Location, Ireland, Galway and the University

1. Ireland, Galway and the University

• 1.1 Ireland
• 1.2 Galway and the West of Ireland
• 1.3 The University

  1.1 Ireland

Ireland is an island of five million people located in the Northwest of Europe and is a member of the European Union. Long renowned for its culture, it has a strong tradition of developmental and educational links with other nations.

Almost 40% of the Irish population is under the age of twenty five. Ireland has an excellent educational infrastructure and a high rate of participation in third-level education. Its highly-skilled workforce makes Ireland an attractive location for international corporations and industrialists. Irish graduates have distinguished themselves as leaders of economic, social and cultural development in Ireland and throughout the world. NUI Galway is a leading institution in the Irish tertiary education sector.

Ireland is one of six Celtic nations with its distinctive Irish (Gaelic) culture and language. Although Irish is its first official language, English is now the most common language in daily use. However, Irish is still the first language of Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking) communities which are located mainly on the west coast of Ireland.  Click here to view a map of Galway.

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1.2 Galway and the West of Ireland

Galway, with a population of 72,000, is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and one of Europe’s fastest growing urban centres. It is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, with a thriving cultural and commercial community. Settled by the Kings of Connacht and Norman traders in the twelfth century, Galway grew steadily in the middle ages. In 1484, the English monarch, King Richard III granted the city its charter.

Traces of Galway’s rich medieval past can still be seen today in the city. The most impressive is Lynch’s Castle in Shop Street, now in daily use as a bank. At St. Nicholas Collegiate Church, according to tradition, Christopher Columbus prayed before setting out on his voyage of discovery to the ’New World’. The Spanish Arch – so named because of Galway’s maritime trade with Spain – is located close to the Claddagh – a traditional nineteenth century fishing village on the banks of the River Corrib.

Because of its dynamic and pioneering role in theatre, arts and culture, Galway has earned the title ’Cultural Capital of Ireland’. The world renowned Druid Theatre Company, the Macnas Street Theatre Company and An Taibhdhearc, the National Irish Language theatre, are all located in the city centre. The close proximity of the Connemara ’Gaeltacht’, the country’s largest Irish speaking community and location of the Irish-language television service, TG4, gives a distinctive ’Gaelic’ dimension to the cultural life of Galway.

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1.3 The University

The University was founded in 1845 as Queen’s College, Galway. It was one of three Queen’s Colleges founded under the Queen’s College (Ireland) Act, 1845, the others being located in Belfast and Cork. The College opened for students in October 1849.

By the Irish Universities Act (1908), Queen’s College, Galway became a constituent College of the new National University of Ireland, and under a new charter, the name of the College was changed to University College, Galway. In 1929, the College was given a special statutory responsibility under the University College Galway Act in respect of the use of the Irish language as a working language in the College.

Under the Universities Act, 1997, University College, Galway was reconstituted as a University, under the name of Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh / National University of Ireland, Galway, and became a Constituent University of the National University of Ireland (together with NUI Cork, NUI Dublin and NUI Maynooth).

Since the 1960s, the University has experienced significant and continuous growth, both in its stock of buildings, facilities and physical resources and also in the number of its students and staff. Its student body now numbers 17,000, with academically strong programmes of teaching and research throughout its five Colleges:

• College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
• College of Business, Public Policy and Law
  • J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics
  • School of Law
• College of Engineering and Informatics
• College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
• College of Science

The campus itself is situated on the banks of the River Corrib, close to the centre of Galway, on a most attractive site. The original mid-nineteenth century University buildings are in a Tudor architectural style. The old stone quadrangle, at the heart of the University, is flanked by new buildings, reflecting the steady growth, in quality and in numbers, of the University. 

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