Griffith College Dublin
Griffith College Dublin (GCD) (Irish: Coláiste Uí Ghríofa) is one of the longest-established private third level (higher education) colleges in Dublin, Ireland. Established in 1974, with four campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Overview Griffith College is the largest private third-level institution in Ireland,[1] with a student population of just under 8,000, including 1,400 overseas students from over 77 countries.[2] It is named after the former Griffith Barracks on the South Circular Road in Dublin.[3] The 7-acre Dublin campus is close to the city centre, where Griffith College has an additional campus.[2] Student Halls of Residence are located on campus, close to the library, creative studios, restaurant, gym facilities, and the Students Union.[4] Griffith College offers full—and part-time degrees and higher education qualifications in Law, Accountancy, Business, Computing, Journalism, Media, Creative Arts, Psychology, Design, Fashion, Music, and Drama. The college also offers professional accountancy programmes for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), ACA, CPA and IATI,[5] Griffith College is a goldStar CPA approved Educator.[6] The Griffith College Dublin campus is the home of the Leinster School of Music & Drama. Established in 1904, the Leinster School offers theory classes in Music & Drama to groups and individuals. The Leinster School is also an examining body and has a Theory Examinations Syllabus with levels from Preparatory to Grade 8.[9] History The college was established in 1974 by Diarmuid Hegarty and incorporated in 1978 as Business and Accounting Training (BAT). Originally located on Morehampton Road, in 1991, Business and Accounting College moved from Milltown Park, Ranelagh, to the Griffith Barracks site and changed its name to Griffith College Dublin. In 1979, Griffith College was designated as an institution under the Irish Government's National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA) Act.[2] In 1990, the first degree course was offered by Griffith College in Computer Science, and it was validated by the University of Ulster. In 1992, it was followed by a Business Studies degree.[10] This arrangement ceased in 1996 and the degrees were validated by Irish National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), the predecessor of HETAC. Expansion and developmentsOver the years Griffith College has expanded beyond its base in Dublin. Having previously established its Professional Accountancy Programmes in Cork in 2000, offering training in ACCA, CIMA, CPA, and IATI, Griffith College acquired Skerry's College Cork, operating since 1884, in 2005, forming Griffith College Cork. In 2006 Griffith College opened in Limerick with the acquisition of the Mid West Business Institute, creating Griffith College Limerick. In 2009 Griffith College Limerick moved into new premises which were officially opened by the Minister of Defence Willie O'Dea T.D. on 23 January 2009.[11] In Spring 2013, Griffith College Cork expanded to a 5.3 acre campus on Wellington Road, Cork City, on the former site of St. Patrick's Hospital and Marymount Hospice.[12] The Campus is called 'Griffith College Cork, Wellington Road Campus'. Teaching commenced at the Wellington Road campus in Summer 2013 with an English Language Residential School. Griffith College City CentreIn 2018, the college opened Griffith College City Centre in Dublin, off Mary Street, at 25 Wolfe Tone Street, Dublin 1.[13] Faculties The College is divided into a number of faculties and schools:
Faculty of Law & the Professional Law SchoolGriffith College Dublin is home to one of Ireland's largest law schools,[14] incorporating the Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Professional Law Schools.  Innocence ProjectIn September 2009, David Langwallner, then Dean of Law, founded the Irish Innocence Project at Griffith College. The Irish Innocence Project reviews claims of wrongful conviction and miscarriages of justice in Ireland.[15] It is based on the famous Innocence Project in the USA.[16] The Irish Innocence Project (Irish: Tionscadal Neamhchiontachta na hÉireann) was launched officially by Dr.Greg Hampikian, director of the Idaho Innocence Project and DNA expert for the Georgia Innocence Project in March 2010. In January 2010, Tipperary man Harry Gleeson became the first recipient of a posthumous pardon from the State. He was cleared decades after the crime took place in a dramatic development representing the dedicated work of the Griffith College-based Irish Innocence Project and the Justice for Harry Gleeson group.[17] School of Professional AccountancyGriffith College works with several local and international partners to offer professional courses in areas of accounting. Association of Chartered Certified AccountantsGriffith College holds a platinum status Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) accreditation,[2] and offers courses in the following areas:
Certified Public AccountantsGriffith College is also a Goldstar CPA Approved Educator, offering Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification and preparation programmes. These include:
Accounting Technicians IrelandGriffith College is a licensed college provider by Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) and offers an ATI membership qualification course. Collaborations and recognitionAt an international level, Griffith College Dublin is a participant in the Erasmus / Socrates mobility programmes.[2] Ireland is a member of the Bologna Process, of which Griffith College is a promoter.[18] The generic outcomes for Irish degrees are laid out in the National Framework of Qualifications.[19] In 2006, Ireland became the first country to verify the compatibility of its national framework with the overarching framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and Griffith College’s degree programmes adhere to this framework.[19] Validating partnersGriffith College works in partnership with a number of validating bodies in Ireland and the UK. This ensures that all programmes are recognised nationally and internationally.[2] QQI validationQQI is the awarding body for Irish higher education and training institutions outside the university sector.[2] King's Inns RecognitionIn 2004, Griffith became the first independent college in the country to have its degrees (LLB and BA in Business & Law) recognised by the Honorable Society of King's Inns.[20] for the purposes of admission to its annual entrance examinations. Having successfully completed these five examinations, students may then complete the Barrister of Law degree in one year.[21] which is a professional qualification for practice at the bar. Student lifeHalls of ResidenceOverlooking Dublin's Grand Canal, Griffith College’s Dublin campus is over 200 years old, and was originally known as the Richmond Bridewell.[22] In 2013, a statue was unveiled by then Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD to mark the campus’s 200th anniversary, along with the publication of a history book.[citation needed] GriffFMGriff FM was a radio station that students from the Journalism & Media Faculty operated from the Dublin Main Campus.[23] The radio station was licensed by the BAI (and the BCI before that) to broadcast for a couple of weeks.[24] The station aired news and music-oriented programmes produced and presented by second-year journalism degree students and postgraduate journalism students. Students' unionGriffith College Students' Union is the representative body for all full-time and part-time Griffith College students.[25] The students' union executives include the roles of president and (as of 2021) two vice-presidents.[26] The union organises a number of trips and events throughout the academic year, including Freshers Week and several balls.[27] It also helps fund and assist college clubs and societies covering activities such as sport, music, debating, and film.[28][27] GCD's debating society were team winners of the 2009 Thomas Finlay Court Moot Competition in UCD.[29] College and student publicationsThere are a number of college publications.[30] These include an online newspaper called The Circular,[31] curated by Journalism students, where examples of student work are published.[31] In April 2025, students from Griffith College Dublin won three major awards at the National Student Media Awards (SMEDIAS), Ireland’s premier annual student journalism competition. They received awards for Small College or Society Publication of the Year, awarded to the editorial team of Dublin 8 Magazine,[32] Journalism Relating to Health, and Journalist of the Year – National Media awarded to Bartira da Silva Augelli for her broader reporting in national media.[33] EventsAn annual "Creative Week"[34] features the final work of a collective of students from various courses in the College. It takes place to showcase student work of the creative disciplines, Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Fashion Design, TV & Video Production, Photography, Digital Media, Sound Engineering, Journalism, and Visual Media.[35] Facilities and servicesThe college facilities include a library, common room, computer laboratories, CAD lab, photography lab, fitness room, sound studios, shop, and restaurant. The college also offers students a career advice service. There is also counselling for personal and non-academic issues. The college library provides research and study facilities to students (and to college alumni), it holds a range of set course texts and background reading material for all college programmes.[36] GBS Research Hub The Research and Innovation Hub at Griffith College Dublin,[37] also known as the GBS Hub, was founded in 2023 and serves as the institution's EU research and innovation centre. It aims to bridge the gap between education and industry by fostering entrepreneurship through consulting services, mentorship, and dynamic collaborations.[37] The Hub focuses on areas such as artificial intelligence, sustainability, and healthcare, actively supporting businesses with growth potential. As part of the EU-funded SMART4FUTURE project, the Hub has successfully supported nine start-up companies and three student entrepreneurs through funded research.[38] The GBS Hub organises annual bootcamps and competitions to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among students and staff. As part of the SMART4FUTURE project, the GBS Hub bootcamp provided €15,000 in EU funding to support student-led companies.[39] The bootcamps offered hands-on support, practical tools, and mentorship to transform ideas into actionable solutions, serving as a springboard for potential dissertation topics or industry-based research. Conference centreGriffith Conference Center is located on the college campus. The facilities include a 600+ seated auditorium, smaller suites and rooms for hire. The buildings were officially opened by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in September 2006.[40] The Conference Centre has been used for various functions such as conventions of political parties, medical bodies, and industry groups.[citation needed] It has also hosted television programmes such as the You're a Star auditions.[41] GC50 Griffith College celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. To mark this important milestone, the College held a number of events and initiatives throughout the year. GC50 Launch EventOn 1 February 2024, Griffith College welcomed Simon Harris T.D., Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, to speak alongside Professor Diarmuid Hegarty, Griffith College President and Founder.[42] GC50 Conversations: Family Amendment Referendum: Yes or No?On Monday, 4 March 2024, the College welcomed Ivana Bacik, TD and Labour party leader, and Michael McDowell, Independent Senator and former Attorney General, to debate the Family Amendment Referendum, which was subsequently held on 8 March 2024.[43] Restoration of the historic Quarter Master HouseBuilt circa 1890, the Quarter Master House, a detached three-bay, two-storey red brick building, was most likely constructed following the conversion of the old Richmond Bridewell into Wellington Barracks. To mark GC50, the college undertook significant sustainability and restoration efforts on this iconic structure, bringing it back to its original splendour. [44] Prize Winners Booklet LaunchThe Prize Winners Booklet is a legacy project highlighting the prestigious external awards earned by the college’s alumni and showcasing their national and international success. At the Prize Winners Booklet Launch on 24 January 2025, over 1,000 awards were celebrated and cemented in Griffith College's history.[45] Notable staff and alumni
Buildings 
GraduationsThe college graduation ceremonies take place over two days each November in the Conference Center. In previous years the ceremony took place in Royal Hospital Kilmainham in 2004 and 2005, and St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin the year before that. The 2002 graduation was addressed by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Education Minister Noel Dempsey address the 2003 Graduation[52] and in 2005 justice minister Michael McDowell addressed Law graduates. In attendance are graduates with their families and friends, representatives of Validation Bodies, as well as political and diplomatic dignitaries. Honorary AwardsGriffith College annually presents honorary awards, such as the Distinguished Fellowship or Distinguished Graduate Awards, to individuals who have made significant contributions nationally or internationally.[53] Recent honorees include: Michael Noonan (2024): Former Minister for Finance and leader of Fine Gael, honoured for his public service and stewardship of Ireland’s economy during challenging post‑crisis years.[54] Adam Harris (2024): Founder and CEO of the autism advocacy organisation AsIAm, recognised for his role in raising national awareness and shaping inclusive policy for autism in Ireland.[55] Zara King (2024): Virgin Media Southern News Correspondent, awarded for outstanding contributions to news reporting in Ireland, particularly during the COVID‑19 pandemic.[56] References
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