Trinity College, Dublin

The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Ireland's oldest university. Trinity is located on College Green in Dublin, opposite the former Irish Houses of Parliament (now a branch of the Bank of Ireland). The campus occupies 47 acres (190,000 m²), with many attractive buildings, both old and new, centred around large courts and two playing fields.

History

Trinity was founded by a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1592. The Corporation of Dublin granted the new university the lands of All Hallows monastery, a mile to the south east of the city walls. Trinity is today in the very centre of Dublin, as the city has moved eastwards.

Related Topics:
Royal Charter - Elizabeth I - Corporation of Dublin - All Hallows

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During its early life, Trinity was a university exclusively for the Protestant ascendency class of Dublin. Following the first steps of Catholic Emancipation, Roman Catholics were first admitted in 1793 (prior to Cambridge and Oxford, upon which Trinity was modelled). In 1873 all religious tests were abolished, except for Divinity. The Roman Catholic Church had a policy until 1970 under the Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid of excommunication for Catholics who took a place, although they could receive a special dispensation. Women were admitted to Trinity for the first time in 1904, and the first woman professor was appointed in 1934.

Related Topics:
Protestant - Catholic Emancipation - Roman Catholics - Cambridge - Oxford - Divinity - Roman Catholic - Archbishop of Dublin - John Charles McQuaid - Excommunication

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Mergers

In the late 1960s there was a proposal for University College, Dublin of the National University of Ireland to become a constituent college of a newly reconstituted "University of Dublin". This plan, suggested by Brian Lenihan and Donagh O'Malley, was dropped after mass opposition by Trinity students.

Related Topics:
University College, Dublin - National University of Ireland - Brian Lenihan - Donagh O'Malley

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Since 1975 the colleges which now form Dublin Institute of Technology had their degrees conferred by the University of Dublin, this situation continued until 1998 and a merger was considered by the institute, but never seriously by the university.

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However, it is generally agreed that a merger with either of the institutions would have overwhelmed Trinity itself.

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A more detailed history: History of Trinity College (Trinity Website).

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