National University of Ireland, Galway

National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), also known as Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway, is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland.

The history of the National University of Ireland, Galway can be traced back to 1845, when it was founded as Queen's College, Galway. The college was one of three Queen's Colleges established in Ireland under the provisions of the Act 8 and 9 Victoria, cap. 66. The Queen's Colleges were intended to provide a non-sectarian education to Irish Catholics and Protestants alike.

Queen's College, Galway opened its doors to students on 30 October 1849. The college offered a range of courses in the arts, humanities, sciences, and engineering. In 1850, Queen's College, Galway became part of the Queen's University of Ireland.

The Queen's Colleges were controversial from the outset. They were seen by many Catholics as being too Protestant in character. In addition, the colleges were criticized for their lack of Irish language and culture teaching.

In 1882, the Royal University of Ireland was established. The Royal University was a non-sectarian university that offered external degrees. This meant that students could take Royal University degrees without having to attend a college. The Royal University's establishment led to a decline in the number of students attending the Queen's Colleges.

In 1908, the Irish Universities Act was passed. This act established two new universities in Ireland: the National University of Ireland and the Queen's University of Belfast. Queen's College, Galway became a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and was renamed University College, Galway (UCG).

UCG continued to grow in size and stature in the early 20th century. In 1929, UCG opened its new campus on the banks of the River Corrib. The new campus was designed by the Irish architect Thomas J. Byrne.

UCG played an important role in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. A number of UCG students and staff were involved in the Republican movement. In 1922, UCG was occupied by the Irish Republican Army for a period of two weeks.

After the Irish Civil War, UCG continued to grow and develop. In the 1960s and 1970s, UCG expanded its range of courses and increased its student numbers. In the 1980s and 1990s, UCG became a leading center for research in a number of areas, including marine science, biomedical science, and Celtic studies.

In 1997, UCG was renamed the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). In 2022, NUIG was renamed again to its current name, University of Galway.

Based on the QS World University Rankings of 2026, National University of Ireland, Galway is positioned as the #284 top university in the world, which makes it the #4 top university in Ireland. The university's global rank decreased by 11 points from last year.