Grafton Street & Around - Dublin - page 107

On the way back towards the main entrance, past the Reading Room, is the late-18th-cen-
tury Palladian Examination Hall , which closely resembles the chapel opposite because it too
was the work of William Chambers. It contains an oak chandelier rescued from the Irish
parliament (now the Bank of Ireland).
Towards the eastern end of the complex, College Park is a lovely place to lounge around
on a sunny day and occasionally you'll catch a game of cricket, a bizarre sight in Ireland.
Keep in mind that Lincoln Place Gate is located in the southeast corner of the grounds,
providing a handy shortcut to Merrion Sq.
BOOK OF KELLS
The world-famous Book of Kells , dating from around AD 800 and thus one of the oldest books in the world, was
probably produced by monks at St Colmcille's Monastery on the remote island of Iona. It contains the four gos-
pels of the New Testament, written in Latin, as well as prefaces, summaries and other text. If it were merely
words, the Book of Kells would simply be a very old book - it's the extensive and amazingly complex illustra-
tions (the illuminations) that make it so wonderful. The superbly decorated opening initials are only part of the
story, for the topic has smaller illustrations between the lines. For more information on this incredible
manuscript's history, Click here .
The Long Room's unlikeliest film appearance was in Star Wars Episode II : Attack of the Clones , as the
Jedi Archive, complete with barrel-vaulted ceiling and similar statuary.
Science Gallery
Although part of the campus, you'll have to walk along Pearse St to get into Trinity's
newest attraction, the Science Gallery ( www.sciencegallery.ie ; Pearse St; exhibitions usually noon-8pm
Tue-Fri, noon-6pm Sat & Sun) F . Since opening in 2008, it has proven immensely popular with
everyone for its refreshingly lively and informative exploration of the relationship
between science, art and the world we live in. Exhibits have touched on a range of fascin-
ating topics including the science of desire and an exploration of the relationship between
music and the human body. The ground-floor Flux Café (Pearse St; 8am-8pm Tue-Fri, noon-6pm
Sat & Sun) , bathed in floor-to-ceiling light, is a pretty good spot to take a load off.