‘Units’ in this database are national-level organisations which perform public functions under public authority. These include government departments, agencies, and commercial state-owned enterprises. For further details on the types of organisations included in the database, see the what we have done and why document.
Units can be searched by name, legal form, function, policy area, or date. On each unit’s page, information is available including dates of activity, alternate names, relevant legislation, related units, related events. and also data on characteristics such as legal form, policy area, function, accountability mechanisms, location, and parent bodies. For further details on the data recorded about each unit, see the Codebook
18 results
Name
| From
| To
| Description
| Source
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College Dublin | 1592-03-03 | Founded by royal charter dated 3 March 1592 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.tcd.ie/ | |
| Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland | 1784-02-11 | Founded in 1784 as the national training body for surgery in Ireland | McGauran et al. 2005; www.rcsi.ie; The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1965 (No. 1 (Private) of 1965); Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Charters Amendment) Act 2003 (No. 1 (Private) of 2003) | |
| Royal Irish Academy | 1785-05-01 | Founded in 1785, RIA is an all-Ireland, independent academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. | McGauran et al.2005; www.ria.ie | |
| Law Society of Ireland | 1830-06-24 | n/a | McGauran et al. 2005; www.lawsociety.ie; Solicitors Acts 1954-2002 | |
| University College Cork | 1908-01-01 | Founded in 1845 under the name of Queen's College, Cork; then renamed as University College Cork by Charter in 1908; and under the Universities Act 1997 is known as National University of Ireland, Cork | McGauran et al. 2005; www.ucc.ie; Universities Act 1997 | |
| University of Galway | 1845-01-01 | Established in 1845 as Queen's College Galway; became University College Galway in 1908; under the Universities Act 1997 was known as National University of Ireland, Galway until 21 February 2024, when it was renamed University of Galway | McGauran et al. 2005; www.nuigalway.ie | |
| Royal Irish Academy of Music | 1848-01-01 | Founded in 1848, The Royal Irish Academy of Music is Ireland’s oldest conservatoire | McGauran et al. 2005; www.riam.ie, the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Act 1885 | |
| Valuation Office | 1852-01-01 | 2023-03-01 | Subsequently merged with Property Registration Authority and Ordnance Survey Ireland to form Tailte Éireann | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.valoff.ie/; Valuation (Ireland) Act 1852; Valuation Acts and Statutory Instruments 1963 to 2005, specifically Valuation Act 2001. Tailte Éireann Act 2022 (No. 50 of 2022); S.I. No. 58/2023; https://http://www.valoff.ie/en/about-us/tailte-eireann/ |
| University College Dublin | 1881-01-01 | Known as Catholic University of Ireland from 1854 to 1881; in 1881 was renamed as University College Dublin; incorporated into NUI in 1908 | mcgauran et al. 2005; www.ucd.ie; University College Dublin Act 1934; University College Dublin Act 1960; Royal Universities Act 1881; Universities Act 1997 | |
| National Museum of Ireland | 1997-01-01 | Consists of four separate museum buildings: the NMI - Archaeology and History (1890), the NMI - Decorative Arts and History (1997), the NMI - Natural History (1857), the NMI Country Life (2001). | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.museum.ie/ National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 | |
| Chester Beatty Library | 1969-01-01 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.cbl.ie/; Chester Beatty Library Acts 1968 and 1986 | ||
| National Museum of Science and Art | 1877-08-14 | 1997-01-01 | Became the National Museum of Ireland | http://www.museum.ie/ Dublin Science and Art Museum Act 1877; National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 |
| Bar Council | 1897-01-01 | http://www.lawlibrary.ie/; Legal Services Ombudsman Act 2009 | ||
| Royal College of Physicians in Ireland | 1692-12-15 | Royal charter granted in 1692 replaced previous charter and extended College of Physicians' remit to whole of Ireland, and although modified through other legislation remains the governing document of the College. | http://www.rcpi.ie/; Royal College of Physicians Act, 1761; S.I. No. 38/1926; The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (Charter and Letters Patent Amendment) Act, 1979 | |
| Royal Veterinary College of Ireland | 1900-01-01 | 1977-01-01 | Incorporated by Royal Charter and began its work in October 1900. Following the withdrawal of the Department of Agriculture as a direct employing agency in 1960, two separate veterinary schools were run by UCD and TCD at the Ballsbridge site and this continued until 1977 when the two schools were merged and fully incorporated into UCD and the college ceased to be a separate entity | https://www.ucd.ie/archives/collections/universityarchives/items/collectionname,235378,en.html#accordion1 |
| Royal College of Science for Ireland | 1867-01-01 | 1926-01-01 | An institute for higher education in Dublin which existed from 1867 to 1926, specialising in physical sciences and applied science. It was originally based on St. Stephen's Green, moving in 1911 to a purpose-built "Royal College of Science" building on Merrion Street. In 1926 it was absorbed into University College Dublin (UCD) as the faculty of Science and Engineering. | https://www.ucd.ie/merrionstreet/rcsci.html |
| Museum of Irish Industry | 1854-01-01 | 1866-01-01 | A museum dedicated to the exhibition of the various, display-worthy materials from, and donated by, the industries of mining and manufacturing established in Ireland. In addition, the museum gave lectures on the subject, and related subject matters, to th | https://web.archive.org/web/20120306001947/http://www.ucd.ie/archives/html/university/mii.htm; https://web.archive.org/web/20050331014146/http://www.bopcris.ac.uk/eppi/ref12709.html |
| The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland | 1839-01-01 | The Royal Institute of the Architects was founded by royal charter in 1839. It is the public competent authority and professional body for architects in Ireland | https://www.riai.ie/the-riai/about-the-riai; Building Control Act 2007 (No. 21 of 2007); S.I. No. 50/2008 |