History
In common with the other Queen's Colleges, Queens College Galway had a representative body for students. Although claims have been made that the Union grew out of the Lit & Deb, it is more accurate to say that the small student population meant that Student Representative Council (SRC) activities shared events and members with the Lit and Deb, which unlike the SRC had non-student members.
Notwithstanding the separate existence of the two bodies, The Literary and Debating Society played a vital role in defending the functional existence and independence of the Union. The public forum of the Lit and Deb allowed students to raise issues free of College interference.
An alternative view of the foundation of the Union is that the society served as the sole representative forum for students of the college until the establishment of a Students' Representative Council as an offshoot of the Society in 1911, under the direction of Bryan Cusack. This council was short-lived, but the re-establishment of the body was proposed by Conor O'Malley, auditor of the 1913-1914 session, in his inaugural address in November 1913. The council was firmly established by the mid-1920s, and in the 1960s was formally developed into the university's Students' Union, then known as Comhairle Teachta na Mac Léinn. The non-existence of Society records from that period makes this contention impossible to prove.
Restructured in 1964 in the Students' Union (although retaining the Irish "Comhairle Teacha na Mac Léinn until later years), the function of the Union as per the Constitution shall be "to represent its members and promote, defend and vindicate the rights of its members at all levels of society". Below are some highlights from the Unions past.
- 1964 • Led by Michael D. Higgins 600 students marched to protest about "poor relations generally between the University and the local community" as many hotels refused to take visiting students, landladies discriminated against students in summer etc.
- 1969 • College Week (RAG Week) run for the first time after being banned by the Bishop in 1950s.
- 1980 • The Union supports the call for political status by the prisoners of H-Block and Armagh Jail. Several UCG students involved in the H-Block campaign claim they are being harassed by the Gardaí.
- 1982 • During College Week Gerry Ryan DJ'd the disco at Leisureland and the Manger of Leisurelands car was set on fire by students.
- 1987• The Union organises a boycott of tea and coffee served in the restaurant due to the increase in price of same (tea 33p and coffee 35p). The union serves approximately 2,000 cups of tea a day during boycott at 25p a cup.
- 1997 • USI Pink Training, a campaigning and training event for LGBT students and activists is held at UCG.
- 2008 • Fees campaign begins with thousands marching to Eyre Square
Read more about this topic: NUI Galway Students' Union
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