The History of NCAD

For 250 years the history of this College has reflected the growth and changes in the visual consciousness of a developing Irish culture. In the late 18th and into the 19th century the College trained many of the artists, apprentices, designers, painters and sculptors whose talents helped to give form to the vision that inspired Georgian Dublin. In the late 19th century the College was a centre for the Crafts revival attracting as students W. B. Yeats and A. E. Russell among others. The legacy handed down by Sir William Orpen, Sean Keating, Harry Clark and Maurice MacGonigal, and many other teachers and students of the College, is a living tradition for NCAD. Preserving traditional skills while opening out to new developments in art and design is at the heart of the dynamic that animates the College. What started as a private drawing school in is now a national institution educating over 1,500 day and evening students from all walks of life as artists, designers and art educators.

The origins of the College date from 1746 when Robert West had a private drawing school in George's Lane, Dublin, which was taken over the Dublin Society (later the RDS). Throughout the eighteenth century there were three schools: Figure Drawing, Landscape and Ornamental Drawing and Architectural Drawing. The School of Modelling was added in 1811. From 1854 the institution was controlled by the Department of Science and Art, London. In 1877 it was renamed The Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. The Department of Education took control in 1924, and twelve years later it became the National College of Art. In 1971the National College of Art and Design was established by act of an tOireachtas and is now governed by a board (An Bord) appointed by the Minister for Education.

The College's main campus is situated in Thomas Street, in the historic Liberties area of Dublin.

The last 25 years has seen a flowering of the visual arts in Ireland. The College has a major part to play in educating a new generation of artists who are gaining national and international recognition. The College aims to educate students to understand and master these new visual technologies within the broad humanistic ideals that this College has always maintained.