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Universities in Ireland
  1. Ireland
  2. Oldest Universities

Oldest Universities in Ireland

What are the oldest Universities in Ireland? uniRank answers this question by publishing a list of 23 Irish higher education institutions sorted by year of establishment and meeting uniRank's selection criteria:

  • Official Recognition: institutions must be officialy chartered, licensed or accredited by the appropriate higher education-related organization in Ireland.
  • Degree Authority: they must be authorised to grant bachelor's degrees of at least three years' duration and/or postgraduate master's or doctoral degrees.
  • Delivery Mode: they must deliver courses predominantly in a traditional, face-to-face, non-distance education format.

Oldest Universities in Ireland


browse by: ranking a-z town oldest
filter by: public private non-profit for-profit

List of 23 Irish universities by year of establishment
University Town/City #
Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin Dublin 1
National College of Art and Design Dublin 15
Carlow College Carlow 22
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Dublin Un
St Patrick's Pontifical University Maynooth 19
University College Cork Cork 3
University of Galway Galway 4
Royal Irish Academy of Music Dublin 18
University College Dublin Dublin 2
Marino Institute of Education Dublin 21
National University of Ireland, System Dublin 17
National College of Ireland Dublin 14
Institute of Public Administration Dublin 20
Dundalk Institute of Technology Dundalk 13
Atlantic Technological University Letterkenny 11
South East Technological University Waterford 10
Technological University of the Shannon Athlone 9
University of Limerick Limerick 6
Munster Technological University Bishopstown 12
Dublin City University Dublin 5
Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dún Laoghaire 16
Maynooth University Maynooth 8
Technological University Dublin Dublin 7
+ Add University Legend: Un Unranked

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many universities are there in Ireland?

There are 23 officially chartered, licensed or accredited Irish higher-education institution(s) that meet uniRank's selection criteria.

What is the oldest university in Ireland?

Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, located in Dublin, is the oldest university in Ireland according to uniRank's research.

Related Irish University Lists

Since 2005, UniRank provides original research, valuable information and resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about Irish universities and their online presence.