National University of Ireland, Galway

The National University of Galway, Ireland (formerly known as University College Galway or UCG) was originally established as one of the Queens' Colleges in Ireland in 1845. It officially opened in 1849.

The clock tower of the Quadrangle, National University of Ireland, Galway

After the Irish Universities Act (1908), Queen's College Galway became a constituent college of the new National University of Ireland, and under a new charter the name of the college was changed to University College, Galway (UCG). The university retained this name until 1997 when the Universities Act (1997) changed the name to National University of Ireland, Galway (or Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh the name in the Irish language)

The college has special statutory responsibility under the University College Galway Act (1929) in respect of the use of the Irish language as a working language in the college.

Today (2003) its total student enrolment stands at over 12,500. The Sunday Times University Guide recently named NUI Galway as Irish University of the Year 2002.

Famous people associated with the university include: George Johnstone Stoney who gave the electron its name and James Hardiman author of Hardiman's History of Galway.

The oldest part of the college (the "Quadrangle") is a replica of a building at Oxford University. The stone from which it is built was supplied locally. Newer parts of the college sprang up in the 1970s and and were designed by architects Scott, Tallon, Walker.

The official web site is http://www.nuigalway.ie/