University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland, and a member institution of the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) () is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called '' constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under the Irish Universities Act 1908, and signifi ...

. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest university. UCD originates in a body founded in 1854, which opened as the

Catholic University of Ireland The Catholic University of Ireland (CUI; ) was a private Catholic Church, 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 of Ireland and its assoc ...

on the feast of

St. Malachy Malachy (; ; Modern ; ) ( 1094 – 2 November 1148) is an Irish saint who was Archbishop of Armagh, to whom were attributed several miracles and an alleged vision of 112 popes later attributed to the apocryphal (i.e. of doubtful authen ...

with

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

as its first rector; it re-formed in 1880 and chartered in its own right in 1908. The Universities Act, 1997 renamed the constituent university as the "National University of Ireland, Dublin", and a ministerial order of 1998 renamed the institution as "University College Dublin – National University of Ireland, Dublin". Originally located at

St Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by ...

and Earlsfort terrace in Dublin's city centre, all faculties later relocated to a campus at Belfield, six kilometres to the south of the city centre. In 1991, it purchased a second site in Blackrock, which currently houses the

Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School The UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is the graduate business school of University College Dublin (UCD) and is located in Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland, on the site of the former teacher-training Carysfort College. Undergraduate bus ...

. A report published in May 2015 asserted that the economic output generated by UCD and its students in Ireland amounted to €1.3 billion annually. Notable

alumni Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

and faculty of UCD include five

Nobel laureates The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...

, four

Taoisigh The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the office ...

of Ireland, three Irish Presidents, and one President of India. The university has produced 32 Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, 29

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

Scholars, 3

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

winners, and 3

Pritzker Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment which has produced consisten ...

recipients. Additionally, UCD is associated with writers such as

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...

, and

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame places him among the leading English poets. His Prosody (linguistics), prosody – notably his concept of sprung ...

; physicist Dennis Jennings;

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

recipients

Carroll O'Connor John Carroll O'Connor (August2, 1924– June21, 2001) was an American actor whose television career spanned over four decades. He found widespread fame as Archie Bunker (for which he won four Emmy Awards), the main character in the CBS televis ...

and

Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. Byrne was awarded the Irish Film and Television Academy L ...

;

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

winner

Neil Jordan Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish filmmaker and writer. He first achieved recognition for his short story collection, ''Night in Tunisia (short story collection), Night in Tunisia,'' which won the Guardian Fiction Prize in ...

; one of the co-developers of the

Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine The Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine, sold under the brand names Covishield and Vaxzevria among others, is a viral vector vaccine COVID-19 vaccine, for the prevention of COVID-19. It was developed in the United Kingdom by University of ...

Teresa Lambe Teresa "Tess" Lambe OBE is an Irish scientist working at Oxford University's Oxford Vaccine Group. She is one of the co-developers of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine against the new coronavirus causing COVID-19. Early life and educat ...

; and many

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

s, including those of

Unilever Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...

Aer Lingus Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish , meaning "air fleet") is an Irish airline company which is the flag carrier of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 201 ...

Mediahuis Ireland Mediahuis Ireland (formerly Independent News and Media, or INM) is a Belgian/Dutch-owned media organisation that is based in Dublin and publishes national daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers, regional newspapers and operates multiple websites in ...

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened t ...

, and BP.

History

UCD can trace its history to the institution founded in 1854 as the

. Renamed University College in 1883 and put under the control of the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

in 1883, it became University College Dublin in 1908, a constituent college of the

under the Universities Act.

Catholic University of Ireland

After the Catholic Emancipation period of Irish history,

Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...

attempted to provide, for the first time in Ireland, higher-level education for followers of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and taught by such people. The Catholic hierarchy demanded a Catholic alternative to the University of Dublin's

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, whose

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

origins the hierarchy refused to overlook. Since the 1780s, the University of Dublin had admitted Catholics to study; a religious test, however, hindered the efforts of Catholics in their desire to obtain membership in the university's governing bodies. Thus, in 1850 at the

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Arch ...

, it was decided to open a university in Dublin for Catholics. As a result of these efforts, a new "Catholic University of Ireland" opened in 1854 on

, with

appointed as its first rector. The Catholic University opened its doors on the feast of St Malachy, 3 November 1854. In 1855, the Catholic University Medical School was opened on Cecilia Street. As a private university, Catholic University was never given a royal charter, and so was unable to award recognised degrees and suffered from chronic financial difficulties. Newman left the university in 1857. In 1861, Bartholomew Woodlock was appointed Rector and served until he became

Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Armagh. The episcopal title takes its name after the town of Ardagh in County ...

in 1879.

Henry Neville Henry Neville or Nevile may refer to: * Henry Neville (died c.1415), MP for Leicestershire *Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland (1525–1564), English peer *Henry Neville (Gentleman of the Privy Chamber) (c. 1520–1593) * Henry Neville (died 1 ...

was appointed Rector to replace Woodlock. In 1880, the

Royal University of Ireland The Royal University of Ireland was a university in Ireland that existed from 1879 to 1909. It was founded in accordance with the University Education (Ireland) Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the ...

was established and allowed students from any college to take examinations for a degree.

Foundation of University College Dublin

In 1882, Catholic University reorganised, and the St Stephen's Green institution (the former Arts school of the Catholic University) run by the Irish Jesuits, was renamed University College, and it began participating in the Royal University system. In 1883, Fr William Delany SJ was appointed the first president of University College. The college attracted academics from around Ireland, including Fr.

and

. Some notable staff and students at the school during this period included

Francis Sheehy-Skeffington Francis Joseph Christopher Skeffington (later Sheehy Skeffington; 23 December 1878 – 26 April 1916) was an Irish writer and radical activist, known also by the nickname "Skeffy".Dara Redmond"Officer who exposed pacifist's murder", ''The Irish ...

Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, Irish poetry, poet, writer, Irish nationalism, nationalist, Irish republicanism, republican political activist a ...

, Hugh Kennedy, Hannah O'Leary,

Eoin MacNeill Eoin MacNeill (; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist, and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of D ...

Kevin O'Higgins Kevin Christopher O'Higgins (; 7 June 1892 – 10 July 1927) was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice from 1922 to 1927, Minister for External Affairs from June 1927 to July 1927 a ...

Tom Kettle Thomas Michael Kettle (9 February 1880 – 9 September 1916) was an Ireland, Irish economist, journalist, barrister, writer, war poet, soldier and Irish Home Rule Bill, Home Rule politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, he was ...

, James Ryan,

Douglas Hyde Douglas Ross Hyde (; 17 January 1860 – 12 July 1949), known as (), was an Irish academic, linguist, scholar of the Irish language, politician, and diplomat who served as the first president of Ireland from June 1938 to June 1945. He was a l ...

and

John A. Costello John Aloysius Costello (20 June 1891 – 5 January 1976) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1948 to 1951 and from 1954 to 1957. He was leader of the opposition from 1951 to 1954 and from 1957 to 1959 and attorney gene ...

In 1908, the

was founded and the following year the Royal University was dissolved. This new university was brought into existence with three constituent University Colleges – Dublin,

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

and

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

. Following the establishment of the NUI, D. J. Coffey, Professor of Physiology, Catholic University Medical School, became the first president of UCD. The Medical School in Cecilia Street became the UCD Medical Faculty and the Faculty of Commerce was established. Under the Universities Act, 1997, University College Dublin was established as a constituent university within the National University of Ireland framework. In 1911, land donated by

Lord Iveagh Earl of Iveagh (pronounced —especially in Dublin—or ) is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1919 for the businessman and philanthropist Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, Edward Guinness, 1st Viscount Iveagh. He was ...

helped the university expand in Earlsfort Terrace/Hatch Street/ St Stephen's Green.

Iveagh Gardens The Iveagh Gardens (; ) is a public park located between Clonmel Street and Upper Hatch Street, near the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland. It is a national, as opposed to a municipal park, and designated as a National Historic Property. ...

was part of this donation.

UCD and the Irish War of Independence

UCD is a major holder of archives of national and international significance relating to the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

. In 1913, in response to the formation of the

Ulster Volunteers The Ulster Volunteers was an Irish unionist, loyalist paramilitary organisation founded in 1912 to block domestic self-government ("Home Rule") for Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Volunteers were based in the ...

, Eóin MacNeill, professor of early Irish history, called for the formation of an Irish nationalist force to counteract it. The

Irish Volunteers The Irish Volunteers (), also known as the Irish Volunteer Force or the Irish Volunteer Army, was a paramilitary organisation established in 1913 by nationalists and republicans in Ireland. It was ostensibly formed in response to the format ...

were formed later that year and MacNeill was elected its Chief-of-staff. At the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, in view of the

Home Rule Act 1914 The Government of Ireland Act 1914 ( 4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 90), also known as the Home Rule Act, and before enactment as the Third Home Rule Bill, was an Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom intended to provide home rule (self-gover ...

and the political perception that it might not be implemented, the leader of the Home Rule Party,

John Redmond John Edward Redmond (1 September 1856 – 6 March 1918) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist politician, barrister, and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was best known as leader ...

, urged the Irish Volunteers to support the British war effort as a way of supporting Irish Home Rule. This effort on behalf of Home Rule included many UCD staff and students. Many of those who opposed this move later participated in the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

. Several UCD staff and students participated in the rising, including

Pádraig Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who was one of the leaders of the Ea ...

Thomas MacDonagh Thomas Stanislaus MacDonagh (; 1 February 1878 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish political activist, poet, playwright, educationalist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, a signatory of the Proclama ...

, Michael Hayes and James Ryan, and a smaller number, including

and

Willie Redmond William Hoey Kearney Redmond (13 April 1861 – 7 June 1917) was an Irish Irish nationalism, nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP). He was also a lawyer and soldier Denman, Teren ...

, fought for the British in

. Many UCD staff, students and alumni fought in the

. Following the signing of the

Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty (), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain an ...

, four UCD graduates joined the

government of the Irish Free State The Executive Council () was the cabinet and executive branch of government of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State. Formally, executive power was vested in the Governor-General on behalf of Monarchy in the Irish Free State, the King. In practice, ...

. UCD graduates have since participated in Irish political life – three of the nine

Presidents of Ireland The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly ceremonial institution, serving as the representative of the Irish state both at home and abr ...

and six of the fourteen

have been either former staff or graduates.

Expansion

In 1926, the University Education (Agriculture and Dairy Science) Act transferred the

Royal College of Science The Royal College of Science was a higher education institution located in South Kensington; it was a constituent college of Imperial College London from 1907 until it was wholly absorbed by Imperial in 2002. Still to this day, graduates from t ...

Merrion Street Merrion Street (; ) is a major Georgian street on the southside of Dublin, Ireland, which runs along one side of Merrion Square. It is divided into Merrion Street Lower (north end), Merrion Square West and Merrion Street Upper (south end). It ...

and Albert Agricultural College in Glasnevin to UCD. In 1933, Belfield House was purchased for sporting purposes.

Move to Belfield

In 1940, Arthur Conway was appointed president. By the early 1940s, the college had become the largest third-level institution in the state and the college attempted to expand the existing city centre campus. It was later decided that the best solution would be to move the college to a larger greenfield site outside of the city centre and create a modern

campus university A campus university is a British term for a university situated on one site, with student accommodation, teaching and research facilities, and leisure activities all together. It is derived from the Latin term campus, meaning "a flat expanse of la ...

. This move started in the early 1960s when the faculty of science moved to the new park campus at Belfield in a suburb on the south side of Dublin. The Belfield campus developed into a complex of modern buildings and inherited Georgian townhouses, accommodating the colleges of the university as well as its student residences and many leisure and sporting facilities. One of UCD's previous locations, the ''Royal College of Science'' on Merrion Street, is now the location of the renovated

Irish Government The Government of Ireland () is the executive authority of Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet – is composed of ministers, each of whom must be a member of the , which consists of ...

Building, where the Department of the

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

(Irish prime minister) is situated. University College Dublin also had a site in

Glasnevin Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home to ...

for much of the last century, the Albert Agricultural College, the southern part of which is now occupied by

Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) () is a Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland, university based on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Highe ...

, the northern part is where parts of the suburb of

Ballymun Ballymun () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, at the northern edge of the city's Northside. Ballymun has several sub-districts, such as Sillogue, Coultry, Shangan and Poppintree, and is close to Dublin Airport. A metro stop on a city-to-airpo ...

are located.

Architecture

The new campus was largely designed by A&D Wejchert & Partners Architects and includes several notable structures, including the UCD Water Tower which was built in 1972 by John Paul Construction. The Tower won the 1979 Irish Concrete Society Award. It stands 60 metres high with a dodecahedron tank atop a pentagonal pillar. The Tower is part of the UCD Environmental Research Station. O'Reilly Hall, opened in 1994, was designed by the Irish architecture firm

Scott Tallon Walker Scott Tallon Walker is an architecture practice with its head office in Dublin, Ireland and further offices in London, Galway and Cork. It is one of the largest architecture practices in Ireland. Established in 1931 as Scott and Good, becomi ...

1950–2000

In 1964, Jeremiah Hogan was appointed president and Thomas E. Nevin led the science faculty to move to a new campus at Belfield. Also that year, UCD became the first university in Europe to launch an

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

programme. In 1967,

Donogh O'Malley Donogh Brendan O'Malley (18 January 1921 – 10 March 1968) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and rugby union player who served as Minister for Education from 1966 to 1968, Minister for Health from 1965 to 1966 and Parliamentary Secretary ...

proposed a plan to merge UCD and Trinity. Between 1969 and 1970, the Faculties of Commerce, Arts and Law moved to Belfield. In 1972, Thomas Murphy was appointed president. In 1973, the library opened. In 1980, the college purchased Richview and 17.4 acres and the architecture faculty moved there. In 1981, the Sports Complex opened. In 1986, Patrick Masterson was appointed president. From the 1980s until his death in January 2021, a solitary, non-verbal homeless man affectionately known as

Old Man Belfield Michael Byrne, affectionately known as Old Man Belfield, was a homeless man who lived for over 30 years on the campus of University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland leading a "fiercely private" hermitic existence, in ...

became a fixture of campus life at Belfield, becoming well known to students and staff alike. The man, whose real name was Michael Byrne, slept rough on campus for the last 30, if not 40 years, of his life. Despite not speaking, he came to be "loved and respected by generations of students and staff" and accepted as "part of the UCD community". During the 1990s, some of the students of Women's Studies, led by Niamh Nolan, petitioned to rename their Gender Studies building after

Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington Johanna Mary Sheehy-Skeffington (née Sheehy; 24 May 1877 – 20 April 1946) was a suffragette and Irish nationalist. Along with her husband Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, Margaret Cousins and James Cousins, she founded the Irish Women's Franch ...

to honour her contribution to women's rights and equal access to third-level education. Her husband

was himself an alumnus of the university and Hanna of the Royal University, a sister university of UCD. Their campaign was successful and the building was renamed the Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington Building. In 1990, UCD purchased Carysfort College, Blackrock, and became the location of the Smurfit Graduate school of business. The first student village, Belgrove, opened that year as well. In 1992, the second student village, Merville, opened and the Centre for Film studies was established. In 1993, Art Cosgrove was appointed president. In 1994, O'Reilly Hall was opened. In

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, UCD and

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a not-for-profit medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. It was established in 1784 as the national body ...

(RCSI) owns a private medical university RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC) within

George Town, Penang George Town is the capital of the States and federal territories of Malaysia, Malaysian state of Penang. It is the core city of the George Town Conurbation, Malaysia's List of cities and towns in Malaysia by population#Largest metropolitan are ...

. Established in 1996, RUMC, as a branch campus of UCD, offers a twinning programme in medicine where students spend the first half of their course in either RCSI or UCD, before completing their clinical years at RUMC.

2000s

In 2003, NovaUCD, a Euro Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, opened. In 2004, Hugh Brady was appointed president. In 2006, UCD Horizons begins. In 2009, Trinity and UCD announce the Innovation Alliance. In 2010,

NCAD 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 t ...

and UCD form an academic alliance. In 2012 the expanded Student and Sports Centre opened. In 2012, the college closed the athletics track and field facilities and students demanded an apology. In 2013, the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science opened and the UCD Sutherland School of Law opened. It is now the largest

Common Law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...

law school in the European Union. In 2015, UCD opened a global centre in the US. In 2019, UCD became the first Irish university to launch a

Black Studies Black studies or Africana studies (with nationally specific terms, such as African American studies and Black Canadian studies), is an interdisciplinary academic field that primarily focuses on the study of the history, culture, and politics of ...

module, coordinated by Dr

Ebun Joseph Ebun Joseph Arogundade (born 1970) is a Nigerian-Irish lecturer, author, and consultant. She is founder and module coordinator of the first Black Studies module in Ireland at University College Dublin. Career Ebun Joseph first trained as a mic ...

and Prof Kathleen Lynch. In March 2022 Prof Andrew Deeks resigned to take up the role of vice-Chancellor at Murdoch University, in Perth, Western Australia. Prof Mark Rogers was appointed acting president.

Academic

Colleges and schools

UCD consists of six colleges, their associated schools (37 in total) and multiple research institutes and centres. Each college also has its own

Graduate School Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...

, for postgraduates. List of colleges and their respective schools following restructuring in September 2015. ; UCD College of Arts and Humanities : UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy : UCD School of Classics : UCD School of English, Drama and Film : UCD School of History and Archives : UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore : UCD School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics : UCD School of Music ; UCD College of Business : UCD School of Business ::UCD Lochlann Quinn School of Business ::UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business ; UCD College of Engineering and Architecture : UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy : UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering : UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering : UCD School of Civil Engineering : UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering : UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering ; UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences : UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science : UCD School of Medicine : UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems : UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science : UCD School of Veterinary Medicine ; UCD College of Social Sciences and Law : UCD School of Archaeology : UCD School of Economics : UCD School of Education : UCD School of Geography : UCD School of Information and Communication Studies : UCD School of Law : UCD School of Philosophy : UCD School of Politics and International Relations : UCD School of Psychology : UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice : UCD School of Sociology ; UCD College of Science : UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science : UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science : UCD School of Chemistry : UCD School of Computer Science : UCD School of Earth Sciences : UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics : UCD School of Physics

UCD College of Business

The UCD College of Business is made up of the Quinn School of Business, the

, and UCD Business International Campus. The former constituent school, the UCD Quinn School of Business (commonly The Quinn School), is the building in which the UCD College of Business's undergraduate programme is based. It is located in a three-story building on the Belfield campus and is named after Lochlann Quinn, one of the main financial contributors to the school. Other donors included

Bank of Ireland Bank of Ireland Group plc () is a commercial bank operation in Ireland and one of the traditional Big Four Irish banks. Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the bank occupies a unique position in Irish banking history. At ...

, AIB, Irish Life & Permanent,

Accenture Accenture plc is a global multinational professional services company originating in the United States and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, that specializes in information technology (IT) services and management consulting. It was founded in 1 ...

KPMG KPMG is a multinational professional services network, based in London, United Kingdom. As one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PwC. KPMG is a network of firms in 145 countries with 275,288 emplo ...

PwC PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, is a Multinational corporation, multinational professional services network based in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is one of the Big Fo ...

Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. It was founded by Ben Dunne (businessman, born 1908), Ben Dunne in 1944. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain al ...

and

Ernst & Young EY, previously known as Ernst & Young, is a multinational corporation, multinational professional services partnership, network based in London, United Kingdom. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PwC, it is one of the Big Four accounting firms, Big F ...

. When first opened in 2002, it claimed to be the only business school in Europe with a specific focus on technology and

e-learning Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning and teaching. When referred to with its abbreviation, "EdTech" ...

UCD Horizons

At the beginning of the 2005/2006 academic year, UCD introduced the ''Horizons'' curriculum, which completely semesterised and modularised all undergraduate courses. Under the new curriculum, students choose ten core modules from their specific subject area and two other modules, which can be chosen from any other programme at the university.

UCD Professional Academy

UCD is also home to UCD Professional Academy, which offers career development through a range of professional diplomas. Subject areas include Business, IT, Management, Marketing and Design.

Fees

Undergraduate fees are funded in part by the Irish State (for EU citizens) and by students themselves under the "Free Fees Initiative". Postgraduate fees vary depending on the student nationality, course and degree type, ranging from 7,000€ to 22,000€ per year.

Reputation

Patrons and benefactors

The initial patrons and benefactors of UCD were the Catholic Church. Amongst the most recent patrons include actor

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...

, who was a founding patron of the School of Film. Other benefactors include Lochlann Quinn ( UCD Quinn School of Business),

Michael Smurfit Sir Michael Smurfit, KBE (born 7 August 1936), is an English-born Irish businessman. In the "2010 Irish Independent Rich List" he was listed as 25th with a €368 million personal fortune. Early life Smurfit was born in St Helens, En ...

(

Peter Sutherland Peter Denis Sutherland (25 April 1946 – 7 January 2018) was an Irish businessman, barrister and Fine Gael politician who served as UN Special Representative for International Migration from 2006 to 2017. He was known for serving in various in ...

(Sutherland School of Law),

Tony O'Reilly Sir Anthony John Francis O'Reilly (7 May 1936 – 18 May 2024) was an Irish businessman and international rugby union player. He was known for his try scoring in rugby, his involvement in the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from ...

(O'Reilly Hall) and

Denis O'Brien Denis O'Brien (born 19 April 1958) is an Irish billionaire businessman, and the founder and owner of Digicel. He was listed among the World's Top 200 Billionaires in 2015 and was Ireland's richest native-born citizen for several years. His bus ...

(O'Brien Science Centre).

Rankings

In the 2025 ''

QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...

'', UCD was ranked as 126th in the world. The 2022 ''QS World University Rankings'' for employability and reputation rate UCD as first in Ireland and 87th in the world. The 2023 ''

Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', often referred to as the THE Rankings, is the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...

'' placed UCD in the range of 201–250. It also ranked it 101–200th in the 2022 Impact Rankings. The ''QS'' Subject Ranking: Veterinary Science, 2018 ranked UCD 24th globally and first in Ireland. The 2024 '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked UCD as the second best university in Ireland and 253rd globally. UCD's Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is ranked 22nd in the Financial Times' ranking of leading European Business Schools in 2022 and 1st in Ireland. UCD was The Sunday Times University of the Year 2006 and 2020.

Research and innovation

UCD had a research income of €155.7 million during 2021/22. The School of Physics hosts research groups in Astrophysics, space science and relativity theory (members of the

VERITAS In Roman mythology, Veritas (), meaning Truth, is the Goddess of Truth, a daughter of Saturn (mythology), Saturn (called Cronus by the Greeks, the Titan (mythology), Titan of Time, perhaps first by Plutarch) and the mother of Virtus (deity), Vi ...

and

INTEGRAL In mathematics, an integral is the continuous analog of a Summation, sum, which is used to calculate area, areas, volume, volumes, and their generalizations. Integration, the process of computing an integral, is one of the two fundamental oper ...

experiments) and Experimental particle physics (participating in the

Large Hadron Collider The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It was built by the CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008, in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists, ...

experiments

LHCb The LHCb (Large Hadron Collider beauty) experiment is a particle physics detector collecting data at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. LHCb specializes in the measurements of the parameters of CP violation in the interactions of b- and c-hadro ...

and

CMS CMS may refer to: Computing * Call management system * CMS-2, a programming language implemented for and used by the United States Navy * Code Morphing Software, a technology used by Transmeta * Collection management system for a museum coll ...

Research institutes

Amongst the research institutes of the university are: * Centre for Cybersecurity & Cybercrime Investigation * UCD Clinton Institute * UCD Conway Institute * UCD Institute of Food & Health * UCD Earth Institute * UCD Energy Institute * UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy * UCD Humanities Institute * UCD

Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Mícheál Ó Cléirigh (), sometimes known as Michael O'Clery, was an Irish chronicler, scribe and antiquary and chief author of the ''Annals of the Four Masters'', assisted by Cú Choigcríche ÓCléirigh, Fearfeasa ÓMaol Chonaire, and Pe ...

Institute – for the Study of Irish History and Civilisation. Founded in 2000 as part of the UCD-OFM (

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...

) Partnership which also initiated the transfer of the priceless Irish

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

archive to UCD, which included the papers of

Eamon De Valera Eamonn or Éamon or Eamon may refer to: *Eamonn (given name), an Irish male given name *Eamon (singer) (born 1983), American R&B singer-songwriter and harmonicist * ''Eamon'' (video game), a 1980 computer role-playing game for the Apple II *"Éamon ...

External collaborations

Wide partnerships in which UCD is involved include: * Adaptive Information Cluster (with DCU) * Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (with

NUI Galway The University of Galway () is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Galway" (UCG) () from 1908 to 1997 and as ...

and DCU) * Centre for research on adaptive nanostructures and nanodevices (with TCD and

UCC The initialism UCC may stand for: Law * Uniform civil code of India, referring to proposed Civil code in the legal system of India, which would apply equally to all irrespective of their religion * Uniform Commercial Code, a 1952 uniform act to ...

) * CTVR Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain-Driven Research (with DCU, TCD,

NUI Maynooth Maynooth University (MU) (), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. Maynooth University was formerly known as National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ). It was Ireland ...

, UL, DIT and Sligo IT). *

National Digital Research Centre In Ireland, the National Digital Research Centre is a national accelerator programme for entrepreneurs. It is delivered by a consortium led by Dublin-based Dogpatch Labs, and supported by multiple venture capital firms. It offers a "mentorship- ...

(with

and

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

). * National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (with

and Sligo IT). *Programme for Research on Grid-enabled Computational Physics of Natural Phenomena (with DCU, TCD,

DIAS,

HEAnet HEAnet is the national education and research network of Ireland. HEAnet's e-infrastructure services support approximately 210,000 students and staff (third-level) in Ireland, and approximately 800,000 students and staff (first and second-lev ...

Met Éireann Met Éireann (; meaning "Meteorology, Met of Ireland") is the state meteorology, meteorological service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. History The history of modern meteorolog ...

Armagh Observatory Armagh Observatory is an astronomical research institute in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Around 25 astronomers are based at the observatory, studying stellar astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy and Earth's climate. In 2018, Armagh Obs ...

and Grid Ireland). * Advanced Biomimetic Materials for Solar Energy Conversion with the

University of Limerick University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...

Airtricity SSE Airtricity (previously Eirtricity) is an energy company founded in Ireland in 1997, and now a subsidiary SSE plc. SSE Airtricity supplies and distributes electricity and gas to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. History The comp ...

, OBD-Tec and Celtic Catalysts.

Current and former campus companies

The most prominent UCD-related company is the

IE Domain Registry The .'IE'' is the domain name registry for the .ie country code top-level domain. Their work includes protecting, supporting and promoting the web presence of all .ie domain names. They administer and manage the .ie namespace in the public int ...

; many UCD academics continue to sit on the board of directors. UCD originally gained control of the .ie domain in the late 1980s. The NovaUCD initiative is UCD's innovation and technology transfer centre, funded through a public-private partnership. In 2004,

Duolog Duolog Technologies was an Irish-based company that developed electronic design automation tools that assist with the integration of complex system-on-Chip (SoC), ASIC and FPGA designs. In 2014, Duolog was acquired by Arm Holdings plc, a m ...

relocated its Dublin headquarters to NovaUCD.

Satellite development

The

Educational Irish Research Satellite 1 EIRSAT-1 (Educational Irish Research Satellite-1) is a European Space Agency-sponsored 2U CubeSat developed and built by University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Ireland. The satellite was launched on 1 December 2023 by a Falcon 9 rocket fro ...

, or EIRSAT-1, was a

CubeSat A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...

developed at UCD with the support of the Education Office of the

European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...

. It was Ireland's first satellite , launched on 1 December 2023.

Student life

Students' Union

The

students' union A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizat ...

in the college has been an active part of campaigns run by the National Union, USI, and has played a role in the life of the college since its foundation in 1974. The Union has also taken stances on issues of human rights that have attracted attention in Ireland and around the world; in particular, it implemented a ban of

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

products in Student Union controlled shops on the basis of alleged human and trade union rights abuses in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. This ban was overturned in 2010.

Sport

UCD has over 60 sports clubs based on campus with 28 sports scholarships awarded annually. UCD competes in the most popular Irish field sports of

Gaelic games Gaelic games () are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the most popular of the s ...

hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...

, soccer and

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

. UCD is the only Irish university to compete in both the major Irish leagues for rugby and soccer, with

University College Dublin A.F.C. University College Dublin Association Football Club, known commonly as UCD, is the football team of University College Dublin. They play in the League of Ireland First Division. Founded in 1895, the club was elected to the League of Ireland in 19 ...

and University College Dublin R.F.C. competing in the top leagues of their respective competitions.

UCD GAA UCD GAA or University College Dublin Gaelic Athletic Association club is a Dublin based Gaelic games club in University College Dublin. The UCD hurling club was founded in 1900 and boasted the mottos "Ad Astra" and "Cothrom Féinne". The first ...

have won the most

Sigerson Cup The Sigerson Cup is the trophy for the premier Gaelic football championship among Higher Education institutions (Universities, Colleges and Institutes of Technology) in Ireland. It traditionally begins in mid January and ends in late February. T ...

(Gaelic football) titles, whilst they have the second most

Fitzgibbon Cup The Fitzgibbon Cup () is the trophy for the premier hurling championship among higher education institutions (universities, colleges and institutes of technology) in Ireland. The Fitzgibbon Cup competition is administered by Comhairle Ard Oideac ...

(hurling) wins, both the major university competitions in the sports in Ireland. UCD sport annually compete in the Colours Match with

in a range of sports, including in rugby. The rugby side has won 35 of the 57 contests. UCD RFC has produced 13

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...

as well 70 Irish Rugby International and 5 for other nations. In 1985, UCD drew with

Everton F.C. Everton Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1878, the club was a founding member of the Football Lea ...

in the first round of the

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European association football, football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The competition's official name was originally the European Cup Winners' Cup; it was renam ...

, which Everton went on to win. Other team sports in the college basketball side,

UCD Marian UCD Marian is an Irish basketball team based in Dublin that competes in the Super League. The team is a division of UCD Marian Basketball Club and is directly associated with the University College Dublin. History Early years Marian Basketball Cl ...

, victors in the 2012 Irish Basketball Superleague. Ucdswimming

The Belfield campus is home to a number of sports facilities. These include the National Hockey stadium (which has previously hosted the Women's Hockey World Cup Finals and the Men's Hockey European Championship Finals) and

UCD Bowl The UCD Bowl, also known as the Belfield Bowl, is a rugby union and football stadium in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is the home ground of University College Dublin R.F.C. in the AIB All Ireland League and League of Ireland Premier ...

a 3,000 capacity stadium used for rugby and soccer. UCD has one of the largest fitness centres in the country, squash courts, tennis courts, an indoor rifle range, over twenty sports pitches (for rugby, soccer and Gaelic games), an indoor climbing wall and two large sports halls. The Sportscenter was added to in 2012 with the competition of an

Olympic-size swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool is a swimming pool which conforms to the regulations for length, breadth, and depth made by World Aquatics (formerly FINA) for swimming at the Summer Olympics and the swimming events at the World Aquatics Champions ...

, a

tepidarium The ''tepidarium'' was the warm (''tepidus'') bathroom of the thermae, Roman baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system. The speciality of a ''tepidarium'' is the pleasant feeling of constant radiant heat, which directly affects the ...

and an updated fitness center as part of the re-development of the UCD Student Centre. UCD hosted the

IFIUS IFIUS (International Federation for Interuniversity Sport) was a democratic non-profit organisation whose main objective was to organise the yearly World Interuniversity Games, in which teams of students from different universities and colleges wor ...

World Interuniversity Games The World Interuniversity Games is an international sports event, which was organised by IFIUS (International Federation for Interuniversity Sport) each year in October. It is currently organised by Committee Panathlon Clubs of Universities, after I ...

in October 2006. UCD Boat Club represents the college in

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

. Crews train on the

River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...

Islandbridge Island Bridge (), formerly Sarah or Sarah's Bridge, is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey, in Dublin, Ireland which joins the South Circular Road to Conyngham Road at the Phoenix Park. Island Bridge and the surrounding area (often known ...

and on

Poulaphouca Reservoir Poulaphouca Reservoir, officially Pollaphuca (), is an active reservoir (for both water supply and electricity generation) and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Ireland named after the Poulaphouca waterfall on its south-wes ...

Blessington Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen (, from the Irish surname ''Ó Coimín''), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is situat ...

, in addition to land-based training on campus. The UCD men's eight were victorious at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1974. In later years, the club has had successes in both ladies' and men's rowing. UCD ladies have won many National Senior Championships, most recently in 2015. As of 2023, UCD were the champions in the men's Senior 8 oar event, having won this event for four consecutive years. UCD have also held national titles also in men's Senior 4 oar and Novice 8 oar championships. Several members of the club have represented Ireland at the World Championships and Olympic Games. The club competes annually in the Gannon Cup – the colours race against Trinity College on the Liffey. The event was first contested in 1947. As of 2025, the record in the competition is 37 victories apiece, with one dead heat. UCD Ladies compete for the Corcoran cup for the colours with UCD having won 27 times to 17 by Trinity.

Leinster Rugby

Leinster Rugby Leinster Rugby () is one of the four professional provincial club rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Leinster Branch, one of t ...

's headquarters and training facility are located on campus, housing the academy, senior squad and administrative arms of the rugby club. Their facilities include an office block and a high performance facility, located next to the Institute of Sport and Health (ISH). It was completed in 2012 at a cost of 2.5 million euro. They also use UCD's pitches.

Societies

As of 2022, UCD had more than seventy student societies, including large-scale party societies such as Ag Soc, Arts Soc, Commerce and Economics Society, ISS (and its subgroup AfricaSoc), INDSoc (Indian Society) and MSoc (Malaysian Society) who have the largest student communities of Indian and Malaysian students in Ireland. There are also religiously interested groups such as the Christian Union, the Islamic Society, the Atheist and Secular Society, a television station Campus Television Network, academic-oriented societies like the Economic Society,

UCD Philosophy Society The Philosophy Society of University College Dublin (UCD Philsoc) was founded in 1965. The purpose of the society is to "encourage the learning, thinking and discussion of philosophical ideas; and to act as a social forum of exchange for those in ...

, Mathsoc, Classical Society, and An Cumann Gaelach, an Irish-language society and such charities as St. Vincent de Paul, UCDSVP. There are two main societies for international students, ESN UCD (part of the

Erasmus Student Network The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a Europe-wide student organisation. It is the largest student organisation in Europe, focusing on student mobility and internationalisation of higher education. The organisation supports and develops student ...

) and the International Student's Society. The UCD Dramsoc is the university's drama society. The oldest societies include the Literary and Historical Society (known as the L&H and which dates itself to 1855), the Commerce & Economics Society (in its 110th session as of 2022), and the Law Society (founded in 1911). At the start of the 2012/13 Academic Year, the L&H had a membership of 5,143 becoming the largest student society in UCD and in Europe. The Commerce & Economics Society, which describes itself as "Ireland's largest and oldest business orientated university society", was originally a debating society. By 1999 it was, according to an article in the ''Irish Times'', the "largest college society in UCD, Ireland and the British Isles". The society runs a number of events, including the formal black-tie 'Comm Ball', as well as mock interviews and networking events. Its notable former auditors and members include ex-

Charles Haughey Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who led four governments as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March to December 1982, March 1987 to June 1989, and June 1989 to February 1992 ...

and

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 an ...

. In

competitive debating Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...

, the L&H and Law Society have represented the college several times, with the L&H securing 11 team wins and 12 individual wins in the

Irish Times Debate The Irish Times National Debating Championship is a debating competition for students in higher education in Ireland. It has been run since 1960, sponsored by ''The Irish Times''. While most participants represent institutions in the Republic o ...

and the Law Society achieving 2 team wins and 2 individual wins. The two societies have also been successful at the UK and Ireland John Smith Memorial Mace (formerly The Observer Mace) with the L&H winning 5 titles and Law Society 2 titles. UCD has hosted the World University Debating Championships twice, including the 2006 event. A number of UCD societies engage in voluntary work on-campus and across Dublin. For example, the UCD Student Legal Service is a student-run society that provides free legal information clinics to the students of UCD. Irish political parties are also represented on campus, with chapters of Ógra

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

, Young

Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...

, Ógra Shinn Féin, the Young Greens, People Before Profit and Labour Youth. UCD's "flagship instrumental ensemble", the University College Dublin Symphony Orchestra, was celebrating its 20th anniversary season as of 2022/2023.

Student publications and media

Newspapers

UCD has two student newspapers currently published on campus, the broadsheet ''University Observer'' and the tabloid ''College Tribune''

= ''The University Observer''

= ''

The University Observer ''The University Observer'' is a broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the campus of University College Dublin, Ireland, once four three weeks. Launched in 1994 by University College Dublin Students' Union, the newspaper was an immediat ...

'' has won several awards, including five "newspaper of the year" awards at Ireland's

National Student Media Awards The National Student Media Awards or Smedias are an annual All-Ireland student journalism competition run by the Oxygen.ie website. The awards have been labelled "Ireland's premier student awards". History and format Since 2000, Oxygen.ie, a webs ...

. Founded in 1994, its first editors were Pat Leahy and comedian

Dara Ó Briain Dara Ó Briain ( , ; born 4 February 1972) is an Irish comedian and television presenter based in the United Kingdom. He is noted for performing stand-up comedy shows all over the world and for hosting topical panel shows such as ''Mock the Wee ...

. Several figures in Irish journalism have held the position of editor including ''The Irish Times'' political editor Pat Leahy,

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

News reporter Samantha Libreri, and

Virgin Media News Virgin Media News (formerly TV3 News and then 3News Ireland) is the news division of Virgin Media Television (Ireland), Virgin Media Television in Ireland, owned by Liberty Global. The news division produces news and current affairs programming ...

political correspondent Gavan Reilly. In 2001, in addition to several Irish National Student Media Awards, the ''University Observer'' took the runner up prize for "Best Publication" at the ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

'' Student Media Awards in London. The main sections within the paper are campus, national and international news, comment, opinion and sport. Each issue is also accompanied by an arts and culture supplement called ''O-Two'', with music interviews, travel, fashion and colour pieces.

= ''College Tribune''

= The ''

College Tribune The ''College Tribune'' is a student newspaper which serves Ireland's largest third level institution, University College Dublin. It was established in 1989 with the assistance of journalist and broadcaster Vincent Browne who was attending the ...

'' was founded in 1989, with the assistance of political commentator

Vincent Browne Vincent Browne (born 17 July 1944) is an Irish people, Irish print and broadcast journalist. He is a columnist with ''The Irish Times'' and ''The Sunday Business Post'' and a non-practising barrister. From 1996 until 2007, he presented a night ...

. Then an evening student at UCD, Browne noted the lack of an independent media outlet for students and staff and set about establishing a

student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...

. The paper was initially established with links to the ''

Sunday Tribune The ''Sunday Tribune'' was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to ta ...

'', though over time these links faded and ultimately, the ''Tribune'' would outlast its national counterpart. The paper supports itself financially through commercial advertising in its print edition, and maintains editorial independence from both university authorities and the Students' Union. The ''Tribune'' has been recognised on a number of occasions at the

, and won Student Newspaper of the Year at the 1996 USI &

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...

Media Awards. ''College Tribune'' sections include news, sport, features, arts, film and entertainment, music, fashion, business, and politics & innovation. It also has an arts culture supplement, ''The Trib'', and a satirical 'paper within a paper', ''The Evil Gerald''.

Radio and television

UCD also has a student radio station,

Belfield FM Belfield FM is University College Dublin, University College Dublin's internet campus radio, student radio station. The station began broadcasting in 1990. It was initially run as a part of the University College Dublin Students' Union, UCD Stud ...

, broadcasting throughout the academic year online on the station's website. The station is independently run by the UCD Broadcasting Society and has produced well known Irish radio presenters such as

Ryan Tubridy Ryan Tubridy (born 28 May 1973) is an Irish broadcaster. He currently presents the weekday mid-morning programme ''The Ryan Tubridy Show'' on Virgin Radio UK, as well as a weekend programme on Sundays. His broadcasting career with RTÉ spanned ...

and

Rick O'Shea Paul Crossan (born 7 May 1973) is an Irish radio personality, known as Rick O'Shea. He was born in Drimnagh, Dublin, grew up in Crumlin, and attended Drimnagh Castle Secondary School and University College Dublin. He has been a presenter on R ...

(of

fame) and Barry Dunne of

98FM 98FM is a local radio station in Dublin, Ireland, operated by Bauer Media Audio Ireland, under a sound broadcasting contract from Coimisiún na Meán. The station broadcasts on the 98.1 MHz FM frequency. 98FM's broadcast antenna is locat ...

. Belfield FM is the successor to UCD FM, which was operated within the entertainment office of the

as a service for students. Initially launched in 1992, the station rebranded in 2000 and has operated since then under the current name. As a result of the implementation of the students' union's new constitution at the beginning of the 2012 / 2013 academic year, the station now operates as a student society.

UCD scarf colours

In later years, students have been given a scarf of St Patrick's blue, navy and saffron at the President's Welcome Ceremony when they are officially welcomed. These colours have replaced "Faculty" colours and are now worn at graduation also.

Notable people

Presidents

* William Delany SJ (1883–1888 and 1897–1909) *

Robert Carbery Robert Carbery SJ (1829–1903) was an Irish Jesuit priest, who served as Rector of Clongowes Wood College, and President of University College Dublin. Born in Youghal, County Cork in 1829. He studied for a time at Trinity College, Dublin, then at ...

SJ (1888–1897) *

Denis Coffey Denis Coffey (born 1983) is an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-back for the Waterford senior team. Coffey joined the team during the 2004 National League and was a semi-regular member of the team until after the 2008. During that ...

, Dean of Medicine (1910–1940) *

Arthur W. Conway Arthur William Conway PRIA (2 October 1875 – 11 July 1950) was a distinguished Irish mathematician and mathematical physicist who wrote one of the first books on relativity and co-edited two volumes of William Rowan Hamilton's collected wo ...

(1940–1947) * Michael Tierney (1947–1964) * Jeremiah Hogan (1964–1972) * Thomas Murphy (1972–1985) *

Patrick Masterson Patrick Masterson (born 1936 in Dublin) is a former president of University College Dublin and the European University Institute. Biography He has held numerous appointments in academia, and has authored several books and publications on ...

(1986–1993) *

Art Cosgrove Art Cosgrove, (born 1 June 1940) in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, was president of University College Dublin (UCD) between 1994 and 2003. Education He was educated at the Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Newry. He graduated fro ...

(1993–2003) *

Hugh R. Brady Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...

(2004–2013) * Andrew J. Deeks (2014–2022) * Mark Rogers (acting president 2022) * Orla Feely (2023–present)

Alumni

File:Revolutionary Joyce.jpg,

1903, writer File:Brian O'Driscoll 2.jpg,

Brian O'Driscoll Brian Gerard O'Driscoll (born 21 January 1979) is an Irish former professional rugby union player. He played at outside Centre (rugby union), centre for the Irish provincial team Leinster Rugby, Leinster and for Ireland national rugby union te ...

2001, rugby player File:Gabriel Byrne 07TIFF.jpg,

, actor File:Neil Jordan by David Shankbone.jpg,

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning film director and producer File:Seán MacBride 1984.jpg,

Seán MacBride Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was an Irish Republican activist, politician, and diplomat who served as Minister for External Affairs from 1948 to 1951, Leader of Clann na Poblachta from 1946 to 1965 and Chief of Staff o ...

, recipient of the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

1974 File:Peter-Sutherland-2011.jpg,

, first Director- General of the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

Former presidents of Ireland

(faculty) *

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (; 12 February 1911 – 21 March 1978) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, judge and barrister who served as the president of Ireland from December 1974 to October 1976. His birth name was registered in English as ' ...

Patrick Hillery Patrick John Hillery (; 2 May 1923 – 12 April 2008) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the sixth president of Ireland from December 1976 to December 1990. He also served as vice-president of the European Commission and Europea ...

Former Taoisigh (Prime Ministers) of Ireland

John Bruton John Gerard Bruton (18 May 1947 – 6 February 2024) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997 and Leader of Fine Gael from 1990 to 2001. He held cabinet positions between 1981‍ and 1987, including twice ...

Brian Cowen Brian Bernard Cowen (born 10 January 1960) is an Irish former politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2008 to 2011. Cowen served as a TD for the constituency of Laois–Offaly from 1984 to 2011 and served in several ...

Contemporary politicians and current members of Cabinet

Richard Bruton Richard Bruton (born 15 March 1953) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Bay North from 2016 to 2024, and previously from 1982 to 2016 for the Dublin North-Central constituency. He was the Cha ...

Stephen Donnelly Stephen Donnelly (born 14 December 1975) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Health from June 2020 to January 2025. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow constituency from 2011 to 2024. On his election ...

Charles Flanagan Charles Flanagan (born 1 November 1956) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Justice and Equality from 2017 to 2020, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence from 2020 to 2024, Minister for Foreign A ...

Seán Fleming Seán Fleming (born 27 February 1958) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois constituency since 2024, and previously from 2016 to 2020. He represented the Laois–Offaly constituency from 2020 ...

Emer Higgins Emer Higgins (born 1986) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation since January 2025 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the ...

* John McGahon *

Mairead McGuinness Mairead McGuinness (born 13 June 1959) is an Irish politician who served as the European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union from October 2020 to November 2024. A member of Fine Gael, she pr ...

, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and
the Capital Markets Union *

Charlie McConalogue Charles McConalogue (born 29 October 1977) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport since January 2025. He previously served as Minister for Agriculture, Foo ...

* Paul Murphy *

Cian O'Callaghan Cian O'Callaghan (born 7 May 1979) is an Irish politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay North constituency since the 2020 general election. He is the Housing spokesperson for the Social Democrats and became deputy leade ...

Jim O'Callaghan Jim O'Callaghan (born 5 January 1968) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration since January 2025. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since the 2 ...

Éamon Ó Cuív Éamon Ó Cuív (; born 23 June 1950) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency from 1992 to 2024. He previously served as deputy leader of Fianna Fáil from 2011 to 2012, a ...

Anne Rabbitte Anne Rabbitte (born 11 October 1973) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as a member of Seanad Éireann since December 2024. She was a Minister of State (Ireland), Minister of State from July 2020 to January 2025. She previously ...

Eamon Ryan Eamon Michael Ryan (born 28 July 1963) is an Irish former Green Party politician who served as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport from June 2020 to January 2025, and was Leader of the Green Par ...

Neale Richmond Neale Richmond (born 15 March 1983) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister of State since 2023. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Rathdown constituency since the 2020 general election. He previously served as ...

Róisín Shortall Róisín Shortall (born 25 April 1954) is an Irish former Social Democrats politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency from 1992 to 2024. She was previously founding joint leader of the Social Democrats ...

* Brendan Smith *

Eóin Tennyson Eóin Tennyson (born 17 May 1998) is a Northern Irish politician who has been the deputy leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland since October 2024. He succeeded former deputy leader Stephen Farry who resigned from the position in 20 ...

* Barry Ward

International affairs

In International affairs UCD's alumni include: * Anne Anderson, first female Ambassador of Ireland to the US, UN, EU, France and Monaco * H.E.

Mako Komuro , formerly , is a Japanese art historian and former member of the Imperial House of Japan, Japanese imperial family. She is the eldest child of Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan, Crown Prince Fumihito and Kiko, Crown Princess of Japan, Crown Prin ...

, Princess of Japan *

Catherine Day Catherine Day may refer to: * Catherine Day (civil servant) (born 1954), former European civil servant from Ireland * Catherine Day (biochemist), New Zealand academic See also * Saint Catherine's Day, Estonian holiday {{hndisambig, Day, Ca ...

, former Secretary-General of the European Commission, the first woman to hold the position *

Tiziano Peccia Tiziano Peccia is a French-Italian academic, international manager, and expert in capacity-building strategies, development strategies, human capital management, organizational transformation, and innovation. He is an adjunct professor at the I ...

, international scholar ( IESEG School of Management, Université Paris Cité) and manager *

Dermot Gallagher Dermot Gallagher (born 20 May 1957) is a retired Irish association football referee based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. He refereed in the Premier League of English football until May 2007. Career Gallagher first took up the whistle in 1978 at the ...

, Secretary-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador of Ireland to the USA *

Mahon Hayes Francis Mahon Hayes (2 March 1930 – 26 June 2011) was an Irish lawyer and ambassador. Early life He was educated in University College Dublin and King's Inns. Called to the bar in 1952, he practiced for a time before going to work at the Land ...

, lawyer, diplomat and the only Irish person to serve on the

International Law Commission The International Law Commission (ILC) is a body of experts responsible for helping develop and codify international law. It is composed of 34 individuals recognized for their expertise and qualifications in international law, who are elected by t ...

, one of the founders of Amnesty International and recipient of the 1974 Nobel Peace Prize. *

Emily O'Reilly Emily O'Reilly is an author and former journalist and broadcaster who became Ireland's first female Ombudsman in 2003, succeeding Kevin Murphy. On 3 July 2013, she was voted European Ombudsman by the European Parliament. She was re-elected ...

European Ombudsman The European Ombudsman is an inter-institutional body of the European Union that holds the institutions, bodies and agencies of the EU to account, and promotes good administration. The Ombudsman helps people, businesses and organisations facing ...

elected by the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

. *

, one of the major negotiators in the foundation of the World Trade Organization, and its first Director-General *

V. V. Giri Varahagiri Venkata Giri (; 10 August 1894 – 24 June 1980), better known as V. V. Giri was an Indian statesman and activist who served as the president of India from 24 August 1969 to 24 August 1974. He also served as the vice president of ...

the fourth President of India *

Ryan Crocker Ryan Clark Crocker (born June 19, 1949) is a retired American diplomat who served as a career ambassador within the United States Foreign Service. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he served as United States ambassador to Afg ...

, a Career Ambassador within the United States Foreign Service, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. *

James Dooge James Clement Dooge (30 July 1922 – 20 August 2010) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1982, Leader of the Seanad and Leader of Fine G ...

(alumnus and faculty), chairman of the "Dooge Report" which led to the Single European Act and the Treaty of Maastricht Seven of Ireland's former European Commissioners are alumni. Irish revolutionaries

and

, two of the leaders of the

and signatories of the

Proclamation of the Irish Republic The Proclamation of the Republic (), also known as the 1916 Proclamation or the Easter Proclamation, was a document issued by the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army during the Easter Rising in Ireland, which began on 24 April 1916. ...

were, respectively, a student and member of faculty at the university. As well as former president Douglas Hyde and Pádraig Pearse, UCD Professor Eóin MacNeill had a key role in the

Gaelic revival The Gaelic revival () was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaelic) and Irish Gaelic culture (including folklore, mythology, sports, music, arts, etc.). Irish had diminished as a sp ...

in Ireland. Since the foundation of the Irish state in 1922, UCD has produced the largest number of Justices of the

Supreme Court of Ireland The Supreme Court of Ireland () is the highest judicial authority in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is a court of final appeal and exercises, in conjunction with the Court of Appeal (Ireland), Court of Appeal and the High Court (Ireland), Hig ...

, the largest number of Chief Justices and the largest number of

Attorneys General of Ireland Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gov ...

of any Irish institution of higher education. Alumna

Síofra O'Leary Síofra O’Leary (born 20 September 1968) is an Irish lawyer and judge who served as president of the European Court of Human Rights from November 2022 to July 2024 and as a judge of the European Court of Human Rights since July 2015. She previo ...

is Judge at the European Court of Human Rights and three of the six current justices of the Supreme Court are UCD alumni.

Healthcare

In 2008,

Tony Holohan William Gerard Anthony Holohan is an Irish public health physician who served as Chief Medical Officer of Ireland from May 2008 to 1 July 2022. Fergal Bowers described him as being "as familiar as Dr Anthony Fauci in the US and arguably as i ...

was appointed Chief Medical Officer for Ireland. In 2010, UCD School of Medicine graduate and cardiothoracic surgeon

Eilis McGovern Eilis McGovern FRCSI is an Irish consultant cardiothoracic surgeon. She established Ireland's third public cardiac unit and was the 168th President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She became the National Director for medical train ...

was elected 168th President of the

and thereby became the first female President of any surgical Royal College in the world.

Writers and artists

Notable writers include

, Kate O'Brien, Austin Clarke,

Benedict Kiely Benedict "Ben" Kiely (15 August 1919 – 9 February 2007) was an Irish writer and broadcaster from Omagh, County Tyrone. Early life Kiely was born near Dromore, County Tyrone and was a student at the Christian Brothers School in Omagh. In 1 ...

Pearse Hutchinson Pearse Hutchinson (16 February 1927 – 14 January 2012) was an Irish poet, broadcaster and translator. Childhood and education Hutchinson was born in Glasgow. His father, Harry Hutchinson, a Scottish printer whose own father had left Dublin to ...

Thomas Kinsella Thomas Kinsella (4 May 1928 – 22 December 2021) was an Irish poet, translator, editor, and publisher. Born outside Dublin, Kinsella attended University College Dublin before entering the civil service. He began publishing poetry in the early ...

, John Jordan,

John McGahern John McGahern (12 November 1934 – 30 March 2006) was an Irish writer and novelist. Known for the detailed dissection of Irish life found in works such as '' The Barracks'', '' The Dark'' and '' Amongst Women'', he was hailed by ''The Ob ...

, Paul Lynch and Hugh McFadden.

Dee Forbes Deirdre Anne Forbes (born 1 February 1967) is an Irish former broadcasting executive, who was the Director General of RTÉ from April 2016 to June 2023. She was the first woman to hold the role, and the first external appointment in almost 50 ye ...

, Director General

and

Miriam O'Callaghan Miriam O'Callaghan (born 1959 or 1960) is an Irish television current affairs presenter with RTÉ. O'Callaghan has presented ''Prime Time'' since 1996, and her own summer talk show, ''Saturday Night with Miriam'', from 2005 onwards. In the su ...

, presenter of RTÉ's leading current affairs show, Prime Time, are alumni, as are comedians

Dermot Morgan Dermot John Morgan (31 March 1952 – 28 February 1998) was an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his role as the title character on the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted''. Early life Morgan was born in Dublin, the son of Hilda "Holly" (née ...

(1952–1998) and

who were major figures in the university's debating scene for many years, and

Foil Arms and Hog Foil Arms and Hog are an Irish sketch comedy group comprising Sean 'Foil' Finegan, Conor 'Arms' McKenna and Sean 'Hog' Flanagan. The group has performed on TV, radio, the stage, and online. The trio write, shoot, and edit a new sketch every week ...

who met at the Drama Society (Dramsoc).

Sport

UCD has produced a number of notable athletes, including in field sports such as

and

. Many played within the university's club sides such as

who played for University College Dublin R.F.C. The club has produced numerous

including O'Driscoll, with several others attending as students. Notable GAA athletes include

Rena Buckley Rena Buckley is an Irish sportswoman who played at senior level for both the Cork county ladies' football team and the Cork county camogie team. She has also represented Munster in the Gael Linn Cup and Ireland at international rules. Betwe ...

, one of the most decorated players in GAA history, having won a total of 17 All-Ireland senior medals; Seán Murphy, a medical school graduate and member of the Gaelic Football Team of the Millennium; and

Nicky Rackard Nicholas Rackard (28 April 1922 – 10 April 1976) was an Irish hurler whose league and championship career with the Wexford senior team spanned seventeen years from 1940 to 1957. He established many championship scoring records, including be ...

, included in the

Hurling Team of the Century The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three full-backs, three half-backs, two midfielders, thr ...

. Kevin Moran, formerly a Gaelic football but also a soccer player for

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

, graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1976. Alumni include Ireland's fastest man

Israel Olatunde Israel Olatunde (born 29 May 2002) is an Irish professional track and field athlete specializing in the sprints. He competed at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships, and reached the final of the 100 metres at the 2022 European Athletics ...

Business

Alumni involved in business include: * David J. O'Reilly, formerly CEO and chairman of the

Niall FitzGerald Niall FitzGerald (born 13 September 1945) is an Irish businessman. Early life and education FitzGerald was born 13 September 1945 in County Sligo. FitzGerald grew up in Limerick, Ireland, and was educated at St Munchin's College in Limerick. He ...

, former CEO and chairman of

Pearse Lyons Thomas Pearse Lyons (3 August 1944 – 8 March 2018) was an Irish businessman and the founder and President of Kentucky-based Alltech Inc., an American animal health and nutrition company that is centred on innovation, research and development. ...

(1944–2018), founder and President of

Alltech Alltech is an American company, headquartered in Nicholasville, Kentucky, with operations in animal feed, meat, brewing, and distilling. Alltech develops agricultural products for use in both livestock and crop farming, as well as products for t ...

, who previously served as the CEO of

H. J. Heinz Company The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz (), is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 186 ...

as well as owning

Independent News & Media Mediahuis Ireland (formerly Independent News and Media, or INM) is a Belgian/Dutch-owned media organisation that is based in Dublin and publishes national daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers, regional newspapers and operates multiple websites in ...

, founder of

Digicel Digicel is a Jamaican-based Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider operating in 25 markets worldwide. Digicel has operated in several countries, including Guyana, Fiji, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Samoa, St. Lucia, Surinam ...

* Alison Darcy, research psychologist and founder of Woebot Health

Religious figures

A number of catholic religious figures studied or played significant roles at UCD, including Cardinals

Tomás Ó Fiaich Tomás Séamus Ó Fiaich, KGCHS (3 November 1923 – 8 May 1990) was an Irish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 2 October 1977 until his death. He was created ...

and

Desmond Connell Desmond Connell (24 March 1926 – 21 February 2017) was an Irish cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was an Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. Cardinal Connell was one of a number of senior clergy to have been heavily criticise ...

, as well as the founding rector Cardinal Newman. Clerical students from

Clonliffe College Holy Cross College (also known as Clonliffe College), located on Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra, was founded in 1854 as the Catholic diocesan seminary for Dublin by Paul Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin (later created, in 1866, a cardinal). History ...

All Hallows College All Hallows College was a college of higher education in Dublin. It was founded in 1842 and was run by the Vincentians from 1892 until 2016. On 23 May 2014, it was announced that it was closing because of declining student enrollment. The sale ...

, St. Joseph's, Blackrock (Vincentians), the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans) in

Blackrock College Blackrock College () is a voluntary day and boarding Catholic secondary school for boys aged 13–18, in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded by French missionary Jules Leman in 1860 as a school and later became al ...

and

Kimmage Manor The Holy Ghost Missionary College, in Kimmage in Dublin, Ireland, colloquially known as Kimmage Manor, is a Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans) institution that has served as a Seminary training missionary priests and spawned two other colleges the '' K ...

, St. Mary's Priory (Dominicans) and the Jesuit

Milltown Park Milltown () is a suburb and townland on the southside of Dublin, Ireland. Milltown was the site of several working mills on the River Dodder and is also the location of the meeting of the River Slang with the Dodder. It is located adjacent to ...

(and Rathfarnham Castle) would have studied for degrees at UCD while studying theology in their seminaries, as theology prohibited by the Royal University and National University of Ireland until 1996. * Bishop

Michael J. Cleary Michael J. Cleary C.S.Sp. (1 September 1925 – 3 September 2020) was an Irish prelate and Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Banjul (Roman Catholic), Diocese of Banjul, Gambia. He was born in Brickens, County Mayo, Ireland. He was ...

B.A., C.S.Sp., arts graduate, Bishop of Banjul, Gambia. * Cardinal

, former Archbishop of Dublin, graduate and professor in UCD, and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology * Bishop James Corboy SJ, First Roman Catholic Bishop of Monze, Zambia (1962–1992), Rector of Milltown (1959–1962) * Bishop Robert Patrick Ellison B.Sc. C.S.Sp. Science graduate, Bishop of Banjul, Gambia. * Rev. Prof. Thomas A. Finlay SJ, graduate of UCD, and Professor of Classics, Philosophy and Political Economy * Fr.

Aengus Finucane Aengus Finucane (26 April 1932 – 6 October 2009) was a Roman Catholic missionary of the Holy Ghost Fathers, Spiritan Fathers order, who organized food shipments from Ireland to the Igbo people during the Nigerian Civil War. His younger b ...

, missionary, one of the founders of

Concern Worldwide Concern Worldwide (often referred to as Concern) is Ireland's largest aid and humanitarian agency. Since its foundation in 1968 it has worked in 50 countries. According to its latest annual report, Concern helped 28.6 million of the world's poor ...

* Fr. John Fogarty, B.Sc., C.S.Sp., 24th

Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of an 'order' of religious persons (nuns, priests, friars, etc) or, in other words, of a 'religious institute' in the Catholic Church, and in some other Christian denominations. The super ...

of the

Spiritans The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (officially the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary; ) is a religious congregation for men in the Catholic Church. Members are often known as Holy ...

(2012–2021) * Rev. Dr. Desmond Forristal, co-founder of

Radharc ''Radharc'' is an Irish television documentary series broadcast by RTÉ Television from 1962 until 1996. The documentaries were created by a film unit funded by the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid, in anticipation of the inau ...

films * Fr. Francis Griffin C.S.Sp., first non-French Superior General of the Spiritans * Fr. Michael Hurley SJ, co-founder of the

Irish School of Ecumenics The Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE) is an institute of Trinity College Dublin, dedicated to the study and promotion of peace and reconciliation in Ireland and throughout the world. The school is located in Dublin and Belfast, and consists of eigh ...

* Bishop James Kavanagh, auxiliary bishop of Dublin, a graduate of UCD and Lecturer. * Archbishop

Ambrose Kelly Bishop Ambrose Kelly C.S.Sp (born 24 June 1900, died 12 February 1952) was a member of the Holy Ghost Fathers, and served as Archbishop of Freetown and Bo, in Sierre Leone. Born in 1900 in Newhaven, Sussex, England, to Irish parents, Kelly was e ...

C.S.Sp, served as Archbishop of Freetown and Bo, in Sierre Leone. * Sr. Dr.

Maura Lynch Sr. Dr. Maura Lynch (10 September 1938 – 9 December 2017) was an Irish doctor, a nun, and proponent of women's health. Early life and education Lynch was born in Youghal, County Cork, Ireland to Patrick and Jane Lynch on 10 September 1938. S ...

, catholic nun, doctor, women's rights advocate, in Angola and Uganda * Archbishop

James Leen James Leen C.S.Sp. (1888–1949) was an Irish member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, who served a Bishop of Port Louis in Mauritius. Born in 1888 in Abbeyfeale, County Limerick he studied at Rockwell College County Tipperary.Bishop of Port Louis in

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

(1926–1949). * Bishop Daniel Liston B.A., C.S.Sp., (1900–1986), served a Bishop of Port Louis in

(1949–1968). * Archbishop

Diarmuid Martin Diarmuid Martin (born 8 April 1945) is an Irish prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland from 2004 to 2020. From 1976 to 2003 he held a variety of positions in the Roman Curia and in the diplomatic ser ...

, Archbishop of Dublin * Bishop

John Joseph McCarthy Bishop John Joseph "J.J." McCarthy C.S.Sp. (27 April 1896 – 13 January 1983),Bishop J.J. McCart ...

B.A., C.S.Sp., Bishop of Nairobi, Kenya * Fr.

Peter McVerry Fr Peter McVerry, SJ (born 1944) is an Irish Roman Catholic priest and founder of the Peter McVerry Trust, notable for battling homelessness in Ireland.John Charles McQuaid John Charles McQuaid, C.S.Sp. (28 July 1895 – 7 April 1973), was the Catholic Primate of Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin between December 1940 and January 1972. He was known for the unusual amount of influence he had over successive gover ...

B.A., M.A., H.Dip.Ed., C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Dublin (1940–1972) * Sr. Dr Mary Aquinas Monaghan, Columban missionary in China and Hong Kong, a specialist in the treatment and management of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. * Sr. Dr.

Lucy O'Brien Lucy O'Brien (born 13 September 1961)Author Biography, O'Brien, Lucy – She Bop: The definitive history of women in rock, pop, and soul, London: Penguin, 1995 is a British author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music. Early musi ...

, missionary nun and medical doctor in Africa. * Rev. Prof. E. F. O'Doherty, experimental psychologist, professor of psychology, and registrar of UCD. * Cardinal

, Archbishop of Armagh. * Cardinal

Maurice Piat Maurice Piat CSSp GCSK (born 19 July 1941) is a Mauritian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Bishop of Port Louis, Mauritius, from 1993 to 2023. He is a professed member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Piat was ordained a priest in ...

CSSp, GCSK, Archbishop of Port Louis, Mauritius * Archbishop

Dermot Ryan Dermot J. Ryan (26 June 1924 – 21 February 1985) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland from 1972 until 1984. Early life and education Born Dermot Joseph Ryan in 1924, to Andrew Ryan a medical doctor and Therese nee McKenna, in ...

, Archbishop of Dublin, UCD Professor of Oriental Languages * Sr. Dr.

Mona Tyndall Sister Dr. Mona Tyndall (14 April 1921 – 7 June 2000) was a medical doctor and Roman Catholic missionary in Nigeria and Zambia. She was one of the six children of businessman David P. Tyndall and his wife, Sarah Gaynor Tyndall. Raised in Coun ...

, medical doctor and missionary nun in Nigeria and Zambia Amongst the number of humanitarians to attend are

John O'Shea John Francis O'Shea (; born 30 April 1981) is an Irish professional football coach and former player who is currently assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland men's national team. He was known for his versatility in playing several defensi ...

founder of GOAL and Tom Arnold the CEO of

. Former faculty include Dennis Jennings of the School of Computing, considered to be an

Internet pioneer Instead of having a single inventor, the Internet was developed by many people over many years. The following people are Internet pioneers who have been recognized for their contribution to its early and ongoing development. These contributions ...

for his leadership of

NSFNET The National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET) was a program of coordinated, evolving projects sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1985 to 1995 to promote advanced research and education networking in the United States. The ...

, the network that became the Internet backbone. Other notable faculty include Patrick Lynch (economist), Patrick Lynch, logician and philosopher Jan Łukasiewicz, Professor of Science and Society James Heckman who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2000, and Geotechnical engineering, geotechnical engineer Éamon Hanrahan.

In popular culture

In literature

's novel ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' is partially set in UCD (when it was sited on Earlsfort Terrace) where Stephen Dedalus (now the name of the IT building) is enrolled as a student. Joyce's posthumously published autobiographical novel ''Stephen Hero'' contains stories of his time in UCD. Brian O'Nolan, Flann O'Brien's novel ''At Swim-Two-Birds'' features a UCD student who writes a meta-novel wherein the author is put on trial by the characters of his novel. Maeve Binchy's novel, ''Circle of Friends (novel), Circle of Friends'', deals with three female friends starting college in UCD in the 1950s. However, shots of Trinity College were used in the Circle of Friends (1995 film), 1995 film. The second Ross O'Carroll-Kelly novel, ''The Teenage Dirtbag Years'', follows the titular character as he enters UCD.

In music and film

Christy Moore wrote a tongue in cheek song about UCD's Literary and Historical Society called "The Auditor of the L and H". Conor McPherson's third film ''Saltwater'' was filmed in Belfield, UCD. In ''Boston Legal'', Season 2, Episode 21 "Word Salad Day", there is a reference to a fictional study from University College Dublin that "found that the effects of divorce on children are far more damaging than the death of a parent".

References

External links

*
The Library of University College Dublin
at Google Cultural Institute
UCD Ephemera Collection: a collection of ephemera primarily associated with the history and development of UCD
– a UCD Digital Library Collection {{Coord, 53, 18, 30, N, 6, 13, 20, W, region:IE_type:edu, display=title University College Dublin, National University of Ireland Universities and colleges established in 1908 Education in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown 1908 establishments in Ireland