University of Limerick

University campaign

According to founding president Edward M. Walsh,^[10] the mayor of Limerick applied for a college of the planned Queen's University of Ireland to be established in the city.^[11] However, in 1850, Queen's College, Belfast, Cork and Galway were established instead. In 1908 there was an attempt to link the National University of Ireland and Mungret College, about five kilometres from Limerick. Mungret offered bachelor's- and master's-level courses in the faculty of arts, with degrees conferred by the Royal University of Ireland, from 1888 to 1908. The university was dissolved in 1909 and replaced by the National University of Ireland, marking the end of tertiary education at Mungret. Degrees were awarded to students at Mungret College by the NUI from 1909 to 1912 to accommodate students who had matriculated at the Royal University.^[12]

The campaign for a university in Limerick began in earnest by the late 1950s. The Limerick University Project Committee was founded in September 1959^[13] by the mayor of Limerick in 1957, Ted Russell. Another supporter, Dermot Kinlen, was a High Court judge and the first state inspector general of prisons and places of detention. Russell and Kinlen received honorary degrees from the university in 2002.

National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick

The introduction in 1968 of Free Education in Ireland by Limerick Education Minister Donogh O'Malley - O'Malley actually bought the current 340 acre UL Plassey site for the State from the Bugler family in 1967 - and his plans for nine Institutes of Higher Education followed by successful economic-development policies during the 1960s led to an influx of foreign investment into Ireland and demand for expertise not met by the existing universities. Ireland established the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) at Limerick, modelled on the technological universities of continental Europe, and perhaps the polytechnic approach being developed in the UK.^{[citation needed]} Edward Walsh took office as chairman of the planning board and director of the institute on 1 January 1970.^[14] This more twentieth-century and continental approach is illustrated by its use of funding from the World Bank, European Investment Bank and philanthropists.^{[clarification needed]} Construction on phase one, for example, used financing from the World Bank. Faculty and staff were recruited internationally, and they — in addition to extensive teaching and research facilities — attracted foreign investment led by Analog Devices (which manufactured Ireland's first silicon chips).^{[disputed – discuss]}

The first students were enrolled in 1972, when the institute was opened by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The European Investment Bank financed the second phase of development. Billionaire philanthropist Chuck Feeney was a major donor to the university. Shannon Development was also an early supporter of the project, supporting the NIHE proposal to establish the National Technological Park^[15] as an integrated campus.

A change of government resulted in NIHE Limerick applying for recognition as a recognised college of the National University of Ireland, which awarded degrees to its graduates in 1977. After strong opposition by students and others, NIHE Limerick withdrew from the NUI and was established as an independent institution. From 1978 to 1988, the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA) was the degree-awarding authority for NIHE Limerick.

University status

In 1989, NIHE Limerick was established by legislation as the University of Limerick^[5] and NIHE Dublin was established as Dublin City University, each with the power to award its own degrees. These became the first institutes since Irish independence to be given the title "university".^[16]

Expansion occurred in 1991, after the incorporation of Thomond College of Education, Limerick. Thomond, sharing a common campus, was founded in 1973 as the National College of Physical Education and became the department of educational and professional studies, focusing on secondary education. Since 1991, degrees from Mary Immaculate College have also been awarded by UL.^[17] MIC degrees are offered in primary education and arts programmes, and degrees awarded at St. Patrick's College, Thurles have been conferred by UL since 2012.^[18][19] University history under the leadership of founding president Edward M Walsh is profiled in Walsh's 2011 memoir, Upstart: Friends, Foes and Founding a University.

Elements of the US university system were adopted, including cooperative education, grade point average marking and the trimester system. During the 1970s, limited public financing led Walsh and his team to seek World Bank and European Investment Bank funding. Sophisticated private-sector fundraising programmes were later developed, based on US university models and guided by an international leadership board under founding chair Chuck Feeney and Lewis Glucksman. The campus developed primarily as a result of such fundraising activity.^{[citation needed]}

The university has been an active participant in the European Union's Erasmus Programme since 1988 and has 207 partner institutions in 24 European countries. In addition, UL students may study at partner universities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China and Singapore.

UL allied with NUI Galway in 2010, sharing resources.^[20]

Presidents

This section does not cite any sources. (December 2020)

• Edward M. Walsh, founding president (1972–1998)
• Roger Downer (1998–2006)
• John O'Connor (2006–2007)
• Don Barry (2007–2017)
• Desmond Fitzgerald (2017–2020)
• Kerstin Mey (interim from 2020, confirmed 2021-2024)^[21]
• Shane Kilcommins (acting from 2024)

Governance

In accordance with legislation, the university is directed by a policy-making Governing Authority, whose functions are outlined in the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, Act, 1980, amended in the University of Limerick Act, 1989, which raised the institution's status to that of a university and provided for related matters. There are several other important acts concerning the college include the Universities Act, 1997,^[22] which allows for the creation of University Statutes.

The Governing Authority's 29 members are chosen by a wide range of groups and authorities and include members elected by staff (in various classes) and students (ex-officio based on elections of Students Union officers).

The university is headed, titularly, by the Chancellor. As of 2023, the Chancellor of the University of Limerick is Brigid Laffan. Previous chancellors included Miriam Hederman O'Brien, Seán Donlon and Mary Harney.

Faculty

The university has four faculties:

• Kemmy Business School (Scoil Ghnó Kemmy)^[24]
• Faculty of Education and Health Sciences (including the Graduate Medical School)^[25]
• Faculty of Science and Engineering^[26]
• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences^[27]

Two colleges are linked to the university: Mary Immaculate College and MIC, St. Patrick's Campus, Thurles.

Kemmy Business School has Triple Crown accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA). It has four academic departments, which are Accounting & Finance, Economics, Management & Marketing, and Personnel & Employment Relations. The school's courses include accounting, finance, economics, marketing, and risk management among other courses. Named after the former mayor of Limerick, Jim Kemmy, the business school has both undergraduate and postgraduate courses on offer.

The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences currently offers the only English-language Masters degree in technical communication outside of the United States^[28]

Students

UL has a students' union, branded as UL Student Life (ULSL). It is presided over by four sabbatical officers: a president, an academic officer, a welfare officer and a communities officer. Policy decisions are made by the sabbatical officers and a council of class representatives. The union is the representative body for the 18,000 undergraduate UL students. It operates from their office in the main courtyard, which has space for students to relax. ULSU Ents, part of the students' union, organises entertainment for university students throughout the year, with many events taking place during Freshers Week and Charity Week.

The university also has a postgraduate students' union with a full-time, sabbatical postgraduate president. It is one of two Irish universities with such a position.

Clubs and societies

UL has over 70 student-run clubs and societies. Clubs are supported by the students' union, the sports department and the arts office. In March 2014, the clubs and societies refused to recognise the Pro-Life Society—the first^[29] society not recognised by the student council.^[30] Since then, every new club or society must be voted on by the council and undergo a trial period (usually 14 weeks).

President's Volunteer Award

The President's Volunteer Award (PVA), administered by the university's community-liaison office, was established to harness, acknowledge and support the contributions which students at the University of Limerick make to their communities.^[31] It draws on a strong tradition of student volunteerism on and off-campus. The PVA's primary goals are:

• To sustain and foster a culture of volunteerism, active citizenship and civic engagement among the student population
• To develop collaborative projects and further existing initiatives between UL and the community
• To formally acknowledge and support the contributions which UL student volunteers make to the community
• To promote the development of civic and leadership skills in students.^[31]

Rankings

The university is ranked fourth in attracting students who attain over 500 points on the Leaving Certificate. It is the only college in Ireland to receive a maximum five stars for its sports facilities.^[36]

UL is ranked 426th worldwide in the 2024 QS World University Rankings and 401-500 in the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

It was the 2015 University of the Year in the Sunday Times' Good University Guide because of the university's record in graduate employability, improved academic performance, the €52-million Bernal Project and a strong record in research commercialisation.^[37] UL is Ireland's only university to receive five stars for graduate employability and teaching in the 2011–12 QS reports. The school also received five stars for infrastructure, internationalisation, innovation and engagement.^[38]

University Arena

The on-campus University Arena is Ireland's largest indoor sports complex.^[46] Open since 2002, it consists of the National 50m Swimming Pool. The arena's 3,600-square-metre (4,300 sq yd) Indoor Sports Hall has four wooden courts for a variety of sports, a sprint track, an international 400 m athletics track and a 200 m, three-lane, suspended jogging track. The facility has a cardiovascular and strength-training centre, a weight-training room, team rooms, an aerobics studio and classrooms. The arena is often used by the Munster rugby team.

Its €28 million development was made possible with €7.6 million in government grants, a €6.9 million donation from the University of Limerick Foundation, about €4 million in student contributions and commercial funding.^[47] Each year, it accommodates over 500,000 customers and many international athletes and teams.^[48]

The arena hosted the 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games, from 9 to 13 June. In one of the year's largest Irish sporting events, 1,900 Special Olympians from throughout Ireland participated in the games.

All-weather sports complex

UL's €9 million, all-weather sports complex on the North Campus is the largest all-weather sports-field complex in Europe.^{[citation needed]} The multi-purpose, floodlit, artificial turf park has two soccer, one rugby and one GAA pitch. Third-generation all-weather surfaces are similar to natural grass and are designed for full contact. Each full-size pitch can be sub-divided to create smaller playing areas for various sports. The largest artificial-grass development in Ireland to date, it is designed to World Rugby, GAA and FIFA specifications.^{[citation needed]}

The synthetic surface reduces the risk of injury caused by hard or uneven surfaces.^{[citation needed]} The Sports Pavilion Building has changing rooms, squad and coaching rooms and bar, restaurant and conference facilities. The complex is funded from a number of sources, including operating income and campus-based commercial activities.

The playing pitches opened in July 2011, and the Sports Pavilion was expected to open in November 2011.^{[needs update]} The facility is available to the general public as well as the campus community. In addition to these facilities, conventional playing fields, tennis courts, an artificial-turf pitch, an outdoor athletics track and the University Boathouse are on the Limerick side of the river. The boathouse has Ireland's only indoor rowing tank, which can accommodate up to 8 rowers simultaneously. The tank can simulate a variety of water conditions, providing training opportunities for rowers to reach international standards.^{[citation needed]} The building also includes a launch jetty into the Shannon, a pontoon and a café.

Construction timeline

• 1972 – Physical Education and Sport Sciences Building (originally home to the Thomond College of Education, and renovated in 2012)
• 1974 – Main Building, phase 1A (Blocks A and B)
• 1978 – Schrödinger Building
• 1984 – Main Building, phase 1B (Blocks C—extended in 1996—D and E)
• 1985–99 – Student Centre (including the Students' Union building)
• 1992 – Robert Schuman Building
• 1993 – Foundation Building (with the University Concert Hall)
• 1996 – Kathleen Lonsdale Building
• 1997 – Glucksman Library and 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 – Living Bridge
• 2007 – Jim Kemmy Business School
• 2008 – University of Limerick Boathouse (student-funded, with storage and training space for rowing, kayak, mountain-bike and sub-aqua clubs)
• 2008 – Irish Chamber Orchestra Building
• 2009 – Languages Building
• 2009 – Academy of World Music and Dance
• 2011 – School of Medicine (graduate)
• 2011 – Tierney Building
• 2011 – Lero and IEC Building
• 2013 – Bernal Building and MSSI extension
• 2015 – Analog Devices Building
• 2017 – The Stables Club Renovation
• 2018 – Glucksman Library Extension
• 2020 - New Student Centre (under construction) - Construction of the €20 million building began in 2019, however, the contractor for the project, Keating Construction, collapsed into liquidation in February 2021 with debts of €30 million.^[50][51] Costs had reached €30 million by 2022, and construction recommenced in 2023 with Monami Construction as the new contractor.^[52][53]
• 2021 - Climbing Wall Centre

Limerick 2030

UL has committed to a presence in Limerick city centre as part of the Limerick 2030 plan^[54] to help drive renewal of the city centre. All the university's main faculties are presently in Castletroy, about 5 km from the city centre.^[55] Former UL president Don Barry outlined his vision of the plan in July 2013: "My dream is that in a few years’ time, there will be hundreds of students of the university participating in the life of the city, learning in the city, recreating in the city and contributing to the revitalisation of the Limerick city centre. Limerick is our city and we are its university."^[56]