Cork University Press (CUP) was founded in 1925 by Alfred O’Rahilly, University College Cork’s Registrar and future President.

O’Rahilly, described by the late Professor John A. Murphy as a “volatile and bustling polymath of seemingly inexhaustible energy and creativity”, was to be the Press’s greatest champion for many years, dedicating time, and personal financial investment, to keep it afloat.

In its founding year, the Press published a pamphlet entitled Urban Milk Supply by M. Grimes of the Faculty of Dairy Science. It seems fitting that the Press’s first publication was a study of dairy as the university has become renowned globally for its excellence in food science.

Like many university presses, the Cork one initially reflected the academic strengths of its parent institution, with most authors drawn from the faculty and publications across the full array of disciplines including science.

Over the past century, that focus has been refined and the Press has evolved into a globally recognised publisher of excellence in Irish studies across the arts, humanities, and social sciences, with authors from as far afield as the U.S, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.

Today, CUP proudly celebrates its place as Ireland’s oldest university Press. Although Dublin University Press may stake a claim to this accolade, it no longer operates within an institutional setting with the core element of any university press – its expert editorial committee made up of university staff.

As we prepare to........

© Evening Echo