Tralee RTC was established in 1977 under the control of the Town of Tralee Vocational Education Committee, Dr. Seán McBride was appointed Principal in 1978. In 1984, work began on the South Campus. In 1992 Tralee RTC, became an autonomous institution under the Regional Technical Colleges Act. Tralee RTC was renamed as were the other RTC's, as the Institute of Technology, Tralee in 1997. In 2007, the title of the head of the institute changed from "Director" to "President". Michael Carmody served as president until 2011, Dr. Oliver Murphy served as acting president until appointed to the post for a five-year term, despite resigning, Dr. Murphy was reappointed to a second five-year term in 2017, and prior to the merger with MTU, retired in 2020.
Schools and departments
The Institute has two campuses- the North campus and the South campus approximately 2.4 km apart. it has the following Schools and Departments:
School of Business, Computing and Humanitieslocated in the North campus:
*Creative Media and Information Technology Department
*Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Department
*Civil Engineering and Construction Studies Department
*Agriculture and Manufacturing Studies Department
*Biological and Pharmaceutical Science Department
*Apprentice Section
School of Health and Social Sciences:
*Health and Leisure Studies Department located in the North campus
*Social Sciences Department located in the North Campus
*Nursing and Health Care Sciences Department located in the North campus
The South campus has been in operation since the opening of the Institute in 1977. The North campus opened in 2001. The continuing development of the North campus will eventually lead to the entire institute being relocated to Dromtacker.
Future - Munster Technological University - January 2021
announced the formal approval of Munster Technological University in May 2020, to begin operations in January 2021. Munster TU is among a group of other possible Technological Universities to add to TU Dublin.
Industry links
The Tom CreanBusiness Incubation Centre opened in the north campus in January 2005. Situated on the same site in Dromtacker is the Kerry Technology Park, owned and operated by Shannon Development. The Park and the Institute often work closely together, developing curricula and providing an exchange of students to work in the Park. In September 2004, a new Nursing complex opened in the North campus. The "Solás building" as it is known is where the student nurses learn practical nursing skills. It has its own ward setting with lifelike dummies as patients. The Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre is also based on the campus of IT Tralee and is a joint venture between IT Tralee and Limerick Institute of Technology. It provides applied scientific services to industry in the area of integrated approaches to solving problems associated with the better utilisation of natural materials and the novel bio-resources they contain.
Sports
burst onto the college GAA scene in 1997 when it became the first RTC to win the Sigerson Cup. It was only Tralee's second outing in this competition. However, the college created further history by winning the Sigerson three times in successive seasons to become the only RTC/Institute of Technology to do so in the competition's history. The men's team won the Trench Cup in 2010. The Ladies football team also won the O Connor Cup back to back in 1998 and 1999. Furthermore, the hurlers won the Ryan Cup in 1997 with the camogie team winning the Purcell Shield also in the same year.
