Trinity College in Dublin is one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. Founded in 1592, it was established similarly to Oxford and Cambridge. Located in the heart of Dublin on a campus of 43 acres, Trinity has played not only a central part in the history of the city but in that of Ireland as well. It is home to roughly 12,000 students.
The College itself is one of Ireland's major tourist attractions. The world famous Book of Kells is housed in the College. One of the largest in Europe, the Library receives all copyrighted material from Ireland and the UK. Permission from individual departments is required to take some courses but visiting international students will all study with matriculating Irish students as part of regular classes.
The Country and City
Ireland is a small nation that stands as the western sentinel of Europe. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, its proximity to Britain has meant a shared and often troubled history.
Getting around Ireland is easy with abundant opportunities for public transportation or car hire. Access to Europe is also cheap and easy.
Ireland is a modern country, and a member of the European Union. Dublin is not only the capital of Ireland, it is a European capital. Side by side, history stands with modern amenities. Nowhere is this truer than of Trinity College, a sixteenth-century university with a reputation as one of the finest universities in Europe today.
Trinity was founded just before the Tudor monarchy had completed extending its authority over the whole of Ireland. In 1592 a small group of Dublin citizens obtained a charter from Queen Elizabeth incorporating Trinity College juxta Dublin. The Corporation of Dublin granted lands and dilapidated buildings of the monastery of All Hallows, lying about a quarter of a mile south-east of the city walls. Two years later a few Fellows and students began to work in the new College, which then consisted of one small square. During the next fifty years, endowments were secured, new fellowships were founded, the books which formed the beginning of the great library were acquired, a curriculum was devised, and statutes were framed.
In recent years student numbers have risen well above what had come to be considered the norm. The increase in numbers has brought greater diversity, with students coming from as many as 70 countries and often spread over six continents. This change in the composition of the student body has been accompanied by a similar change in the composition of the academic staff. Since 1945 many of those appointed to the staff have come from other universities. This is one of the factors which accounts of the accelerated pace of change covering most aspects of College life.