Famous Dubliners
Dublin has an illustrious educational and cultural past. Trinity College, or University of Dublin, founded in 1591, has graduated authors Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, and Oscar Wilde. Its library houses the 8th-century 'Book of Kells', the famous decorated gospel book made by Celtic Monks. Dublin was also the location for the premiere of Handel's 'Messiah' in 1742. Famous literary figures to emerge from the city include Richard Brinsley Sheridan, John Millington Synge, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, William Butler Yeats and George Bernard. The city played a leading role in the revival of Irish language and literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This included the opening of the Abbey Theatre in 1904, dedicated to the revival of Irish drama. Museums in the city include the National Gallery of Ireland, The National History Museum and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art.