University of Galway has about 150 active [[Student society|student societies]], ranging from the academic to artistic and performing, lifestyle and wellbeing, religious and political, social action and volunteering, social and cultural, and special interest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://socs.nuigalway.ie/societies/ | title=NUI Galway - Societies - }}</ref>
The oldest society on the campus is the [[Literary and Debating Society (NUI Galway)|Literary and Debating Society]], founded in 1846.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://socs.nuigalway.ie/societies.php?id=NTc=|title=Lit & Deb|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> Dramsoc (theThe university's drama society), Dramsoc, was founded in 1914 after the earliest recorded student production in 1904 demonstrated the need for a student-run drama society.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1921Drama at NUI Galway -1943 University of Galway |url=https://dramsocwww.wixsiteuniversityofgalway.comie/nuigdramsoccreativearts/drama/1921-1943 |access-date=20222024-0806-2508 |website=Nuigdramsoc |language=enwww.universityofgalway.ie}}</ref> Cumann Staire is one of Europe's oldest [[history]] societies, and is a member of Comhaltas na gCumann Staire and the [[International Students of History Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://socs.nuigalway.ie/societies.php?id=NTA=|title=Cumann Staire (History)|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> The university's [[Fianna Fáil]] branch, Cumann de Barra, was founded in 1954, making it the oldest university political party branch in Ireland.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ahern-celebrates-his-10th-anniversary-1.1166220|access-date=18 March 2021|title=Ahern celebrates his tenth anniversary|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] }}</ref> [[Fine Gael]]'s youth wing was founded in the university in 1973 during the [[Liam Cosgrave]]-led Fine Gael/Labour Coalition government, with [[Enda Kenny]] and [[Madeleine Taylor-Quinn]] among those behind its establishment there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socs.nuigalway.ie/society_profiles/view/94|title=Young Fine Gael|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603180930/http://www.socs.nuigalway.ie/society_profiles/view/94|archive-date=3 June 2015}}</ref> [[Official Sinn Féin]] were also influential in campus politics in the 1970s, and Students Union Presidents [[Eamon Gilmore]] and Johnny Curran were party members.<ref>{{cite web|title='Spreading VD all over Connacht': reproductive rights and wrongs in 1970s Galway|url=https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/spreading-vd-all-over-connacht-reproductive-rights-and-wrongs-in-1970s-galway//|last=Cunningham|first=John|date=March 2013|publisher=History Ireland|access-date=3 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Take me to your leader|url=https://www.hotpress.com/culture/take-me-to-your-leader-4154654//|last=O'Toole|first=Jason|publisher=Hot Press|access-date=3 February 2021}}</ref> CompSoc (the university's computer society) is the oldest of its kind in the country, established in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://compsoc.ie/|title=CompSoc (Computer Society) |access-date=11 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://socs.nuigalway.ie/societies.php?id=MzA=/$1 |title=NUIG's Societies Office |access-date=11 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.compsoc.ie/en/About-CompSoc/History |title=NUIG CompSoc Wiki |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref>
Most of Ireland's main political parties have active societies at the university including [[Fianna Fáil]], [[Fine Gael]], [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green]], [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour]], [[People Before Profit]], [[Sinn Féin]] and the [[Social Democrats (Ireland)|Social Democrats]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://socs.nuigalway.ie/societies.php|title=NUIG Societies|access-date=10 November 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.socs.nuig.ie/news_reviews/view/356/|title=University Societies Coordination Group (USCG)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107212210/http://www.socs.nuig.ie/news_reviews/view/356/|archive-date=7 January 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
