000 antiquarian books. Overall, the libraries in Trinity College stores over three million books, as Trinity college exercises its rights under copyright laws to claim free copies of all British and Irish publications. Now I have a fair few books in my house, but apparently Trinity College requires over half a mile of shelving every year to store its selection of new publications. I find that really hard to envisage! For the book lover, the library is an uplifting and exciting experience enhanced by some remarkable marble busts of scholars and the oldest surviving Irish harp.

I took the book of Kells as an artistic experience rather than a scholastic journal. These incredible illuminated Latin manuscripts are inscribed on vellum parchment with ornate patterns and fantastically designed animals. The designs are so inventive that it is often hard to remember that they are forming letters, words, and sentences. The detail in each illuminated letter would have taken such an amazing length of time that it is hard to comprehend how long the 680 pages would have taken to compile. It truly is an act of absolute skill, but also of dedication and commitment to the task. Just gazing on these masterpieces and wondering at the intricacies of each small section is mind-boggling.

You will leave here having taken in only a small percentage of the total, but be prepared for that - enjoy the art and get ready for a return trip when you next return to Dublin. I guarantee that you’ll never claim to have seen or understood it all!

This was one of the most overwhelming moments of the holiday; we spent hours walking around the campus in absolute admiration of the architecture and character of one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I have never experienced such a calm retreat; with the surroundings of sixteen hectares, you can lose yourself in this world and be inspired by the sheer amount of history contained in the centre of Dublin. Guarded by rails, walls, gigantic wooden doors, and statues, it remains one of the hardest higher-education institutions for undergraduates to be admitted to but continues to be a student’s educational recognition of Dublin.

Around every corner of this paved labyrinth, there is a new and even more significant building to investigate, ranging from the Old Library, which contains The Book of Kells (a compulsory trip), and Berkeley Library, which is home to millions of titles to work your way through.

The statues are important to the university, as they are the reminders of how and why Trinity College was created; many famous graduates have been produced here, the most legendary being Oscar Wilde, who lived down the road.

There are many tours around the campus, but I only truly appreciated this wonder when left to my own original routes to try and take everything in; there are more exits than first thought, so don’t be phased if you feel lost. The students are more than happy to give you directions.

The Trinity College campus of Dublin, part of the University of Dublin, is a classic quadrangle in the heart of central Dublin. Visitors will enjoy a casual stroll through the historic campus, but most travelers with a historic bent will want to witness the famous Book of Kells.

Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I of England, the University of Dublin is the oldest and most famous university in Ireland. Trinity College, the one and only college of the University of Dublin, consists of about forty acres of comfortable collegiate architecture, stoic statues, green gardens and contemplative cobblestone spaces within a set of old walls. The main entrance to the campus is on the west side.

The Book of Kells is located in the Old Library of Trinity College. Dating from about 800 AD, it is one of the oldest books in the world. It is a remarkably preserved Latin manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament, revealing a beautiful level of craftsmanship throughout its pages of colorful illustrations and transcripts. The 680-page book was bound into four volumes in 1953. Only two of the volumes are on display at a time, with usually one layout showing an illustrated page and the other showing text. The pages are usually turned every month. There is an admission fee to see the Book of Kells, so you had better want to see an old book if you are paying up. Dating from about 1400, which makes it one of the oldest surviving harps in Ireland, the harp of Brian Boru is another treasure that can be found at the Old Library.

There is something called the Dublin Experience, a multi-media show playing during the summer months at the Arts and Social Sciences Building, which reviews the history of Dublin.

A walking tour of the campus can be arranged with a student tour guide if you want a more formal experience. If you are visiting during the summer, student dormitory rooms are available for overnight stays.