A new library has been opened at St Mary's University College, Belfast as it celebrated the next stage of its "journey of campus transformation".
The official unveiling of the Cardinal Newman Library/Tobar Mhuire came 124 years to the day that the foundation stone was laid at the site on the Falls Road by Bishop Henry, the then Bishop of Down and Connor.
At a 'Foundation Day' event at the college on Friday to mark the opening, principal Professor Peter Finn said it was the latest development in their "vision for campus modernisation" as it bids to provide "top class facilities".
Around 230 study spaces, a writing centre, a wellness reading room and digital services are among the new facilities created for students and staff at the college.
A modern dining hall and library courtyard are also among the new features, with plans to create a 400-seater auditorium.
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Guests from education, construction and politics were among those to attend the event at the college.
Archbishop Noel Treanor, Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union and former Bishop of Down and Connor joined Sir Ian Greer, vice-chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast in cutting the ribbon to signify the opening of the new library.
Opened in 1900, St Mary's University College was the first teacher training college in Belfast and had an initial enrolment of 100 female students.
For nearly 50 years after that, the college was concerned with the education of women and their preparation for teaching in primary schools.
In the 1980s it merged with St Joseph's, which educated male teachers, while in recent years it has extended its provision to include non-teaching degree courses in liberal arts.
The blessing of St Mary's by then bishop was featured in The Irish News in 1900.
The article reported that Bishop Henry welcomed "many intelligent, earnest young ladies from different parts of the country".
He added that the "good Dominican nuns placed over you will see that you will be proficient in religious knowledge, theoretical and practical".
"It is now about two years ago since the first sod was turned, and today there stands on the site in Broadway a building which in appearance and design is most ornate and imposing," The Irish News article read.
Professor Finn said more than 100 years later and the college is going from strength to strength.
"Our vision for campus modernisation is to provide students, staff and visitors with top class facilities to enable excellence and dialogue to flourish and to facilitate educational, social and economic progress," he said.
"The student body is at the very heart of St Mary’s and all that we do.
"We therefore aim to have the best possible campus facilities to attract students, retain them and provide high-quality certification that will facilitate personal fulfilment in both life and work, and prepare them well for contributing to the common good."
Prof Finn also spoke about the ambitious plans for the future of the college.
"You will also see our plans to transform the College Hall into a four-hundred-seater auditorium," he said.
"In addition, there are many other campus developments which are equally important including a new student services centre, refurbished teaching spaces, new IT labs and infrastructure upgrades."
