Welcome to Cork
Steeped in history, around every corner of Cork City one will come across another panoramic view, another interesting architectural feature, and some of the best art galleries, theatres, and museums in Ireland or Europe. The EU Science Hub recently launched a Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor where Cork was highlighted as one of eight ideal cultural and creative cities. Cork was ranked first in Europe for the quality of cultural venues and facilities. In 2005 Cork was designated European Capital of Culture and in 2010 was awarded the accolade of one of the top ten cities in the World to visit by Lonely Planet Best in Travel.Cork city is the shopping and commercial capital of the south, yet it still manages to retain the pleasant charm, and friendliness of a country town. Like the rest of the Cork area, food and restaurants are an important feature of the city. Visitors can choose from Cork’s many restaurants and cafes or browse in the famous English Market where Irish food and Cork delicacies can be seen in all their glory.
Dicover Cork and Ireland through our proposed set of videos!
University College of Cork
UCC was established in 1845 as one of three Queen’s Colleges - at Cork, Galway and Belfast. These new colleges were established in the reign of Queen Victoria, and named after her. Queen's College, Cork (QCC) was established to provide access to higher education in the Irish province of Munster. Cork was chosen for the new college due to its place at the centre of transatlantic trade at the time and the presence of existing educational initiatives such as the Royal Cork Institution and a number of private medical schools.The site chosen for the new college was dramatic and picturesque, on the edge of a limestone bluff overlooking the River Lee. It is associated with the educational activities of a local early Christian saint, Finbarr. It is believed that his monastery and school stood nearby, and his legend inspired UCC’s motto: ‘Where Finbarr Taught, let Munster Learn.’
The limestone buildings of the Main Quadrangle (as it is now known) are built in a style inspired by the great universities of the Middle Ages, and were designed by the gifted architectural partnership of Thomas Deane and Benjamin Woodward. The iconic image of UCC, it is set in landscaped gardens and surrounds the green lawn known to all as the Quad.
By the beginning the twentieth century however, it was clear that higher education in Ireland required a new arrangement to permit the next stages of development. That change came in 1908 through the National University of Ireland (NUI), of which the former QCC, now University College Cork (UCC) is a founding member. Since 1908, UCC has grown - from 115 students to over 20,000, from one building to dozens, from less than 20 staff to more than 1,600 today. Since 1997, we have become a university in our own right within the NUI, but we retain the UCC name as part of our heritage of learning since 1845.
A campus map is available here.
The main Congress venue is the Western Gateway Building and the Brookfield Health Sciences Building, both on the western side of the campus. The plenary sessions, young regional scientists roundtable, and opening ceremony will be held in the centre of the campus in Aras na MacLeinn (which is gaelic language for Student Centre).
