EU General Affairs Council visits Trinity

Posted on: 04 September 2026

The visit took place as part of Ireland’s EU Presidency and followed talks in Dublin on the EU budget and enlargement. It was hosted by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, TD, an alumnus of Trinity College Dublin. 

L-R: Provost Dr Linda Doyle, Minister Thomas Byrne and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos

While in the Old Library, the delegates had a private viewing of the Book of Kells, a 9th century gospel manuscript known around the world for its glorious artistry. During the visit, the book was open on Folio 7v: Virgin and Child, the only depiction of a woman in the book and the earliest known, or surviving, image of the Virgin and Child in Western manuscript art. 

'Europe needs to recover its voice on the international stage,' said Trinity Provost Dr Linda Doyle. 'This is not only important for Europe but for the building of a better world. Here in Trinity, we are working on solving Europe's hardest problems: we are delivering the research, the innovation and the skills that the next generation of leaders needs to build a strong Europe - and we are doing so in a way that protects our values, respects the planet and creates the Europe we want to live in.'

EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin examines some of Trinity College Dublin's collections in the Long Room

During the visit, the group met with academics from Trinity’s School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies to celebrate 250 years of the study of modern language at the university. Trinity was the first university in Ireland and Britain to introduce the study of modern languages, beginning with professors in French, German, Spanish and Italian who were first appointed in 1776. In the case of French and German, these are the oldest continuous Chairs in these languages in the world.  

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