Welcome to UCC
University College Cork is currently home to a
diverse student body comprising over 17,000
students from 75 countries. Each year,
approximately 5,000 students are conferred
with degrees here. UCC is one of Ireland’s
leading research institutions, and has attracted
the highest research funding in the country.
The University offers innovative, research-led
courses, and provides an outstanding
educational experience that is recognised
locally, nationally and internationally.
UCC was established in 1845 as one of three
Queen’s Colleges at Cork, Galway and Belfast.
The site chosen for the College is particularly
appropriate given its connection with the patron
saint of Cork, St Finbarr. It is believed his
monastery and school of learning were located
close by at Gill Abbey Rock, and the mill
attached to the monastery is thought to have
stood on the bank of the river Lee, which runs
through the Lower Grounds of the College.
The College motto is ‘Where Finbarr Taught
Let Munster Learn’.
The rich history and tradition of UCC is
reflected in the imposing limestone buildings
of the Main Quadrangle and the mature
grounds. In contrast, UCC also boasts
many new buildings and facilities such as the
award-winning Lewis Glucksman Gallery. This
guide is intended to provide an introduction
to the campus and includes a map of the
main areas of interest. We hope you will
enjoy your visit to UCC.
Further reading:
The College: A History of Queen’s/University
College Cork, 1845-1995 by John A. Murphy
(Cork University Press, 1995) and
University College Cork: A Portrait in Words and
Images by Andrew Bradley and John A. Murphy
(Office of Marketing and Communications, UCC 2005)
1
The Main Quadrangle
Situated at the heart of the main campus,
‘The Quad’ is surrounded by a group
of imposing limestone buildings
constructed between 1847 and 1849,
when UCC was first founded.
Designed by the gifted architectural
partnership of Thomas Deane and
Benjamin Woodward, the buildings
follow the College style of the 1840s.
This style has variously been described
as Perpendicular Gothic, Tudor Gothic
or Victorian Gothic. Mr James Mangan,
the well-known Cork jeweller and
clockmaker, installed the tower
clock in 1851.
When UCC first opened, the buildings
were the hub of academic life. Today
the West Wing still has several lecture
theatres, but is also home to many of
the administrative offices responsible
for the day-to-day running of the
University. The North Wing houses
UCC’s unique collection of Ogham
Stones, the Aula Maxima (Great Hall),
and UCC Visitors’ Centre which
caters for the many visitors to the
College. The East Wing, originally built
as the private residence of the first
President, Sir Robert Kane, continues
to be the location of the President’s
and Vice Presidents’ Offices.
2
The Stone Corridor and
Ogham Stones Collection
The cloistered walkway, known as
the Stone Corridor, is home to UCC’s
unique collection of inscribed Ogham
stones. The 28 inscribed stones,
which are variously thought to be
burial stones or boundary markers,
form the largest collection on public
display in Ireland. There are about
380 known Ogham stones which
use the Irish language. The UCC
collection was established in 1861,
with the final stone being added
in 1945.
The inscriptions are the earliest
written source of the Irish language
and the oldest recordings of Irish
personal names. Inscribed stones
such as those in the UCC collection
date back to the mid fifth and late
seventh centuries. Each inscription
records the name of the man
(in only one case a woman) being
commemorated, and tells us whose
son, descendent or devotee he was.
The Ogham alphabet comprises 20
characters arranged in four groups of
five characters each. The inscriptions
on the stones usually start at the
bottom left hand edge and are
read in a clockwise direction.
Further reading:
The Ogam Stones at University
College Cork by Damian McManus
(Cork University Press, 2004)
3
The Aula Maxima
The Aula Maxima, or Great Hall,
is the symbolic heart of University
College Cork. It is the venue for
many of the formal events in the
Academic year; presidential
inaugurations, honorary conferring
ceremonies, concerts, recitals
and banquets.
Described in 1849 by The Cork
Examiner as ‘one of the most
magnificent rooms in Ireland’,
It was the largest single element
in the original group of buildings
constructed on the foundation of
the College in 1849. When a major
refurbishment was completed in
2002, painstaking care was taken
to ensure every feature was restored
and conserved in keeping with Deane
and Woodward’s original vision.
Two impressive stained glass
windows illuminate the hall.
The window on the east wall
commemorates the great
mathematician, George Boole
(1815-1864), the first Professor
of Mathematics at UCC, whose
algebra became the foundation
of modern computer science.
The ‘Professor’s Window’ on
the north wall is dedicated to the
memory of Robert Harkness, who
became Professor of Geology at
UCC in 1853. Past presidents of
the University are commemorated
in oil portrait paintings, fondly
known as ‘The Rogues Gallery’,
on the west wall.
4
The Crawford Observatory
The Crawford Observatory is one of
the most important examples of 19th
Century Irish technological
achievement. Completed in 1880,
the Crawford Observatory was
constructed and equipped by the
generosity of several benefactors,
most notably William Crawford, a
member of the local brewing family
of Beamish and Crawford.
The Observatory was designed by
Sir Howard Grubb of Dublin.
Described as ‘a genius who meant
business’, Grubb built hundreds of
telescopes for observatories all
around the world, and remains
Ireland’s foremost maker of scientific
instruments. The Observatory houses
a unique collection of his finest
instruments, the largest of which is
an equatorially mounted telescope
which received a gold medal at the
Paris Exhibition in 1870. The
Observatory also contains a Transit
telescope (used to measure accurate
stellar positions) and a Siderostatic
telescope.
Although the educational importance
of the building has declined over the
intervening years, the Department of
Physics has always maintained a
research interest there, and plans
are in hand to restore the building
to full working order.
Tours of the Crawford Observatory
can be arranged, subject to
availability, through the Visitors’
Centre.
5
The Boole Library
The Boole Library was built in 1983
in response to burgeoning student
numbers in the 1970s. The library is
named after the brilliant Professor of
Mathematics, George Boole (1849 1864). Boole is most noted for the
development of Boolean algebra,
which forms the basis of modern
computer science.
The impressive building was
constructed on the site of an old
quarry, which had been mined to
provide the limestone for the buildings
in the main Quad. For over 100 years
the quarry was used as a sports
pitch, hosting many of the College’s
sporting fixtures.
The well-stocked library is the
University’s learning and research
information resource for students
and staff. It also operates as a
regional information service and
as a repository of the cultural
and historical heritage of the
Munster region.
Full details of services can be
found at the Library website
http://booleweb.ucc.ie
6
The Honan Chapel
Dedicated to Saint Finbarr, the Honan
Chapel is a gem of ecclesiastical
architecture of the HibernoRomanesque school. The building
is named after the Honan family, a
wealthy Cork merchant family.
The opening of the chapel, in 1916,
signified that UCC was at last
acceptable to the Catholic bishops,
and the railings which surround the
building were a symbolic indication
that it was technically outside the
non-denominational institution.
The chapel houses fine examples
of the Irish Arts and Crafts movement
of the early twentieth century. Some
of the Honan treasures include: 19
radiant stained glass windows by
Harry Clarke and the studio of Sarah
Purser; an enamel-decorated
tabernacle; rich tapestry work and
an intricate mosaic floor depicting
the zodiac and the river of life.
Today the Chapel serves the
ecumenical needs of the diverse
student and academic body. It is
used for choral and musical recitals
and is a popular choice for
graduate weddings.
Further reading:
The Honan Chapel: A Golden Vision
edited by Virginia Teehan and Elizabeth
Wincott Heckett
(Cork University Press, 2004) and
The Honan Chapel: A Guide
by Mary Leland
(The Honan Trust, 2004)
7
Aras na Mac Léinn/
The Student Centre
The Student Centre was opened in
1995, and was funded largely by the
financial initiative of the students and
alumni of the College. The impressive
structure, with its large glass façade,
is the hub of student life on campus
which includes over 120 student
clubs and societies. The Centre, the
Honan Chapel and the O’Rahilly
Building frame the amphitheatre of
the Honan Square.
Áras na Mac Léinn houses a wide
variety of services and facilities for
the campus community. The centre
makes enhanced provision for social
activities and services and aims to
bring vitality and excitement to life in
UCC. Among the many facilities and
services provided are: a split-level
café; Club Áras Bar and Carvery;
UCC Travel; Bank of Ireland;
stationery shop; mini market;
bookshop; pool room and meeting
rooms. Devere Hall, a large
multifunctional space, is the venue
for conferences and the University’s
conferring ceremonies. The Students’
Union offices, the student newspaper
(University Express) and the awardwinning radio station Campus Radio
97.47fm are also based in the
building.
8
President’s Garden and
the Landscape of UCC
Until the 1960s, the high walls of the
President’s Garden reserved the area
for the exclusive use of the President
and his guests. Today the walls are
gone, and the garden is open for the
enjoyment of all.
One of the most engaging features
of the College campus is the beauty
of the cultivated landscape; the neat
symmetry of the Quad, the carefully
tended President’s garden and the
tranquillity of the Lower Grounds.
But it is the great trees which make
a lasting impression. Some of the
oldest specimens including the
Giant Redwoods, mature oaks
and beeches, date back to the
College’s foundation in the 1840s.
A poignant story, relating to a
Common Oak found in the Lower
Grounds is told by former head
gardener Harry Glavin. Two young
officers, on leave during the First
World War, had been staying with
the President, Bertram Windle. On
their return to the front, one of the
men was killed in action. When his
friend came across his body, which
had been lying in the trenches for
some time, he discovered a tiny
oak tree sprouting from an acorn
in his tunic pocket. The surviving
officer brought the seedling back
to UCC, where Glavin planted it
in memory of the fallen solider. It
soon became a memorial to both
men as the survivor also died in
action shortly afterwards.
9
The Lewis Glucksman
Gallery
The Glucksman Gallery, Ireland's
newest art space, opened its doors
to the public in October 2004.The
gallery is named after American
financier and philanthropist Lewis
Glucksman. Located near UCC's
main entrance on Western Road, the
Glucksman is a landmark building,
described as 'the best piece of public
architecture in Ireland for decades'. It
houses exhibition spaces, lecture
facilities, a riverside restaurant and
gallery shop.
The Glucksman promotes the visual
arts, and has a programme of
innovative and intellectually
stimulating temporary exhibitions of
international significance from Ireland
and abroad. The Glucksman hosts
major exhibitions throughout the year
that are supported by an extensive
education programme consisting of
lectures, workshops and events for
the general public.
The Glucksman Gallery was recently
awarded the honour of Best Public
Building in Ireland by the Royal
Institute of Architects of Ireland.
Full details of exhibitions and the
education programme are available at
www.glucksman.org.
Guided tours of the Gallery are available
throughout the year. For further
information please contact:
Tel: 00 353 (0)21 4902760,
email: [email protected]
10
The Mardyke Arena
Situated in Cork’s historic Mardyke on
the banks of the river Lee, UCC’s
Mardyke Arena is dedicated to sport,
leisure and recreational pursuits of
all kinds.
With over 45 sporting clubs to
choose from, UCC students have
the opportunity to learn the basic
skills of a sport, or compete for the
University at Intervarsity and/or local
level through various competitions.
The clubs range from outdoor team
sports, martial arts, water sports and
indoor team sports. All students are
encouraged to take part in some
form of sport or recreation during
their stay in the University.
The Mardyke Arena has an extensive
range of facilities for students, staff
and private members alike, including:
two swimming pools; a steam room
and sauna; 3 full-size sports halls;
gymnasiums; squash courts;
treatment rooms; a café and a
state-of-the-art climbing wall.
The adjacent grounds also
provide facilities for rugby, GAA,
tennis, cricket and athletics.
Accomm
odation :
Farranlea
Hall and
Victo
Accommod
ation : The
Spires
ria Lodge
University College Cork
College Road
Cork
Ireland
Tel: + 353 (0)21 4903000
Email: [email protected]
www.ucc.ie
Visitors to UCC
UCC Visitors’ Centre is located at the heart
of the main campus (see campus map). It is
the main information centre in the University,
the starting point for the regular walking tours
of the campus, and sells
a wide range of UCC merchandise.
Tours of campus are available throughout the
year and are an excellent opportunity to learn
more about UCC. To book your tour,
or for further information, please contact:
UCC Visitors’ Centre
Tel: 00 353 (0)21 4901876
Email: [email protected]
www.ucc.ie
Photography:
Andrew Bradley
UCC Archive
Honan Trust
Text:
Nancy Hawkes
Design:
designmatters