- Home
- Support
- Visitor Services
- UCC Stories
UCC Stories
You think you know UCC? Think again! On this page you will discover some unbelievable stories about University College Cork. These stories and many more are part of the Visitor Services tours.
The Quad
Find out about some of the myths and mysteries surrounding The Quad and take a stroll down the stone corridor to learn about UCC's Ogam stone collection.
Around UCC campus
UCC campus tour highlights include the controversial Gaol Cross entrance to UCC, the wild meadow garden by Cavanagh Bridge and a visit to the Crawford Observatory.
Hanging around Gaol Cross
During the construction of the new Hub building the Gaol Cross gates were closed, reducing the numbers of people who pass by the Gaol Cross area on a daily basis. The opening of the new Cavanagh bridge created a new access point to campus diverting people away from the area. The Gaol cross entrance was predominantly used by students to access the campus in the early years of QCC/UCC.
The story of the Gaol at Gaol Cross and many others are part of the UCC Visitor Services tours.
The Crawford Observatory
The Crawford Observatory was completed in 1880. The University acquired the observatory through the generosity of several benefactors including the Duke of Devonshire. One of them William Crawford contributed £1000 towards the construction and the purchase of astronomical instruments. The building itself amounted to £800 costing less to build than the cost of the instruments contained within.
The story of and a visit to the Crawford Observatory is part of the UCC Visitor Services tours.
A Little Bit of History
Learn some of UCC’s rich history including the fascinating journey of the Queen Victoria Statue, the first registered student of Queens College Cork and the story of the University Mace.
Queen Victoria Statue
Queen Victoria visited Ireland four times during her sixty-three-year reign. The first official visit was in 1849 and was specifically arranged by Lord Clarendon, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
- In Cork, a procession of carriages took the royal party on a tour of the city. A Gothic-Style triumphal arch was erected on Grand Parade, and another in Great George's Street to commemorate this occasion.
- The carriages continued on to the recently constructed Queens College where a statue of Queen Victoria was ceremonially placed in position as they were passing along the road. The statue was unveiled from the top of a scaffold by the Architect who designed Queens College Cork, Sir Thomas Deane.
- Queen Victoria did not step foot on the campus itself as there was an outbreak of Cholera in the City and conducted the opening ceremony from her carriage on Western Road
Find out more about UCC’s rich history on one of our tours.
First Registered Student of Queens College Cork
- The first registered student of Queens College Cork was Richard Bullen whom aged 14 was the son of Professor Denis Bullen the first Professor of Surgery at QCC.
- He graduated with a BA in 1853 and joined the Royal Marines.
- In 1862 while in service to the Royal Engineers he was made Lieutenant Richard Bullen to serve with Second Captain Vice Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Lennox. Bullen spent many years in service with the royal engineers in Ceylon, the Cape of Good Hope and Barbados.
Find out more about UCC’s rich history on one of our tours.
The University Mace
The University Mace which is housed in Visitor Services is generally acknowledged as the centrepiece of the university collection. It is the symbolic embodiment of the universities ability to govern itself. Its formation is based on a medieval weapon, which has come to be adopted as a symbol of authority and identity by civic and other public bodies, including universities.
The Story of the UCC Mace and many others are part of UCC Visitor Services tours.
