National University of Ireland, Maynooth

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National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM)
Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad
Latin: Universitas Hiberniae Nationalis apud Manutium
Motto Veritati Fir Fer
Motto in English Truth Strength Courage
Established 1997 (1795, as St. Patrick's College)
Type Public
President Prof. John G Hughes
Vice-president Prof. Jim Walsh
Registrar Dr David B Redmond
Faculty 252
Students 7,640[1]
Undergraduates 4,968
Postgraduates 1,228
Other students 378
Location Maynooth, Leinster, Ireland
53°23′01″N 6°35′59″W / 53.3835°N 6.5996°W / 53.3835; -6.5996Coordinates: 53°23′01″N 6°35′59″W / 53.3835°N 6.5996°W / 53.3835; -6.5996
Campus Rural
Former names St. Patrick's College, Maynooth (NUI)
Affiliations EUA
NUI
IUA
UI
Website http://www.nuim.ie/

The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; Irish: Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad; Latin: Universitas Hiberniae Nationalis apud Manutium), was founded in 1997 by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university institution, tracing its origins back to the foundation in 1795 of St Patrick's College, Maynooth[2].

The University is located in the rural town of Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland, 20 km west of Dublin. With over 6,500 registered students, it is Ireland's smallest[3] and now fastest growing[4] university. In 2009, NUI Maynooth was listed as a Top500 university in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings [5] [6]. in 2008 it was named Sunday Times University of the Year.

NUI Maynooth is a member of Universities Ireland[7], The Irish Universities Association[8], European University Association[9], European Association for International Education [10] and Eurodoc [11].

The University consists of two connected campi; an older south campus of nineteenth century buildings, shared with St Patrick's College, Maynooth of the Pontifical University [12] [13], and a modern north campus, occupying circa 100 acres.


Contents

[edit] History

Further information: St Patrick's College, Maynooth

[edit] 18th and 19th centuries

The University and St Patrick's College, Maynooth have a common history from 1795 to 1997. The College in Maynooth was established by the government as a college for Catholic lay and ecclesiastical students in 1795,[14] the lay college was based from 1802 in Riverstown House on the south campus, with the opening of Clongowes Wood, the lay college which had lay trustees[15] was closed in 1817[16] and it functioned solely as a Catholic seminary for almost 150 years. In 1876 the college became a constituent college of the Catholic University of Ireland, and later offered Royal University of Ireland degrees in arts and science. The Pontifical Charter was granted to the college in 1896.

[edit] 20th century

The college became a recognised college of the National University of Ireland in 1910, and from this time its arts and science degrees were awarded by the National University of Ireland and the Pontifical University of Maynooth continued to confer its degrees, as theology degrees were prohibited in the Royal University of Ireland, and its successor the National University of Ireland until 1997.

In 1966 the college allowed again the entry of lay students; this greatly expanded the college and essentially set the foundation stone for the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. In 1997 the Universities Act resulted in the transfer of the faculties of arts, Celtic studies, philosophy and science of the recognised college of St Patrick's College to the new university. The university has also expanded into finance and engineering since its creation in 1997. In 2007 the university added business studies, followed by law in 2008.

Any person who was a student of St Patrick's College, Maynooth and was conferred with a National University of Ireland degree as a result prior to the creation of the university is legally considered a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.[17]

In 1994, W J Smyth, BA, PhD, LLD, was appointed to the position of Master of St. Patrick's College Maynooth(NUI), in 1997 this position became President of NUIM,

[edit] Recent years

After W J Smyths 10 year term, in 2004 he was replaced by Professor John Hughes as president of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

[edit] Timeline

  • 1518 - Garret Óg Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, founded the College of St Mary, in Maynooth
  • 1535 - College of St. Mary confiscated as part of Henry VIII's religious reforms
  • 1795 - The Royal College of St Patrick established on the 5th of June 1795 (35 Geo III, cap. 21)
  • 1798 - United Irishmen Rebellion, out of 69 students, 18 were expelled for taking the Oath to the United Irishmen
  • 1800 - Act of Union 1800 transfer of maynooth grant from Dublin to London
  • 1800 - John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne died
  • 1801 - First Lay college suppressed
  • 1802 - Lay college opens in Riverstown Lodge
  • 1808 - Dunboyne Establishment case settled between Maynooth Trustees and Butler family
  • 1817 - Lay College Closed
  • 1845 - Maynooth grant increased
  • 1876 - Maynooth becomes a constituent college of the Catholic University of Ireland
  • 1886 - Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland by Gladstone, Maynooth was disendowed, lay trustess left the board.[15]
  • 1880 - Royal University of Ireland founded
  • 1895 - Centenary Celebrations
  • 1896 - Maynooth granted Pontifical University status by Papal Charter
  • 1903 - King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited it on 24 July 1903
  • 1908 - National University of Ireland founded
  • 1909 - Royal University of Ireland dissolved
  • 1910 - St. Patricks College. Maynooth officially becomes a recognised college of the National University of Ireland
  • 1921 - Foundation of Irish Free State
  • 1966 - Lay students in religious orders admitted
  • 1968 - All Lay Students admitted
  • 1970 - Dept. of Biology founded as part of the Faculty of Science
  • 1976 - Higher Education Central Applications Office (CAO) founded
  • 1979 - Pope John Paul II visits Maynooth
  • 1987 - Dept. of Computer Science founded as part of the Faculty of Science
  • 1995 - Bi-centenary Celebrations
  • 1996 - Third level fees abolished by the Irish Government
  • 1997 - National University of Ireland, Maynooth founded from the faculties of Science, Arts and Celtic studies.
  • 1997 - Outreach Campus at St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny founded.
  • 1999 - Foundation of Dept. of Psychology
  • 2001 - Foundation of Dept. of Engineering
  • 2007 - Marie Curie Laboratory for Membrane Proteins opens, as NUI Maynooth wins European Union Marie Curie “Transfer of Knowledge” funding
  • 2008 - Named Sunday Times University of the Year

[edit] Traditions

[edit] Rivalry

A number of purported rivalries exist among NUI Maynooth's student body, notably between NUI Maynooth and Trinity College Dublin - possibly a remnant of both universities' prominent, respective non-secular heritages and as NUI Maynooth, having the smaller student body, is regarded as the minnow among the Irish universities.

[edit] The Superatural

The university is renowned for its various true stories, supposedly involving otherworldly forces, as well as its myths and ghost stories. Many of these arise from its historic connection with St. Patrick's seminary.

[edit] Christmas Carol Service

An annual carol service is held in the chapel on an annual basis.

[edit] Campus

The University campus straddles the main Maynooth to Kilcock Road in County Kildare. It is divided into the North and South Campuses (usually known as the "new" and "old" campuses respectively). The campuses are connected by means of a footbridge that crosses over the road.

[edit] South Campus

The South Campus houses the facilities of St. Patrick's College of the Pontifical University, as well as most of administrative offices it shares with NUIM. A small number of NUIM academic departments also have their offices on the South Campus, including, Mathematics (Logic House), Geography, Economics, History and Music. The main buildings, most of which were built in the nineteenth century, are the Aula Maxima, St. Patrick's House (including the college chapel), the John Paul II Library (built in 1984), New, Dunboyne, Humanity and Stoyte Houses which collectively form St. Joseph's Square, Logic House, and Rhetoric House. The first building to be completed on the South Campus was designed by, and named after, John Stoyte; Stoyte House, still a prominent presence on campus, stands in proximity to the very historic Maynooth Castle. Over the next 15 years, the site at Maynooth underwent rapid construction so as to cater for the influx of new students, and the buildings which now border St. Joseph's Square (to the rear of Stoyte House) were completed by 1824. The spectacular university chapel is located on the south campus, just off St. Joseph's Square; masses and choir services are frequently held in the chapel, as is the popular traditional Christmas Carol Service.

[edit] North Campus

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The North Campus was developed far more recently than the South Campus, in the latter half of the twentieth century. Here, the main buildings are the Students' Union, Sports Complex, Biosciences and Engineering Building, Callan Science Building (named after the inventor of the induction coil, Nicholas Callan), the Arts Building, the Science Building and the John Hume Building.

The €100m John Hume Building (named after arguably NUIM's most distinguished graduate) was opened in 2004; the most recent addition to the North Campus, it today forms the centrepiece of the campus and houses the most capacious lecture theatre of the university with a capacity of more than 400 students. [18]

The North Campus also contains the Students Residences (with approximately 1,000 beds), most of the Services for Students Departments, a number of playing fields and sports complex which includes a fully equipped gym which is free to all university students. The remainder of NUIM's academic departments as well as many research institutes such as The Institute of Microelectronics and Wireless Systems, The Hamilton Institute and The Institiute of Immunology are also located on the north campus.

[edit] Kilkenny Campus

The university has also maintained a campus in Kilkenny City, the "Kilkenny Campus", since September 1997, based at St. Kieran's College. There are approximately 300 adult part-time students located on the Kilkenny Campus, enrolled in certificate, diploma and degree programmes, primarily with an adult education emphasis.

[edit] Academic organisation

Like other constituents of the National University of Ireland, the NUIM academic year is currently divided into two semesters; semester one (October, November, December) and semester two (February, March, April, May), both of twelve weeks.

There are currently three faculties:

Arts,Celtic Studies and Philosophy; Science and Engineering; Social Sciences

[edit] Undergraduate

Like other constituents of the National University of Ireland, most undergraduate courses require three years of study, while courses wih a science focus generally require four years.

[edit] Postgraduate

At postgraduate level, NUIM offers a range of taught and research degrees in all faculties. About 15% of students are post-graduate level, with more than 1,000 students reading for a research degree.

[edit] Admissions

Admission to undergraduate study for European Union school-leavers is generally handled by the CAO (Central Applications Office), and not by NUIM. Applicants have to compete for university places solely on the basis of the results of their school leaving exams. Places are awarded in mid-August every year by the CAO after matching the number of places available to the academic attainments of the applicants. Qualifications are measured as "points", with specific scales for the Irish Leaving Certificate, and all other European Union school leaving results, such as the UK GCE A-level, the International Baccalaureate along with other national school leaving exams[19].

[edit] Departments

[edit] Faculty of Social Sciences

The "Faculty of Social Sciences" includes: Adult and Community Education, Anthropology, Applied Social Studies, Economics, Finance and Accounting, Education, Geography, Sociology and Business and Law. The Department of Business and Law [20] was founded in 2007 and offers undergraduate, taught postgraduate and research postgraduate degrees in a range of business and law subjects. The department is structured in three groups, Business, Law and the research focussed Innovation Value Institute.

[edit] Faculty of Science & Engineering

The "Faculty of Science & Engineering" includes the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Experimental Physics, Mathematics, Mathematical Physics, and Psychology

[edit] Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies & Philosophy

This faculty includes the departments of Ancient Classics, English, French, German, History, Media Studies, Music, Music Technology, Philosophy, Spanish, and the Language Centre.

[edit] Research Institutes

[edit] Reputation

In 2009, NUI Maynooth was listed as a Top500 university in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings [42] [43].

NUI Maynooth currently occupies fourth place on the Irish Sunday Times University League Table 2008, behind TCD, UCD and UCC - all much larger institutions, having jumped three places since 2007. NUI Maynooth was also named 'University of The Year 2008' in The Sunday Times University Guide (UK).[44]


[edit] Student Clubs, Societies and Activies

NUI Maynooth has a vibrant club & society scene.

Clubs include:

Societies include:


Students of Maynooth have participated in a variety of inter-varsity competitions. In 1972 Maynooth entered the Gaelic Football Sigerson Cup for the 1st time and won it in 1976. NUI Maynooth also participates in the Hurling competition, the Fitzgibbon Cup, winning it in 1974 and 1974. The Soccer team similarly compete in the FAI's Collingwood Cup. The College won the inaugural Irish Higher Education Quiz show on RTÉ, Challenging Times(based on University Challenge winning again in 1992 and as NUIM in 1999.

[edit] Maynooth Christian Union

Maynooth Christian Union is a multi-denominational Christian faith based society which operates as a part of IFES Ireland (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) along with 25 other Christian Union's in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It's aim as a society is to provide both a place for Christians of all denominations to be encouraged in the Gospel, and a place for those who are sceptical to find out more about Jesus, the Bible, God and central areas of Christian belief and to promote meaningful dialogue on the NUI Maynooth campus. As a society it has been operational for a number of years, and is recognised by the Maynooth Students Union. In order to promote such dialogue, it provides engaging speakers from a Christian perspective, carries out a Bible Study during the week, and has social events running throughout the year. The Christian Union was awarded "Best Pastoral Society of the Year" during the 2008 - 2009 year during the Maynooth Students Union Clubs & Socs Awards.

[edit] Drama (& Musical) Society

There is a colourful history of drama at NUI Maynooth, which can be traced to eminent alumni such as Brian Friel (1948) and faculty such as internationally-renowned playwright Frank McGuinness. NUI Maynooth Drama Society has traditionally been the largest society of the university. The Drama Society won Best Society at the Students Union Clubs and Socs Awards 2007 and again in 2008.

Students of the university take part in various dramatic productions throughout the year. Previous performances have included Pride and Prejudice, Educating Rita, Death of a Salesman, Blood Wedding, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tinker's Wedding and Trainspotting. Musicals include West Side Story, Oklahoma!, Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar. They are currently in preparations for productions of Hamlet and Fame. The Drama Society's Improvisation team won the 2009 ISDA Improv event.

NUI Maynooth Drama Society annually confers the Eugene Niland Spirit of Drama Award on a recipient who demonstrates an extraordinary level of dedication to the craft of theatre, complete with a display of honorable principles in the practice thereof. Sinéad Mawe was the inaugural recipient.

[edit] Swimming Club

NUI Maynooth's swimming team won the Intervarsity Swimming Championships for the first time in the university's history in March 2008, as well as setting a National University record in the 50m backstroke. The team won 4 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals in total and had 5 other top 5 points-earning placings.[45]

[edit] Rugby

NUIM currently take part in Leinster Division 1. Season 2007/2008 saw the team being knocked out in the All Ireland division 2 semi-final to DIT 15 - 7 although this secured promotion. DIT went on to win the competition.

Rugby scholarships were introduced to NUI Maynooth in 2006. Scholarship students are obliged to attend the rugby performance centre and to play with the university teams and Barnhall RFC.

The NUI Maynooth Rugby Performance Centre is open to all Rugby Club Members who attend the University. The aim of the Centre being to enhance the students prospects within the game of rugby and to continue to achieve success with the university teams. Several topics are covered in 4 week cycles throughout the year. The Rugby Performance Centre has taken 2 years to put the structures in place. As part of the link up with Barnhall RFC, players from the youth's system 16-20's are invited to take part in a summer programme. This is a 6 week programme aimed at introducing the players to the Performance Centre. Players are tutored in the gym and coached general conditioning and speed work on the field.[citation needed]

[edit] BICS National Society Awards

In 2008 NUI Maynooth garnered three BICS (Board of Irish College Societies) awards, in the Small College Category (under 6,500 students): Best Society - GLB Society, Best Society Individual - Paul Donnelly, Drama Society and Best Fresher - Lydia Roxanne Farrell, Amnesty Society.[46]

[edit] RoboCup World Championship

NUI Maynooth and University of Newcastle, Australia’s joint robotic soccer team 'Numanoids’ won this year’s soccer Standard Platform League (2-Legged Robot) RoboCup World Championship which was held in Suzhou, China from 14–20 July. 2008 was NUI Maynooth's first year to enter the international robot competition which hosted 440 teams from 35 countries.

[edit] Microsoft Imagine Cup

NUI Maynooth first entered the Microsoft Imagine Cup in 2007, where the theme was "Imagine a world where technology enables a better education for all". NUI Maynooth achieved both first and third place in the Imagine Cup Ireland finals, with the winners earning the chance to participate in the world finals in Seoul, South Korea in August 2007. Team inGEST (Interactive Gesture), who developed a low-cost interactive system for teaching sign language using standard web cameras for feedback went on to achieve a top-six position in the finals and went on to Silcon Valley in February 2008 as part of the Imagine Cup Innovation Accelerator Program.

In 2008, NUI Maynooth students tied for second place the Microsoft Imagine Cup in the category of "Embedded Development". The theme in 2008 was "Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment.". A total of 370 students from 124 teams representing 61 countries and regions took part in 2008.

[edit] Notable Alumni and Faculty Members

Notable graduates of NUI Maynooth include: Politician, activist and Nobel Laureate John Hume; Nicholas Callan, inventor of the induction coil, who was a student and Professor of Natural Philosophy (Physics) at Maynooth; playwright and short story writer Brian Friel, who graduated with a BA in 1948; Theologian & physicist Gerald Molloy; Poet Denis Florence MacCarthy; Eurovision 1996 winner for Ireland Eimear Quinn; Broadcaster Craig Doyle; Former Miss Ireland Niamh Redmond is a finance graduate from Maynooth; The late concert promoter Jim Aiken is a graduate; In addition, golfer Pádraig Harrington is an honourary graduate of the university.

In politics, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin (BA, HdipEd), Fianna Fáil TDs Mary O'Rourke (BA, HdipEd) and Noel Dempsey, former MP and TD Kevin O'Higgins, Fine Geal TDs Joe McHugh (Donegal North East), Brian Hayes (Dublin South West), Labour TD Joe Costello (Dublin Central) and former president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions(ICTU) and Independent NUI Senator Joe O'Toole(HdipEd) attended the university.

Former president of Maynooth, and later Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia, Daniel Mannix was nominated in his adopted country as one of the 'one-hundred great Australians' of the 20th century.[47]

John Blake Dillon the Irish nationalist, Young Ireland member, who co -founded the The Nation newspaper spent two years in Maynooth.[48]

Sir Dominic Corrigan Bart., MD, MP, physician[49], the first Catholic president of the Royal College of Physicians, member of the Queen's Colleges Senate, a Vice-Chancellor of the Queen's University in Ireland, and Liberal MP for Dublin City was student of the lay college in the early 1800s.[50] He was a student of Dr. Cornelius Denvir thought Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in both the lay and ecclesiastical college.[51] Nicholas Callen was also a student of Dr Denvir.

Another lay student at the time Christopher Fleming, MD., later became the president of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Stephen Woulfe who became a barrister, and Attorney General and the first catholic to be Chief Barron of the Irish Exchequer also attended the lay college at Maynooth.

Richard Lalor Sheil MP, and playwright, an associate of Daniel O'Connell and a founder of the Catholic Association also attended the Lay college in Maynooth, and strongly spoke in favour of the Maynooth Grant.

Sir Joseph de Courcy Laffan physician to the Duke of Kent and Duke of York attended the early lay college in Maynooth.

Playwright Frank McGuinness taught English in Maynooth[52]

Noted Astronomer and Physicist Susan McKenna Lawlor is a professor of the Dept. of Experimental Physics.[53]

Irish President Eamon De Valera lectured in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics at Maynooth in October 1912 for a short time.[54]

Mathematician and Classical scholar Pádraig de Brún was Professor of Mathematics at Maynooth prior to becoming president of UCG (NUI Galway).

Prof. Dermot Barnes-Holmes of NUI Maynooth Psychology Department is a leading international figure in behavioural science. He is the most world's prolific author in the experimental analysis of behaviour for the years 1980 - 1999, and is noted for the development of Relational Frame Theory alongside Steven C. Hayes.

Dr Michael O'Dwyer, Senior Lecturer and Subject Leader, French Department, was nominated Chevalier dans l'ordre des Palmes académiques, by French Prime Minister, M. Fillon.

Current Provost of Trinity College, Dublin John Hegarty holds a BSc in Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/Philosophy and a HDipEd from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has been appointed as Honorary Adjunct Professor of Mediation and Conflict Intervention in the School of Business and Law[55], a decision which has caused considerable controversy due to questions over Ahern's personal finances[56].


[edit] Publications

Research - NUI Maynooth's research magazine, detailing current research at the university


[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ President's Report 2008-2009
  2. ^ NUI Maynooth> About NUI Maynooth > President's Greeting
  3. ^ M195
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ [3]
  7. ^ [4]
  8. ^ [5]
  9. ^ [6]
  10. ^ [7]
  11. ^ [8]
  12. ^ [9]
  13. ^ [10]
  14. ^ Maynooth College History www.maynoothcollege.ie official website
  15. ^ a b  "Maynooth College". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Maynooth_College. 
  16. ^ Lay Catholics Educated at Maynooth College Hansard (1908)
  17. ^ Universities Act, 1997 Section 48
  18. ^ [11]
  19. ^ http://www.nuim.ie/prospective/
  20. ^ NUI Maynooth > Department of Business and Law
  21. ^ [12]
  22. ^ [13]
  23. ^ [14]
  24. ^ [[15]]
  25. ^ [16]
  26. ^ [17]
  27. ^ [18]
  28. ^ [19]
  29. ^ [20]
  30. ^ [21]
  31. ^ [22]
  32. ^ [23]
  33. ^ [24]
  34. ^ [25]
  35. ^ [26]
  36. ^ [27]
  37. ^ [28]
  38. ^ [29]
  39. ^ [30]
  40. ^ [31]
  41. ^ [32]
  42. ^ [33]
  43. ^ [34]
  44. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/sunday_times_university_guide/article4830748.ece?token=null&offset=24&page=3
  45. ^ http://communications.nuim.ie/press/130308.shtml
  46. ^ http://www.bics.ie/
  47. ^ [www.nuim.ie National University of Ireland] official website
  48. ^ Profile of John Blake Dillon (1816-1866)
  49. ^ THE ACHIEVEMENT OF DOMINIC JOHN CORRIGAN by R. A. L. Agnew Med Hist. 1965 July; 9(3): 230–240.
  50. ^ Profile of Sir Dominic Corrigan (1802-1880)
  51. ^ Conscience and Conflict, A BIOGRAPHY OF SIR DOMINIC CORRIGAN(1802-1880) by Eoin O'Brien (THE GLENDALE PRESS, DUBLIN)
  52. ^ Someone Who'll Watch Over Me - About the Author: Frank McGuinness
  53. ^ Ireland joins the Space Age By Adrian Weckler Sunday Business Post, May 05, 2002
  54. ^ Profile of Éamon de Valera (1882-1975)
  55. ^ Bertie Ahern Appointed Honorary Adjunct Professor
  56. ^ Maynooth group expresses its opposition to Ahern appointment
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