Trinity College Dublin Celebrates 300 year Anniversary of Laying of Old Library Foundation Stone

May 23, 2012

On May 23rd 1712 the foundation stone of the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin was laid. Three hundred years to the day, Trinity College celebrated this momentous occasion as part of the Old Library’s Tercentenary celebrations.

To commemorate the Old Library’s Foundation Day, visitors to the Old Library were entertained by students from the Dublin University Players portraying famous Trinity alumni and other well-known historical characters connected to the College among them.  Characters included:  Johnathan Swift (Ricky McCormack); Mrs Delaney (Issy D’Arcy Clark); Samuel Beckett (Cameron Macauley); Elizabeth I (Joyce O’Reilly); Bram Stoker (Patrick Culhane); Oscar Wilde (Matthew Brazel). 

As part of the Old Library’s 300th anniversary celebrations visitors to the Old Library’s Long Room are able to view the Tercentenary exhibition, A Great Many Choice Books: 300 Years of the Old Library, which was recently opened by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. This exhibition celebrates the history of the Old Library with a display of fine books and manuscripts alongside records relating to the construction and fabric of the Old Library building. Among the exhibition highlights are: the 12th century Winchcombe Psalter; the 14th century Dublin Apocalypse; a first edition of Martin Luther’s Old Testament; a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible; 18th century bindings and books from the Fagel Library.

The Old Library and the Book of Kells exhibition receive over 500,000 visitors a year making it one of the top tourist attractions in Ireland. This year already visitor numbers are up by 8% on last year. 

Further information on the Old Library’s Tercentenary celebration events can be found at www.tcd.ie/Library/tercentenary