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The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI, Galway) can trace its existence to 1845 as Queen's College, Galway and was known until recently as University College, Galway (UCG) and is located in Galway, Ireland.

The college opened for teaching in 1849 as Queen's College, Galway with 37 professors and 91 students and a year later became a part of the Queen's University of Ireland. The Irish Universities Act, 1908 made this college 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. The university college was given special statutory responsibility under the University College, Galway Act, 1929 in respect of the use of the Irish language as the working language of the college. The university college retained the name University College, Galway until 1997 when the Universities Act, 1997 changed the name to National University of Ireland, Galway and made the college a constituent university of the National University of Ireland.

The university is located near the centre of the city and stretches along the River Corrib. The oldest part of the university, the Quadrangle, designed by John Benjamin Keane, is a replica of Christ Church, one of the colleges at the University of Oxford. The stone from which it is built was supplied locally. Newer parts of the university sprang up in the 1970s and were designed by architects Scott, Tallon, Walker. The 1990s also saw considerable development including the conversion of an old factory into a student centre and sports hall.

The Sunday Times University Guide named the university as Irish University of the Year 2002 - 2003 *.

The college boasts an active and vibrant student life, with over 40 clubs and almost 70 societies. The largest of these is the Literary & Debating Society, of which all staff and students are members. The college's Drama Society (Dramsoc) has also been long regarded as one of the most important student societies for the arts in Galway having played a part in the formation of Macnas, Druid Theatre Company and The Galway Arts Festival.

Like the other constituent universities of the National University of Ireland, the university follows the common faculty structure. The seven faculties of the university are Arts, Celtic Studies, Commerce, Engineering, Law, Medicine & Health Sciences and Science. Staff are represented by the SIPTU trade union (for academic, administrative and technical workers) and the Irish Federation of University Teachers (for academic workers only).

Since January 2006 St. Angela's College, Sligo has been a college of the National University of Ireland, Galway; it was previously a recognised college of the National University of Ireland. This change in the relationship will mean that students of St. Angela's College, Sligo will be registered as students of the National University of Ireland, Galway; whilst degrees and diplomas awarded will be those of the National University of Ireland*.

The actor Martin Sheen, who has never attended college, has announced that he will enroll at National University of Ireland, Galway, in Fall 2006. *

Presidents of the university

Societies

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "National University of Ireland, Galway".

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