Pages 6 & 7

6

the power to give degrees prevented most of the professional faculties
from making any progress. But there was a quick and permanent
success in Medicine, which indeed became the main strength of the
University.

After Newman's departure the Catholic University continued, always
looking to the day when the government might afford it, by means of
a charter, the chance of real expansion. In 1861-2 the charter seemed
not far off, and plans were made for a great university building on a
site of Drumcondra.¹ In July 1862 the foundation-stone was solemnly
laid, in the presence of thousands of people from all over Ireland and
many from abroad; no less than ten American bishops were there.
But the charter was withheld, and on that foundation-stone no second
stone was ever laid. For twenty years more the University struggled
on, its staff growing old, and annual collection declining, and students,
except in the Medical School, becoming fewer.

II. ROYAL UNIVERSITY AND JESUIT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, 1883-1909

In 1879 the British Government, still curbed by non-conformist
opinion, found a means of conceding something to the teachers and
students of the Catholic University, without going so far as to recognise
the University. The Royal University was founded, an undenominational
body which did not teach but held examinations for degrees, and
which maintained fellowships. To make use of these great practical
benefits, the Arts section of the Catholic University was in 1883 turned
into a College and given the now-familiar name of University College,
Dublin; and its administration, together with the University houses
and those who remained of Newman's staff, was put in the charge of
the Jesuit Fathers. The situation for the next twenty-five years was
that University College was a private institution, of which however the
staff could hold Royal University fellowships and the students gain
Royal University degrees. The Jesuit University College was not large
(it never went beyond 200 students), but it was compact and well
managed; its students in competition witih those of the fully established

¹ It is interesting to note that the 1861 site was just exactly as far from St. Stephen's Green as
Belfield is. As transport then was, Drumcondra was much more remote, even from the city
centre, than Belfield is under modern conditions.

7

Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Cork and Galway, carried off the great
majority of the Royal University prizes. This part of our College
history is known to the world at large by the name of one of the professors, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and of one of the students, James Joyce.
Meanwhile the Medical School, keeping up the name of the Catholic
University, continued on its own, and flourished; its numbers were
greater than those of University College. Perhaps the most famous
name of the Medical School is that of Ambrose Birmingham, Professor
of Anatomy from 1886 to 1904. The solid success of these two institutions,
limited though each was in its scope, greatly reinforced the plea
of the Bishops and of the Irish Party that there should be a new
institution in Dublin, properly recognised and endowed, capable of
fulfilling the larger plan which the Catholic University, under impossible conditions, had at least gallantly attempted.

III. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, 1909-59

At the opening of the new century ceaseless Irish pressure, in and
out of Parliament, compelled another attempt to settle the university
question. The Bishops still wished for a state-endowed Catholic
University in Dublin; but it was certain that a large section of British
opinion, which had long resisted this, would not now permit it. The
Bishops' second choice had a better chance of realisation - a new College, Catholic in general atmosphere as Trinity was Protestant, in an enlarged
and reformed University of Dublin. Such a scheme was recommended
in 1907 by the majority of the Fry Commission (Baron Palles, D.J.
Coffey, Dougals Hyde, Raleigh of Oxford, Jackson of Cambridge). But
when Mr. Bryce prepared legislation to give effect to this majority
report, Trinity College, though some of its members held more liberal
views, reacted very strongly and appealed to British opinion in a "Hands
off Trinity" campaign. Mr. Bryce gave place to Mr. Birrell, who
adopted a line of less resistance, and created a federal National University
with its headquarters in Dublin and constituent teaching Colleges in
Dublin, Cork and Galway (these later were the old Queen's Colleges).
The identity of place, and the fact that the Dublin College is numerically
two-thirds of the University, have been ever since a source of confusion;

6
The power to give degrees prevented most of the professional faculties
from making any progress. But there was a quick and permanent
sucess in Medicine, which indeed became the main strength of the
University.

After Newman's departure the Catholic University continued, always
looking to the day when the government might afford it, by means of
a charter, the chance of real expansion. In 1861-2 the charter seemed
not far off, and plans were made for a great university building on a
site of Drumcondra.1 In July 862 the foudation-stone was solemnly
laid, in the presence of thousands of people from all over Ireland and
many from abroad; no less than ten American bishops were there.
But the charter was withheld, and on that foundation-stone no second
stone was ever laid. For twenty years more the University struggled
on, its staff growing old, and annual collection declining, and students,
except in the Medical School, becoming fewer.

II. Royal Univerity and Jesuit University College, 1883-1909

In 1879 the British Bovernement, still curbed by non-conformist
opinion, found a means of conceding something to the teachers and
students of the Catholic University, without going so fas as to recognize
the University . The Royal University was founded, an undenomina-
tional body which did not teach but held examinations for degrees, and
which maintained fellowships. To make use of these great practical
benefits, the Arts section of the Catholic University was in 1883 turned
into a College and given the non-familiar name of University College,
Dublin; and its adinistration, together with the University houses
and those who remained of Newman's staff, was put in the charge of
the Jesuit Fathers. The situation for the next twenty-five years was
that University College was a private institution, of which however the
staff could hold Royal University fellowships and the students gain
Royal University degrees. The Jesuit University College was not large
(it never went beyond 200 students), but it was compact and well
managed; its students in competition witih those of the fully established

1 It is interesting to note that the 1861 site was just exactly as far from St. Stephen's Green as Belfield is. As transport then was, Drumcondra was much more remote, even from the city centre, than Belfield is under modern conditions.

7

Queen's Colleges of Belfast, Cork and Galway, carried off the great
majority of the Royal University prizes. This part of our College
history is known to the world at large by the name of one of the pro-
fessors, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and of one of the studnets, James Joyce. Meanwhile the Medical School, keeping up the name of the Catholic
University, continued on its own, and flourished; its numbers were
greater than those of University College. Perhaps the most famous
name of the medical scholl is that of Ambrose Birmingham, Professor
of Anatomy from 1886 to 1904. The solid sucess of these two institu-
tions, limited htough each was in its scope, greatly reinforced the plea
of the Bishops and of the Irish Party that there should be a new
institution in Dublin, properly recongnised and endowed, capable
of fulfillin the larger plan which the Catholic University, under impos-
sible conditions, had a least gallantly attempted.

III. University College, Dublin, 1909-59

At the openin g of the new century ceaseless Irish pressure, in and
out of Parliament, compeeled another attempt to settle the university
questions. The Bishops still wished for a state-endowed Catholic
University in Dublin; but it was certain that a large section of British
opinion, which had long resisted this, would not not permit it. The
Bishops' second choice had a better chance of realisations- a new College, Catholic in general atmosphere as Trinity was Protestant, in an enlarged
and reformed University of Dublin. Such a scheme was recommended
in 1907 by the majority of the Fry Commission (Baron Palles, D.J.
Coffey, Dougals Hyde, Raleigh of Oxford, Jackson of Cambridge). But
when Mr. Bryce prepared legislation to give effect to this majority
report, Trinity College, though some of its members held more liberal
views, reacted very stronly and appealed to British opinion in a "Hands
off Trinity" campaign. Mr. Bryce gave place to Mr. Birrell, who
adopted a line of less resistance, and created a federal National University
with its headquarters in Dublin and constituent teaching Colleges
in Dublin, Cork and Galway (these later were the old Queen's Colleges).
The identity of place, and the fact that the Dublin Collegee is numerically
two-thirds of the University, have been ever since a source of confusion;