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In that year a group of Dublin citixents obtained a char- ter from Queen Elizabeth I incorporating Trinity College as a mater universitatis. By this term they envisaged that a group of university colleges would sterm from Trinity in the conti- nental and English style;owing to the course of Tudor and sub- sequent Irish history that ideal has not yet been realized.The Corporation of Dublin granted to the new foundation the lands and dilapidated buldings of the Monastery of All Hallows,lying south-east of the sity walls Subscriptions were raised from among the principal gentleman of each country, who had been invited to assist the new college to the benefit of the whole country, whereby Knowlege, Learning and Civility may be incre- ased,to the banishment of barbarism,tumults and disorderly li- ving from among them. A number of landed estates were secured to the College out of the confiscations which followed the de- feat northen Earls. The university was designed to encourage English culture in Ireland,and to promote the reformed religion in it's statu- tory form,so that it's establishment afforded no opportunities for higher education to recusant bodies, whether Catholic or Dissenting. The college survived the storms of the Cromwellian and Revolution periods, and settled down as the university of the colonial ascendancy, taking it's tone from the new Whig society,mainly mercantile and nouveau riche,which had been put in power by the Williamite victory. Yet even in the religious and political doldrums of the eghteenth century, the true uni- versity and liberal spirit survived in Trinity,and it's alum- ni included Swift,Berkeley, Bruke, Goldsmith, Grattan,and Wolf Tone. Towards the close of the century there was an awakening sense of independence and of patriotism in what had been a colonial minority, with a consequent relaxation of the penal code which had discriminated, in religion and culture, against the native Irish and the Anglo-Irish majority; and after the passage of the Catholic Relief Act,1793, Trinity abandoned the exclusive character it had hith erto borne. Since 1947, the College has received substantial grants from the Irish State. Recent years have brought to the Univer- sity a great diversity of students, wuth many of the undergra- duates coming from Great Britan and from overseas. The University is represented by the Chancellor,Vice-Chan- cellor and Senate,whose main function is to confer degrees.The College is governed by the Board of Trinity College.The assent of the Board is required to all professional chairs and other academic posts, and determines details of courses and examina- tions. The Povost of the College is nominated by the Goverment from one of three names submitted by the Board. Except in this last respect,the University and the College enjoy complete au- tonomy. The College Library is Great Britan and Ireland. |
