University College Cork Heritage Fund

 Please click to donate to University College Cork Heritage Fund

University Curator - Mr Michael Holland

The University College Cork Heritage Fund helps ensure that the historic legacy of the University and its magnificent buildings are preserved for future generations and that the campus remains a beautiful and culturally inviting environment in which to study and visit.  It is currently dedicated to supporting the costs of restoring and conserving the Aula Maxima and the Crawford Observatory and to maintaining the permanent, secure display of the Ogham Stone Collection.

Aula Maxima

The Aula Maxima has served for more than 150 years as the epicentre of University activities and as the main ceremonial and examinations hall. It was from the Aula Maxima that the University was officially opened in 1849 and, since then, it has served as a reading room, reception area and concert, dance, banquet and graduation hall. It is unrivalled as the symbolic heart of UCC. The cost of the restoration and refurbishment of the Aula Maxima was €1.4 million and to date €600,000 has been successfully raised.             

Crawford Observatory

UCC re-opened its Crawford Observatory in June 2006 after an extensive programme of refurbishment and conservation. The Observatory, a unique structure in the heart of the campus, was originally completed in 1880 and reflects the importance UCC has always placed in science and technology. The Observatory was designed by Sir Howard Grubb who built all the instruments it contains.  Grubb, based in Dublin, remains to this day Ireland's foremost maker of scientific instruments. The Observatory houses a unique collection of his finest work - instruments which were at the forefront of the technology of their time.

The Crawford Observatory works, costing €800,000, included extensive restoration and conservation of both the building and the three main telescopes; the Equatorial telescope, the Transit Circle and the Sidereostatic telescope. The original canvas dome has been replaced with a copper structure for improved long term stability. Ongoing challenges include the requirement to maintain the historically important telescopes in the optimum environment for conservation in locations where they are sometimes fully exposed to the elements.          

Ogham Stones Collection

From the 5th century our ancestors used large stones to commemorate a special person or to mark their land boundaries. On these stones they engraved their own personal information in Irish ‘hieroglyphics’ which scholars now believe to be the earliest known form of the Irish language. In 1861 UCC began collecting Ogham Stones as and when they were unearthed or became available. Today the University has the largest collection on open display in the world. The 28 Ogham Stones are of great significance to Irish history and offer scholars and the people of Ireland a unique insight into our understanding of the communication skills and tools of our ancestors.

In September 2006 UCC completed the restoration, conservation and display of the Stones and has restored the Stone Corridor in the main University Quadrangle where the Collection is now on permanent display.

The entire restoration project has cost €750,000.  Benefactors may wish to join a host of donors (individuals and companies) who have kindly given €25,000 each and who are recognised on plaques placed beside each Stone along with specific information relating to the Stone. 

Make a Donation to UCC

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If you have questions which have not been answered on this site please contact Karen Kelly on:

 +353 (0) 21 490 3643 or k.kelly@ucc.ie