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THE UNIVERSITIES in IRELAND.
ššš In the turbulent centures that followed the Norman invasi-on, severalš effortsš wereš made to establishš universities in Ireland. In 1311, John de Leah, Archbishop of Dublin, obtained a bull from Pope Clement V authorizing him to establish a uni-versity in Dublin, but he died before anithing could be accom-plished. An attempt was made in 1465 toš found a university in Drogheda; this was to be endowed, as far as theš Prliamentš of the England Pale could do it, with all the rights and privile-ges of the university of Oxford. The parliamentš concerned was presided over by Tomas, Earl of Desmond; two ears later he was attainted and beheaded, his estates were confiscated, and once more the idea of a university came to nothing.At last,in 1591, the idea was realized.
ššššššššššššššš TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
ššš In that year a group of Dublin citixents obtainedš a char-ter from Queen Elizabethš I incorporating Trinity College as a mater universitatis. By this term they envisaged that aš group of university colleges would sterm fromš Trinity in the conti-nental and English style;owing to the course of Tudor and sub-sequent Irish history that ideal has not yet been realized.The Corporation of Dublin granted to the newš foundation the lands and dilapidated buldings of the Monastery of All Hallows,lying south-east of theš sityš wallsš Subscriptions were raised from among theš principalš gentleman of eachš country, who had been invited to assistš the new college to the benefit of the whole country, whereby Knowlege, Learning and Civility may be incre-ased,to the banishment of barbarism,tumults and disorderly li-ving from among them. A number ofš landed estates were secured to the College out of the confiscations which followed the de-feat northen Earls.
ššš The university wasš designed to encourageš English culture in Ireland,and to promote the reformed religion in it's statu-tory form,so that it's establishment afforded no opportunities for higherš education toš recusant bodies, whether Catholic or Dissenting. The college survived the storms of the Cromwellian andš Revolution periods, and settled down as the university of theš colonialš ascendancy, taking it's toneš from the new Whig society,mainly mercantile and nouveau riche,which had been put in power by theš Williamite victory. Yet even in the religious and political doldrums of the eghteenth century, the true uni-versity and liberal spiritš survived in Trinity,and it's alum-ni included Swift,Berkeley, Bruke, Goldsmith, Grattan,and Wolf Tone. Towards the close of theš century there was an awakening senseš ofš independenceš and ofš patriotism in what had been a colonial minority, withš aš consequent relaxation of the penal code which had discriminated, in religion and culture, against the nativeš Irish and theš Anglo-Irish majority; and after the passage of the Catholic Relief Act,1793, Trinity abandoned the exclusive character it had hith erto borne.
ššš Since 1947,š the College hasš receivedš substantial grants from the Irish State. Recent years have brought to the Univer-sity a great diversity of students, wuth many of the undergra-duates coming from Great Britan and from overseas.
ššš The University is represented by the Chancellor,Vice-Chan-cellor and Senate,whose main function is to confer degrees.The College is governed by the Board of Trinity College.The assent of the Board is required to allš professional chairs and other academic posts, and determines details of courses and examina-tions. The Povost of the College is nominated by the Goverment from one of three names submitted by the Board. Except in this last respect,the University and the College enjoy complete au-tonomy. The College Library is Great Britan and Ireland.
THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY of IRELAND.
Under the Queenôs College (Ireland) Act,1845,Colleges were es-tablished by the Goverment at Cork, Galway and Belfast,to pro-vide higher education on a non-denominational basis. Ufortuna-tely, the character of theseš Collegesš were felt to be out of accord with Catholic educational principles, and after a storm of public controversy they were condemned by the Hierarchy.
ššš In 1854,the Catholic University of Ireland was established by theš Hierarchy, who šinvited Johnš Henryš Newman to be it's first Rector. Newman, imbued with the liberal principles embo-died in his celebrated Idea of aš University, was not quite at home amid the realities of Irish political and religious cont-roversy, and his brave experiment failed. As 'Newman's Univer-sity' was not recognized by the State,it could not confer deg-rees,neither did it have any public endowment. Coriously, it's best success was in medicine, for theš College of Surgeons and the Apothecariesô Hall recognized the courses of study pursued by the Catholic Universityš Medical School students and admit-ted them to theš College and Hall examinations, thus to become registered medical practitioners.
ššššš The Royalš University was founded in 1879. This was merely an examiningš body, set up mainly forš the purpose of enabling the students of theš Catholicš University to obtain recognized degrees. In 1883,the Catholic University,henceforth to be cal-led University College,Dublin, was placed in the charge of the Society of Jesus, who maintained it succesfully until the pas-sing of the Irish Universities Act,1908. This Act provided for the dissolution of the Royal University and of Queenôs College, Belfast, and for the foundation in their stead of two new Uni-versities, one in Belfastš which was to become Queen's Univer-sity, and the other, in Dublin,the National University of Ire-land. The two universities are self-governing institution ope-
rating under charter, autonomous as regards policy and admini-stration, and appointing their own academic and administrative staffs.
ššš The National University of Ireland is a federal university, with a central office in Dublin and three Constituent Colleges: University College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Galway; and one Recognized College, St. Patrickôs Col-lege, Maynooth. Maynooth is a seminary for the training of Ca-tholic'clergy. It wasš founded in 1795 and endowed by a Gover-ment who, chastened by theš Frenchš Revolution, recognized the conservative and conserving character of the Irish priesthood. In 1845 the Maynooth Collegeš Board of Trustees was incorpora-ted by Statute, and in 1899 was invested by the Holyš See with authority to confer degrees in Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law.
ššš The National University itself does not teach; the courses for degrees are conducted by the Collegesš which, in practice, layš downš their own programme and set their own examinations. Courses are given in the various faculties,with certain excep-tions,at each of the Constituent Colleges; and in Arts, Philo-sophy and Sociology, Celticš Sudents, and Science at Maynooth. Courses in Dairyš Science are given only at University College Cork;courses in General Agriculture and Veterinary Science are (outside ofš Trinityš College) confined to Universityš College Dublin.By the University Education (Agriculture and Dairy Sci-ence) Act, 1926, the Royalš College of Science and theš Albert Agriculturalš College wereš Transferred to Universityš College Dublin, which was empowered to continue the functions formerly fulfilled by these institutions.
ššš Like Trinityš College, theš Nationalš University receives, through the Department of Education, financial assistance from the State in the form of annual grants-in-aid, as well as non-
recurrent grants for capital purposes. Each of the Colleges is
a complete
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