Cathal Brugha Street main entrance of the former College of Catering. Photograph: Alan Betson.                                                                           

Designed by Robinson and Keefe, it is one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the vicinity. Of considerable architectural, artistic, and cultural interest, the building is symbolic of the burgeoning mid-twentieth-century push for the establishment of government training programmes. More details of the building can be found from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

Three Graces sculpture by Gabriel Hayes on the west corner of the former College of Catering. Photograph: Technological University Dublin

More details on 'The Three Graces' are available from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

St. Mary’s College of Domestic Science, Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, opens its doors to its first students. Some of the first courses offered were ‘art, needlework, laundry, dressmaking and dress design, housewifery, cooking (including institutional and hotel work), the training of chefs and waitresses, applied science, domestic housekeeping and physical culture’.

The college’s prospectus referred to its ‘national importance’ because the new institution would be ‘responsible for the work of training teachers of Domestic Economy which was formerly carried out at St Kevin’s Park, Kilmacud, Co. Dublin’. Kathleen O’Sullivan was appointed first principal and served until 1950, when she was succeeded by Winifred Bouchier-Hayes.

Institutional & Hotel Cookery and a postgraduate course in Dietetics is added to the curriculum.

Domestic Science Training is relocated to St. Angela’s in Sligo. The college expands its provision of courses for the Hotel Catering and Tourist Industries at both national and international level.

The School of Hospitality Management and Tourism and the School of Culinary Arts were merged with the former Faculty of Applied Arts into the new College of Arts and Tourism.

Minister for Tourism, Paschal Donhoue, address the audience at the 75th Anniversary celebrations: Photo by TU Dublin.

Cathal Brugha Street celebrates its 75th anniversary. Among the attendees at the celebration are Minister for Tourism Paschal Donohue and previous retired staff. 

Central Quad building, Grangegorman Campus. Photograph by TU Dublin.

In June 2021, the then titled School of Hospitality Management and Tourism relocates to its new home at the Central Quad building on the new campus in Grangegorman, Dublin 7. The school welcomed its first students in September after a year of remote online learning.

Through the school organisation design process it was decided through a staff survey and voting process to assess the current relevance of the school name.

It was chosen to put the word ‘tourism’ first in the school title to reflect the growing recognition of tourism as an increasingly important and distinct sector. 'Tourism' is the generally recognised ‘umbrella name’ of our sector, both nationally and internationally. It was also decided that 'hospitality' should be retained in the school title given the importance of the sector within the school and its importance to our tourism product nationally. Its inclusion is also important given the national reputation for hospitality and its critical importance to the Irish economy. 

From August 2022 the school will be titled the School of Tourism & Hospitality Management.