VeryearlyinElizabeth\'sreignthequestionofprovidingpriestsfortheIrishmissionengagedtheearnestattentionoftheRomanauthorities。GregoryXIII。hadarrangedfortheestablishmentofanIrishcollegeinRome，andhadprovidedthemeansforitssupport，butasanexpeditionwasthenbeingpreparedtoaidJamesFitzmauriceinhisstruggleinIreland，theprojectwaspostponed，andthemoneywasdevotedtothepurposesofthewar。In1625theIrishbishopsaddressedapetitiontotheHolySeeprayingfortheestablishmentofanIrishcollegeinRome。CardinalLudovisi，thenCardinalProtectorofIreland，supportedstronglythispetition。Hesecuredahousefortheaccommodationofafewstudents，andin1628thecollegewasopened。InhiswilltheCardinalprovidedgenerouslyfortheendowmentofthecollege，andhealsoexpressedawishthatitshouldbeentrustedtothecareoftheJesuits。Theyenteredintocontrolin1635，anddirectedtheaffairsofthecollegetillashorttimebeforethesuppressionoftheSociety。[87]
ElizabethandheradviserswerenotslowtoseethedangerofallowingIrishyouthstobeeducatedinRome，France，orintheterritoriesoftheKingofSpain。ForyearstheEnglishgovernmenthadbeenadvisedtotakemeasuresfortheestablishmentofagoodsystemofEnglishschoolsasthebestmeansofconqueringthecountry。ItwassuggestedthatwiththesuppressionofthemonasteriesandthewholesaleconfiscationoftheirpossessionssomethingmightbedonebyHenryVIII。orEdwardVI。forthecauseofeducation。[88]Butthesehopesweredoomedtospeedydisappointment。Therevenuesofthereligioushouses，whichhadprovidedcentresoflearningfortheboysandgirlsofthecountry，foundtheirwayintotheroyaltreasuryorintothepocketsofthedishonestcommissioners，andnoeducationalestablishmentswereerectedintheirplace。TheDeputydid，indeed，informthecanonsofSt。Patrick\'s，Dublin，thattheirchurchshouldbeconvertedtoabetteruse，namely，auniversity，butthepromisewasmadeonlytoinducethemtosurrenderwithoutastruggle。Thevaluablechurchplate，crosses，etc。，weremelteddownandhandedovertothemint。[89]
AtthebeginningofthereignofElizabethaproposalwasmadetocarryoutthepromiseofHenryVIII。byconvertingSt。Patrick\'sintoauniversity。ArchbishopCurwenobjectedstronglytosuchasuggestion，nominallyonthegroundthatauniversitywouldonlyserveasanexcusefortheIrishrebelstosendtheirsonstothecapitaltolearnthesecretsofthePale，butinrealitybecausehefearedthattheprojectwouldinterferewithhisownincome。Atvarioustimesandinvariousformstheplanwasbroughtforwardoncemore。SirJohnPerrottwasanxioustosignalisehistermofofficeasLordDeputybytheestablishmentofauniversityinDublin，butArchbishopLoftus，whoasArchbishopofArmaghhadsupportedtheconversionofSt。
Patrick\'sintoauniversity，havingchangedhismindoncehehadsecuredhisowntransferencetoDublin，opposedwarmlytheprojectoftheDeputy。When，however，hehadsucceededinsavingSt。Patrick\'sforhisrelativesanddependentshebroughtforwardanotherproposal，namely，thattheCorporationofDublinshouldhandoverthesiteoftheoldmonasteryofAllHallowsfortheestablishmentofauniversity。Thecorporationagreedtothisproposal，andin1592acharterwasgrantedbyElizabeth。Anappealwasthenissuedforsubscriptions，andinashorttimeabout￡2，000wascollected，manyoftheAnglo-IrishCatholicsbeingamongstthesubscribers。In1593
TrinityCollegewasopenedforthereceptionofstudents。ThoughcarehadbeentakenbythearchbishopwhendiscussingthesubjectwiththeCorporationofDublin，mostofthemembersofwhichwerestillCatholic，andbytheDeputywhenappealingforfundsfortheerectionofthebuildings，nottoraisethequestionofreligion，yetTrinityCollegewasintendedfromthebeginningtobeabulwarkofProtestantismaswellasofEnglishpowerinIreland。ElizabethhadalreadydonemuchtoforwardthecauseofthenewreligionbygettingpossessionofthechildrenoftheAnglo-IrishorIrishnoblesandbringingthemtoEnglandtoberearedupasProtestantsandasEnglishmen，[90]anditwashopedthatTrinityCollege，supportedbythediocesanschools，woulddoforthebetterclassofthenationwhatOxfordandCambridgeweredoingfortheunfortunatechildrenofthechiefswhowerekidnappedinthenameofreligionandstatesmanship。