The Trinity Fox | Vulpine Correspondent
Freshers! You’ve arrived in beautiful Trinity, and hopefully have managed much in the way of basic orientation: you have queued and received your student card; you have taken a tour of the library; you have received an odd combination of numbers and letters that is now your email password; and you have been charmed by the man or woman on the stall in Front Square, and as a result have joined at least six societies that you will never go to.
But there is so, so much more to learn. I am here to be your tutor in all things Trinity.
So what should all students at the finest university in Ireland (and, indeed, the world) learn about? The meaning of life and love? The works of Shakespeare? How the universe was first created?
Something much more important than all of the above: the secret wine cellars of Trinity College Dublin.
As a wine connoisseur of much renown myself (if I may give a slight toot to my own horn), I can tell you that not only does Trinity have a secret underground cellar of wine – it is a cellar stocked with the finest of wines. Beneath the cobblestones of Front Square there lies a vast cavern with bottles and casks such as you would not believe.
How do I know? Friends, I have been there. Well do I remember finding the hidden door to the cellar with chums of mine ahead of a very memorable Trinity Ball more years ago than I would like to admit. The sights, the smells, the taste of such fine wines cannot be put into words.
The Trinity wine cellar is roughly the size of the Buttery. An intrepid few – adventurers like myself – have found their way into the cellar over the years. I have it on good authority that after the last explorer found her way through a trap-door in one of the older residences on campus, security on the cellar has been tightened. The door myself and my friends walked through is long since gone.
Only a few lucky people have free and unrestricted access to the cellar, and they keep it to themselves (as, indeed, would I were I possessed of such a fantastic privilege….). Rumour has it that another, smaller cellar is hidden under the Dining Hall, making it very convenient for Commons.
The cellars are just one of the many secrets Trinity conceals behind her stunning facade. A university as old as ours, founded over 400 years ago, is bound to hide more history, more folklore, more sagas than any ‘new-build’ institution. Stick with me, and I will continue to initiate you into the fabulous life of Trinity College Dublin.
What hidden gems have you discovered around campus, or indeed around our fair city? Perhaps the perfect bench to read on, or the finest cup of morning coffee you’ve ever tasted? I would love to hear about your life in Trinity so far, and so I implore you to contact me on Twitter: @TheTrinityFox
Until next time, friends, stay golden.
