Centenary Celebrations For University College Cork

Introduction
Welcome to this on line exhibition to celebrate the centenary of the establishment of University College Cork (UCC).

Queen's College, Cork, the immediate predecessor of University College, Cork opened its doors in 1849 to 117 students. The foundation of the Queen's University and its colleges at Belfast, Cork and Galway were historically, politically and socially significant. For the first time in over two hundred years education was being made available to a cross section of Irish society. The Act establishing Queen's College Cork (QCC) was passed in July 1845.

The Irish Universities Act in 1908 established the federal National University of Ireland and its constituent colleges at Cork (UCC), Dublin, (UCD), Galway (UCG) thus replacing the constituent Queen's Colleges.

The 1908 legislation gave a new name for the College, a new charter and new statutes. A Governing Body, Academic Council and a number of committees replaced the old College Council of 6 members. There was development within the academic departments with the creation of new chairs as well as physical expansion of the College with the acquisition of additional land and property.

In this exhibition we share images of some of the items preserved within the University Archives relating to the establishment and development of UCC including:

• The Letter Patent granting Charter to University College Cork, 1908
• The minutes of the first Governing Body meeting, 15 December 1908 
• The committee who drafted the Irish Universities Act 1908
• Information highlighting the contribution made to the new legislation and the development of the college by Sir Bertram Windle, President of UCC and his presidential portrait
• Images of student activities
• Photographs and documents relating to staff including an image of the first female Professor to be appointed in the British Isles,  Mary Ryan who became Professor of Romance Languages in 1910
• A series of archival images showing the physical development of the campus from the 1920s onwards

This exhibition of archival items from the University Archives has been prepared by Catriona Mulcahy, University Archivist, UCC