Welcome to TCD Botany

The study of plants is of vital importance; they are the source of the food we eat, the oxygen we breathe, most of the medicines we use, and are core to the understanding of the processes of global climate change. Dealing with the threats from global climate change will be one of the biggest challenges of this century. Human manipulation of plants in the future will need to provide food and energy for an expanding human population whilst conserving the biodiversity of living organisms and integrity of habitats. Exploring these issues is the focus of the Department of Botany.

The Department of Botany is one of the four disciplines that make up the School of Natural Sciences in Trinity College Dublin. Here you will find information on staff members, postgraduates, undergraduate courses, research and other activities within the department.

We are a small (9 academic staff) but very active research department. In 2009 we supervised 46 postgraduate research students. In addition, ten research fellows contributed significantly to our research programme which is also supported by a number of skilled technicians. Average annual research income in the Department since 2000 has been 1.7 million Euros.

Our research informs our teaching and we run two undergraduate programmes through the Department leading to degrees in Plant Sciences and Environmental Sciences. We also contribute to the other undergraduate and masters degree programmes run through the School of Natural Sciences.

We hope our website provides you with accurate and up-to-date information on our activities. If however you require further information please contact us directly. You are also welcome to visit should you be in Dublin, we are very proud of our city centre campus.

Daniel Kelly
Head of Botany