Admission of students from Northern Ireland

When admitting students, Trinity College treats equally all Leaving Certificate and A-Level students on the island of Ireland in light of their status under Article 2 of the Constitution of Ireland. This policy reflects Trinity’s historic role – going back to 1592 – as a university for the whole island of Ireland, and also recognises the unique role it has played in bringing together different traditions over the centuries. Trinity attracts talented students from every county in Ireland, as well as from around the world, and the diversity of the student population is one of the key things that makes it such a special place to study. Recently we asked some of our students to tell their own stories about coming to study at Trinity, and they have made short videos about it for Trinity Explore (www.tcd.ie/explore).

Our Student Ambassador for Northern Ireland is Dónal McKeating, a second-year Maths and Economics student, and we also have student ambassadors from every county in Ireland. Dónal has the following message for anyone from Northern Ireland thinking of studying at Trinity:

‘I was one of only three people in a year of nearly 200 at my school that decided to come down to Trinity. I was immediately blown away by the incredible, vibrant atmosphere of the College. I have had an absolutely amazing two years at Trinity. I knew absolutely no-one, so I decided to get involved in College societies as much as possible from the get go, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Societies are a major part of the Trinity Experience, and offer a vast array of opportunities to students of all interests. I became heavily involved with Players, the College drama society. I acted, produced and even wrote a play in my 1st year and was lucky enough to be elected onto the committee and due to this was awarded the TCD Fresher of the Year award in March 2012. In addition to my interest in societies I have written extensively for the College satirical publication The Piranha, which has been a lot of fun and very rewarding, and I am now lucky enough to be Chair of Trinity’s Central Societies Committee; which is in charge of monitoring and funding Trinity’s 118 student societies. The incredible opportunities this College offers never cease to amaze me: whether it is through academic, sporting, or student society events, or simply by hosting the breathtaking Trinity Ball. Coming down here was the best decision I ever made and I would recommend every other student from Northern Ireland to do the same!’

Dónal McKeating, Student Ambassador for Northern Ireland

Speaking to the TCD Association of Northern Ireland in Belfast on 9 November 2012, the Provost, Dr. Patrick Prendergast, noted some of the deep connections, from Isaac Butt and the physicist Thomas Andrews, in the nineteenth century, to a range of distinguished people in the twentieth, including the judges, Sir James Andrews, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, and Sir Donnell Deeny of the High Court; the poets Michael Longley and Derek Mahon; the journalist and BBC governor Lucy Faulkner, wife of the Prime Minister Brian Faulkner; the great Denis Burkitt, who gave his name to the childhood cancer Burkitt’s lymphoma; and the world-renowned historian R.B. McDowell. The Provost noted that, ‘By bringing together a community of scholars and staff of all religions, and none; of all political beliefs and none; we help challenge fixed ideas and generate new ideas. One of my predecessors as Provost called Trinity “a small republic of letters”, and we take pride in living up to that ideal. A rich learning environment means diversity in the College.’

Students applying to Trinity from Northern Ireland should do so through the CAO, the Irish equivalent of UCAS, at www.cao.ie. An applicant’s points score will be calculated on the basis of either of the following: their best 4 A-level subjects from one academic year, or their best 3 A-level subjects from one academic year plus one AS level subject in a different subject from the same or the preceding year. See pages 21 and 29 for application deadlines, admission requirements, and the scoring scheme.