Trinity College Welcomes the 10 Millionth Visitor to the Old Library and Book of Kells Visitor Centre
Aug 08, 2012
The
10 millionth visitor to the Old Library, Trinity College Dublin since
the creation of its visitor centre in 1992 was welcomed on August 8th by
the Librarian, Mr Robin Adams. The Old Library and Book of Kells is one
of Ireland’s major tourist venues and attracts over 520,000 visitors
each year to see the exhibition on the Book of Kells and other medieval
manuscripts and to enjoy the spectacular space of the Long Room.
The
number of visitors to the Old Library has increased from 220,000 in
1992. Figures for this year have increased by 10% over the previous
twelve months. Visitors to the Old Library come from across the globe,
with the majority coming from Europe (39%) and North America (33%).
Eight percent of visitors come from Ireland, with over 20,000
schoolchildren having free access, often coming as part of a school
visit.
English tourists, Robbie Howatson (8 years old), his
parents Ian and Jan and sister Rosina became an unexpected part of Irish
tourism history by becoming the 10 millionth visitors to the Book of
Kells visitor centre.
Eight
year old Robbie Howatson from Milton Keynes, UK with his parents Ian
and Jan and sister Rosina - the 10 millionth visitors to the Book of
Kells visitor centre
Trinity College is upgrading the
Book of Kells visitor centre to enhance the overall visitor experience
and improve public access to the precious manuscript. With the
integration of interactive technology, visitors will be able to engage
with the detail of the creation of the manuscripts, the pigments used in
the illuminations and the techniques of the artists. The results of
Trinity’s scientific research on the materials and origin of manuscripts
will be shared with the wider public through the exhibition. The new
centre will provide space for the larger number of visitors, with
toilet, cloakroom and shop facilities. The development is supported by a
grant of €2.7 million from Failte Ireland’s Tourism Capital Development
Programme. Tenders for the design work are currently being evaluated
and it is expected that work will begin next year.
The project
will also protect the building from the effects of visitor numbers,
environmental pollution and upgrade fire protection. It will integrate
state-of-the-art research facilities for scholars working on the
Library’s collections of archives, early printed books and special
collections.
The Old Library is celebrating its
Tercentenary
this year, as the foundation stone for the building was laid in 1712. A
programme of events marking the year includes the current exhibition
300 years of the Old Library and the forthcoming exhibition Drawn to the
page; Irish Artists and Illustration 1930-1930, visits to the Library’s
Conservation Department, the publication of a book on the Library,
family events around collections of children’s literature and special
activities around the Culture Night event.
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This photo of me was taken in Rome just as Mr Berlusconi nearly ran over our toes as he left Parliament by the back door in November
