The Catholic University of Ireland was created as a Roman Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland and was founded in 1851 in response to the Queen's University of Ireland and its associated colleges which were considered "godless colleges". On May 18 1854 the Catholic University of Ireland was formally established with five faculties of law, letters, medicine, philosophy and theology with John Henry (later) Cardinal Newman as the Rector. Lectures commenced on November 3 1854, and a year later the Catholic University Medical School commenced lectures for medical students. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A professor giving a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath),is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin region. ... John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (February 21, 1801—August 11, 1890), English cardinal, was born in London, the eldest son of John Newman, banker, of the firm of Ramsbottom, Newman and Co. ... The word rector (ruler, from the Latin regere) has a number of different meanings. ...

The Catholic University however was neither a recognised university so far as the civil authorities were concerned nor offered recognised degrees, however its constitent college, the Catholic University Medical School was successful as the recognition of its graduates by chartered institutions ensured its success. Newman was not very successful in establishing the new university although one would have to say that it was an almost impossible task for him. Newman left the university in 1857 and after this it went into a serious decline. The situtation changed in 1880 when the recognised Royal University of Ireland came into effect and students of the Catholic University were entitled to sit the Royal University examinations and recieve its degrees.

The Catholic University consisted of a number of constitutent colleges, for instance St Patrick's College, Maynooth was a constitutent college, as well as an early University College Dublin - the medical school remained the most successful constituent college of the university. In 1908 the Catholic University essentially came to an end with the creation of the National University of Ireland and the schools of the Catholic University were reconstitued under a chartered University College Dublin, including the medical school. St Patricks College, Maynooth is the National Seminary for Ireland, a college and seminary often called Maynooth College located at Maynooth, 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 significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ...

See also

• Pontifical University of Maynooth

St Patricks College, Maynooth is the National Seminary for Ireland, a college and seminary often called Maynooth College located at Maynooth, Ireland. ...

External links

• University Church
• Article from The Catholic Encyclopedia