11237 english - National University of Ireland

HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY, ITS
CONSTITUENT UNIVERSITIES AND
RECOGNISED COLLEGES
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Queen’s College Act 1845 established three Queen’s Colleges at Cork,
Galway and Belfast. These colleges were open for teaching in 1849, and in
1850 were linked together in the Queen’s University of Ireland, established
by Royal Charter. A Papal Rescript, 1847 condemned the Queen’s Colleges
as ‘detrimental to religion’, and proposed to the Irish bishops the foundation
of a Catholic University, modelled on Louvain. A Decree of the Synod of
Thurles in 1850 reiterated the condemnation and accepted the proposal. On
12 November 1851, John Henry Newman was appointed first Rector of the
Catholic University, which was established in Dublin by him, in conjunction
with the Irish Bishops. The University Education (Ireland) Act, 1879 provided
for the formation of a new University in Ireland, afterwards styled the Royal
University of Ireland, whose examinations were open to all candidates,
whether they had attended College lectures or not. The Charter of the Royal
University was granted on 27 April 1880, and the Queen’s University was
dissolved on 3 February 1882. The Queen’s Colleges in Cork, Galway and
Belfast continued to exist as constituted by the Act of 1845, but had no
special status in relation to the Royal University, nor any effective share in
framing its policy or drawing up its courses.
The Irish Universities Act, 1908, enacted on 1 August 1908, established two
new universities - the National University of Ireland, and the Queen’s
University of Belfast. The National University of Ireland came into full
working order as from October 31st 1909, replacing the Royal University.
Under its Charter, granted on 2 December 1908, the National University of
Ireland became a federal university, with its seat in Dublin, and having three
Constituent Colleges: University College Dublin, University College Cork and
University College Galway - these latter two formerly Queen’s College Cork
and Queen’s College Galway. (The text of the Charter and Supplemental
Charters of the National University of Ireland is to be found in pages 103 and
134 of the University Calendar 1940).
Under the 1908 Act the University was empowered ‘to give to matriculated
students of the University, who are pursuing a course of study of a University
type, approved by the Senate in any Recognised College in Ireland, under
teachers recognised by the Senate, the benefit of any privileges of
matriculated students of the University who are pursuing a course of study at
the University, including the right of obtaining a University degree’.
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National University of Ireland Calendar 2004-2008