Trinity College, Dublin

Founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I, Trinity College, Dublin is Ireland's oldest university, and the only constituent college in the University of Dublin. It is located on College Green in Dublin, opposite the former House of Parliament (now Bank of Ireland). The campus now occupies 47 acres. Trinity has approximately 11,000 undergraduates, 3,500 postgraduates and 1,700 staff. (2000/01 figures) The College is divided into six faculties: Arts (Humanities); Arts (Letters); Business, Economic and Social Studies; Engineering and Systems Sciences; Health Sciences; and Science.

University College Dublin considers itself a rival of Trinity, the feeling not generally being reciprocated.

Table of contents

1 History
2 Governance
3 The Library
4 Notable Alumni
5 External Links

History

The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin was founded by 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 College is today in the very centre of Dublin, as the city has moved eastwards.)

During its early life, Trinity was a university exclusively for the Protestant ascendency class of Dublin. Roman Catholics were first admitted in 1793 (prior to Cambridge and Oxford), though they had to obtain the permission of the Bishop of Dublin to take up a place, well into the twentieth century. In 1873 all religious tests were abolished. Women were admitted to Trinity College for the first time in 1904. The first woman professor was appointed in 1934.

A more detailed history is at History of Trinity College on the TCD Website.

Governance

The University is headed, titularly, by the Chancellor, (currently former Irish president, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson). The College is headed by the Provost (currently John Hegarty). The college is officially incorporated as The Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin

The governance of Trinity was changed in 2000, by the Irish Government, in a bill introduced by the Board of Trinity: The Trinity College, Dublin (Charters and Letters Patent Amendment) Act, 2000. This was introduced separately from the Universities Act 1997. This states that the Board shall comprise:

The Provost, Vice-Provost, Senior Lecturer, Registrar and Bursar;
Six Fellows;
Five members of the academic staff who are not Fellows at least three of whom must be of a rank not higher than senior lecturer;
Two members of the academic staff of the rank of professor;
Three members of the non-academic staff;
Four students of the College at least one of whom shall be a post-graduate student;
One member not being an employee or student of the College chosen by a committee of the Board which shall comprise the Provost and two members of the Board from among nominations made by such organisations as are representative of such business or professional interest as the Board considers appropriate;
One member appointed by the Board on the nomination of the Minister for Education and Science following consultation with the Provost.

The Library

The Library of Trinity College is the largest research library in Ireland. It is entitled legally to a copy of every book published in Britain and Ireland, and contains 4.25 million books. The Book of Kells, the Library's most famous book can be seen in the Long Room of the old Library. It is also believed that the Jedi Archives in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was inspired by the Long Room. " class="external">http://www.tcd.ie/Library/olibcol.gif