National University of Ireland, Galway

The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway) (Irish Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh or OÉ Gaillimh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is a tertiary-level educational institution located in Galway, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as Queen's College, Galway and was more recently known as University College, Galway (UCG) (Irish: Coláiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh or COG). The current President, Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Attorney General of Ireland are all past pupils. The actor Martin Sheen has also attended. The college opened for teaching in 1849 as Queen's College, Galway with 37 professors and 91 students and a year later became a part of the Queen's University of Ireland. The Irish Universities Act, 1908 made this college a constituent college of the new National University of Ireland, and under a new charter the name of the college was changed to University College, Galway. The university college was given special statutory responsibility under the University College, Galway Act, 1929 in respect of the use of the Irish language as the working language of the college.