Trinity Hall, Dublin
Encyclopedia
Trinity Hall is the main extramural hall of residence for students of the University of Dublin
, Trinity College
in Dublin, Ireland
. It is located on Dartry Road in Dartry
near Rathmines
, about three miles south of the College.
), on land which had originally been intended for use as a 'bridewell' or house of correction
for vagrants. The land, located to the west of Trinity, was sold to the College by Dublin Corporation
for the sum of £30 on condition that it be converted for educational use. A Master was appointed, buildings were constructed, and the site was used for teaching and residence by students from 1617 onwards.
However, during the course of the 1641 Rebellion
the site was occupied by poor people from the city. The hall having fallen into decay (which the College at the time could not afford to repair), Trinity discontinued its teaching there, causing the Corporation to seek that the site revert to their ownership on the grounds that the agreements for its use were not being upheld. The situation was resolved by John Stearne
, a medical doctor
and senior fellow
at Trinity, who arranged to have the hall repaired without further expense to the College in return for himself being made its President and for the site being redesignated for the sole use of physicians. The daughter college thus founded in 1654 eventually received a royal charter
as the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
in 1667, and in the years following Stearne's death it gained virtual independence from Trinity.
The grounds comprising the current Trinity Hall first came under the College's ownership in 1908 when a house named 'Glen-na-Smoil' was purchased in Dartry
as a move towards establishing a hall of residence for women. Much of the funds came from donations by the Chancellor, Lord Iveagh
, and Frederick Purser, a senior fellow, as well as almost all of the fees paid by female Oxford
and Cambridge
students (the so-called steamboat ladies
) for conferral of University of Dublin degrees under the system of ad eundem gradum recognition that exists between the three universities (Oxford and Cambridge not permitting female students to receive degrees for their study at the time). The site was extended in 1910 with the donation of the adjacent Palmerston House and its grounds by John Griffith
, who renamed it Purser House in memory of the then-deceased Purser, a relative of his.
The hall continued as a residence for females until the 1970s, when the first men were admitted.
By the 21st century, there was a focus on housing first year undergraduates, with a smaller number of places set aside for second year students and postgraduates (House 86).
In 2004 a controversial €95m project to hugely increase the number of bedspaces at Trinity Hall opened to students. This allowed Trinity Hall to accommodate over 1000 students, rather than the 180 it had up until then. The modern residence comprises 12 separate houses (numbered 80 - 91, continuing on from the numbering system used on the Trinity College campus itself), in 3 blocks, each house featuring around 10-20 apartments. Most accommodate five to six people, but there are some single apartments for staff. The older house (Cunningham House / House 79)is still in use. It contains older single study bedrooms, where each apartment accommodates 14 people.
The rooms in Trinity Hall are allocated by the warden, on behalf of the Provost (Of TCD). The warden and assistant wardens are also responsible for ensuring discipline in residents. The warden lives, with their family, on the Trinity Hall site. The current warden is Mr. Brendan Tangney.
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
, Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in Dublin, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is located on Dartry Road in Dartry
Dartry
Dartry is a suburb of Dublin. Among the locations in Dartry are Dartry Road, Temple Road, Orwell Park, and Palmerston Park.-Dartry Road:In the part of Dartry Road between Palmerston Park and Temple Road is located Trinity Hall, the most prominent student residence for students of the University of...
near Rathmines
Rathmines
Rathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
, about three miles south of the College.
History
The first extramural hall established by Trinity College under the name Trinity Hall was located near Hoggen Green (now College GreenCollege Green
College Green is a three-sided "square" in the centre of Dublin. On its northern side is a building known today as the Bank of Ireland which until 1800 was Ireland's Parliament House. To its east stands Trinity College Dublin, the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. To its south...
), on land which had originally been intended for use as a 'bridewell' or house of correction
House of Correction
The house of correction was a type of establishment built after the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law , places where those who were "unwilling to work", including vagrants and beggars, were set to work. The building of houses of correction came after the passing of an amendment to the Elizabethan...
for vagrants. The land, located to the west of Trinity, was sold to the College by Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
for the sum of £30 on condition that it be converted for educational use. A Master was appointed, buildings were constructed, and the site was used for teaching and residence by students from 1617 onwards.
However, during the course of the 1641 Rebellion
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
the site was occupied by poor people from the city. The hall having fallen into decay (which the College at the time could not afford to repair), Trinity discontinued its teaching there, causing the Corporation to seek that the site revert to their ownership on the grounds that the agreements for its use were not being upheld. The situation was resolved by John Stearne
John Stearne
John Stearne was an associate of Matthew Hopkins, a witchhunter active during the English Civil War. Stearne was known at various times as the witch–hunter, and "witch pricker". A family man and land owner from Lawshall near Bury St Edmunds, Stearne was 10 years older than Hopkins. He met...
, a medical doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and senior fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
at Trinity, who arranged to have the hall repaired without further expense to the College in return for himself being made its President and for the site being redesignated for the sole use of physicians. The daughter college thus founded in 1654 eventually received a royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
as the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland , was founded in 1654 and is a postgraduate medical organisation comprising Members and Fellows...
in 1667, and in the years following Stearne's death it gained virtual independence from Trinity.
The grounds comprising the current Trinity Hall first came under the College's ownership in 1908 when a house named 'Glen-na-Smoil' was purchased in Dartry
Dartry
Dartry is a suburb of Dublin. Among the locations in Dartry are Dartry Road, Temple Road, Orwell Park, and Palmerston Park.-Dartry Road:In the part of Dartry Road between Palmerston Park and Temple Road is located Trinity Hall, the most prominent student residence for students of the University of...
as a move towards establishing a hall of residence for women. Much of the funds came from donations by the Chancellor, Lord Iveagh
Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh
Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, KP, GCVO, FRS was an Irish philanthropist and businessman.-Public life:...
, and Frederick Purser, a senior fellow, as well as almost all of the fees paid by female Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
students (the so-called steamboat ladies
Steamboat ladies
Steamboat ladies was the name given to those female students at the women's colleges of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge who between the years 1904 and 1907 were conferred with ad eundem University of Dublin degrees at Trinity College, Dublin, at a time when their own universities refused...
) for conferral of University of Dublin degrees under the system of ad eundem gradum recognition that exists between the three universities (Oxford and Cambridge not permitting female students to receive degrees for their study at the time). The site was extended in 1910 with the donation of the adjacent Palmerston House and its grounds by John Griffith
John Griffith (engineer)
Sir John Purser Griffith was an Irish civil engineer.John Griffith was educated at Trinity College Dublin and gained a license in civil engineering in 1868. He served a two year apprenticeship under Dr Bindon Blood Stoney, the Engineer in Chief of the Dublin Port and Docks, before working as...
, who renamed it Purser House in memory of the then-deceased Purser, a relative of his.
The hall continued as a residence for females until the 1970s, when the first men were admitted.
By the 21st century, there was a focus on housing first year undergraduates, with a smaller number of places set aside for second year students and postgraduates (House 86).
In 2004 a controversial €95m project to hugely increase the number of bedspaces at Trinity Hall opened to students. This allowed Trinity Hall to accommodate over 1000 students, rather than the 180 it had up until then. The modern residence comprises 12 separate houses (numbered 80 - 91, continuing on from the numbering system used on the Trinity College campus itself), in 3 blocks, each house featuring around 10-20 apartments. Most accommodate five to six people, but there are some single apartments for staff. The older house (Cunningham House / House 79)is still in use. It contains older single study bedrooms, where each apartment accommodates 14 people.
The rooms in Trinity Hall are allocated by the warden, on behalf of the Provost (Of TCD). The warden and assistant wardens are also responsible for ensuring discipline in residents. The warden lives, with their family, on the Trinity Hall site. The current warden is Mr. Brendan Tangney.