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Special Collection - One Isle

Our Legacy

UCD was founded in 1854, with St John Henry Newman as our founding Rector. We rapidly grew in scale and impact, and UCD staff, students and graduates were central to the events leading to Irish independence and the foundation of the Irish State just over a century ago. Since then, our university and our community have had an unparalleled impact on the transformative development of Ireland. Our graduates have achieved extraordinary success around the world, from Olympic gold medals to the Nobel Prize, leading some of the largest companies in the world, leading in public life, and leading cultural and societal transformations.

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UCD Today

UCD is at the heart of Ireland’s vibrant economy, culture and society as the country’s largest and most influential university, with over 38,000 students from over 150 countries and over 300,000 alumni around the world. We are Ireland’s global university, the largest English Speaking university in the European Union, and an active partner in the Una Europa university alliance and other major university networks. We are a leader in research and innovation across our broad range of disciplines. Our 133-hectare main Dublin campus is among the finest parkland campuses in the world and a resource treasured by many. Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion has been recognised through the Athena Swan Silver Award, and we are ranked first in Ireland and 49th worldwide for sustainability

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Living in Dublin and Ireland

Dublin is a vibrant global city and the national capital of a European Union member state. With a population of about 1.3 million people, Dublin is a truly global city offering a great quality of life. Steeped in history, Dublin is a hub for creativity and culture with vibrant local arts, theatrical, musical and sporting activities.

As a modern English-speaking nation at the heart of Europe, with a can-do, innovative, and adaptable attitude, Ireland is seen as a great place to do business and is home to many leading global companies; including 8 of the top 10 financial services companies, 14 of the top 15 medical technology companies, the top 5 industrial automation companies and the top 5 global software companies.

Dublin enjoys a scenic landscape of mountains on one side and the sea on another. A quick trip can take you away from the daily routine of urban life and into the fresh air and tranquil surroundings of Dublin’s natural environment.

The main UCD Belfield campus is located in a beautiful 133-hectare parkland setting 6 km from Dublin’s city centre, including a number of fine period houses. The campus is home to a rich array of biodiversity, supported by 40 acres of woodland with more than 50,000 trees, over 8 km of woodland paths and numerous lakes, watercourses and naturalised areas. The management of biodiversity on campus is focused on sustaining and strengthening our wonderful natural environment for the benefit of our current University community and for future generations to come. 

The campus also has a wide range of academic, research, sporting, leisure, and residential facilities. Sporting facilities include a 50m swimming pool, state-of-the-art gymnasium, multiple field sport pitches and facilities, the national hockey stadium and the UCD Bowl, home to UCD Football Club. UCD has recently opened UCD Village, a state of the art social space for students. The UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business is situated in historic buildings in the coastal town of Blackrock in Dublin. UCD Lyons Farm, the research and teaching farm, is located on the border of Dublin and Co. Kildare.

For further information on Ireland and on Dublin please visit:

www.idaireland.com

www.enterprise-ireland.com

www.Dublin.ie

UCD Ad Astra Fellows

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7777 |