Founded in 1795, Maynooth College has a singular place in the history of the Irish Church, and indeed the Catholic Church globally. Its beginning was as a small seminary of thirty students and ten professors, most of whom were fleeing the ravages of the French Revolution. It has been the subject of riots in the streets of London and has played host to kings and popes. Its buildings have created one of the loveliest of university campuses and its chapel is among the highest free- standing structures in Ireland. It expanded rapidly, becoming a Pontifical University, a constituent college of the National University of Ireland and, at one time, the largest seminary in world. It has educated many thousands of students and led the way in many branches of the arts and sciences. But, beyond that, for its large number of alumni, found across all sectors of society internationally, it is a tapestry of rich memories.
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