The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is the oldest surviving medical institution in the country. It was founded in 1654 as a “Fraternity of Physicians” by John Stearne, a Professor at Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University, in response to his recognition of the need for an improvement in the medical services available to the people of Ireland. Stearne’s foundation was closely modelled on the Royal College of Physicians of London and was, initially, an ancillary of The University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin).
Royal Charters were obtained in 1667, from King Charles II, and in 1692, from King William III and Queen Mary II. The College was granted the power to examine and license doctors as being fit to practice. The 1692 Charter, which is still in force today, established the College’s independence, severing the link with Trinity College Dublin.
The next 150 years of the College was a period of rapid growth and advancement in medicine. The College established itself as the regulator of medical teaching on the island and contributed towards the care of the sick.
After numerous changes of location, the College has occupied its present home on Dublin’s Kildare Street since 1864. The building was restored, renovated, refurbished and reopened in 2005 – by far the most extensive renovation of the College since the 1860s. The building is now fully equipped with modern conference, meeting and communication facilities.
Today, having been instrumental in establishing renowned teaching hospitals, collaborating with medical schools and advancing medical science, the College is primarily concerned with postgraduate education and the maintenance of high standards in medicine.
Through its mission “ to develop and maintain high professional standards in specialist medical practice in order to achieve optimum patient care and to promote health nationally and internationally”, the College; develops and is responsible for running training programmes for doctors both at General Professional Training and Higher Medical Training level who are seeking to become specialists in medicine; co-operates closely with government and health bodies with regard to a wide range of medical training and education issues; and is responsible for CME programme certifying skills and competency through a Fellows professional career.
To find out more about the history of the College or to arrange a tour of the building please email heritagecentre@rcpi.ie or phone +353 (0) 1 6698817.