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About NUI Maynooth
History of NUI Maynooth
In 1795 Grattan's Parliament passed an Act which created an academy "for the better education of persons professing the popish or Roman Catholic religion". The new College, under the influence of the Duke of Leinster was to be founded in Maynooth and in time it became not only Ireland's national seminary, but also the largest seminary in the world.
In 1896 St Patrick's College Maynooth attained the status of a Pontifical University for its courses in Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law. Following the foundation of The National University of Ireland, Maynooth became a Recognised College of that federal structure in 1910. In 1966 St Patrick's College opened its doors to lay students and its population grew rapidly over the next three decades. In 1997 the Faculties of Arts, Science, Celtic Studies and Philosophy were united in a newly established constituent university of the National University of Ireland.
NUI Maynooth is today a rapidly developing non-denominational university centre of some 8,800 students. Its traditional core strengths have been augmented by new developments in Finance, Computer Science, Software Engineering and Electronic Engineering. It sees itself as an institution which links a rich history with a distinct mission in a rapidly developing modern Ireland.