Since the 18th century, researchers and scholars at Maynooth have fostered a spirit of inquiry and scholarship rooted in the classical European tradition. That tradition of intellectual freedom informs the principles and values that make Maynooth University a uniquely scholarly and research intense institution. To this day, scholarly rigour, academic freedom, and collegial collaboration remain the hallmarks of the “Maynooth Researcher” The research tradition at Maynooth University traces its roots to the first Professors of the Royal College of St Patrick, founded in 1795. Those early scholars had escaped persecution in continental Europe and brought with them the traditions of inquiry and independence that remain a feature of research at Maynooth University today. The history of research and scholarship at Maynooth is a story that grew from those modest beginnings in the 18th Century. It shows the strong scholarly connections with St. Patrick’s College and demonstrates how the scholarly discourse of the present day can be traced back over two centuries.