University of Galway has this week announced a series of creative initiatives to mark a milestone anniversary in its history - the university is celebrating 175 years since the arrival of its first students in 1849.
The first cohort of students walked through the archway into the the Quadrangle at midday on October 30, 1849, to begin their study, four years after the University was founded in 1845 as Queen’s College Galway.
In 1849, 68 students passed their matriculation exams and progressed on to studies in 21 subjects ranging from Greek to logic and metaphysics in the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Law, and in the schools of Civil Engineering and Agriculture.
To mark the anniversary, University of Galway has launched a number of initiatives under the banner A Legacy of Learning: 1849-2024, celebrating the college's history, biodiversity, and its graduates.
Mighty oaks from little acorns
Among the initiatives, staff, students and alumni are being invited to “adopt an oak” from the campus. Some 68 oak saplings - one to remember each one of our first students - have been identified on campus, having grown from acorns hidden in the grounds by the local population of jays. One will be planted to the rear of the Quadrangle and the rest are offered to staff, students and alumni to plant in their own gardens, to enhance biodiversity and to symbolise the legacy of 175 years of Galway students.
This project is a cross-campus collaboration, led by Dr Caitríona Carlin from the university's Applied Ecology Unit and Diarmaid Mahon, supervisor of landscaping and grounds, with the support of environmental science students.
Historic photo re-enactment
Drawing on a number of heritage collections the university’s library, the library team have compiled a selection of photos of students and the campus from the earliest years of the university. To mark the continuing legacy of learning, a competition has been launched asking students to recreate one of these historic photos, or situate it in a contemporary setting.
University library in 100 objects
The university library has launched an exhibition to spotlight 100 objects from its collections, which represent both the working practice of librarians over the decades, and its unique and rare archives and special collections. The library’s history and development can be viewed through the prism of these objects, which were drawn together through a project led by Marie Boran, special collections librarian, and include images from books, manuscripts, archival collections, letters, photographs, newspaper issues, library furniture, stationery and artefacts. This exhibition is now open to the public in the foyer of the Hardiman Building.
Celebrating graduate authors
Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop in Galway city centre is renowned for its creative window displays. As part of the A Legacy of Learning programme, a display of books written by Galway graduates over the decades has been created to celebrate the impact of students and scholars over 175 years.
Find out more about these initiatives by visiting: www.universityofgalway.ie/ourhistory “At the height of the Great Irish Famine, a moment of profound social and ecological crisis, 68 students began their education at our university, with the courage to hope for a better life and the desire to play their part in improving the world," said Professor Peter McHugh, interim president of University of Galway.
“The students of today, including the 3,368 who registered to commence their first year of undergraduate study with us this year, are carrying on that long tradition of courage, hope and desire. Our Legacy of Learning anniversary celebrates those intentions and the pursuit of excellence in teaching, learning and research.”
Over the pasat 175 years, University of Galway has grown to accommodate 20,000 students from more than 100 countries.
University of Galway was established by the Colleges (Ireland ) Act in 1845. The university was first known as Queen’s College Galway and, along with it its sister colleges in Cork and Belfast, was established to provide non-denominational university education to Ireland’s emerging middle class.
The Quadrangle building, built in local limestone in a Tudor Gothic architectural style, is modelled on Christ Church at the University of Oxford. The construction was a Famine relief project.
