University of Limerick
Encyclopedia
The University of Limerick (UL) is a university
in Ireland
near the city of Limerick
on the island's
west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education
, Limerick
and became a university
by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989. The university was the first university established since the foundation of the State
in 1922, followed later the same day by the establishment of Dublin City University
.
The university is located along the River Shannon
, on a 80 hectare (200 acre
) site in the 240 hectare (600 acre) National Technological Park at Castletroy
, 5 km from Limerick city centre. The university has currently in excess of 11,000 full-time undergraduate students and 1,500 part-time students. There are also over 800 research postgraduates and 1,300 taught postgraduate students at the university. The Co-Operative Education (commonly called Co-Op) programme allocates all students with an 8-month work placement as part of their degree. This was the first such programmes in the state.
The University is renowned for its "UL Experience", and the sheer sense of community on campus.
Professor Don Barry, a graduate of Yale University, is the current president of the university, having been appointed in 2007.
located in the city in 1845, but instead Belfast, Cork and Galway were established.
The Limerick University Project Committee was founded in September 1959 as a project of the 1957 Mayor of Limerick, Ted Russell. Another supporter, Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen
, was a High Court judge and later the first State Inspector General of Prisons and Places of Detention. Both Mr Russell and Mr Justice Kinlen were awarded honorary degree
s by the university in 2002.
The state was reluctant to found more university-level institutions, and in the late-1960s developed a policy of creating second-tier colleges which led to the foundation of the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) at Limerick, with Dr Walsh appointed as Director of the Institute on 1 January 1972. The first students were enrolled in 1972 when the institute was opened by then Taoiseach
, Jack Lynch
. In the early years the billionaire philanthropist Chuck Feeney
(through Atlantic Philanthropies
) was a major donor to the University which has received millions in direct funding through the Atlantic Philanthropies
foundation. The Shannon Development Company
was also an early supporter of the project and its influence led to the creation of the National Technological Park beside the Institute after its foundation.
In 1976 to 1977 degrees from the NIHE Limerick were awarded by the National University of Ireland
and it was a recognised college of the University for this time, from 1978 onwards the National Council for Educational Awards(NCEA) was the degree-awarding authority for the NIHE Limerick.
The College of Education was created in 1991 from the dissolved Thomond College of Education, Limerick
that shared a common campus with the university. Thomond College of Education was founded in 1973 as the National College of Physical Education, and now forms the Department of Educational and Professional Studies that focuses on secondary education
programmes. Mary Immaculate College, Limerick currently functions under the College of Education and focuses on primary education
and arts
programmes.
The history of the university during the leadership of its founding president Edward M Walsh is profiled in Dr. Walsh's 2011 memoir "Upstart: Friends Foes and Founding a University".
programme and grade point average marking. During the 1970s the limited state of Government finances led Dr. Walsh and his team to attract European Investment Bank
and World Bank
funding in addition to private and alumni donors at a time when Irish universities depended heavily on the State for funds and did not aggressively seek other avenues of finance.
In 1989 before becoming a university, the name Technological University of Limerick was seriously considered as a title for the new university, this being probably considered as a complement to the strength of the institutes courses in technology
, or a derivative name of the proposed federal National Technological University which instead lead to the University of Limerick in its own right. Until the mid-1990s it operated a trimesterised academic term
, then changed to US-style semesterisation.
In 2005 the university introduced a new corporate logo.
UL has been an active participant in the European Union's Erasmus programme since 1988 and
now has a total of 207 partner institutions in 24 European countries. In addition, UL students
may study at partner universities in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China
and Singapore.
UL formed a strategic alliance with National University of Ireland, Galway
in 2010, allowing for shared resources.
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
is also linked to the University.
representing the student body. The Union is presided over by five sabbatical officers - the President, the Education Officer, the Welfare Officer, the CSO (Campaigns and Services Officer), and the Communications Officer. Policy decisions are made by the sabbatical officers and the Class Reps Council.
The university also has a Postgraduate Students' Association, with a full-time sabbatical postgraduate president, which represents the postgraduate student body. It is one of only two Irish universities with such a position.
More information regarding Clubs and Societies can be found here - UL Clubs and Societies.
UL is ranked 4th for attracting students who attain over 500 points in the Leaving Certificate however in contrast it has one of the lowest rates of first class or 2.1 honours degrees of Irish universities. The University is the only college in Ireland awarded the maximum 5 stars for sports facilities.
UL is ranked 451-500 worldwide in the 2011 QS World University Rankings
. UL's highest QS ranking of 394 was achieved in 2008; however, most Irish universities have also seen recent drops in the rankings due to the post 2008 economic difficulties.
UL is Ireland's only university to achieve 5 Stars for "Employability" of graduates and for "Teaching" in the 2011/12 QS Stars reports.
It also received 5 Stars for "Infrastructure", "Internationalization", "Innovation", and "Engagement".
The MSSI was established in 1998 and is a national centre of excellence that generates state-of-the-art fundamental research on topics of industrial significance in the fields of surface science and materials. The research strengths and interests of MSSI reside in four areas: (i) Nanomaterials (ii) Biomaterials (iii) Composite and Glass Materials (iv) Bio/Catalysis and Clean Technology.
The Interaction Design Centre (IDC) was established in 1996 and is an interdisciplinary research group in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems focused on the design, use and evaluation of information and communications technologies. The focus is on human-centred design and work in the IDC covers a wide spectrum, from the design and evaluation of new media installations and interfaces to field studies of technology in use in different settings.
The LRC was established in 1995 as the Localisation Resources Centre at University College Dublin (UCD) and moved to the University of Limerick (UL) in 1999 where it was re-constituted as the Localisation Research Centre (LRC) as the information, research and educational centre for the localisation industry in Ireland.
The Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) is a research centre committed to conducting leading edge research on the challenges facing current and next generation enterprises. Staff associated with the centre have considerable research and practical experience in the modelling, scheduling and resource management of enterprise optimisation, design and implementation of integrated systems, product innovation and project management, and quality, reliability and productivity improvement tools.
The University hosts the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre (Lero
).Lero was established in November 2005 with support from Science Foundation Ireland’s CSET (Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology) programme. It is a collaborative organisation, embracing the software engineering research activities in the University of Limerick (UL – lead partner), Dublin City University (DCU), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD).
The Stokes Institute, originally founded by Cambridge graduate Prof. Mark Davies to work on thermofluids problems, is now a large mechanical engineering research group working not only in fluid mechanics, but also in areas such as reliability physics, microfluidic cancer diognostics and energy management. Applying its expertise to the engineering of ICT devices is a particular focus of the Institute. A spin-out from the institute, Stokes Bio, was sold to US company Life Technologies in 2010 for $44 million.
• Irish World Academy of Music and Dance — an internationally acclaimed centre for
innovation and research in music and dance performance and scholarship
• Irish Chamber Orchestra — Ireland's leading international chamber orchestra, funded by An
Chomhairle Ealaíon, The Irish Arts Council
• Daghdha Dance Company — Ireland’s leading contemporary dance company funded by An
Chomhairle Ealaíon, The Irish Arts Council
All three bodies also engage in the commissioning and performance of new Irish music and
dance.
The University is the permanent home of several Fine Art Collections. Some of its notable collections are:
The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland,
The Watercolour Society of Ireland Collection,
The Richard Wood Collection of Irish Landscape Paintings,
The O'Malley Sculpture Collection,
The Irish American Cultural Institute's O'Malley Collection, and
The Armitage Collection.
The University Concert Hall (UCH) is the University's principal venue for the performing arts it is a 1,000 seat multi-purpose venue and was the first purpose built concert hall in the country.
The Bourn Vincent Gallery is the University's principal venue for temporary exhibitions with an ancillary programme of seminars, lectures and performances. The Gallery aims to enhance enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts of both Irish and international importance. It is particularly interested in contemporary practices. Since its establishment, the Bourn Vincent Gallery has exhibited collections by August Sander, Barry and Philip Castle, a selection of pieces from Gordon Lambert’s collection and hosts the annual exhibition of new additions to the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland and ev+a each year.
The University has an active policy of commissioning and acquiring exemplary works of art.
The University's own Arts Collection includes some fine outdoor sculpture by international artists including Michael Warren, Peter Logan, Alexandra Wejchert, James McKenna, Tom Fitzpatrick, Antony Gormley and most recently Sean Scully. These sculptures have added significantly to the artistic and cultural ambience of the University.
area. In recent years, several large student apartment complexes have been built (about 15-20 mins walk from the University) under Section 50 tax incentives. The university is notable compared to other Irish universities in that a significant amount of accommodation is on-campus. There are five on-campus student villages, the most recently having been opened for residents in 2006.
The oldest is Plassey
Village, situated opposite the university's main gate. This accommodates 424 students in terraced houses consisting of either four or eight bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. It is mostly occupied by first years. It was built between 1987 and 1992 in four phases. The village boasts a village hall and many small but beautiful gardens. During the summers of 2010 and 2011 the entirely of the village's residences have been renovated. The houses are now of modern standard, with refurbished kitchens with large comfortable couches and flat screen TV's.
Kilmurry Village is the second oldest student village and is located in the east of the campus. It accommodates 540 students in six or eight bedroomed, terraced houses. It is the closest village to the University Arena, which has an Olympic standard 50 metre swimming pool. It was built between 1994 and 1997, in two phases. Minor renovations were carried out in Kilmurry during Summer 2011, mostly to the Kitchens of the residences.
Dromroe Village was completed in 2001 and is located on the south bank of the River Shannon
. The first with high rise accommodation, it houses 457 students in six, four or two bedroomed ensuite apartments.
Thomond Village was opened for the Autumn 2004 semester and comprised the first university buildings to be located on the north bank of the River Shannon, in County Clare
. It has accommodation for 504 students in six, four, two or one bedroom apartments.
Cappavilla Village is the newest student village, opened in September 2006 on the North Bank, in close proximity to the new Health Sciences Building. An extension to Cappavilla opened in September 2007.
Accommodation for students of the medical school is under construction (albeit in a halted state). This is located next to the Health Sciences Building and the soon to be Medical School.
There are many off campus student accommodations ranging in distance from the campus. Elm Park, College Court, Briarfield and Oaklawns are popular estates with a large cohort of student residences. Troy Student Village, Courtyard and Brookfield Hall are three privately managed student residences located slightly further from the campus, however it is served by a shuttle bus service.
The University Arena, located on campus, is Ireland's largest indoor sports complex. http://www.academicintl.com/city.php?
Open since 2002, it consists of the National 50m Swimming Pool which is the only water facility in Ireland which has the approval of FINA, the international swimming body, and is the first in the country to be built to Olympic standards.
The Arena's Indoor Sports Hall comprises 3,600 square metres laid out with four wood-sprung courts, catering for a variety of sports, a sprint track, an international 400m athletics track, and a 200m three-lane suspended jogging track. The facility also has a state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training centre, a weight-training room, team rooms, an aerobics studio and classroom areas. The Arena is often used by the Munster rugby team.
The €28m development was made possible through Government grant assistance of €7.6m, donations through the University of Limerick Foundation amounting to €6.9m, some €4m in contributions from students and significant commercial funding. http://www.emigrant.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16910 Each year it caters for over 500,000 customers along with many international sports athletes and teams. http://www.ulf.ie/projects/university-arena/
The University Arena hosted the 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games. The Games took place over four days from Thursday, June 9 to Sunday June 13. In what was one of the largest sporting events to take place in Ireland in 2010, 1,900 Special Olympics athletes from throughout the island of Ireland participated in the games.
All Weather Sports Complex
UL’s reputation as Ireland’s Sporting Campus was further enhanced with the development of a state-of-the-art, all-weather sports complex on the Clare Campus of the University. The new €9 million facility is the largest all-weather sports field complex in Europe. This multi-purpose, fully floodlit synthetic grass park contains third generation pitches including two soccer, one rugby and two GAA pitches. Third generation all-weather surfaces plays like natural grass and are designed for full contact. Each full-size pitch can be sub-divided to create smaller-sized playing areas for various sports. This is the largest artificial grass development in Ireland to date designed to IRB, GAA and FIFA specifications. Training and especially matches can now be accommodated in all weathers and at all times on the University of Limerick’s latest state of the art Sports facility.
Player comfort is a priority and this synthetic surface is unlike most others as it reduces the risk of injuries caused by other hard or uneven surfaces. In addition to new playing fields, the Sports Pavilion Building contains changing rooms, squad rooms and coaching rooms, together with bar, restaurant and conference facilities. The development which cost €9million, is being funded from a number of sources including income raised from the operation of the facility and from funding generated by campus based commercial activities.
The playing pitches opened in July 2011 with the Sports Pavilion expected to open in November 2011. This exciting new facility is available to the general public as well as the campus community. In addition to these developments, conventional playing fields; tennis courts; an astro-turf pitch, an outdoor athletics track, and the University Boathouse are situated on the Limerick side of the river. The boathouse facility includes Ireland's only indoor rowing tank, which can accommodate up to 8 rowers at a time. This unique feature has the capacity to simulate various water conditions providing varied training opportunities for rowers in order to achieve international standards. The building also includes a launch jetty to the river Shannon, pontoon and a café area.
), and the new library and several other buildings were built in the 1990s. The years 2000–2004 saw the addition of the Materials & Surface Science Institute (MSSI) building, Dromroe Student Village, a large sports arena and, alongside that, Ireland's first Olympic-standard 50 metre swimming pool. In 2005 the Engineering Research Building and Millstream Courtyard buildings opened in a complex near the Foundation Building.
The university is constantly expanding, with the Kemmy Business School building completed alongside the Schuman Building. This will be the first business school in the world to have a live trading floor present. Several new buildings have opening on the north bank of the River Shannon. The "University Bridge", officially opened in late 2004, provides road and pedestrian access to what is planned as a complete second "North Bank" campus. Thomond Village was the first facility on the North Bank, opening in 2004, and was followed by the Health Sciences Building in 2005. A second, pedestrian-only bridge, known as "the Living Bridge", extends between the North and South Banks from the Millstream Courtyard to the Health Sciences Building. Cappavilla Village was completed mid-2006 on the North Bank, and a building for the Irish World Music Centre (formerly located in the Foundation Building basement) was completed in January 2010. Construction of this building started in May 2007. A building for the School of Medicine is currently being built on the North Bank and a building for Architecture is being built opposite the CSIS building. The university owns more land on the north bank of the Shannon and it hopes to expand the North Bank campus to the size of the original campus.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in 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,...
near the city of Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
on the island's
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education
National Institute for Higher Education
A National Institute for Higher Education was a category of higher education institution established in the Republic of Ireland to provide higher level technical education above the standard of the then established Regional Technical College system but at university level...
, Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
and became a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989. The university was the first university established since the foundation of the State
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,...
in 1922, followed later the same day by the establishment of Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
.
The university is located along the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, on a 80 hectare (200 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
) site in the 240 hectare (600 acre) National Technological Park at Castletroy
Castletroy
Castletroy is a rapidly growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland and is the largest suburb in Munster. Its population is estimated at 40,000 as of 2010....
, 5 km from Limerick city centre. The university has currently in excess of 11,000 full-time undergraduate students and 1,500 part-time students. There are also over 800 research postgraduates and 1,300 taught postgraduate students at the university. The Co-Operative Education (commonly called Co-Op) programme allocates all students with an 8-month work placement as part of their degree. This was the first such programmes in the state.
The University is renowned for its "UL Experience", and the sheer sense of community on campus.
Professor Don Barry, a graduate of Yale University, is the current president of the university, having been appointed in 2007.
History
According to Dr Edward M Walsh, first President of the University of Limerick, the Mayor of Limerick applied to have a Queen's CollegeQueen's University of Ireland
The Queen's University of Ireland was established formally by Royal Charter on 3 September 1850, as the degree-awarding university of the Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Cork, and Galway that were established in 1845 "to afford a university education to members of all religious denominations" in...
located in the city in 1845, but instead Belfast, Cork and Galway were established.
The Limerick University Project Committee was founded in September 1959 as a project of the 1957 Mayor of Limerick, Ted Russell. Another supporter, Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen
Dermot Kinlen
Dermot Patrick Kinlen was best known for being the first inspector of prisons in Ireland. In his reports he was very critical of the way the prison service was being run and in particular of the lack of any focus on rehabilitation.He had previously been a High Court Judge, having been nominated by...
, was a High Court judge and later the first State Inspector General of Prisons and Places of Detention. Both Mr Russell and Mr Justice Kinlen were awarded honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s by the university in 2002.
The state was reluctant to found more university-level institutions, and in the late-1960s developed a policy of creating second-tier colleges which led to the foundation of the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) at Limerick, with Dr Walsh appointed as Director of the Institute on 1 January 1972. The first students were enrolled in 1972 when the institute was opened by then Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
. In the early years the billionaire philanthropist Chuck Feeney
Chuck Feeney
Charles F. Feeney , is an Irish American businessman and philanthropist and founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private foundations in the world. He made his fortune as a co-founder with Robert Warren Miller of the Duty Free Shoppers Group...
(through Atlantic Philanthropies
Atlantic Philanthropies
The Atlantic Philanthropies is a private foundation created in 1982 by US businessman Charles F. "Chuck" Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies grant-making supports health and social projects in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam...
) was a major donor to the University which has received millions in direct funding through the Atlantic Philanthropies
Atlantic Philanthropies
The Atlantic Philanthropies is a private foundation created in 1982 by US businessman Charles F. "Chuck" Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies grant-making supports health and social projects in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam...
foundation. The Shannon Development Company
Shannon Development
Shannon Development is an important regional development body for the Shannon Region of Ireland and encompases counties Clare, Limerick, and parts of Kerry, Offaly and Tipperary....
was also an early supporter of the project and its influence led to the creation of the National Technological Park beside the Institute after its foundation.
In 1976 to 1977 degrees from the NIHE Limerick were awarded by the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
and it was a recognised college of the University for this time, from 1978 onwards the National Council for Educational Awards(NCEA) was the degree-awarding authority for the NIHE Limerick.
The College of Education was created in 1991 from the dissolved Thomond College of Education, Limerick
Thomond College of Education, Limerick
Thomond College of Education, Limerick was established in 1973 in Limerick, Ireland as the National College of Physical Education to train physical education teachers...
that shared a common campus with the university. Thomond College of Education was founded in 1973 as the National College of Physical Education, and now forms the Department of Educational and Professional Studies that focuses on secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
programmes. Mary Immaculate College, Limerick currently functions under the College of Education and focuses on primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
programmes.
The history of the university during the leadership of its founding president Edward M Walsh is profiled in Dr. Walsh's 2011 memoir "Upstart: Friends Foes and Founding a University".
"Ireland's American University"
The university, and previously as the institute, synthesised many American ideas in education, including a cooperative educationCooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...
programme and grade point average marking. During the 1970s the limited state of Government finances led Dr. Walsh and his team to attract European Investment Bank
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
and World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
funding in addition to private and alumni donors at a time when Irish universities depended heavily on the State for funds and did not aggressively seek other avenues of finance.
In 1989 before becoming a university, the name Technological University of Limerick was seriously considered as a title for the new university, this being probably considered as a complement to the strength of the institutes courses in technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, or a derivative name of the proposed federal National Technological University which instead lead to the University of Limerick in its own right. Until the mid-1990s it operated a trimesterised academic term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
, then changed to US-style semesterisation.
In 2005 the university introduced a new corporate logo.
UL has been an active participant in the European Union's Erasmus programme since 1988 and
now has a total of 207 partner institutions in 24 European countries. In addition, UL students
may study at partner universities in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China
and Singapore.
UL formed a strategic alliance with National University of Ireland, Galway
National University of Ireland, Galway
The National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
in 2010, allowing for shared resources.
Organisation
Faculty
The university has four faculties, these are:- Kemmy Business SchoolKemmy Business SchoolKemmy Business School is the business school of the University of Limerick, Ireland and as such is one of the colleges of the university.The four academic departments of the school are Accounting & Finance, Economics, Management & Marketing, and Personnel & Employment Relations...
- Faculty of Education & Health Sciences (including the Graduate Medical School)
- Faculty of Science & Engineering
- Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Mary Immaculate College , also known as Mary I or MIC, is a College of Education and Liberal Arts, founded in 1898. It became academically linked to the University of Limerick in 1991. The college has approximately 3,500 students and 300 staff...
is also linked to the University.
Students
The university has a Students' UnionStudents' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
representing the student body. The Union is presided over by five sabbatical officers - the President, the Education Officer, the Welfare Officer, the CSO (Campaigns and Services Officer), and the Communications Officer. Policy decisions are made by the sabbatical officers and the Class Reps Council.
The university also has a Postgraduate Students' Association, with a full-time sabbatical postgraduate president, which represents the postgraduate student body. It is one of only two Irish universities with such a position.
Clubs and Societies
There are 60 student-run Clubs and Societies in the University, most of them are sporting clubs. The clubs are supported by the Students Union, the Sports Department and the Arts Office.More information regarding Clubs and Societies can be found here - UL Clubs and Societies.
Notable Alumni and Staff
The university has had a number of internationally notable Alumni and members of staff since its foundation- Pat CoxPat CoxPat Cox is an Irish politician and former television current affairs presenter. He was President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004 and served as a member of the European Parliament from 1989–2004....
, Irish politician, former President of the European ParliamentPresident of the European ParliamentThe President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve... - David ParnasDavid ParnasDavid Lorge Parnas is a Canadian early pioneer of software engineering, who developed the concept of information hiding in modular programming, which is an important element of object-oriented programming today. He is also noted for his advocacy of precise documentation.- Biography :Parnas earned...
, Canadian software engineering pioneer - Mícheál Ó SúilleabháinMícheál Ó SúilleabháinMícheál Ó Súilleabháin is an Irish musician. As a pianist, composer, recording artist and academic, he holds the Professorship of Music at the Irish World Music Centre of the University of Limerick...
, Irish musician and pianist - Nika Gilauri, Current Prime Minister of Georgia
- Jean ButlerJean ButlerJean Butler , is an Irish American Irish dancer, choreographer, and occasional actress. She is best known for originating the principal female role in the Irish dance company Riverdance.-Personal life and education:...
, co-choreographer and dancer of RiverdanceRiverdanceRiverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
fame - Eddie O'SullivanEddie O'SullivanEddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....
, former Ireland rugby coach - Pat SpillanePat SpillanePatrick Gerard Spillane , better known as Pat Spillane, is a retired Gaelic footballer and well known Irish sports pundit. He played Gaelic football with his local club Templenoe and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1991...
, GAA commentator and former Kerry football player - Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald is an Irish politician, the current Vice President of Sinn Féin and a Teachta Dála for Dublin Central...
, Vice President of Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
and TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Dublin Central. - Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Limerick City constituency.Before becoming a full-time public representative, O'Donnell worked as an accountant. He is nephew of former Minister and TD for Limerick East Tom O'Donnell.O'Donnell was an...
, TD - Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan-Club:Deenihan had much success at club and divisional level with his local teams. At under-age level he won an under-14 North Kerry Championship with Finuge in 1963. Five years later in 1968 he won an under-16 North Kerry Championship with the famous Listowel Emmet's club...
TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht - Willie O'DeaWillie O'DeaWillie O'Dea is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a Teachta Dála for the Limerick City constituency. He served as the Minister for Defence from September 2004 until 18 February 2010, when he resigned from his post due to controversy over a defamation case.-Early and private life:O'Dea was born...
, TD - Breandán de GallaíBreandán de GallaíBreandán de Gallaí is a professional Irish dancer, who is most famous for his lead role in Riverdance....
, Riverdance lead (Now principal dance instructor ) - External examiner for University - John O’Grady, is Managing Director, Americas Region and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company
- Niall O’Connor, is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Apple Inc.
- Shane Murphy, hand model, radio presenter and former Kerry hurler
- Enda Dowling, journalist at the Laois Nationalist
- Mick Dore, star of mtv's Geordie Shore
Rankings
UL has one the highest employment rates for its students in Ireland, perhaps due to the Co-operative Education programme.UL is ranked 4th for attracting students who attain over 500 points in the Leaving Certificate however in contrast it has one of the lowest rates of first class or 2.1 honours degrees of Irish universities. The University is the only college in Ireland awarded the maximum 5 stars for sports facilities.
UL is ranked 451-500 worldwide in the 2011 QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
. UL's highest QS ranking of 394 was achieved in 2008; however, most Irish universities have also seen recent drops in the rankings due to the post 2008 economic difficulties.
UL is Ireland's only university to achieve 5 Stars for "Employability" of graduates and for "Teaching" in the 2011/12 QS Stars reports.
It also received 5 Stars for "Infrastructure", "Internationalization", "Innovation", and "Engagement".
Science and Engineering
- Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI)
The MSSI was established in 1998 and is a national centre of excellence that generates state-of-the-art fundamental research on topics of industrial significance in the fields of surface science and materials. The research strengths and interests of MSSI reside in four areas: (i) Nanomaterials (ii) Biomaterials (iii) Composite and Glass Materials (iv) Bio/Catalysis and Clean Technology.
- Interaction Design Centre (IDC)
The Interaction Design Centre (IDC) was established in 1996 and is an interdisciplinary research group in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems focused on the design, use and evaluation of information and communications technologies. The focus is on human-centred design and work in the IDC covers a wide spectrum, from the design and evaluation of new media installations and interfaces to field studies of technology in use in different settings.
- Localisation Resources Centre (LRC)
The LRC was established in 1995 as the Localisation Resources Centre at University College Dublin (UCD) and moved to the University of Limerick (UL) in 1999 where it was re-constituted as the Localisation Research Centre (LRC) as the information, research and educational centre for the localisation industry in Ireland.
- Enterprise Research Centre (ERC)
The Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) is a research centre committed to conducting leading edge research on the challenges facing current and next generation enterprises. Staff associated with the centre have considerable research and practical experience in the modelling, scheduling and resource management of enterprise optimisation, design and implementation of integrated systems, product innovation and project management, and quality, reliability and productivity improvement tools.
- Irish Software Engineering Research Centre (LERO)
The University hosts the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre (Lero
Lero (software engineering)
Lero , Republic of Ireland, was established in 2005 as a Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Science Engineering and Technology , being one of nine such centres established by the Irish Government in various areas of science and engineering.- Overview :Lero’s first Centre Director was Professor...
).Lero was established in November 2005 with support from Science Foundation Ireland’s CSET (Centre for Science, Engineering and Technology) programme. It is a collaborative organisation, embracing the software engineering research activities in the University of Limerick (UL – lead partner), Dublin City University (DCU), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD).
- Stokes Institute
The Stokes Institute, originally founded by Cambridge graduate Prof. Mark Davies to work on thermofluids problems, is now a large mechanical engineering research group working not only in fluid mechanics, but also in areas such as reliability physics, microfluidic cancer diognostics and energy management. Applying its expertise to the engineering of ICT devices is a particular focus of the Institute. A spin-out from the institute, Stokes Bio, was sold to US company Life Technologies in 2010 for $44 million.
The arts
The University fosters the arts and is currently home to the:• Irish World Academy of Music and Dance — an internationally acclaimed centre for
innovation and research in music and dance performance and scholarship
• Irish Chamber Orchestra — Ireland's leading international chamber orchestra, funded by An
Chomhairle Ealaíon, The Irish Arts Council
• Daghdha Dance Company — Ireland’s leading contemporary dance company funded by An
Chomhairle Ealaíon, The Irish Arts Council
All three bodies also engage in the commissioning and performance of new Irish music and
dance.
The University is the permanent home of several Fine Art Collections. Some of its notable collections are:
The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland,
The Watercolour Society of Ireland Collection,
The Richard Wood Collection of Irish Landscape Paintings,
The O'Malley Sculpture Collection,
The Irish American Cultural Institute's O'Malley Collection, and
The Armitage Collection.
The University Concert Hall (UCH) is the University's principal venue for the performing arts it is a 1,000 seat multi-purpose venue and was the first purpose built concert hall in the country.
The Bourn Vincent Gallery is the University's principal venue for temporary exhibitions with an ancillary programme of seminars, lectures and performances. The Gallery aims to enhance enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts of both Irish and international importance. It is particularly interested in contemporary practices. Since its establishment, the Bourn Vincent Gallery has exhibited collections by August Sander, Barry and Philip Castle, a selection of pieces from Gordon Lambert’s collection and hosts the annual exhibition of new additions to the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland and ev+a each year.
The University has an active policy of commissioning and acquiring exemplary works of art.
The University's own Arts Collection includes some fine outdoor sculpture by international artists including Michael Warren, Peter Logan, Alexandra Wejchert, James McKenna, Tom Fitzpatrick, Antony Gormley and most recently Sean Scully. These sculptures have added significantly to the artistic and cultural ambience of the University.
Accommodation
Many of the housing districts in close proximity to the University are in the majority populated by students, especially in the adjacent CastletroyCastletroy
Castletroy is a rapidly growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland and is the largest suburb in Munster. Its population is estimated at 40,000 as of 2010....
area. In recent years, several large student apartment complexes have been built (about 15-20 mins walk from the University) under Section 50 tax incentives. The university is notable compared to other Irish universities in that a significant amount of accommodation is on-campus. There are five on-campus student villages, the most recently having been opened for residents in 2006.
The oldest is Plassey
Plassey, County Limerick
Plassey is an area of County Limerick on the River Shannon, near Castletroy and Limerick, not to be confused with the Plassey estate in County Clare owned by Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive...
Village, situated opposite the university's main gate. This accommodates 424 students in terraced houses consisting of either four or eight bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. It is mostly occupied by first years. It was built between 1987 and 1992 in four phases. The village boasts a village hall and many small but beautiful gardens. During the summers of 2010 and 2011 the entirely of the village's residences have been renovated. The houses are now of modern standard, with refurbished kitchens with large comfortable couches and flat screen TV's.
Kilmurry Village is the second oldest student village and is located in the east of the campus. It accommodates 540 students in six or eight bedroomed, terraced houses. It is the closest village to the University Arena, which has an Olympic standard 50 metre swimming pool. It was built between 1994 and 1997, in two phases. Minor renovations were carried out in Kilmurry during Summer 2011, mostly to the Kitchens of the residences.
Dromroe Village was completed in 2001 and is located on the south bank of the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
. The first with high rise accommodation, it houses 457 students in six, four or two bedroomed ensuite apartments.
Thomond Village was opened for the Autumn 2004 semester and comprised the first university buildings to be located on the north bank of the River Shannon, in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
. It has accommodation for 504 students in six, four, two or one bedroom apartments.
Cappavilla Village is the newest student village, opened in September 2006 on the North Bank, in close proximity to the new Health Sciences Building. An extension to Cappavilla opened in September 2007.
Accommodation for students of the medical school is under construction (albeit in a halted state). This is located next to the Health Sciences Building and the soon to be Medical School.
There are many off campus student accommodations ranging in distance from the campus. Elm Park, College Court, Briarfield and Oaklawns are popular estates with a large cohort of student residences. Troy Student Village, Courtyard and Brookfield Hall are three privately managed student residences located slightly further from the campus, however it is served by a shuttle bus service.
Ireland's Sporting Campus
University ArenaThe University Arena, located on campus, is Ireland's largest indoor sports complex. http://www.academicintl.com/city.php?
Open since 2002, it consists of the National 50m Swimming Pool which is the only water facility in Ireland which has the approval of FINA, the international swimming body, and is the first in the country to be built to Olympic standards.
The Arena's Indoor Sports Hall comprises 3,600 square metres laid out with four wood-sprung courts, catering for a variety of sports, a sprint track, an international 400m athletics track, and a 200m three-lane suspended jogging track. The facility also has a state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training centre, a weight-training room, team rooms, an aerobics studio and classroom areas. The Arena is often used by the Munster rugby team.
The €28m development was made possible through Government grant assistance of €7.6m, donations through the University of Limerick Foundation amounting to €6.9m, some €4m in contributions from students and significant commercial funding. http://www.emigrant.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16910 Each year it caters for over 500,000 customers along with many international sports athletes and teams. http://www.ulf.ie/projects/university-arena/
The University Arena hosted the 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games. The Games took place over four days from Thursday, June 9 to Sunday June 13. In what was one of the largest sporting events to take place in Ireland in 2010, 1,900 Special Olympics athletes from throughout the island of Ireland participated in the games.
All Weather Sports Complex
UL’s reputation as Ireland’s Sporting Campus was further enhanced with the development of a state-of-the-art, all-weather sports complex on the Clare Campus of the University. The new €9 million facility is the largest all-weather sports field complex in Europe. This multi-purpose, fully floodlit synthetic grass park contains third generation pitches including two soccer, one rugby and two GAA pitches. Third generation all-weather surfaces plays like natural grass and are designed for full contact. Each full-size pitch can be sub-divided to create smaller-sized playing areas for various sports. This is the largest artificial grass development in Ireland to date designed to IRB, GAA and FIFA specifications. Training and especially matches can now be accommodated in all weathers and at all times on the University of Limerick’s latest state of the art Sports facility.
Player comfort is a priority and this synthetic surface is unlike most others as it reduces the risk of injuries caused by other hard or uneven surfaces. In addition to new playing fields, the Sports Pavilion Building contains changing rooms, squad rooms and coaching rooms, together with bar, restaurant and conference facilities. The development which cost €9million, is being funded from a number of sources including income raised from the operation of the facility and from funding generated by campus based commercial activities.
The playing pitches opened in July 2011 with the Sports Pavilion expected to open in November 2011. This exciting new facility is available to the general public as well as the campus community. In addition to these developments, conventional playing fields; tennis courts; an astro-turf pitch, an outdoor athletics track, and the University Boathouse are situated on the Limerick side of the river. The boathouse facility includes Ireland's only indoor rowing tank, which can accommodate up to 8 rowers at a time. This unique feature has the capacity to simulate various water conditions providing varied training opportunities for rowers in order to achieve international standards. The building also includes a launch jetty to the river Shannon, pontoon and a café area.
Expansion
The Foundation Building, including the University Concert Hall (now home to the Irish Chamber OrchestraIrish Chamber Orchestra
The Irish Chamber Orchestra is a Irish classical music ensemble, administratively based at the University of Limerick. The ICO primarily gives concerts at the University Concert Hall, Limerick and at the RDS Concert Hall, Dublin...
), and the new library and several other buildings were built in the 1990s. The years 2000–2004 saw the addition of the Materials & Surface Science Institute (MSSI) building, Dromroe Student Village, a large sports arena and, alongside that, Ireland's first Olympic-standard 50 metre swimming pool. In 2005 the Engineering Research Building and Millstream Courtyard buildings opened in a complex near the Foundation Building.
The university is constantly expanding, with the Kemmy Business School building completed alongside the Schuman Building. This will be the first business school in the world to have a live trading floor present. Several new buildings have opening on the north bank of the River Shannon. The "University Bridge", officially opened in late 2004, provides road and pedestrian access to what is planned as a complete second "North Bank" campus. Thomond Village was the first facility on the North Bank, opening in 2004, and was followed by the Health Sciences Building in 2005. A second, pedestrian-only bridge, known as "the Living Bridge", extends between the North and South Banks from the Millstream Courtyard to the Health Sciences Building. Cappavilla Village was completed mid-2006 on the North Bank, and a building for the Irish World Music Centre (formerly located in the Foundation Building basement) was completed in January 2010. Construction of this building started in May 2007. A building for the School of Medicine is currently being built on the North Bank and a building for Architecture is being built opposite the CSIS building. The university owns more land on the north bank of the Shannon and it hopes to expand the North Bank campus to the size of the original campus.
Notable campus developments
- 1972 – Physical Education and Sport Sciences Building (originally home to Thomond College of Education)
- 1974 – Main Building Phase 1A - Block A and B
- 1978 – SchrödingerErwin SchrödingerErwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger was an Austrian physicist and theoretical biologist who was one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, and is famed for a number of important contributions to physics, especially the Schrödinger equation, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933...
Building - 1984 – Main Building Phase 1B - Block C (extended in 1996), D and E
- 1985–99 – Student Centre (including the Students' Union building)
- 1992 – Robert SchumanRobert SchumanRobert Schuman was a noted Luxembourgish-born French statesman. Schuman was a Christian Democrat and an independent political thinker and activist...
Building - 1993 – Foundation Building (containing the University Concert Hall)
- 1996 – Kathleen LonsdaleKathleen LonsdaleDame Kathleen Lonsdale, DBE FRS was a crystallographer, who established the structure of benzene by X-ray diffraction methods in 1929, and hexachlorobenzene by Fourier spectral methods in 1931...
Building - 1997 – GlucksmanLewis GlucksmanLewis L. Glucksman was a former Lehman Brothers trader and former chief executive officer and chairman of Lehman Brothers, Kuhn, Loeb Inc.-Life:...
Library & Information Services Building - 1999 – Computer Science Building
- 2000–01 – University Arena
- 2002 – MSSI Building
- 2005 – Engineering Research Building and Millstream Courtyard
- 2005 – Health Sciences Building
- 2007 – Pedestrian Living Bridge
- 2007 – Jim KemmyJim KemmyJim Kemmy was an Irish socialist politician from Limerick, who started his political career in the Labour Party...
Business School - 2008 – University of Limerick Boathouse (Student-funded - storage and training space for Rowing, Kayak, Mountain Bike and Sub-aqua clubs)
- 2008 - The Irish Chamber Orchestra Building
- 2009 – Languages Building
- 2009 - Academy of World Music & Dance
- 2011 – School of Medicine (Graduate Entry)
- 2011 - Lero and IEC Building
See also
- University of Limerick Debating Union
- University of Limerick Students' UnionUniversity of Limerick Students' UnionThe University of Limerick Students' Union is the representative body for all students at the University of Limerick, situated in Limerick, Ireland-History:The National Institute for Higher Education was founded in Limerick in 1972...
- Education in the Republic of IrelandEducation in the Republic of IrelandThe levels of education in Ireland are primary, secondary and higher education. In recent years further education has grown immensely. Growth in the economy since the 1960s has driven much of the change in the education system. Education in Ireland is free at all levels, including college , but...
- List of universities in the Republic of Ireland