Legal FAQ

1. What is the Legal name of the College?

The legal name of the College is 'the Provost, Fellows, Foundation Scholars and the other members of Board, of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin' and should be used on all legal documentation relating to the College.

2. Where does the name come from?

The original name of the College was contained in the Charter Elizabeth I in 1592 which established the College, and restated in the Charter of Charles I - 1637 and in the  Supplemental Charter in 2022. The name was noted in Section 2(2) on the Chapter on the Body Corporate in the 2010 Consolidated Statutes of Trinity College and the University of Dublin as the title to be used 'where a function is performed in the name of the Body Corporate' (Trinity College).

3. Does the College have a company registration number?

No, the College is not registered company and therefore does not have a company registration number.  See charity reference number below.

4. What is the legal status of the College?

The College is a Body Corporate, with charitable status in receipt of government funding.

Trinity College, Dublin is the sole constituent College of the University of Dublin, founded in 1592 by the Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I and is recognised by the Government of the Republic of Ireland, through its designation under the Irish Government’s Higher Education Authority Act, 1971, the Universities Act, 1997, the Trinity College, Dublin (Charters and Letters Patent Amendment) Act, 2000 and the Higher Education Authority Act 2022.

The College is regarded as established for charitable purposes only, within the meaning of Section 207 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 (formerly Section 33 of the Income Tax Act, 1967) under charity reference number CHY 11.

This exemption was originally granted on the 26th June 1958 and is still effective.

5. How is the governance and basic law of the College regulated?

The governance of the College is ultimately regulated by the Charters and Letters Patent of the College. These documents have force of law equivalent to legislation and can therefore only be amended by means of a Charter or Act of the Oireachtas.

However, the basic law of the College and University is regulated by the Statutes. The College is entitled to amend its Statutes, with the approval of the Board, Fellows and Visitors, and thus regulate its internal affairs. Any college regulations, such as those found in the College Calendar and policy documents, must comply with the Statutes. The most recent comprehensive revision of the Statutes occurred in 2010.

For more information, please see the Preface of the Preliminary Chapter to the 2010 Consolidated Statutes of Trinity College Dublin and of the University of Dublin.

6. What is the registered address of the College?

The registered address of the College is College Green, Dublin 2.

The College Green site and adjacent lands were granted to the 'Provost, Fellows and Scholars and their successors…for ever' by the mayor and Corporation of Dublin on 21st July 1592. The site was originally owned by the Priory of All Hallows, but was granted to the mayor and Corporation following the dissolution of the monasteries during the English reformation.

7. What is the legal relationship between Trinity College Dublin and the University of Dublin?

The governance of Trinity College was modelled on a collegiate style of University. However, unlike other collegiate systems, Trinity College is the only constituent college of the University, and was referred to in the founding Charter as the ‘mother of a University’. As a result, the names are for the most part synonymous and the two bodies may, for practical purposes, be regarded as one and the same institution.

This practice was approved by the courts in 1888 (The Provost, Fellows and Scholars of Trinity College, Dublin v Attorney General & Ors. PDF 1.19 MB), and is reflected in s. 2(2) of the Chapter on the University in the 2010 Consolidated Statutes which states that ‘except as otherwise provided for in the Principle Enactments or the Statutes, the functions of the University shall in the first instance be performed in relation to College.'

The practical significance of the distinction between the two bodies corporate most commonly arises in the awarding of degrees, which are awarded by the University of Dublin.

8. What is the College VAT registration number?

The College VAT registration number is IE 2200007U.