The university with a lasting historical and cultural heritage is fertile ground to plant the tree of knowledge whose different branches may interweave, mix, and grow in all directions. This is the case of the University of Maynooth. Founded in 1997, the University is both the youngest and one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Ireland, tracing its origins to the foundation of the Royal College of St. Patrick in 1795. It was there that Father Nicholas Joseph Callan (1799-1864), professor of natural philosophy, demonstrated the transmission and reception of electrical energy without wires with a device that is now known as electrical transformer. Professor Callan is best known for his work on the induction coil and for having built the world's largest battery: his work contributed to the fertility of innovative entrepreneurship during the Industrial Revolution. Discoveries, inventions and innovations have flourished in hybrid contexts such as the College of St. Patrick where an invisible thread tied together theology, philosophy, art and science – a legacy that the University di Maynooth has renewed, enriching it with new contents.
