One of department's most important figures was Eoin MacNeill,[citation needed] who held the Professorship of Early Irish (including medieval) history from 1909 to 1916 and from 1918 to 1942.
[citation needed] Collections are acquired from institutions and bodies within UCD and from external sources.
Its collections policy is centered on a core of political private papers, including those of figures such as Éamon de Valera, John A. Costello, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, Conor Cruise O'Brien and Terence MacSwiney, political parties such as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, administrators such as T. K. Whitaker, as well as figures from the arts world including poet Denis Devlin and actor Dan O'Herlihy.
Former notable UCD history graduates have included journalist Kevin Myers, broadcaster Philip Boucher-Hayes, entrepreneur Denis O'Brien, TV personality Ryan Tubridy and bestselling writer Maeve Binchy.
While it was initially a means to an end for history postgraduates to publish their work in a local academic context,[citation needed] the journal is now a platform for research and opinion on international relations, history, politics and current affairs.