University College Cork (UCC)
- University College Cork (UCC) was one of the Queen's Colleges opened in 1849 by Queen Victoria.
The other Queens Colleges were in Belfast and Galway.
The seven acre site was purchased for £1,700. The College was designed and built by Sir Thomas Deane
in collaboration with Benjamin Woodward. Lord McAuley's "History of England" refers to this building
as "a Gothic College worthy to stand in the High Street of Oxford".
The College building of carboniferous limestone is in the Tudor / Gothic style with the main building
forming three sides of a quadrangle (The Quad). It is charmingly situated on a hill overlooking the valley
of the Lee, near the site of the ancient Gill Abbey, founded in the 7th century.
In 1908 the Irish Universities Act was passed. This Act brought in to being the National University of
Ireland consisting of the three constituent colleges of Dublin, Cork and Galway.
The largest collection of Ogham Stones (28 in total) on open display in Ireland is located in the
"Stone Corridor" of University College Cork (UCC).
The Collegiate Chapel of University College Cork (UCC) is dedicated to St Finbarr and was completed in 1915.
It is known colloquially as the "Honan Chapel" in tribute to its donor. It is a beautiful modern example of
romanesque. A Round Tower in miniature stands at the east end.
The Boole Library, named after George Boole (1815 - 1864), the 19th century Professor of Mathematics at
Queens College (now University College Cork (UCC) whose Boolean Logic lay largely unknown until it
became the basis of modern computer science.
The Cork County Gaol Fascade stands at the western entrance to University College Cork (UCC). The former gaol, now
demolished except for the portico in the Greek Doric style designed by James and George Richard Pain in 1818.
Resulting from students objecting to sharing this western entrance to University College Cork (UCC) with common
criminals the very fine eastern entrance at the foot of Donovan's Road was designed by Dominic O'Connor.
- Reference: Atlas of Cork City 2005
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