Denis J. Coffey was an Irish Professor of Physiology at the Catholic University Medical School, Dean of Medicine at UCD, and served as president of

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

from 1910 until 1940. Denis Joseph Coffey was born in 1865 in

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...

, Co. Kerry. Educated locally at the Christian Brothers in Holy Cross, Tralee, he entered the

Catholic University of Ireland The Catholic University of Ireland (CUI; ga, Ollscoil Chaitliceach na hÉireann) was a private Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1851 following the Synod of Thurles in 1850, and in response to the Queen's University o ...

School of Medicine, Cecilia St., Dublin, and graduated with a BA in 1886, and with a medical degree MB BCh BAO from the

Royal University of Ireland The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the ''University Education (Ireland) Act 1879'' as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on 27 Apri ...

in 1888. Gaining the RUI Travelling studentship he studied physiology in Madrid, Louvain, Marburg, and Leipzig. Returning to Ireland he taught at Catholic University Medical School, in Cecilia Street, Dublin, from 1893, and professor from 1897, and from 1905 Dean(Registrar) of the Catholic Medical School as it merged with

becoming its Faculty of Medicine. A nationalist, who supported Home Rule, he was a close friend of John Dillon, he was also a member of the Gaelic League. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, and served as pro-vice-chancellor of the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...

. Coffey was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Pontifical

Order of St. Sylvester Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr ( la, Ordo Sancti Silvestri Papae, it, Ordine di San Silvestro Papa), sometimes referred to as the Sylvestrine Order, or the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester, is one of five o ...

(GCSS) by the pope for his services to education. In 1936 he was awarded an honorary degree LLD from

Queen's University Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

. Coffey succeeded William Delany SJ becoming the first president of UCD as a constituent college of the National University of Ireland. He oversaw the development of UCD at Earlsfort Terrace, the merger of the College of Science, the Agricultural Albert College, and the move of the Medical School to UCD. He retired in 1940, also in 1940 he was awarded an Honorary DSc by the NUI and he died on April 3, 1945. His son was the poet and publisher

Brian Coffey Brian Coffey (8 June 1905 – 14 April 1995) was an Irish poet and publisher. His work was informed by his Catholicism, his background in science and philosophy, and his connection to French surrealism. He was close to an intellectual Europea ...

(1905-1995).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffey, Denis Joseph 1865 births 1945 deaths People from County Kerry Alumni of the Royal University of Ireland Presidents of University College Dublin Knights of the Order of St. Sylvester