St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Encyclopedia
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college
and seminary
are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College of St Patrick by an Act of Grattan's Parliament in 1795. Mr. Thomas Pelham
, the Secretary of State, introduced his Bill for the foundation of a Catholic college, and this was enacted by Parliament.
There are in 2011 approximately 75 men studying for the priesthood at Maynooth: 68 resident seminarians and some non residents. It is now the only major seminary in Ireland. Degrees are awarded by the Pontifical University at Maynooth, which was established by a Pontifical Charter
of 1896. The Pontifical Charter entitles the university to grant degrees in canon law
, philosophy
and theology
.
The college is associated with the separate National University of Ireland, Maynooth
.
(William Rokeby
), for a license to found and endow a college at Maynooth: the College of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The present college was created in the 1790s against the background of the upheaval during the French Revolution
and the gradual removal of the penal laws
. Until this time a significant number of Irish Catholic priests were educated on the European continent, particularly in France.
The college was established on 5 June 1795 (35 Geo III, cap. 21) as The Royal College of St Patrick, by act of the Parliament of Ireland
, to provide "for the better education of persons professing the popish or Roman Catholic religion". The College in Maynooth was originally established to provide a university education for Catholic lay and ecclesiastical students, the lay college was based in Riverstown House on the south campus from 1802. With the opening of Clongowes Wood in 1814, the lay college (which had lay trustees) was closed and the college functioned solely as a Catholic seminary for almost 150 years.
The college was particularly intended to provide for the education of Catholic priests in Ireland, who until this Act had to go to the continent for training. The added value in this was the reduction of the number of priests returning from training in revolutionary France (with whom Britain was at war) thus hindering potential revolution. The value to the government was proved by the condemnation by the Catholic Church hierarchy of the 1798 rebellion
and later support for the Act of Union.
In 1800, John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne
, died and left a substantial fortune to the College. Butler had been a Roman Catholic, and Bishop of Cork, who had embraced Protestantism
in order to marry and guarantee the succession to his hereditary title. However, there were no children to his marriage and it was alleged that he had been reconciled to the Catholic Church at his death. Were this the case, a penal law
demanded that the will
was invalid and his wealth would pass to his family. Much litigation followed before a negotiated settlement in 1808 that led to the establishment of a Dunboyne scholarship fund.
The land was donated by William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster
, who had argued in favour of Catholic Emancipation in the Irish House of Lords
. He lived nearby at Carton
and also at Leinster House
. The building work was paid for by the British Government; parliament continued to give it an annual grant until the Irish Church Act 1869. When this law was passed the College received a capital sum of £369,000. The trustees invested 75% of this in mortgages to Irish landowners at a yield of 4.25% or 4.75% per annum. This would have been considered a secure investment at that time but agitation for land reform and the depression of the 1870s eroded this security. The largest single mortgage was granted to the Earl of Granard
. Accumulated losses on these transactions reached £35,000 by 1906.
The first building to go up on this site was designed by, and named after, John Stoyte
; Stoyte House, which can still be seen from the entrance to the old campus, is a well-known building to Maynooth students and stands very close to the very historic Maynooth Castle
. Over the next 15 years, the site at Maynooth underwent rapid construction so as to cater for the influx of new students, and the buildings which now border St Joseph's Square (to the rear of Stoyte House) were completed by 1824.
The Rev. Dr. Laurence F. Renehan
(1797–1857, a noted antiquarian, church historian, and cleric, served as president of St Patrick's from 1845 until 1857. Under Renehan, many of the college's most important buildings were constructed by Augustus Pugin
.
The museum in Maynooth College contains many items from the college's history, including ecclesiastical artifacts and scientific apparatus such as that of the physicist Nicholas Callan
. Nicholas Callan figure in the study of electromagnetism, inventing the Induction Coil
and Maynooth Battery. Callan is buried in the college grounds.
, the College received a higher annual grant from the British Government, as well as a sum for repairs. In 1845, the British government under Robert Peel
increased the annual grant to Maynooth College from £9,000 to £26,000, and provided a capital grant of £30,000 for building extensions again. However this was controversial as Roman Catholics saw it as a bribe, while most Protestants were not in favour of the government funding Roman Catholic education. For example the Anti-Maynooth Conference was hosted in London in May 1845 by Conservatives, evangelical Anglicans and the Protestant Association to campaign against the Maynooth Grant.
, and later offered Royal University of Ireland
degrees in arts and science. Even after the granting of the Pontifical Charter in 1896 the college became a recognised college of the National University of Ireland
in 1910, and from this time its arts and science degrees were awarded by the National University of Ireland. However during this time the Pontifical University of Maynooth continued to confer its degrees, as theology degrees were prohibited in the Royal University of Ireland, and its successor the National University of Ireland until 1997.
In 1966 after a gap of nearly 150 years lay students entered the college again, these being the members of lay religious order
s, and in 1968 all laity
where accepted; by 1977 they outnumbered religious students. Finally in 1997 the Universities Act, 1997 was passed by the Oireachtas
. Chapter IX of the Act provided for the creation of the separate National University of Ireland, Maynooth
. This new university was created from the college's faculties
of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy, and Science.
In 1994, W. J. Smyth, BA, PhD, LLD, was appointed to the position of Master of St Patrick's College Maynooth (NUI). In 1997 this position was converted into President of NUIM. After his 10-year term ended in 2004, he was replaced by Professor John Hughes as president of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
Sigerson Cup
for the first time and won it in 1976. They also participate in the Hurling
competition, the Fitzgibbon Cup
and won it in 1974 and 1974. The Soccer team competes in the FAI
's Collingwood Cup
. The College won the inaugural Irish higher education quiz show on RTÉ, Challenging Times
(based on University Challenge
), winning again in 1992 and as NUIM in 1999.
Arthur James Plunkett and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
. One of the side effects of the act to disestablish the Church of Ireland, was that Maynooth's governance and funding changed, leaving only the Bishops on the board of trustees.(Vic., C.25)
In its early years, Maynooth was involved in many controversies with the Government, initially over the education of Catholics, then over funding and the influence or otherwise perceived to accrue to being beholden to the English government. Since Irish Independence the converse would be somewhat through as to the influence of Maynooth and its trained clergy in the Irish Society, Maynooth would have been seen as being the venue of power of the clergy since the bishops held their conferences there. The foundation of the NUI also excluded members of Maynooth from its governing body as to limit the control of the Clergy over education.
The Oath which was supposed to be compulsory until 1862, was evaded by many of the students, some feigning sickness, some repeating the words improperly, and others exercising a mental reservation but all treat it lightly.
The college was also technically banned by the British government from admitting a Protestant or son of a Protestant, this was to assure parliament and more ardent Protestants that the college would not be converting Protestants to the catholic faith.
(1860–1916) was dismissed in 1909 from his position as Professor of Irish, for his conduct in the controversy over Irish as a matriculation subject for the new National University of Ireland
. He was supported by such Maynooth figures as College President Daniel Mannix
and Professor of Theology Walter McDonald
(1854–1920).
In 'An Linn Bhuí' the Irish language journal of Co Waterford, Dr O'Hickey's home county, Mícheál Briody, Lecturer at The Languages Centre, Helsinki University, Finland, shows us that Dr O'Hickey was a prominent member of The Gaelic League and fiercely in favour of compulsory Irish for the new University of Ireland, whereas Dr Mannix who was then President of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, together with most of the Catholic bishops, was opposed. This was the cause of Dr O'Hickey's sacking. As Briody points out, the Senate of the new University one year after Dr O'Hickey's sacking, agreed to Irish being compulsory for matriculation and not long after that Dr Mannix was posted as Archbishop to Melbourne, Australia, against his own will. Mannix however, later became a strong supporter of Irish Republicanism and something of a thorn in the side of the authorities both ecclesiastical and civil, in Australia as well as Britain.
was conferred is now legally considered to be a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth
. The college continues to share its campus with National University of Ireland, Maynooth but remains a separate legal entity with training in canon law, philosophy and theology and awards the degrees of the Pontifical University and is associated with several other colleges. Pontifical University undergraduate students can take there degree in Theology or Philosophy along with an Arts subject from the National Univeristy.
From October 2011 all academic awards from the Pontifical Univeristy of Maynooth are aligned to the Irish National Framework of Qualifications
by the NQAI
.
As part of the Erasmus
university exchange programme, Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth has bilateral agreements with Faculties of Theology in Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain(Salamanca
and Switzerland(Freiburg).
In 2011 the college had 68 resident seminarians and a small number of non-resident seminarians travelling in by day for lectures. There are approximately 80 post-graduate students of theology and 250 undergraduate philosophy and theology students who are registered as full time students of the college. Up to 120 further students are registered on courses validated by the college including permanent diaconate programmes and partnership programmes with the National Liturgy Institute,Dominican Biblical Institute
Limerick, ACCORD, Kairos and others. A further 6 Irish seminarians currently study in St. Malachy's Seminary
in Belfast
(the only other Catholic seminary in Ireland) and maintain close links with their counterparts in Maynooth.
Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College of St Patrick by an Act of Grattan's Parliament in 1795. Mr. Thomas Pelham
Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester
Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester PC, PC , FRS , styled The Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1768 until 1783, The Right Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1783 to 1801, and then known as Lord Pelham until 1805, was a British Whig politician...
, the Secretary of State, introduced his Bill for the foundation of a Catholic college, and this was enacted by Parliament.
There are in 2011 approximately 75 men studying for the priesthood at Maynooth: 68 resident seminarians and some non residents. It is now the only major seminary in Ireland. Degrees are awarded by the Pontifical University at Maynooth, which was established by a Pontifical Charter
Pontifical university
A pontifical university is a Catholic University established by and directly under the authority of the Holy See. It is licensed to grant academic degrees in sacred faculties, the most important of which are Sacred Theology, Canon Law, Sacred Scripture and...
of 1896. The Pontifical Charter entitles the university to grant degrees in canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
The college is associated with the separate National University of Ireland, Maynooth
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
The National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
.
History
The town of Maynooth, Co. Kildare, was the seat of the Fitzgeralds, Earls of Kildare. The ivy-covered tower attached to St Mary's Protestant Church is all that remains of the ancient college of St Mary of Maynooth which was founded and endowed by Gerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1518, the 9th Earl presented a petition to the then Archbishop of DublinArchbishop of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....
(William Rokeby
William Rokeby
William Rokeby was a leading statesman and cleric in early sixteenth-century Ireland, who held the offices of Bishop of Meath, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland...
), for a license to found and endow a college at Maynooth: the College of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution
The dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution is a conventional description of the results of a number of separate policies, conducted by various governments of France between the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the Concordat of 1801, forming the basis of the later and...
and the gradual removal of the penal laws
Penal Laws (Ireland)
The term Penal Laws in Ireland were a series of laws imposed under English and later British rule that sought to discriminate against Roman Catholics and Protestant dissenters in favour of members of the established Church of Ireland....
. Until this time a significant number of Irish Catholic priests were educated on the European continent, particularly in France.
The college was established on 5 June 1795 (35 Geo III, cap. 21) as The Royal College of St Patrick, by act of the Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
, to provide "for the better education of persons professing the popish or Roman Catholic religion". The College in Maynooth was originally established to provide a university education for Catholic lay and ecclesiastical students, the lay college was based in Riverstown House on the south campus from 1802. With the opening of Clongowes Wood in 1814, the lay college (which had lay trustees) was closed and the college functioned solely as a Catholic seminary for almost 150 years.
The college was particularly intended to provide for the education of Catholic priests in Ireland, who until this Act had to go to the continent for training. The added value in this was the reduction of the number of priests returning from training in revolutionary France (with whom Britain was at war) thus hindering potential revolution. The value to the government was proved by the condemnation by the Catholic Church hierarchy of the 1798 rebellion
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
and later support for the Act of Union.
In 1800, John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne
John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne
John Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne was an Irish clergyman and aristocrat, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork. In order to advance his temporal title, he became, , the only authenticated apostate in the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland.-Early life:...
, died and left a substantial fortune to the College. Butler had been a Roman Catholic, and Bishop of Cork, who had embraced Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in order to marry and guarantee the succession to his hereditary title. However, there were no children to his marriage and it was alleged that he had been reconciled to the Catholic Church at his death. Were this the case, a penal law
Penal law
In the most general sense, penal is the body of laws that are enforced by the State in its own name and impose penalties for their violation, as opposed to civil law that seeks to redress private wrongs...
demanded that the will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
was invalid and his wealth would pass to his family. Much litigation followed before a negotiated settlement in 1808 that led to the establishment of a Dunboyne scholarship fund.
The land was donated by William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster
William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster
William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, etc. KP, PC was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London.-Career:...
, who had argued in favour of Catholic Emancipation in the Irish House of Lords
Irish House of Lords
The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from mediaeval times until 1800. It was abolished along with the Irish House of Commons by the Act of Union.-Function:...
. He lived nearby at Carton
Carton House
Carton House was one of Ireland's greatest stately homes and one time ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster. Located west of Dublin, in Maynooth, County Kildare, the Carton demesne runs to 1,100 acres . For two hundred years it possessed the finest example in Ireland of a...
and also at Leinster House
Leinster House
Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
. The building work was paid for by the British Government; parliament continued to give it an annual grant until the Irish Church Act 1869. When this law was passed the College received a capital sum of £369,000. The trustees invested 75% of this in mortgages to Irish landowners at a yield of 4.25% or 4.75% per annum. This would have been considered a secure investment at that time but agitation for land reform and the depression of the 1870s eroded this security. The largest single mortgage was granted to the Earl of Granard
Earl of Granard
Earl of Granard is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1684 for Arthur Forbes, 1st Viscount Granard. He was a Lieutenant-General in the army and served as Marshal of the Army in Ireland after The Restoration and was later Lord Justice of Ireland...
. Accumulated losses on these transactions reached £35,000 by 1906.
The first building to go up on this site was designed by, and named after, John Stoyte
John Stoyte
John Stoyte was an Officer of the British Army, recognized for his service in Peninsula and the Battle of Waterloo.He joined the army on March 21, 1811, as an Ensign. He was present at the Battle of Badajoz on April 6th...
; Stoyte House, which can still be seen from the entrance to the old campus, is a well-known building to Maynooth students and stands very close to the very historic Maynooth Castle
Maynooth Castle
Maynooth Castle is a castle in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.The castle was built before the middle of the 13th century and was the home of the Fitzgerald family from 1176 until the 1534 rebellion of Silken Thomas, the son of the ninth Earl of Kildare...
. Over the next 15 years, the site at Maynooth underwent rapid construction so as to cater for the influx of new students, and the buildings which now border St Joseph's Square (to the rear of Stoyte House) were completed by 1824.
The Rev. Dr. Laurence F. Renehan
Laurence F. Renehan
Rev. Dr. Laurence F. Renehan was an Irish Roman Catholic priest. He served as president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth in County Kildare, Ireland, from 1845 through 1857. Rev. Dr. Laurence F. Renehan (1797-1857) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest. He served as president of St Patrick's College,...
(1797–1857, a noted antiquarian, church historian, and cleric, served as president of St Patrick's from 1845 until 1857. Under Renehan, many of the college's most important buildings were constructed by Augustus Pugin
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
.
The museum in Maynooth College contains many items from the college's history, including ecclesiastical artifacts and scientific apparatus such as that of the physicist Nicholas Callan
Nicholas Callan
Father Nicholas Joseph Callan was an Irish priest and scientist from Darver, Co. Louth, Ireland. He was Professor of Natural Philosophy in Maynooth College near Dublin from 1834, and is best known for his work on the induction coil....
. Nicholas Callan figure in the study of electromagnetism, inventing the Induction Coil
Induction coil
An induction coil or "spark coil" is a type of disruptive discharge coil. It is a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current supply...
and Maynooth Battery. Callan is buried in the college grounds.
Maynooth Grant
Following the controversy regarding the Maynooth GrantMaynooth Grant
The Maynooth Grant was a major British political controversy of the 1840s which arose partly due to the general anti-Irish and anti-Catholic feelings of the British population....
, the College received a higher annual grant from the British Government, as well as a sum for repairs. In 1845, the British government under Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
increased the annual grant to Maynooth College from £9,000 to £26,000, and provided a capital grant of £30,000 for building extensions again. However this was controversial as Roman Catholics saw it as a bribe, while most Protestants were not in favour of the government funding Roman Catholic education. For example the Anti-Maynooth Conference was hosted in London in May 1845 by Conservatives, evangelical Anglicans and the Protestant Association to campaign against the Maynooth Grant.
Expansion
In 1876 the college became a constituent college of the Catholic University of IrelandCatholic University of Ireland
The Catholic University of Ireland was a Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland and was founded in 1851 following the Synod of Thurles in 1850, and in response to the Queen's University of Ireland and its associated colleges which were nondenominational...
, and later offered Royal University of Ireland
Royal University of Ireland
The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of...
degrees in arts and science. Even after the granting of the Pontifical Charter in 1896 the college became a recognised college of 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...
in 1910, and from this time its arts and science degrees were awarded by the National University of Ireland. However during this time the Pontifical University of Maynooth continued to confer its degrees, as theology degrees were prohibited in the Royal University of Ireland, and its successor the National University of Ireland until 1997.
In 1966 after a gap of nearly 150 years lay students entered the college again, these being the members of lay religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
s, and in 1968 all laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
where accepted; by 1977 they outnumbered religious students. Finally in 1997 the Universities Act, 1997 was passed by the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
. Chapter IX of the Act provided for the creation of the separate National University of Ireland, Maynooth
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
The National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
. This new university was created from the college's faculties
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy, and Science.
In 1994, W. J. Smyth, BA, PhD, LLD, was appointed to the position of Master of St Patrick's College Maynooth (NUI). In 1997 this position was converted into President of NUIM. After his 10-year term ended in 2004, he was replaced by Professor John Hughes as president of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
Timeline
- 1518 - Garret Óg Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, founded the College of St Mary, in Maynooth
- 1535 - College of St. Mary confiscated as part of Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's religious policies - 1795 - The Royal College of St Patrick established on 5 June 1795 (35 Geo III, cap. 21)
- 1798 - United Irishmen Rebellion, out of 69 students, 18 were expelled for taking the Oath to the United Irishmen
- 1800 - Act of Union 1800Act of Union 1800The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
results in the transfer of Maynooth grant from Dublin to London - 1800 - John Butler, 12th Baron DunboyneJohn Butler, 12th Baron DunboyneJohn Butler, 12th Baron Dunboyne was an Irish clergyman and aristocrat, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork. In order to advance his temporal title, he became, , the only authenticated apostate in the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland.-Early life:...
died - 1801 - First lay college suppressed
- 1802 - Second lay college opens in Riverstown Lodge
- 1808 - Dunboyne Establishment case settled between the Maynooth Trustees and Butler family
- 1817 - Second lay college closed
- 1845 - Maynooth grant increased
- 1847 - The Great Famine
- 1862 - Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown no longer compulsory for students and staff
- 1869-71 - Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland by the British parliament (promoted by GladstoneWilliam Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
), Maynooth was disendowed, and the lay trustees left the board. - 1876 - Maynooth became a constituent college of the Catholic University of IrelandCatholic University of IrelandThe Catholic University of Ireland was a Catholic university in Dublin, Ireland and was founded in 1851 following the Synod of Thurles in 1850, and in response to the Queen's University of Ireland and its associated colleges which were nondenominational...
- 1880 - Royal University of IrelandRoyal University of IrelandThe Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of...
founded - 1896 - Maynooth granted Pontifical UniversityPontifical universityA pontifical university is a Catholic University established by and directly under the authority of the Holy See. It is licensed to grant academic degrees in sacred faculties, the most important of which are Sacred Theology, Canon Law, Sacred Scripture and...
status by Papal Charter from Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903... - 1903 - King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited the college on 24 July 1903
- 1908 - National University of IrelandNational University of IrelandThe 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...
founded - 1909 - Royal University of Ireland dissolved
- 1910 - St. Patrick's College. Maynooth officially became a recognised college of the National University of IrelandNational University of IrelandThe 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...
- 1911 - Coronation Visit of King George V to the Royal College of St Patrick, Maynooth
- 1966 - Lay students in religious orders admitted
- 1968 - All lay students admitted
- 1970 - Department of Biology founded as part of the Faculty of Science
- 1976 - Higher Education Central Applications Office (CAOCaoCao or CaO may refer to:*CaO, the chemical formula for Calcium oxide*Cao *Cao *Cao , a Chinese vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty...
) founded - 1987 - Department of Computer Science founded as part of the Faculty of Science
- 1996 - Third level fees abolished by the Irish Government
- 1997 - National University of Ireland, MaynoothNational University of Ireland, MaynoothThe National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
founded from the faculties of Science, Arts and Celtic studies, with the faculties of Philosophy, Canon Law and Theology remaining as St. Patrick's College, degrees awarded by the Pontifical University. - 2011 - Alignment of all Pontifical Univeristy of Maynooth academic awards with the National Framework of QualificationsNational Framework of QualificationsThe National Framework of Qualifications is a system used to describe levels of educational qualifications in Ireland. Responsibility for maintaining and developing the framework lies with the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland....
by the NQAINational Qualifications Authority of IrelandThe National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or NQAI was set up under the Qualifications Act, 1999 to develop and promote the implementation of a National Framework of Qualifications across education and training in Ireland.-The Authority's role:The Authority’s principal tasks are as...
.
Student activities
Students of Maynooth have participated in a variety of inter-varsity competitions. In 1972 Maynooth entered the Gaelic FootballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
Sigerson Cup
Sigerson Cup
The Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
for the first time and won it in 1976. They also participate in the Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
competition, the Fitzgibbon Cup
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup the championship for top division of university hurling in Ireland. It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
and won it in 1974 and 1974. The Soccer team competes in the FAI
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
's Collingwood Cup
Collingwood Cup
Collingwood Cup is the main soccer competition competed for by teams from the Irish universities. The Collingwood was donated by Bertram James Collingwood O.B.E., MD., professor of physiology in University College Dublin and nephew of Charles Dodgson ., UCD won the inaugural Intervarsities...
. The College won the inaugural Irish higher education quiz show on RTÉ, Challenging Times
Challenging Times
Challenging Times was a quiz show for teams representing higher education institutes in Ireland, both those in the Republic of Ireland and those in Northern Ireland...
(based on University Challenge
University Challenge
University Challenge is a British quiz programme that has aired since 1962. The format is based on the American show College Bowl, which ran on NBC radio from 1953 to 1957, and on NBC television from 1959 to 1970....
), winning again in 1992 and as NUIM in 1999.
Emblem
St. Patrick's Flag is used as the emblem of the college, and the flag has flown above Stoyte House, a new logo was used for the build up and since the bicentennial of the college based on the Gothic buildings.Governance of Maynooth College
From its foundation 1795 Maynooth had been governed by a board of Clerical (the catholic bishops of Ireland) and lay trustees appointed by the government. The lay trustees were prominent Catholic Lords, such as the Earl of FingallEarl of Fingall
Baron Killeen and Earl of Fingall were titles in the Peerage of Ireland. Baron Fingall was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
Arthur James Plunkett and the Lord Chancellor of Ireland
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
. One of the side effects of the act to disestablish the Church of Ireland, was that Maynooth's governance and funding changed, leaving only the Bishops on the board of trustees.(Vic., C.25)
Library
The oldest part of the library is the Russell Library, designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and completed in 1861. The John Paul II Library was opened in 1983 and in November 2010 the construction of a third library building was begun.Buildings
The historic buildings of Maynooth.- Stoyte House - dating from 1780, originally the home of the steward of the Leinster estate.
- St. Joseph's Square
- Dunboyne House
- Humanity House
- New House - completed in 1809 (rebuilt after burning down during the 1940s)
- St. Mary's Square
- St. Mary's
- St. Patrick's
- Russell Library - designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and completed in 1861.
- Pugin Hall
- Aula MaximaAula Maxima, MaynoothAula Maxima is a theatre building in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. It was built in 1893.Aula Maxima comes from Latin, meaning Great Hall. The building is also known simply as "The Aula"...
- opened in 1893, was the gift to his Alma Mater of the Right Rev. Mgr. MacMahonMacMahon-People:*Aline MacMahon, an American actress*Bernard MacMahon, an Irish bishop*Brian MacMahon, a British-American epidemiologist*Bryan MacMahon, a Judge of the Irish Circuit Court*Hugh MacMahon, an Irish bishop...
of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C. - Riverstown House - used by the lay college from 1801-1817.
- Logic House - Mathematics Department (NUIM) and Mathematical Physics Department (NUIM).
- Rhetoric House - History,Geography and Economic Departments.
- Loftus Halls (usually where examinations take place)
- Columba Centre
- Staff Dining Hall
- Museum - the museum houses many beautiful ecclesiastical and scientific artifacts.
- John Paul II Library - was opened in 1983
- St Mary's (Church of Ireland) - was the chapel for the Fitzgeralds, later incorporated into the outer wall of the College.
Presidents of Maynooth College
- Reverend Thomas HusseyThomas Hussey (bishop)Bishop Thomas Hussey was a diplomat, chaplain, and Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore from 1797 until his death in 1803...
, DD, FRS (25 June 1795) - Reverend Peter Flood, DD (17 January 1798)
- Reverend Andrew Dunne, DD (24 February 1803)
- Reverend Patrick Byrne, DD (27 June 1807)
- Reverend Patrick Everard, DD (29 June 1810)
- Most Reverend Daniel Murray, DD (Coadjutor to the Archbishop of Dublin) (29 June 1812)
- Reverend Bartholomew Crotty, DD (13 November 1813)
- Reverend Michael Slattery BA(Dub) (19 June 1832)
- Reverend Michael Montague, DD (25 June 1834)
- Reverend Laurence Renehan, DD (25 June 1845)
- Reverend Charles W Russell, DD (20 October 1857)
- Reverend William J WalshWilliam Joseph WalshWilliam Joseph Walsh served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin from July 3, 1885 until his death in 1921. He was born in 11 Essex Quay in Dublin. He was educated at St. Laurence O’Toole Seminary School, Harcourt St., Dublin, the Catholic University of Ireland and St. Patrick's College,...
, DD (22 June 1880) - Reverend Robert Browne, DD (7 October 1885)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Denis Gargan, DD(9 October 1894)
- Reverend Daniel MannixDaniel MannixDaniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
, DD (13 October 1903) - Rt Reverend John F Hogan, DD (8 October 1912)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor James MacCaffrey, PhD (8 October 1918)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor John D'Alton, MA, DD, DLitt (23 June 1936)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Edward Kissane, DD, LSS, DLitt, PA (23 June 1942)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Gerard Mitchell, DD (23 June 1959)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Patrick Corish, MA, DD (23 November 1967)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Jeremiah Newman, MA, DPh, LLD (8 October 1968)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Tomás Ó Fiaich, MA, LicScHist (12 June 1974)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Michael Olden, BA, BD, DHistEccl (26 September 1977)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Míceál LedwithMichael LedwithMiceal Ledwith was Catholic priest of the Diocese of Ferns in County Wexford from 1967 to 2005. After a promising academic start he was promoted rapidly and served for a time as President of St Peter's Diocescan College in Wexford...
, BA, LPh, DD (13 March1985) - Rt Reverend Monsignor Matthew O'Donnell, MA, BD, DPh.(22 June 1994)
- Rt Reverend Monsignor Dermot FarrellDermot FarrellMonsignor Dermot Pius Farrell was born in Castletown-Geoghegan, County Westmeath in 1955. He was educated at St Finian’s College, Mullingar and St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Now an independent affiliate of the newly constituted Maynooth College of the N.U.I., St. Patrick's houses both the...
, BSc, DD (9 December 1996) - Rt Reverend Monsignor Hugh Connolly, BA, DD (1 September 2007)
In its early years, Maynooth was involved in many controversies with the Government, initially over the education of Catholics, then over funding and the influence or otherwise perceived to accrue to being beholden to the English government. Since Irish Independence the converse would be somewhat through as to the influence of Maynooth and its trained clergy in the Irish Society, Maynooth would have been seen as being the venue of power of the clergy since the bishops held their conferences there. The foundation of the NUI also excluded members of Maynooth from its governing body as to limit the control of the Clergy over education.
Oath of Allegiance
As part of the bill on which Maynooth College was founded students and trustees of the college were supposed to take an Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown, this was part of the reason why some clerical students would not attend since the perceived sponsor by a foreign government, or pledging allegiance to a Protestant Head of state and head of the Anglican church.The Oath which was supposed to be compulsory until 1862, was evaded by many of the students, some feigning sickness, some repeating the words improperly, and others exercising a mental reservation but all treat it lightly.
The college was also technically banned by the British government from admitting a Protestant or son of a Protestant, this was to assure parliament and more ardent Protestants that the college would not be converting Protestants to the catholic faith.
The Famine
Maynooth College seemed to fare quite well during famine times with only one death reported. The good agricultural land and revenue acquired helped the college, and as a result many ordinary people resented their apparent prosperity whilst most of the country was devastated by potato blight and starvation.Michael O'Hickey
Irish language activist and scholar Dr. Michael O'HickeyMichael O'Hickey
Michael O'Hickey was an Irish Catholic priest and professor of Irish at Maynooth College and an Irish language campaigner....
(1860–1916) was dismissed in 1909 from his position as Professor of Irish, for his conduct in the controversy over Irish as a matriculation subject for the new 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...
. He was supported by such Maynooth figures as College President Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
and Professor of Theology Walter McDonald
Walter McDonald
Walter Clifton McDonald was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Liberal-Progressive from 1949 to 1959....
(1854–1920).
In 'An Linn Bhuí' the Irish language journal of Co Waterford, Dr O'Hickey's home county, Mícheál Briody, Lecturer at The Languages Centre, Helsinki University, Finland, shows us that Dr O'Hickey was a prominent member of The Gaelic League and fiercely in favour of compulsory Irish for the new University of Ireland, whereas Dr Mannix who was then President of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, together with most of the Catholic bishops, was opposed. This was the cause of Dr O'Hickey's sacking. As Briody points out, the Senate of the new University one year after Dr O'Hickey's sacking, agreed to Irish being compulsory for matriculation and not long after that Dr Mannix was posted as Archbishop to Melbourne, Australia, against his own will. Mannix however, later became a strong supporter of Irish Republicanism and something of a thorn in the side of the authorities both ecclesiastical and civil, in Australia as well as Britain.
Current status
Any student of the college, prior to the passing of the Universities Act, 1997, upon whom a degree of the National University of IrelandNational 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...
was conferred is now legally considered to be a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth
National University of Ireland, Maynooth
The National University of Ireland, Maynooth , was founded by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is Ireland's second oldest university, having been formed from St Patrick's College, Maynooth, itself founded in 1795.The university is...
. The college continues to share its campus with National University of Ireland, Maynooth but remains a separate legal entity with training in canon law, philosophy and theology and awards the degrees of the Pontifical University and is associated with several other colleges. Pontifical University undergraduate students can take there degree in Theology or Philosophy along with an Arts subject from the National Univeristy.
From October 2011 all academic awards from the Pontifical Univeristy of Maynooth are aligned to the Irish National Framework of Qualifications
National Framework of Qualifications
The National Framework of Qualifications is a system used to describe levels of educational qualifications in Ireland. Responsibility for maintaining and developing the framework lies with the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland....
by the NQAI
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland or NQAI was set up under the Qualifications Act, 1999 to develop and promote the implementation of a National Framework of Qualifications across education and training in Ireland.-The Authority's role:The Authority’s principal tasks are as...
.
As part of the Erasmus
Erasmus Programme
The Erasmus Programme , a.k.a. Erasmus Project is a European Union student exchange programme established in 1987...
university exchange programme, Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth has bilateral agreements with Faculties of Theology in Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain(Salamanca
Pontifical University of Salamanca
The Pontifical University of Salamanca is a private, catholic university, located in Salamanca, Spain, and campus in Salamanca and Madrid.- History :...
and Switzerland(Freiburg).
In 2011 the college had 68 resident seminarians and a small number of non-resident seminarians travelling in by day for lectures. There are approximately 80 post-graduate students of theology and 250 undergraduate philosophy and theology students who are registered as full time students of the college. Up to 120 further students are registered on courses validated by the college including permanent diaconate programmes and partnership programmes with the National Liturgy Institute,Dominican Biblical Institute
Dominican Biblical Institute
The Dominican Biblical Institute is a biblical research center in Limerick, Ireland.-Mission:The Dominican Province of Ireland founded the DBI in 2000 to engage in advanced biblical research, training and teaching....
Limerick, ACCORD, Kairos and others. A further 6 Irish seminarians currently study in St. Malachy's Seminary
St. Malachy's College
St. Malachy's College is the oldest Roman Catholic grammar school in the province of Ulster, and one of the oldest in Ireland.The college was founded in 1833 by Bishop William Crolly, about 50 years after the repeal of the penal laws, which had outlawed, among other things, the celebration of the...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
(the only other Catholic seminary in Ireland) and maintain close links with their counterparts in Maynooth.
See also
- 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
Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Further reading
- Healy, JohnJohn Healy (archbishop)The Most Reverend John Healy was an Irish clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Clonfert from 1896 to 1903 and Archbishop of Tuam from 1903 to 1918....
(1895) Maynooth College; its centenary history. xxiv, 774 p. Dublin: Browne & Nolan
External links
- St Patrick's College - Official web site