Ireland, Mary McAleese, officially opened the Fr P.J. Brophy Memorial Library and the Kathleen Brennan Student Services Centre where the Students Union offices are located. 2014 saw the opening of the Information and Training Centre on Tullow Street In 2012 the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin began to offer Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in Education in Higher Education at Carlow College. 2018 saw the commencement of an evening course in Local History. In 2019 there is a student body of approximately 700 students, full and part-time, taking degrees in the humanities (in all fields of philosophy, theology and the liberal arts) and in the fields of social care; however, this number is likely to increase in the forthcoming years as the college has built a fine reputation of being a 'home away from home,' as the college has a unique, community-orientated ethos. In 2021 Carlow College, in association with IT Carlow and Carlow-Kilkenny Skillnet the part-time Level 8 Higher Diploma in Arts in Journalism and New Media Content commenced. A new Level 9 MA and Postgraduate Diploma in Regional Irish History, was launched in 2021. Carlow College was successful in 2021 in joining the European, Erasmus Charter in Higher Education (ECHE). A Graduation ceremony takes place each October with awards of Certificate, Diploma and Degrees being awarded. More recently an annual college ball has commenced. Services and facilities at the college include lecture theatres, the P.J. Brophy Memorial Library, study facilities, IT facilities, canteen, students, online learning via moodle. The Carlow College Literary Awards & Creative Writing Showcase, takes place each year to celebrate and showcase student achievement, with awards for students in each year. Graduation A graduation ceremony takes place each year and is attended by local figures from politics, education and business, as well as family and friends of the graduates. The 2011 graduation ceremony took place on 11 October, where graduates were conferred with their certificates, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in attendance were representatives of HETAC, Cllr. Tom O'Neill, Cathaoirleach of Carlow Town Council, Pat Deering TD, along with other dignitaries. At the 2013 Graduation ceremony 255 students received their qualifications degrees in Applied Social Sciences, Humanities, English and History, Community Studies, and Masters in Therapeutic Childcare and an MA by Research, Bishop Denis Nulty attended the ceremony The 2014 Graduation took place in the college with 242 graduating, along with the conferring ceremony the colleges new Information