Exploring the world of ‘Normal People' with a stay at Trinity College Dublin

Irish Examiner

26-04-2025

A young, studious-looking man reads a novel in the sun; tourists pile into the atmospheric Long Room library to peek at the Book of Kells; and young women snap photos of themselves beneath blooming cherry blossom trees.
Welcome to spring at Trinity College Dublin. Though the 16th-century university has long been an essential stop on a visit to Dublin city, since 2018 it's taken on a specific cultural importance: it's where Connell and Marianne, the characters in Sally Rooney's second novel Normal People, lived out the aftermath of their teenage love affair.
When the novel reached the small screen in 2020, the global obsession with the series meant that places where Connell and Marianne lived and met took on an even greater meaning.
The good news is that if you want to walk in the footsteps of these fictional characters it's easier than you think. For starters, you can stay on the very campus where the pair were reunited after school.
That's how I find myself checking into the gorgeous, red-bricked Rubrics building on the 47-acre Trinity campus. Being raised in Cork and having attended UCC, I've long held an envy of students who lived next to, never mind on, a university campus. But for one night, I get to live out the college experience of my dreams — even if I'm sadly older and a lot more sensible than all those decades ago.
What's also enticing is the price: on-campus accommodation at Trinity starts from €91 a night and is available from June-August, once the students have departed for the summer.
You can stay at heritage buildings (including the Rubrics, one of the oldest buildings on campus) or the modern Business School accommodation, and even add breakfast at the student hub, The Buttery, if you like. Both rooms and apartments are available.
The Rubrics at Trinity College Dublin.
Rubrics is where Marianne and Connell met at a party during the Normal People TV series, and where the show's director Lenny Abrahamson lived for a time during his days at Trinity. Other former campus residents include Rooney herself, and author John McGahern. After a reported €12.5 million revamp and restoration, Rubrics maintains its 17th-century charm — including its original stairs— but has many mod cons.
To get our bearings we take a two-hour Trinity Trails walking tour (€33.50 including entrance to the Book of Kells Experience), led by a student named Matthew, who's originally from the US. Near the Campanile (a bell tower) on Parliament Square, Matthew talks us through the history of the iconic campus, noting how at various points in its history it didn't accept Catholics or women. Thankfully, today Trinity is a truly multicultural and vibrant university.
During our visit, workers are busily erecting a stage on Parliament Square for the upcoming Trinity Ball, the biggest event on the university calendar. This means the paths are thronged with large vehicles as well as groups of tourists, but it feels like Trinity students are well used to sharing their campus.
While outside Rubrics, Matthew tells us that the building we'll be staying in that very night was the site of the murder of a Fellow of the College named Edward Ford in 1734. Several students were tried and then acquitted of his murder, and Ford's ghost is said to haunt the area. (Thankfully we do not find any ghostly figures looking for justice later that evening.)
Wandering through the impressive campus, with its copious cherry blossom trees, small gardens, tennis court, cricket field, student bar the Pav (said to serve particularly cheap pints), Eavan Boland Library (where Connell and Marianne studied) and many fascinating characters, you can see why Rooney and writers like Belinda McKeon and Louise Nealon have taken inspiration from Trinity.
Accommodation in The Rubrics at Trinity College Dublin.
Which makes me wonder — where's the UCC campus novel? (Surely there are plenty of stories worth telling from the student centre alone?) The tour ends with a self-guided trip through the Long Room, where only just under 20,000 books remain due to ongoing digitisation. Empty bookshelves are replaced by insightful videos into both the digitisation process (filmed in slow-motion, to emphasise the delicate work being undertaken) and stories of Irish authors like Christopher Nolan. In its own room, the Book of Kells stands under muted lighting that emphasises its preciousness. The tour ends next door in the Book of Kells Experience, which uses light shows and audio tricks to tell a more fulsome story about the library and book.
In one scene of the Normal People series, Connell stands gazing at art in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. This was filmed at the Hugh Lane Gallery (founded in 1908) on Dublin's Parnell Square, as was a scene with Marianne and Connell where the gallery stood in for The Guggenheim in Venice. So, no need to hop into a gondola — we take the green line Luas from Dawson St (two minutes' walk from Trinity's Nassau St entrance) and glide towards O'Connell St, from where it's a short walk to the Hugh Lane.
Inside, Brian Maguire's exhibition of large-scale paintings brings us face-to-face with the dark sides of humanity. Meanwhile, the much-treasured Francis Bacon studio stresses out my companion, who can't imagine how Bacon worked amidst such a mess, but it gives me the joyous feeling that art persists amidst many circumstances.
For a pre-dinner aperitif, we amble back onto the Luas, aiming towards Anseo pub on Camden St, which had a few short appearances in Normal People. Anseo has a low-key, alternative vibe that's welcoming to all ages but feels rooted in the sort of student life that Connell, Marianne and pals enjoyed. Gig posters adorn the walls and just before we leave we hear the thump-thump of a band soundchecking in its tiny upstairs venue.
Camden St is a favoured destination for students in Dublin, with its long stretch of bars and restaurants. There's thankfully time for us to have a cheeky but delicious wine in Frank's, a former butchers that has been transformed into a lovely wine bar.
Connell (Paul Mescal), Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) in Normal People. Picture: Enda Bowe
Further up the road and across the canal is Blackbird in Rathmines, which was the favoured student night spot in the Normal People series (even though in real life it's not a hop, skip or jump from Trinity). It's a buzzy spot for a drink just outside the city centre.
One of the other locations that featured in Normal People is the fine-dining restaurant Forest Avenue, which isn't far from Wellington Road in Ballsbridge, where Marianne lived while at Trinity. We plump instead for city stalwart Dunne and Crescenzi, a couple of minutes' walk from Trinity. Specialising in Italian fare, it offers a gorgeous wine list and the best bruschetta in the city. As usual it's hopping, and in one corner we spot Mike Scott of the Waterboys, dining while wearing his trademark hat.
Back at the Rubrics afterwards, we find that the double room has a desk, shelving unit, en-suite bathroom and access to a kitchen and living room on the floor below. Painted in light, bright colours and with original sash windows and window shutters, it's a beautiful place to stay.
We're awoken the next morning to the gentle chatter of three young students sitting on a bench below the building, sharing croissants.
Accommodation in The Rubrics at Trinity College Dublin.
While part of Normal People was filmed in Sweden, the good news is that some buildings in Dublin stood in for the city of Luleå, where Marianne goes on an Erasmus year. Which is why the morning after our Rubrics stay we head toward the Liberties for brunch at the Fumbally. It's just a 20-minute walk from Trinity and not far from Camden St.
In Normal People, Marianne moodily drank coffee here, but when we arrive the real-life Fumbally is busy and vibrant. Opened in 2012, it's become a hugely influential part of the city's cafe scene, with a focus on fresh vegetables, baked goods and fermented drinks. Its arty jumble-sale look gives it a down-to-earth feel. Marianne would approve, but Connell might find it all a bit hipster (more fool him, if so). Then it's back to check out of Trinity, which handily is located next to the southside's main shopping street, Grafton St.
If you want to journey even further into the world of Normal People, locations include Enniskerry, Co Sligo and even Italy. But there's plenty to catch in Dublin, particularly with Trinity College as your base. Though if the opportunity came up to walk in the footsteps of Marianne and Connell on their Italian holiday, I can't say that I'd turn that one down…
Aoife was a guest of Trinity College Dublin.
Escape Notes
To book a stay at Trinity College Dublin during June, July and August, see visittrinity.ie/stay/ Rooms from €91 a night.
5 more on-campus escapes:
St Catherine's College, Oxford
For those who want a heritage stay with a mid- century twist, single-occupancy accommodation is available during the summer at St Catherine's College in Oxford. These Grade 1 listed buildings were designed by iconic Danish architect Arne Jacobsen and are located just a mile's walk from the centre of Oxford.
universityrooms.com/en-GB/city/oxford/college/stcatherines
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Similar name, but this time we're in Cambridge. This accommodation is located in a much older building in the heart of the town and is typically used by undergraduates during term time. The rooms also offer showers and en suite facilities, and have gorgeous gardens to boot.
universityrooms.com/en-GB/city/cambridge/college/caths
University of Edinburgh
For a trip to this beautiful Scottish city you could stay in one of the University of Edinburgh student residences, which are located at the foot of Arthur's Seat and on the secure Pollock Estate. Both are within easy walking distance of the Old Town and all the attractions the Scottish capital offers. You can get standard, single en-suite or twin en-suite rooms here.
uoecollection.com/summer-stays-at-the-university-of-edinburgh
University of Toronto
During summer time you can book a short stay at University of Toronto's New College Residence, which offers single or double rooms. This is based at the university's downtown campus, meaning you can handily base yourself there and visit all of the main highlights of the city — like the CN Tower and nearby Little Italy.
ncsummer.utoronto.ca
Porzellaneum, Vienna
The oldest student residence in Austria, this is a centrally-located building that opened in 1887. Unlike some of the other options, this is open to students from any of the city's universities — and to guests too. This has much more of a basic, hostel vibe than other options, so is best for budget travellers.
universityrooms.com/en-GB/city/vienna/college/porzellaneum.