All but one of seven Irish universities fall in world rankings

All but one of the seven Irish universities have fallen in the latest international rankings which reflect the worsening effects of almost a decade of budget cuts.

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) remains the only one in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings but only just, after tumbling 20 places to 98th. It has fallen every year, but one, since 2009 when it was 43rd.

Among the biggest drop is University College Cork’s 50-place fall from 233 to 283rd, and now trailing NUI Galway. UCC was in the top 200 from 2010 to 2012, reaching 181st in 2011.