Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) formerly Regional Technical College, Dundalk is a 90-acre (360,000 m2) campus situated in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, halfway between Dublin and Belfast (each approximately 80 kilometres away). The campus is 800 metres from the main Dublin Belfast road and 3 minutes drive from the M1 motorway to Dublin. Dublin Airport is a 35-minute drive by car. Dundalk is served by the Dublin Belfast Train corridor and Dundalk's Clarke Station is approximately a 20-minute walk (or 6 euro taxi ride) from the campus.
In 2002 DkIT took possession of the adjoining PJ Carroll Tobacco Factory. By 2005 partial development took place in the Carroll's site with Plumbing and Electrical Trades Workshops relocated there and the opening of a "Bright Room" digital media editing suite. Refurbishment of 11,500 square metres of the PJ Carroll Building was completed by 2010, and the School of Informatics and Creative Arts took up full-time residence there. The Building was officially opened on 11 February 2011 by the then An Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen TD who stated that "the completion of a €38m capital investment at the Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) campus represents a vote of confidence in the Institute’s future and will help further strengthen its capacity to drive economic regeneration in the northeast".
In 2005 a building for the newly introduced Nursing and Health studies was opened. In 2005 also, DkIT became one of the first urban locations to have an industrial standard wind turbine (850 kW) installed. It is the first large wind turbine in the world to be constructed on the campus of a third level institution.
The institution was one of the original network of Regional Technical Colleges set up in the 1970s with an emphasis on business, engineering and science. Over the past decade and a half, the Institute has expanded its range of programmes to include hospitality, humanities, music, creative arts and nursing. Apprenticeship courses have long been a feature of the Institute, there has been continual expansion in the Apprenticeship provisioning the electrical and plumbing fields.
The Institute has four Schools, with each one consisting of a number of departments with a wide range of programmes on offer. Additionally, the Lifelong Learning Centre offers many part-time study options and there are also many apprenticeship options on offer, through the School of Engineering.
The four schools at DkIT are:
- School of Business and Humanities
- School of Engineering
- School of Informatics and Creative Arts
- School of Health and Science
Mr Denis Cummins has been President of the Institute since 2006. The previous presidents/directors/principals have been Dr Seán McDonagh, Mr Denis Murphy (acting), Mr Gerry Carroll (acting) and Dr Tom Collins.The Chairman of the Board of Govornors since 2011 is Mr. Andrew Griffith he succeeded Ms. Joanna Gardiner and Mr. Clifford Kelly.
DkIT currently awaits with great interest the implementation of the recent Hunt Report as the Institute determines the optimum pathway towards its future re-designation as a 'Technological University'.
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DkIT's Nursing Building in the late evening. You can see the wind turbine to the right of the building.
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Photo taken outside the Nursing Building during the day.
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Aerial view of the DkIT Campus.
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The Campus Restaurant, Mac Anna Theatre and wind turbine.
Read more about Dundalk Institute Of Technology: Library, Lifelong Learning Centre, Regional Development Centre, Research At DkIT, Irish Language Scheme, Alumni Association
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