University of Limerick (UL) () is a public research university in Limerick, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in September 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989. It was the first university established since Irish independence in 1922, followed by the establishment of Dublin City University.
UL's campus lies along both sides of the River Shannon, on a site with on the north bank and on the south bank at Plassey, County Limerick, from the city centre. It has over 18,000 full-time undergraduate students, including over 2,400 international students, and 1,500 part-time students. There are over 800 research postgraduates and 1,300 postgraduate students receiving instruction at the university. Its co-operative education ("co-op") programme offers students an up to eight-month work placement as part of their degree; it was Ireland's first such programme.
Following founding president Edward M. Walsh, Roger GH Downer, John O'Connor, Don Barry, Des Fitzgerald and Kerstin Mey were presidents of UL from 1998 to August 2024. The current president of the University is Professor Shane Kilcommins, having served as acting president from 2024 to 21 April 2026, the date upon which he was appointed as president by the University's Governing Authority.
History
University campaign
According to founding president Edward M. Walsh, the mayor of Limerick applied for a college of the planned Queen's University of Ireland to be established in the city. However, in 1850, Queen's College, Belfast, Cork and Galway were established instead. In 1908 there was an attempt to link the National University of Ireland and Mungret College, about five kilometres from Limerick. Mungret offered bachelor's- and master's-level courses in the faculty of arts, with degrees conferred by the Royal University of Ireland, from 1888 to 1908. The university was dissolved in 1909 and replaced by the National University of Ireland, marking the end of tertiary education at Mungret. Degrees were awarded to students at Mungret College by the NUI from 1909 to 1912 to accommodate students who had matriculated at the Royal University.
The campaign for a university in Limerick began in earnest by the late 1950s. The Limerick University Project Committee was founded in September 1959 by the mayor of Limerick in 1957, Ted Russell. Another supporter, Dermot Kinlen, was a High Court judge and the first state inspector general of prisons and places of detention. Russell and Kinlen received honorary degrees from the university in 2002.
National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick The introduction in 1966 of free second-level education in Ireland by the then Education Minister Donogh O'Malley, who was also TD for East Limerick, also influenced Irish third-level education.
O'Malley bought the current 340 acre UL Plassey site for the State from the Bugler family in 1967 - and his plans for nine Institutes of Higher Education followed by successful economic-development policies during the 1960s led to an influx of foreign investment into Ireland and demand for expertise not met by the existing universities. Ireland established the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) at Limerick, modelled on the technological universities of continental Europe, and perhaps the polytechnic approach being developed in the UK. Edward Walsh took office as chairman of the planning board and director of the institute on 1 January 1970. This more twentieth-century and continental approach is illustrated by its use of funding from the World Bank, European Investment Bank and philanthropists. Construction on phase one, for example, used financing from the World Bank. Faculty and staff were recruited internationally, and they — in addition to extensive teaching and research facilities — attracted foreign investment led by Analog Devices (which manufactured Ireland's first silicon chips).
The first students were enrolled in 1972, when the institute was opened by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The European Investment Bank financed the second phase of development. Billionaire philanthropist Chuck Feeney was a major donor to the university. Shannon Development was also an early supporter of the project, supporting the NIHE proposal to establish the National Technological Park as an integrated campus.
A change of government resulted in NIHE Limerick applying for recognition as a recognised college of the National University of Ireland, which awarded degrees to its graduates in 1977. After strong opposition by students and others, NIHE Limerick withdrew from the NUI and was established as an independent institution. From 1978 to 1988, the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA) was the degree-awarding authority for NIHE Limerick.
University status In 1989, NIHE Limerick was established by legislation as the University of Limerick and NIHE Dublin was established as Dublin City University, each with the power to award its own degrees. These became the first institutes since Irish independence to be given the title "university".
Expansion occurred in 1991, after the incorporation of Thomond College of Education, Limerick. Thomond, sharing a common campus, was founded in 1973 as the National College of Physical Education and became the department of educational and professional studies, focusing on secondary education. Since 1991, degrees from Mary Immaculate College have also been awarded by UL.MIC History, accessed 21 October 2007 MIC degrees are offered in primary education and arts programmes, and degrees awarded at St. Patrick's College, Thurles have been conferred by UL since 2012.University of Limerick Degrees for Graduates of St Patrick’s College, Thurles University of Limerick Website, Friday, 6 May 2011.St Patrick’s College Thurles Offers UL Teaching Degrees Thurles Information, 5 May 2011. University history under the leadership of founding president Edward M Walsh is profiled in Walsh's 2011 memoir, Upstart: Friends, Foes and Founding a University.
Elements of the US university system were adopted, including cooperative education, grade point average marking and the trimester system. During the 1970s, limited public financing led Walsh and his team to seek World Bank and European Investment Bank funding. Sophisticated private-sector fundraising programmes were later developed, based on US university models and guided by an international leadership board under founding chair Chuck Feeney and Lewis Glucksman. The campus developed primarily as a result of such fundraising activity.
The university has been an active participant in the European Union's Erasmus Programme since 1988 and has 207 partner institutions in 24 European countries. In addition, UL students may study at partner universities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China and Singapore.
UL allied with NUI Galway in 2010, sharing resources.Universities form 'strategic alliance' . RTÉ. Thursday, 18 February 2010 20:06.
Presidents
Edward M. Walsh, founding president (1972–1998) Roger Downer (1998–2006) John O'Connor (2006–2007) Don Barry (2007–2017) Desmond Fitzgerald (2017–2020) Kerstin Mey (interim from 2020, confirmed 2021–2024) Shane Kilcommins (acting from 2024 to April 2026) Shane Kilcommins(2026 -2036)
Organisation Governance In accordance with legislation, the university is directed by a policy-making Governing Authority, whose functions are outlined in the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, Act, 1980, amended in the University of Limerick Act, 1989, which raised the institution's status to that of a university and provided for related matters. There are several other important acts concerning the college include the Universities Act, 1997,Universities Act, 1997 which allows for the creation of University Statutes.
The Governing Authority's 29 members are chosen by a wide range of groups and authorities and include members elected by staff (in various classes) and students (ex-officio based on elections of Students Union officers).
The university is headed, titularly, by the Chancellor. As of 2023, the Chancellor of the University of Limerick is Brigid Laffan. Previous chancellors included Miriam Hederman O'Brien, Seán Donlon and Mary Harney.
Faculty
The university has four faculties: Kemmy Business School (Scoil Ghnó Kemmy) Faculty of Education and Health Sciences (including the Graduate Medical School) Faculty of Science and Engineering Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Two colleges are linked to the university: Mary Immaculate College and MIC, St. Patrick's Campus, Thurles.
Kemmy Business School has Triple Crown accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA). It has four academic departments, which are Accounting & Finance, Economics, Management & Marketing, and Work & Employment Studies. The school's courses include accounting, finance, economics, marketing, and risk management among other courses. Named after the former mayor of Limerick, Jim Kemmy, the business school has both undergraduate and postgraduate courses on offer.
The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences currently offers the only English-language master's degree in technical communication outside of the United States
Students
UL has a students' union, branded as UL Student Life (ULSL). It is presided over by four sabbatical officers: a president, an academic officer, a welfare officer and a Diversity and Inclusion officer. Policy decisions are made by the student council and ratified by the Board of Directors, which is a body composed of student and external Directors. The union is the representative body for the 18,000 undergraduate UL students. It operates from their office in the new student centre which has space for students to relax. Unlike other Irish students' unions, its Constitution cannot be amended by referendums and must instead obtain the support of no less than 75% of its Directors.
The university also has a postgraduate students' union with a full-time, sabbatical postgraduate president and two VPs, one for Academics and one for Engagement. It is one of two Irish universities with such a setup.
Clubs and societies UL has over 70 student-run clubs and societies. Clubs are supported by the students' union, the sports department and the arts office. In March 2014, the clubs and societies refused to recognise the Pro-Life Society—the firstPro-life society first-ever rejected by University of Limerick clubs council Journal.ie, March 21, 2014. society not recognised by the student council.Pro-life society rejected by University of Limerick council by Aishling Phelan, Independent.ie, March 21, 2014. Since then, every new club or society must be voted on by the council and undergo a trial period (usually 14 weeks).
President's Volunteer Award The President's Volunteer Award (PVA), administered by the university's community-liaison office, was established to harness, acknowledge and support the contributions which students at the University of Limerick make to their communities. It draws on a strong tradition of student volunteerism on and off-campus. The PVA's primary goals are: To sustain and foster a culture of volunteerism, active citizenship and civic engagement among the student population To develop collaborative projects and further existing initiatives between UL and the community To formally acknowledge and support the contributions which UL student volunteers make to the community To promote the development of civic and leadership skills in students.
Rankings
The university is ranked fourth in attracting students who attain over 500 points on the Leaving Certificate. It is the only college in Ireland to receive a maximum five stars for its sports facilities.
UL is ranked 426th worldwide in the 2024 QS World University Rankings and 401–500 in the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.