Irish universities have lost ground overall in the latest international university rankings.
This year's Quacquarelli Symonds league tables, which compare and rate universities internationally, have seen Trinity College drop from 61st to 71st place.
UCD's ranking is the same as last year, at 139th place.
UCC and DCU have fallen down the table by 20 and 17 points respectively.
However, NUIG's ranking rose by four points, bringing the university to 280th place internationally.
The QS tables are based on a number of indicators, including academic reputation, citations per faculty, employer reputation, and the ratio of students to staff.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is ranked the top university internationally, with the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London tying for second place.
