anel agh , ▁County ▁Dublin . ▁▁ ▁From ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁granted ▁designated ▁status ▁under ▁the ▁National ▁Council ▁for ▁Edu c ational ▁Awards , ▁it ▁developed ▁and ▁offered ▁civil ▁program mes ▁leading ▁to ▁Bach elor , ▁Masters ▁and ▁Doctor al ▁awards . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁" Recogn ised ▁College " ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁University ▁of ▁Ireland . ▁Under ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Univers ities ▁Act , ▁the ▁Irish ▁government ▁removed ▁the ▁ban ▁on ▁the ▁N UI ▁award ing ▁degrees ▁in ▁The ology ▁which ▁had ▁stood ▁since ▁its ▁foundation ▁and ▁its ▁prede cess or ▁the ▁Royal ▁University ▁of ▁Ireland . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Mill town ▁Institute ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁E cc les iast ical ▁Fac ulty ▁with ▁official ▁design ation ▁by ▁the ▁Cong reg ation ▁for ▁Catholic ▁Education ▁in ▁Rome . ▁▁ ▁The ▁college ▁entered ▁into ▁negoti ations ▁about ▁a ▁possible ▁al liance ▁with ▁University ▁College ▁Dublin ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁These ▁tal ks ▁were ▁un success ful ▁and ▁an ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁tradition ally ▁Protest ant ▁Tr inity ▁College ▁Dublin ▁took ▁effect ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁with ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁Lo y ola ▁Institute ▁( of ▁Catholic ▁The ology ). ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁Mill town ▁Institute ▁had ▁become ▁uncertain ▁ ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁finally ▁decided ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁Institute ▁perman ently . ▁ ▁The ▁Irish