Athlone Institute of Technology

The Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT; ) was an institute of technology, located in Athlone, Ireland. Established in 1970, the institute's campus was located on University Road. A consortium between itself and the Limerick Institute of Technology was announced with the intention of forming a technological university. On 23 November 2020, the AIT-LIT Consortium announced that the joint Limerick-Athlone IT application for technological university (TU) status had been submitted for approval, which was granted in May 2021. On 16 July 2021, the institute of technology was officially dissolved and succeeded by the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, which began operations on 1 October 2021. History The Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) was established by the Irish Government in 1970 as the Athlone Regional Technical College, under control of the local Vocational Education Committee. The college gained more autonomy with the enactment of the Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992. In late 1997, as with the other RTC's, it was renamed as the Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). In 1999, AIT became a validation authority with the power to award HETAC degrees.