History of University College Dublin
The origins of University College Dublin date back to the Catholic University of Ireland which was founded in the mid-nineteenth century by Paul Cullen and John Henry Newman. In 1881, under the Royal Universities Act, the university was renamed University College Dublin. Among the professors during this phase of UCD’s history was the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins and amongst its most famous pupils was the writer James Joyce.
In 1908, University College Dublin was granted its own charter and was incorporated as a constituent college of the National University of Ireland. Under the Universities Act, 1997, University College Dublin was established as an autonomous university within the National University of Ireland framework.
Since its inception, University College Dublin has established a long and distinguished tradition of service to scholarship and to the community; succeeding generations of graduates have played a central role in the shaping of modern Ireland and in the conduct of international affairs.
Today, University College Dublin is acknowledged as a centre of excellence for teaching and research, and its degrees are recognised and respected worldwide. For students, it is a stimulating and exciting place in which to spend some very formative years of intellectual and personal development.
