A Little History of Griffith College Dublin

Griffith College Dublin is an important historical place with most events in Irish history having an association with it in one way or another.

The site was originally known as Grimswoods Nurseries.  The first buildings were those of a Remand Prison built in 1813. In 1835 it became a men’s prison known as ‘The Richmond Pen‘.

In 1844 the prison became linked with Catholic Emancipation and the subsequent nationalist movement for the Repeal of the Act of Union with Great Britain.  One of its most famous prisoners was the Liberator Daniel O‘Connell together with his son John.  James Stephens (Young Ireland) and ‘Honest‘ Tom Steele, were amongst its many famous historical prisoners.

In 1887 the buildings were transferred to the War Department. Additions and extensions were completed by 1893 and at that time became known as Wellington Barracks after the Duke of Wellington who had a famous victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

During the First World War the site was used as a recruiting and training centre for many of the Irish soldiers who subsequently fought in France.

In 1916, the Barracks was attacked during the Nationalist Uprising.  Eamonn De Valera (who later became President of Ireland) was imprisoned here while the other 1916 leaders were court-martialled and executed in Kilmainham Jail.   The change from Wellington Barracks to Griffith Barracks occurred on 15th April 1922 when it became one of the first to be handed over to the Irish Free State and was renamed by the Army Council after the nationalist leader, Arthur Griffith, following his death.

World War II saw the ‘Emergency Army’ stationed here but by 1991 the Army had left and Griffith College had moved in.  Since then there have been many additions to the site to make it the exciting and attractive Campus that it now is.

Today
These days there are over 8,000 students studying in the College, which is a designated educational institute of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) which is a National Accrediting body.

The College offers both academic and professional programmes, full and part-time courses, short-term and long-term as well as distance-based education.   All of our programmes are externally recognised and approved and are taught by highly respected lecturers to give students an inspiring and rewarding education.

Programmes are offered in Business, Law, Journalism and Media, Computing Science and Design including postgraduate programmes in International Business Management, Professional Law and Professional Accountancy.

Recently, GCD enjoyed Chinese hospitality at Ireland's trade mission and as a result, established an office in Beijing.

Summer Study

Summer School at Griffith College can carry credits towards your own home-college degree.  Study abroad at Griffith is a safe and fun as well as being an academic and socially valuable experience in Europe’s most exciting city.  Griffith College Dublin is Ireland’s largest independent third level institution.  Self-contained in its own campus on the South Circular Road within a mile of the city-centre, it has a strong national and a growing international reputation for student success.

This site will guide you through the Summer Schools on offer at GCD.