Kimmage Development Studies Centre

Kimmage Development Studies Centre

Established	1974
Chair	Fintan Farrelly
Address	Kimmage Manor Whitehall Rd, Dublin 12 , Dublin , Ireland
Nickname	Kimmage DSC
Affiliations	Quality & Qualifications Ireland NUI Maynooth MS-TCDC The Grail
Website	http://www.kimmagedsc.ie

Kimmage Development Studies Centre (DSC) is based at Kimmage Manor, in Dublin, Ireland. It has provided courses in Development Studies since 1974 as well as other training courses aimed at the International Development Sector, development practitioners and activists.

Programmes

Academic Programmes

Academic programmes on offer reflect a combination of formal and non-formal educational methodologies and are run at undergraduate (BA) and post graduate (MA and Post Graduate Diploma) levels, with options to study on a full-time or part-time basis. Modules from the MA in Development Studies is now available to students through a new Flexible and Distance Learning (FDL) mode of delivery. Kimmage DSC also runs a BA in Development Studies at MS-TCDC in Arusha, Tanzania.

All courses are internationally recognised and are accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). In addition, from Sept 2013, Kimmage DSC will be delivering a Level 8 BA in International Development in partnership with National University Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM).

Capacity Development Services

In addition to its academic programmes, Kimmage DSC provides capacity development services devoted to the professional upgrading of Irish and overseas-based international development personnel. These capacity development services are provided as mentoring and organisational support and the provision of short-term practical training either through classroom-based training or open and distance education (KODE).

Alliances

Kimmage DSC has developed activities and linkages with other like-minded organisations, in the development sector in Ireland and internationally - most notably in Tanzania, South Africa and Sierra Leone. More recently Kimmage DSC has partnered with NUI Maynooth to deliver a BA programme in International Development. This will begin in Autumn 2013.

History

Kimmage Development Studies Centre is based at Kimmage Manor, in Dublin, Ireland. It was established in 1974 by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (also known as the Spiritans or the Holy Ghost Fathers) initially to provide education and training to intending overseas missionaries, where in addition to priestly formation they often took a degree at UCD. The college is now a retirement home for priests. The old chapel is now Holy Spirit Church in Kimmage. From 1978 onwards, to cater for the training needs of the growing development NGOs and volunteer sending agencies, the programme of studies welcomed participants of all backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, religious persuasions. To date, it has accommodated students from over 65 different countries, drawn mainly from Africa and Ireland but increasingly, also from Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

In 2004 Kimmage DSC successfully tendered for an Irish Aid-funded contract to run a training and learning programme for the Irish development NGO and missionary sector. This programme (known as DTALK) was run by a consortium headed by Kimmage DSC which included the Dutch agency MDF, and the UK agency INTRAC. The programme continued to run until the contract ended in March 2012.

Kimmage Open & Distance Education (KODE) was set up following the successful piloting of distance learning courses, primarily in East Africa, in 2007-2008. This is a blended learning package for learners to work through materials at their own pace and in their own time in subject areas including Project Cycle Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Governance and Accountability, etc.

The Kimmage East Africa programme was established in 2007. The Kimmage East Africa programme was based in Tanzania, and saw Kimmage DSC working in partnership with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and local NGOs, to design innovative tools and approaches for use by pastoral civil society and government in tackling the differences in power that impede policies and institutions from achieving equitable natural resource management, central to people’s livelihoods and poverty reduction.

In September 2012, Kimmage DSC was awarded a contract to provide specialist information and guides services in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1. The team of guides, led by a coordinator, provide information to members of the public on volunteering, development education options and other related queries, deliver workshops to visiting school groups, and assist in the mounting of exhibitions in the Centre.

Graduation

The 2012 the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins presented the class awards to the 2011-2012 class at the end of year ceremony, in 2011 senator David Norris was guest at the end of year ceremony. The 2012 Graduation took place in Kimmage Manor on 22 October 2012.

Kimmage Manor

Kimmage Manor in the centre of the campus is a 19th-century building formerly owned by Sir Frederick Shaw BL, the Recorder of the City of Dublin and former MP for Dublin City.

In 1641 all the lands of Kimmage, Terenure and Milltown were in the hands of Peter Barnewall. At that time there was a castle in good repair on the lands of Kimmage. There were various owners and tenants through the years Rocque’s map from the mid eighteenth century shows extensive buildings on the location of the present Manor House. In 1829 Frederick Shaw with his wife and family came to live in Kimmage.

They occupied an ‘L’ shaped section of the present Manor building. This embraces the present Manor basement, the mezzanine floor used today as meeting room, classroom 3 and APA office. The top floor comprises the present staff office, classroom 4, administration office and MA coordinator’s office. This ‘L’ shaped section is at least 250 years old.

Within two years of their arrival the Shaw family had constructed a two storey addition to the south side of the ‘L’ shaped existing building and more than doubled their floor area. The front entrance, entrance hall, reception area and staircase were built. On the same floor reception rooms which later became classroom 1, the computer room, Friere room were added. Upstairs there were bedrooms which later became the assistant admin office, DEA office, the KDSC Director’s office, the boardroom, and assistant director’s office. These rooms are approximately one hundred and seventy five years old. The Shaw family had remodelled Kimmage House until it acquired its unique Tudor style with triangular gables, spiral turrets and tall chimneys and false window.

Sir Frederick Shaw lived here until his death in 1876. His family moved to Bushy Park and Kimmage House was leased to various tenants. The Holy Ghost Fathers came to Kimmage in 1911 when they purchased the house and its 69 acres. There was significant development of the buildings in 1914, 1929 and in 1938 with the building of the church and facilities for Philosophy and Theology students. In 1974 this was to become Kimmage Development Studies Centre initially to provide education and training to intending overseas missionaries, and from 1978 onwards to cater for the training needs of the growing development NGOs and volunteer sending agencies.

External links

• Kimmage DSC Official website
• Kimmage Manor website
• Kimmage DSC YouTube Channel
• Kimmage DSC Facebook page
• MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation official website.