The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a
federal university
A collegiate university is a university in which functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the C ...
system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''
constituent colleges
A collegiate university is a university in which functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges. Historically, the first collegiate university was the University of Paris and its first college was the C ...
'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.
The constituent universities are for all essential purposes independent universities, except that the
degrees and
diplomas
A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...
are those of the National University of Ireland with its seat in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
.
In
post-nominals
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...
, the abbreviation ''NUI'' is used for degrees from all the constituent universities of the National University of Ireland.
History
![NUI HQ Merrion Square](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/NUI_HQ_Merrion_Square.jpg)
Queen's Colleges at
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
,
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, and
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
were established in 1845. In 1849 teaching commenced and a year later they were united under the
Queen's University of Ireland. 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 ...
was created as an independent university on 3 November 1854 for the education of
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
; that university was not a recognised university and did not offer recognised degrees. In 1880 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 ...
took over the degree awarding functions of the two former universities and offered recognised degrees to the graduates of the new
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 ...
and
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...
, previously awarded under the Catholic University. The Catholic University became University College Dublin in 1882 under the direction of the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
. In the 1890s its students achieved more distinctions than their counterparts in Belfast, Cork, and Galway, which had been originally established as secular institutions.
The 1908 reforms created the National University of Ireland and a separate
Queen's University of Belfast
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, top_free1 =
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, established =
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, type = Public research university
, parent = ...
. The Royal University was dissolved in 1909, and in 1910 Maynooth became a recognised college of the NUI. Initially the National University, unlike the Royal University, did not award degrees for part-time or external students. Similarly to the Royal University, however, the National University was still banned from awarding degrees in Theology.
In 1975 the teacher training colleges of
Carysfort College
Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort (commonly known as Carysfort College) was a ''College of Education'' in Dublin, Ireland from its foundation in 1877 until its closure in 1988. Educating primary school teachers, and located in a parkland cam ...
, Blackrock,
St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Mary Immaculate College (Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál), also known as MIC and Mary I, is a College of Education and Liberal Arts. Founded in 1898, the university level College of Education and the Liberal Arts is academically linked with the Univ ...
became recognised colleges of the NUI. During 1976 and 1977
Thomond College of Education, Limerick
Thomond College of Education, Limerick (''Coláiste Oideachais Thuamhurnhan, Luimneach'' in Irish) was established in 1973 in Limerick, Ireland as the ''National College of Physical Education'' to train physical education teachers. The college w ...
was a recognized college of the NUI, also. In 1978
St. Angela's College, Sligo
St. Angela's College, Sligo ( ga, Coláiste San Aingeal, Sligeach) is a college of the Atlantic Technological University located beside Lough Gill, County Sligo.
History
St. Angela’s College was founded by the Ursuline Order in 1952 and w ...
became affiliated to the NUI.
In 1996 the
National College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...
became a recognised college of the NUI.
The 1997 reforms restructured the National University of Ireland, and an additional university at
Maynooth
Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...
was created from certain faculties of the previous recognised college,
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...
. These reforms also removed the prohibition on theology that had been imposed on the National University and its predecessors.
Legislative constituency
Since 1918 the university's graduates have formed a constituency in parliamentary elections. In 1918 it was formed as a constituency for the UK House of Commons. After the first election Eoin MacNeill abstained from Westminster and sat in the first Dáil. The NUI graduates elected four TDs (to
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
) from 1921 until 1934 when the university constituencies were abolished by Fianna Fáil.
Under the
Constitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland ( ga, Bunreacht na hÉireann, ) is the constitution, fundamental law of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. The constitution, based on a system of representative democra ...
, adopted in 1937, the graduates of the university elect three members of
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house).
It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...
(the senate). All graduates that are Irish citizens (regardless of living in the state or not) are entitled to vote if on the university's register of electors. An
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
does not give the entitlement to vote. The election is conducted by postal vote.
The most recent election was in 2020, for the
26th Seanad, and returned three
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
s:
Alice Mary Higgins
Alice-Mary Higgins (born 10 April 1975) is an Irish Independent politician who has served as a Senator for the National University since April 2016. She became the leader of the Civil Engagement group in the 25th Seanad. She was the campaigns an ...
,
Michael McDowell and
Rónán Mullen
Rónán Thomas Mullen (born 13 October 1970) is an Irish senator and former delegate to the Council of Europe. He is the leader of the Human Dignity Alliance, an anti-abortion political party formed in 2018. He was elected by the National Un ...
.
Governance
The governing body of the NUI is styled the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
under its 1908 charter. Members are called "Members of the Senate" rather than Senators; "NUI Senator" refers to the members of
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house).
It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...
elected by NUI graduates. The NUI Senate meets in the Phelan Room, called after
Edward J. Phelan
Edward Joseph Phelan (25 July 1888 – 15 September 1967), frequently E. J. Phelan, was the first appointed international civil servant and fourth Director-General of the International Labour Office, serving from 1941 to 1948, during most of which ...
, who funded its refurbishment. The Universities Act 1997 increased the size of the Senate and devolved power from it to the constituent universities.
[; ]
The NUI's
Convocation
A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a speci ...
comprises the
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
, the Vice-Chancellor, the Members of Senate, the Professors and Lecturers, and the Graduates of the University. Eight Members of the NUI Senate are elected by its Convocation, for terms of five years.
Chancellor
The
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
is the notional head of the university, and constituent universities and recognised colleges have their own heads, who exercise most powers in practice. When the university was established in 1908 by
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
, the first chancellor was appointed; all subsequent chancellors are elected by
convocation
A convocation (from the Latin ''wikt:convocare, convocare'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a speci ...
, as set out in university statutes. The chancellor is elected by graduates and staff whenever there is a vacancy.
*
William Walsh (1908–1921)
*
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
(1921–1975)
*
T. K. Whitaker (1976–1996)
*
Garret FitzGerald
Garret Desmond FitzGerald (9 February 192619 May 2011) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, economist and barrister who served twice as Taoiseach, serving from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987. He served as Leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987, and ...
(1997–2009)
*
Maurice Manning
Maurice Manning (born 14 June 1943) is an Irish academic and former Fine Gael politician. Manning was a member of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) for 21 years, serving in both the Dáil Éireann, Dáil and the Seanad Éireann, Seanad. Since Aug ...
(2009–present)
University faculties
Within the university there is a common faculty structure in operation in the constituent universities. These ten faculties are:
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
;
Arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...
;
Celtic Studies
Celtic studies or Celtology is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to the Celtic-speaking peoples (i.e. speakers of Celtic languages). This ranges from linguistics, literature and art histor ...
;
Commerce
Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
;
Engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
&
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
;
Food Science
Food science is the basic science and applied science of food; its scope starts at overlap with agricultural science and nutritional science and leads through the scientific aspects of food safety and food processing, informing the developm ...
&
Technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
;
Law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
;
Medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
&
Health Sciences
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences:
Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple acad ...
;
Philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
&
Sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
;
Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
; and
Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...
.
Associated institutions of the University
The ''constituent universities'' are:
*
University College Cork
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork.
The university was founded in 1845 as one 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 ...
*
University of Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
*
Maynooth University
The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann Mhá Nuad), commonly known as Maynooth University (MU), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. It ...
The ''recognised colleges'' are:
*
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 ...
*
Institute of Public Administration
Former recognised colleges, now colleges of constituent universities, are:
*
National College of Art and Design
The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...
(1996–2011)
*
Shannon College of Hotel Management (2000–2015)
*
St. Angela's College, Sligo
St. Angela's College, Sligo ( ga, Coláiste San Aingeal, Sligeach) is a college of the Atlantic Technological University located beside Lough Gill, County Sligo.
History
St. Angela’s College was founded by the Ursuline Order in 1952 and w ...
(1978–2005)
Other former recognised colleges, and their years of recognition, are:
*
Mary Immaculate College of Education, Limerick (1975–1994)
*
National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick
The University of Limerick (UL) ( ga, Ollscoil Luimnigh) is a public research university institution in Limerick, Ireland. Founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in 1989 in accordance wi ...
(1976–1977)
*
Thomond College of Education, Limerick
Thomond College of Education, Limerick (''Coláiste Oideachais Thuamhurnhan, Luimneach'' in Irish) was established in 1973 in Limerick, Ireland as the ''National College of Physical Education'' to train physical education teachers. The college w ...
(1976–1977)
*
Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort
Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort (commonly known as Carysfort College) was a ''College of Education'' in Dublin, Ireland from its foundation in 1877 until its closure in 1988. Educating primary school teachers, and located in a parkland cam ...
(1975–1988)
*
Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy Milltown may refer to:
* Mill town, a settlement that developed around one or more mills
Places Canada
*Milltown, New Brunswick
* Milltown, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Milltown, Ontario
Ireland
* Milltown, Ballymore, a townland in Ballymore civ ...
(2005–2015)
*
St Patrick's College, Dublin
St Patrick's College ( ga, Coláiste Phádraig), often known as St Pat's, was a third level institution in Ireland, the leading function of which was as the country's largest primary teacher training college, which had at one time up to 2,000 s ...
, formerly St Patrick's College of Education, Drumcondra (1975–1995)
*
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...
(1910–1997)
[In accordance with the Universities Act 1997 (Section 48); see Graduates of the recognised college of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, who received a degree of the National University of Ireland before the commencement of the act, are considered graduates of the constituent university known as Maynooth University.]
See also
*
Academic dress of the National University of Ireland
*
Education in the Republic of Ireland
The levels of Ireland's education are primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary and higher education, higher (often known as "third-level" or tertiary education, tertiary) education. In recent years further education has grown ...
*
List of universities in the Republic of Ireland
Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland includes all education after second-level, encompassing higher education in universities and colleges and further education on Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) and other courses. The degree-awarding ...
*
Postgraduate Applications Centre
*
RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus
RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (Formerly known as Penang Medical College (PMC)) is a private medical university in Penang, Malaysia. It is one of the Foreign University Branch Campus in Malaysia, in collaboration with Royal College of Surgeons in ...
References
External links
Official site - National University of Ireland
{{Authority control
1908 establishments in Ireland
Educational institutions established in 1908
National universities