state-supported institution in Dublin, composed of three constituent and five recognized colleges, established in 1908 to foster Irish culture and values.

The germ of the university was the Catholic University of Ireland, founded in 1853 with John Henry Newman (later Cardinal Newman) as rector. The Catholic University declined after Newman left in 1857, but it was revived as the University College, Dublin, in 1882, when it and three other Roman Catholic colleges in Ireland were federated under the name Royal University of Ireland.

In 1908 University College became one of the constituent colleges of the newly organized National University, along with University College, Cork (founded as Queen's College, Cork, in 1845), and University College, Galway (founded as Queen's College, Galway, in 1845). The National University also comprises five other institutions: St. Patrick's College, Maynooth; St. Patrick's College of Education, Drumcondra; Mary Immaculate College of Education, Limerick; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin; and St. Angela's College of Education, Sligo. All of the constituent colleges offer courses in arts, Celtic studies, science, commerce, law, medicine, and engineering. University College, Dublin, also conducts programs in agriculture and veterinary science; University College, Cork, in dairy science.