BOOK OF THE DAY: JS TENNANTreviews The Trinity Yearby Fergus Mulligan and John Jordan Gill and Macmillan, 200pp, €32
TRINITY COLLEGE is an inescapable presence in Dublin, dominating the city centre as it does. Equally, its history is tied up with that of the capital – from the colonial era to the present day. The Royal Charter for Trinity’s founding was issued by Elizabeth I in 1592, endowing it with the rather cumbersome name “The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity near Dublin founded by the Most Serene Queen Elizabeth”. As this title suggests, Trinity was originally beyond the city walls; in those days the town was centred on Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral.
The college took over the grounds of an Augustinian priory dating from 1166, dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. The current Campanile in Front Square stands near the site of the original monastic steeple. Trinity was closely modelled on Oxbridge and its first five Provosts were Cambridge graduates. The charter seems to suggest an original intention of further colleges, but in 1613 the sole college was granted university status; this duality remains nowadays in the double coat of arms and the present, less awkward, title of the University of Dublin, Trinity College.
Fergus Mulligan’s text leads us through the history and traditions of Trinity, while John Jordan provides photographs to illustrate this beautifully produced book.
The 1600s were beset by religious dispute, plague, and war – by the end of the century there were still less than 350 students. But this was also the time the library acquired the significant collections of James Ussher. From its inception, Trinity has had a strong association with the Church of Ireland, and the first Catholic Provost was not appointed until 1991.
The 1700s at Trinity were more stable and witness to such figures as Burke, Swift, Goldsmith, Grattan, Wolfe Tone and George Berkeley. These were the years that also saw construction of the university’s most impressive buildings: the Library, Dining Hall, and Printing House. The College Historical Society (the Hist) was also founded, by Edmund Burke in 1747.
The Act of Union in 1800 meant Trinity gained the status of a copyright library, with entitlement to a copy of every book, pamphlet, periodical or map published in Britain or Ireland. This legal deposit right is still in force and provides an invaluable resource. In 1824 the population of the student body peaked at about 2,000. It is strange to think this figure was not exceeded until after the second World War; the current figure stands near 16,000.
Women were permitted entry in 1904, but only after a 12-year campaign, and a petition of 12,000 female signatories. As a young lecturer in the 1930s, Samuel Beckett lived at House 39 in New Square, which now boasts a discreet commemorative plaque. As an undergraduate I was sent by a college newspaper to photograph the provost unveiling this plaque. The event might have raised a smile from Beckett himself, with a turnout more Spartan than one of his own sets, and the running time of the ceremony only a fraction longer than his short play Breath.
Later developments at Trinity saw the inauguration of the Trinity Ball (“the largest private music event in Europe”), and the construction of the Arts Building in 1978. It is testament to John Jordan’s skill as a photographer that he has even been able to make this building look dignified.
JS Tennant is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and works as an editor in Geneva