This is the largest university in Ireland with approximately 20 000 students.
It was founded at the turn of the century as a part of the National Universities of Ireland (NUI). These were founded in order to allow catholics to recieve third level education. At it's time of founding Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and Queen's University Belfast were the only two universities on the island. They were both protestant institutions and catholics were barred from attending them by the catholic church. Such religious strictures have since disappeared.
UCD used to be located in the centre of Dublin but as the university grew it had to seek a new location. It moved to the suburbs of Dublin to the green field site of Belfield.
While plans for the new campus were being drawn up student riots erupted across Europe. As a result the Belfield campus was designed to be riot proof. It is mostly made of concrete. There is no one location large enough to accomade a meeting of the entire student body. The campus has been split into multiple levels connected by steps that are designed to break a natural stride. It was runoured that the buildings were designed to be drafty to disuade people from loitering around in them.
The Student bar in UCD has the largest revenue of any bar in Ireland and perhaps even in Europe. I have only been thrown out of this bar once, that was for climbing along the ceiling duing a karaoke contest.
The science buildings in Belfield were constructed in the 1970's as a large prefab unit that ought to have had a life of about 10 years and then been replaced. They are still there, they are sinking.
There are many cherry blossoms and apple blossoms around te campus. If by the time these trees bloom, you have not begun preparing for your exams, then you are in trouble.
One of the main reasons one might not be prepared for one's exams (apart from the bar) it the trap. This is an area in the basement of the arts building that contains sixteen pool tables and numerous video games.
Tucked away in one corder of the campus is a mysterious building that is known to the locals as the temple due to it`s doric pillars. It is in fact a geomagnetic observatory, but has not been used since it was removed brick-by-brick from TCD. TCD needed to remove it from their campus to make room for a new building. UCD agreed to take it.
Past students include James Joyce and Samuel Beckett
(and of course me)