List of Trinity College, Dublin student organisations

Clubs

Trinity College has 49 sports clubs affiliated to the Dublin University Central Athletic Club. There is a very strong sporting tradition at Trinity; however, in recent years sporting prowess has diminished somewhat with most students engaging in sport for recreational purposes rather than for competitive reasons.

The Central Athletic Club is made up of five democratically elected committees who oversee the development of sport in the college: the Executive Committee is responsible for all activities; the Captains' Committee represents the 49 club captains and awards University Colours (Pinks), the Pavilion Bar Committee runs the private members' bar, the Pavilion Members' Committee and the Sports Facilities Committee.

The oldest clubs include the Dublin University Cricket Club (1835) and Dublin University Boat Club (1836). Dublin University Football Club which plays rugby football was founded in 1854 and is the world's oldest documented "football club". The Dublin University Hockey Club was founded in 1893. The Dublin University Harriers and Athletic Club was founded in 1885.

There are several graduate sport clubs that exist separate to the Central Athletic Club including the Dublin University Museum Players (cricket), the Lady Elizabeth Boat Club (rowing) and the Mary Lyons Memorial Mallets (croquet).

Publications

Trinity College, Dublin has a very strong tradition of student publications, ranging from the serious to the satirical. All student publications are administered by the Dublin University Publications Committee (often known as 'Pubs') who maintain and administer the Publications room (located in House 6) and all the associated equipment needed to publish its newspapers and magazines.

Trinity News is Ireland's oldest student newspaper having been first printed in 1947 and being in regular circulation since 1953. It is currently published on a fortnightly basis producing 12 issues in total during the academic year. The focus is on students with sections including College News, National News, International News, Features, Film, Music, Food and Drink, Science, Sports Features and College Sports (amongst others). The paper has been very successful in the Irish Student Media Awards in the past, winning each of the "Newspaper of the Year", "Editor of the Year" and "Journalist of the Year" numerous times in recent years. Currently the position of Editor of Trinity News is a sabbatical one which is widely believed to be a major factor in the newspaper's recent success.

The University Times is Trinity's newer student newspaper: founded in 2009, it was named Irish Student Newspaper of the Year in its first year, an award won by Trinity News in the three previous years. It is funded by Trinity College Dublin Students' Union but its Editorial Committee makes editorial decisions independently of the Union.

Student magazines currently in publication include The Piranha ("Private Eye"/"The Onion" type satire), the generalist TCD Miscellany (one of Ireland's oldest magazines), the arts-orientated Icarus (magazine) and the recently launched film magazine Trinity Film Review. Other publications supported by include the Dublin University Publications Committee include the Student Economic Review, which is a journal produced and organised by students of Economics, the Law Review and the Trinity Student Medical Journal as well as The Attic which is a collection of student writing produced by the Dublin University Literary Society. Some older titles currently not in publication include Central Review, Trinity Intellectual Times, The Afro-Caribbean Journal, Harlot, Evoke, and Alternate.

Societies

File:Trinity college gmb.jpg

The Graduates memorial building

Trinity College has a vibrant student life with 101 societies. Student societies operate under the aegis of the Dublin University Central Societies Committee (CSC) which is composed of the Treasurers of each of the Societies within the College. Society size varies enormously, large societies having in the region of 2000 members. Society size tends to vary and it is often hard to determine exact figures for most societies - several claiming to be the largest in the college with thousands of members, while smaller groups may have only 40-50 members. The larger Societies include the University Philosophical Society, a debating and paper-reading society affectionately known as "The Phil," situated in the Graduates Memorial Building (GMB.) Now in its 327th session, the Phil is the oldest student society in the world; famous ex-members include Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. Also sharing the GMB is the "College Historical Society", a debating society more commonly known as "The Hist"; famous ex-members include Iar-Thanaiste Mary Harney. Other large societies include: the Vincent de Paul Society (VDP), which organises a large number of activities in the local community.

The Students' Union

The Students' Union's primary role is to provide a recognised representative channel between undergraduates and the University and College authorities. The Executive, the Finance and Services Committee and Sabbatical Officers manage the business and affairs of the Union. The Sabbatical Officers are: The President, Communications Officer, Welfare Officer, Education Officer and Entertainments Officer and are elected on an annual basis; all capitated students are entitled to vote. The SU President, Welfare Officer and Education Officer are ex-officio members of the College Board.

The Students' Union Communications Officer is responsible for the publication of the University Record, which is published every three weeks by the Students' Union. The University Record is the voice of the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union and many of the contributors are drawn from the ranks of class reps.

The Graduate Students' Union

The Graduate Students' Union's primary role is to provide a recognised representative channel between postgraduates and the University and College authorities. The GSU president is an ex-officio member of the College Board. The Graduate Students' Union publish the "Journal of Postgraduate Research" on an annual basis.

List of Societies

• University Philosophical Society (Phil)
• College Historical Society (Hist)
• Vincent de Paul Society (VDP)
• College Theological Society (Theo)
• Trinity FM
• dudance
• Dublin University Business + Economics Society
• Trinity College Dublin Literary Society
• Trinity College Dublin Biological Association (Biosoc)
• Trinity Entrepreneurial Society (TES)
• Trinity Hiking
• Trinity Investors Society
• Trinity Young Fine Gael (TYFG)
• Laurentian Society
• Dublin University History Society

Mathsoc

Dublin University Mathematical Society, affectionately referred to as the Mathsoc by its members, was founded in 1923 and has had many famous members since its foundation, including Ireland's only Nobel Physics Laureate Ernest Walton who helped found it. The Mathsoc has a society room in college, in the School of Mathematics, which contains the Mathsoc library.

LGBT Society

Trinity LGBT is a society which supports the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their friends in Trinity College Dublin. The LGBT organises social and community events while offering help and support for LBGT students and providing a safe space for LGBT students on campus. Trinity College recognised the society in 1982 making it the oldest student LGBT society in Ireland. Trinity LGBT was founded in 1982 as "Dublin University Gay Soc", emerging directly from the Sexual Liberation Movement of David Norris and other Irish gay rights pioneers who were active in Trinity in the early 1970s^[1].

Trinity FM

TCD also has a Radio Society known as Trinity FM. It broadcasts from House 6 and offers a variety in student made productions on FM frequency 97.3FM for six weeks a year. It's actually amazing. You may also tune in to Trinity FM (T:FM) at www.trinityfm.com.

Comedy Society

The Dublin University Comedy Society (Comedy Soc.) hosts comedy events for its members and has hosted gigs on campus from comedians such as Andrew Maxwell, David O'Doherty, Neil Delamere and Colin Murphy. The society has existed in one form or another for many years, going under the name "The Dead Parrot Society" in the 1990s but experienced a massive resurgence in activity in 2007. The society signed up over 700 members in 2007, and over 2500 members in 2008 making them one of the largest student societies in Trinty that year.^[2] The society publishes a comedy magazine called Goldfish, runs stand-up comedy workshops, and a variety of themed nights out.

Choral Society

The University of Dublin Choral Society is the largest choir in Trinity College Dublin. It is also the oldest choral society among the universities of Great Britain and Ireland having been founded in 1837. The society performs two concerts each year, one at the end of each term. The tradition that members wear the formal academic gown for performances is upheld and concerts take place in the College Exam Hall and College Chapel.

Biological Association

The Biosoc is one of the largest societies in Trinity College Dublin. The main role of the Biosoc was originally to provide a forum of discussion in the field of Natural Science, however, over the years it began to change this role eventually becoming a social society for medical students. In this regard it has become well known, particularly in the running of the "Med Day" charity event every November, raising money for various university associated hospitals, including neonatal care in the Coombe and Rotunda, acute stroke care in St James's Hospital and breast cancer screening programme in AMNCH. This event has seen support from well known personalities, including rugby players Paul O'Connell and Jamie Heaslip. Other events run through the year include the Medical Ball, "The Great Medical Debate" and a pantomime, which makes fun of the various professors and consultants encountered in the medical school.

Dublin University Players

Dublin University Players which is one of the most prolific drama societies in Ireland, hosting up to 50 shows and events a year in its own theatre in the Samuel Beckett Centre. Famous ex-members of Players include the actress and writer Pauline McLynn (Mrs Doyle from Father Ted), as well as Sir Ian Laurence Byrne esq, Lord Patrick McKeating and Shane O'Reilly of 'Cinderella at the Gaiety' fame.

Joly Geological Society

Named after John Joly, the Joly Geological Society was founded in 1960.^[3][4] As well as social events the society organises field trips.^[5]

Laurentian Society

The Laurentian Society is a society named after Saint Laurence O’Toole (Lorcán Ua Tuathail in gaelic), and concerned with relevant issues from a Catholic perspective. It existed with no interruptions between the academic years 1952-3 and 2001-2^[6], being then the Catholic society of Trinity College. Back then, the society used to hold talks and was engaged in Charitable activities. It was revived as a cultural society in September 2011.

Some No Longer Existing Societies

Astronomy and Space Society (Trinity)^[7]

Karting Society^[8]

One World Society^[9]

Speech and Language Pathology Society^[10]

References

1. ^ Twenty-five years of Trinity LGBT - Trinity News
2. ^ http://www.trinitynews.ie/index.php/news/societies/204-funny-business-at-du-comedy-soc
3. ^ Joly Geological Society - About
4. ^ The chronologers' quest: episodes in the search for the age of the earth, p. 216, Patrick Wyse Jackson, Cambridge University Press
5. ^ Joly Geological Society - Fieldtrips
6. ^ The Dublin University Calendar 2001-2001, p. V11
7. ^ The Dublin University Calendar 2001-2001, p. V11
8. ^ The Dublin University Calendar 2001-2001, p. V11
9. ^ The Dublin University Calendar 2001-2001, p. V11
10. ^ The Dublin University Calendar 2001-2001, p. V11

External links

• Mathsoc
• Trinity LBGT
• Trinity News [1]