News Archive

Lone parents and survivors of domestic violence in Galway are to receive free, confidential help with their tax affairs under a landmark new initiative launched this week.  The programme, called ‘Enabling Tax Literacy and Empowerment: Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities’, is the first public tax education partnership of its kind in Ireland. It is being run jointly by Galway Public Libraries and the University of Galway’s award-winning Tax Clinic.  Designed to help people navigate the State’s increasingly digital tax system, the service offers one-to-one consultations with trained tax advisers and supervised student volunteers. It will be available at selected library branches, with the option of online support. Recruitment is being handled through Family Resource Centres, FLAC, INTREO and the library network itself.  Eileen Ruane, Director of Services at Galway County Council, said: “This marks a significant step forward in inclusive financial literacy. Embedding tax education in trusted community spaces helps tackle financial abuse and economic exclusion while strengthening libraries’ role as hubs for lifelong learning.”  County Librarian Elizabeth Keane, said: "This project is about more than taxes, it’s about empowerment. By bringing professional tax guidance into our libraries, we are helping lone parents and survivors of domestic violence reclaim control over their finances, build confidence, and take ownership of their futures."  The University of Galway Tax Clinic, established in 2020, is Ireland’s first free tax clinic. Initially founded to serve students of the University, the clinic has since expanded through community partnerships to provide assistance to vulnerable members of society. It also serves as a training ground for the next generation of student tax advisors, who gain practical experience under the supervision of professional advisors.  Commenting on the launch, Professor Emer Mulligan, Director of the University of Galway Tax Clinic, said: “Our clinic was founded on the principle that everyone should have the opportunity to understand and engage with the tax system with confidence. Since 2020, we have grown from supporting students on campus to reaching some of the most vulnerable groups in our community. I very much welcome this new partnership with Galway Public Libraries, which enables us to build on that work, expanding access to tax education in trusted community settings and providing our students with invaluable practical learning experiences.” The University of Galway Tax Clinic was recently awarded the Excellence in Education Award at the Irish Accountancy Awards 2025 for its innovative approach to tax education and public engagement. This pilot initiative sets the foundation for regional and national expansion, offering a replicable model for inclusive financial literacy in safe, accessible environments.  Galway Public Libraries and the University of Galway say the pilot will serve as a blueprint for regional and national roll-out, creating a replicable model of inclusive financial literacy in safe, accessible community settings.  For more information visit https://www.universityofgalway.ie/taxclinic/ or email taxclinic@universityofgalway.ie, or contact Meliosa McIntyre in Galway County Council at mmcintyre@galwaycoco.ie.  Ends  

Is cúis mhór áthais é d’Ionad Léann na hÉireann, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, a fhógairt go bhfuil Orla Ní Fhinneadha ceaptha mar Amhránaí Cónaitheach Sean-nóis san ollscoil i mbliana.  Is buaiteoir Chorn na mBán faoi láthair í Orla agus tá sí ag gabháil don amhránaíocht ó thosnaigh sí ag freastal ar ranganna sean-nóis le Máire Pheitir Uí Dhroighneáin agus sí ar bhunscoil. Bhí an-tionchar ag Máire uirthi chomh maith le hathair Orla féin, Jimi Ó Fhinneadha.  Is as an gCloich Mhór, Baile na hAbhann d’Orla, agus tá leir mór duiseanna bainte amach aici. Tá sí an-bhródúil as an 3ú hait a bhaint amach i gCorn Uí Riada ag an Oireachtas in 2016. Chomh maith le sin bhuaigh Orla Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann cúpla uair nuair a bhí sí ina déagóir, bhuaigh sí an Comórtas Amhránaíochta do Mhná faoi 35 ag an Oireachtas i 2012, agus tháinig sí sa dara háit i gCorn na mBan in 2014.  Tá an-éileamh ar Orla mar mhúinteoir sean-nóis. Léiríodh na scileanna seo go soiléir sna físeáin a cruthaíodh do Cúla 4 ar Scoil ina raibh sí ag múineadh amhrán le linn thréimhse Covid. Tá Orla an-bhródúil go bhfuil go leor páistí fós ag breathnú agus ag foghlaim ó na hamhráin áille a thaifead sí i rith an ama sin.  Agus an ceapachán á fhógairt aici, deir an Dr Nessa Cronin, Ceann Léann na hÉireann ag Ollscoil na Gaillimhe: “Is cúis áthais dúinn Orla Ní Fhinneadha a bheith linn in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe i mbliana. Is duine a bhfuil stór eolais aici atá in ann inspioráid a thabhairt don chéad ghlúin eile ar thraidisiún amhránaíochta an tsean-nóis, agus táimid ag tnúth go mór leis an bhliain atá amach romhainn agus Orla a bheith linne mar Amhránaí Cónaithe an tSean-nóis, 2025/26.”   Beidh sraith ceardlann á múineadh ag Orla san Ollscoil sa bhFómhar agus arís san Earrach. Cuirfear tús leis na ceardlanna i seomra seimineáir an Ionaid ar Bhóthar na Drioglainne ar an 16 Deireadh Fómhar ag 6.00in. Tá na ceardlanna saor in aisce agus beidh fáilte roimh chách.  Is iad Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta, An Chomhairle Ealaíon agus Ionad Léann na hÉireann, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, a mhaoiníonn an tionscnamh seo.  Tuilleadh eolais ó Samantha Williams ag 091 492051 nó samantha.williams@universityofgalway.ie.  Críoch  

Renowned sean-nós singer Orla Ní Fhinneadha has been appointed 2025-2026 Sean-Nós Singer-in-Residence at University of Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies.  The current holder of the prestigious competition Corn na mBán, Orla has been singing since she began attending sean-nós classes at primary school with Máire Pheitir Uí Dhroighneáin, who had a huge influence on her development as a singer, as did Orla’s own father Jimi Ó Fhinneadha.  Orla, from An Chloich Mhór, Baile na hAbhann, Co Galway, has many singing titles to her name, including coming third in the prestigious Corn Uí Riada at the Oireachtas in 2016. As a teenager she won several titles at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, as well as at the Oireachtas when she won the Under-35 category in 2012 and second place in Corn na mBán in 2014.  Orla’s expertise and teaching skills came to the fore in a series of videos created for Cúla 4 ar Scoil during Covid. These videos, in which she presented and taught sean-nós songs, continue to be watched and learned from by children today.  Announcing the appointment, Dr Nessa Cronin, Head of Irish Studies at University of Galway, said: “It is a privilege to have Orla Ní Fhinneadha with us at the University for the coming academic year. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise to inspire the next generation of sean-nós singers and we are looking forward to working with her during her year as Sean-Nós Singer-in-Residence 2025/26.”  Orla will deliver a series of workshops on campus this autumn and spring, beginning on Thursday October 16th at 6pm. The workshops are free and open to the public.   This project is funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle Ealaíon, in association with the Centre for Irish Studies at University of Galway. For further information, contact Samantha Williams at 091 492051 or samantha.williams@universityofgalway.ie.  Ends

University of Galway has been selected as a European champion for a flagship digitalisation project to simplify and secure recognition of academic credentials, promote student mobility and foster inclusion.  The prestigious recognition was awarded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture and names the University as Ireland’s European Student Card Initiative (ESCI) Champion for 2025-2027.  The ESCI Champion award highlights the University’s ongoing leadership in advancing student mobility across Europe through digital innovation and collaboration, and demonstrates its strong commitment to the digitalisation of student services, streamlining the administrative processes for students participating in mobility programmes such as Erasmus+.  Specifically, the award recognises University of Galway’s achievements in implementing “Erasmus Without Paper”, an initiative designed to make higher education more interconnected, efficient and student-focused.   Professor David J. Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “We are honoured to be named Ireland’s ESCI Champion for 2025-2027. This recognition reflects the dedication of our staff and students in embracing digital innovation and European cooperation. We look forward to supporting the further digitalisation of higher education across Europe and sharing our experiences for the benefit of students everywhere.”   Sheena Duffy, Head of International, Higher Education Authority Ireland, said: “University of Galway’s selection as ESCI Champion is a testament to their leadership in digital transformation and student mobility. Their active role will be crucial in advancing the European Student Card Initiative, and we are confident that their expertise will inspire higher education institutions throughout Ireland and beyond.”   Representatives from the University’s Global Galway team will lead out on the ESCI Champion initiative and officially start the work at a kick-off meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, this September.  Over the next two years, the University team will share their expertise at national and European events, engage with peer institutions and contribute to the broader ESCI community by sharing testimonials and best practices. The University’s efforts will help inspire and guide other higher education institutions in Ireland and across Europe on their own digitalisation journeys.   To find out more about the European Student Card Initiative and the ESCI Champions 2025-2027, visit: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/news/introducing-the-esci-champions-2025-2027  Ends

University of Galway is hosting the exhibition of the Press Photography Ireland Awards 2025, featuring some of the most powerful moments in the world of news, sport, politics, arts and everyday life. The gallery includes more than 100 photographs and is being displayed in the foyer of the Hardiman Building until the end of September. All winning and shortlisted entries from the 47th annual awards hang in the exhibition, celebrating the very best in Irish press photography from 2024, both at home and abroad. Among the highlights are award-winning images by Photographer of the Year James Crombie, who works with Inpho, one of Ireland’s leading sports photography agencies, and specialises in major sports events in Ireland and internationally, as well as nature. It is the third year in which he has won the coveted title. Images are also in the exhibition from News Photographer of the Year Niall Carson, who works with PA Media, the leading news and sports agency for Ireland and the UK and specialises in current affairs and politics.             David Branigan, President of Press Photographers Ireland, said: "Photojournalism is the visual record of our life and times and especially in Ireland where we have a rich story-telling tradition it is especially cherished. The images presented in the AIB Press Photographer of the Year Award exhibition are the very best of truthful and accurate photography; these images anchor our reality, and it is an unmissable display." Ends

Tá fáilte curtha ag Ollscoil na Gaillimhe roimh an gcead pleanála atá faighte chun foirgneamh nua a thógáil do Scoil an Leighis. Déanfar an tsaoráid nua a fhorbairt ar champas theas na hOllscoile, gar don Chearnóg. Beidh ceithre urlár san fhoirgneamh, a bheidh thart ar 3,925 méadar cearnach ar mhéid, agus beidh aitriam gloinithe á nascadh le Bloc E, foirgneamh atá ann cheana féin, ar struchtúr é atá faoi chosaint agus a bhfuil tábhacht stairiúil agus ailtireachta ag baint leis. Cuirfidh an fhorbairt leis an leathnú leanúnach atáthar á dhéanamh ar dheiseanna teagaisc agus foghlama i gColáiste an Leighis, an Altranais agus na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, lena n-áirítear an chéad ghrúpa mac léinn cógaisíochta ar an MPharm agus an clár Leighis (Iontráil do Chéimithe) atá le tosú i Meán Fómhair 2027. Cuirfidh an foirgneamh nua áiseanna den scoth ar fáil le haghaidh teagaisc agus taighde, lena n-áirítear seomraí do ranganna teagaisc, seimineáir agus cruinnithe, spásanna staidéir agus limistéir chomhoibríocha, saotharlanna taighde ardleibhéil agus oifigí riaracháin. Mar chuid de spriocanna inbhuanaitheachta níos leithne na hOllscoile, áirítear mar chuid den dearadh córais ghléasra agus painéil ghréine fhótavoltacha chun éifeachtúlacht fuinnimh a fheabhsú agus chun an tionchar ar an timpeallacht a laghdú. Dúirt Uachtarán Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, an tOllamh David Burn: “Is céim mhór chun cinn don Ollscoil é cead pleanála a fháil d’fhoirgneamh nua Scoil an Leighis. Léiríonn an fhorbairt seo ár dtiomantas láidir don oideachas agus don taighde leighis, go háirithe lenár gclár Leighis (Iontráil do Chéimithe) atá le tosú in 2027 agus an tairbhe a bhaineann leis do réigiún an iarthair agus an iarthuaiscirt agus go náisiúnta. Tá an fhorbairt mhór seo ríthábhachtach chun cuidiú leis an gcéad ghlúin eile de cheannairí cúraim sláinte agus cuirfidh an foirgneamh nua áiseanna ceannródaíocha ar fáil do mhic léinn, do thaighdeoirí agus don fhoireann, ag cothú nuálaíocht, fionnachtain agus barr feabhais san oideachas leighis, agus ag an am céanna ag léiriú meas ar oidhreacht an champais stairiúil seo.” Dúirt an Dr Martina Ní Chúlain, an Stiúrthóir Forbartha Straitéisí i gColáiste an Leighis, an Altranais agus na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe: “Is infheistíocht shuntasach i dtodhchaí an leighis agus na n-eolaíochtaí sláinte in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe atá sa tsaoráid nua seo – ag cur lenár gcumas agus lenár n-inniúlachtaí, ag saibhriú eispéireas na mac léinn, ag tacú leis an bhfoireann, agus ag cumasú cuir chuige theagaisc nua-aimseartha. Beidh ról ríthábhachtach ag an bhfoirgneamh i múnlú an chéad ghlúin eile de ghairmithe cúraim sláinte agus is léiriú é ar ár n-uaillmhian a bheith inár gceannaire náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta in oideachas agus taighde leighis.” Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Ollamh Laurence Egan, Ceann Scoil an Leighis in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe: “Ní hamháin go gcuirfidh Foirgneamh nua Scoil an Leighis feabhas ar an gcaoi a múinimid agus a bhfoghlaimímid ach feabhsóidh sé an chaoi a n-oibrímid le chéile le disciplíní eile agus lenár gcomhpháirtithe cúraim sláinte freisin. Tacóidh sé le samhail d’oideachas leighis a thugann tús áite do nuálaíocht, comhoibriú agus nasc láidir le riachtanais cúraim sláinte ár réigiúin agus níos faide i gcéin.” Críoch

University of Galway has welcomed planning approval for the development of a new School of Medicine Building. The new facility is to be built on the University’s south campus, a short distance from the Quadrangle and will complement ongoing expansion of courses in the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Galway including the first intake of pharmacy students on the MPharm this September and the planned Graduate Entry Medicine programme which is due to begin September 2027. The building design runs over four storeys, covering approximately 3,925sq metres, and is integrated, via a glazed atrium link, with the existing Block E building, a protected structure of historical and architectural significance. It will offer state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research, including tutorial, seminar and meeting rooms, study spaces and collaboration areas, advanced research laboratories and administration offices. As part of the University’s broader sustainability goals, the design includes plant systems and solar PV panels to enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.             Professor David Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “Planning approval for our new School of Medicine Building is a major milestone for the University. This development reflects our strong commitment to medical education and research, particularly with our Graduate Entry Medicine programme due to begin in 2027 and the benefit it will reap for the west and north-west region, and nationally. A development of this scale is key to supporting the next generation of healthcare leaders by providing students, researchers and staff with cutting-edge facilities, fostering innovation, discovery, and excellence in medical education, all while honouring the heritage of our historic campus.” Dr Martina Ni Chúlain, Director of Strategic Development at the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at University of Galway, said: “This new facility represents a significant investment in the future of medicine and health sciences at the University of Galway - enhancing our capacity and capabilities, enriching the student experience, supporting staff, and enabling modern teaching approaches. It will play a critical role in shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals and reflects the scale of our ambition as a national and international leader in medical education and research.”  Professor Laurence Egan, Head of the School of Medicine at University of Galway, said: “The new School of Medicine Building will not only enhance how we teach and learn but also how we work together across disciplines and with our healthcare partners. It will support a model of medical education that prioritises innovation, collaboration and a strong connection to the healthcare needs of our region and beyond.” Ends

University of Galway students and staff will host SDG Week from September 20th- 27th - dedicated to increasing awareness, engagement and action to help achieve the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  SDG Week activities will include a parkrun, a Green Flag raising ceremony, a climate assembly, learn to darn workshop, a water and sustainability showcase, a Student Union-led panel discussion on how to make campuses more sustainable, seed donation, eco-anxiety café, research talks, table quiz, beach clean and consultations with staff and students to help shape the University’s next Sustainability Strategy.  The week-long series of events is open to the wider Galway community as well as University of Galway students and staff.  Among the highlights is the Community Climate Assembly with community groups, researchers and companies coming together to share success stories and amplify community voices on climate action. Community speakers will address water, mobility, nature, food and wellbeing, and the event is open to everyone and is free to attend. The assembly will take place on Saturday, 27th September, in the Bailey Allen Hall, University of Galway.  Professor Becky Whay, Deputy President and Registrar at University of Galway, said: “As the number one university in Ireland for sustainability and a national SDG Ambassador, University of Galway is proud to host our third annual SDG Week. Through SDG Week, we are advocating local action for global change. This is part of our mission to lead the transition to a sustainable future and foster the next generation of leaders and innovators to tackle global challenges.”  Another highlight of the week will be the Run into SDG Week with parkrun and Sanctuary Runners. This community-spirited event combines fitness, fun and sustainability, with free t-shirts and light refreshments afterwards. All are welcome to join for a run, jog or walk. The parkrun takes place on Saturday, 20th September, starting at the University Park and Ride in Dangan.  A guided walk along University of Galway’s Biodiversity Trail, exploring campus habitats – from riverbanks to herb gardens, to wildlife and conservation activities, will take place on Monday, 22nd September.  University of Galway Director of Sustainability, Dr Richard Manton, said: “There is something for everyone during University of Galway SDG Week. We are inviting the wider Galway community to join us on campus for the Run into SDG Week along our beautiful biodiversity trail on Saturday 20th, the Community Climate Assembly on Saturday 27th or any of our other events during the week. Check out our website for the full list.”  SDG Week will also see University of Galway raise its third Green Flag, awarded by An Taisce as part of the Green Campus programme.  A full SDG Week event listing is available at www.universityofgalway.ie/sdgweek/  Ends

University of Galway and the University’s Students’ Union have issued a fresh joint appeal for homeowners to consider offering a room to rent for students for the new academic year.  During the summer, the University’s Accommodation Advisory Service led the latest annual push to source and expand student rental opportunities in the region, including an awareness campaign on social media and online and a leaflet drop to 57,000 houses in Galway and Clare in August.  To date, this year, 1,768 properties have been advertised on the University’s accommodation portal Studentpad.  University of Galway is urging homeowners to consider offering a room to rent and to register with its Accommodation Advisory Service. The rent-a-room scheme offers homeowners a tax-free income of up to €14,000 per year.   To advertise with the University’s Studentpad or to find out more, homeowners and landlords can visit the information page.  Professor Ciara Meehan, Dean of Students at University of Galway, said: “Our Accommodation Advisory Service remains committed to building the networks with the wider community that our students rely on, and the team is available year round to assist students. But the reality in the housing markets is that there are fewer new landlords and new properties to attract.  “Our University has much to be proud of when it comes to the student experience – our clubs, societies, and volunteering opportunities; a community that promotes belonging and celebrates diversity; and our focus on student success. Securing accommodation helps students get off to a strong start and allows them to fully engage with everything we have to offer.  “This year we are making a further direct appeal - If you have ever thought about offering a room, or know someone who might, now is the time to act. Every extra room that we can help offer counts, and your home or your spare room could be the difference between a student commuting long distances and getting the best experience and thriving through university.'  University of Galway Students’ Union President Maisie Hall said: "We are asking anyone in or around Galway city with spare rooms to please consider renting to students. Your room could be the difference between a student dropping out or continuing their studies.”  University of Galway’s dedicated Accommodation Advisory Service first embarked on awareness campaigns in 2022, with a view to providing enhanced supports and advice for students as well as sourcing and expanding new accommodation options.  These campaigns and on-the-ground engagement with stakeholders in the Greater Galway region have led to a doubling of the number of rooms and properties advertised on the Studentpad portal.  The Accommodation Advisory Service also provides guidance to students on what precautions and checks and balances to consider when considering booking and agreeing a lease with a private landlord.  A new mechanism is also being introduced for landlords to verify their properties, giving students an extra level of confidence when renting.  Ends  

Tugann cartlann atá díreach seolta léargas uathúil faoin saol i gcampa géibhinn Tá cartlann dhigiteach nua d’irisí príosúin a scríobhadh i gcampa géibhinn na Ceise Fada i rith na 1970idí curtha ar fáil ag Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. San áireamh le Bailiúchán Paddy McMenamin tá dialanna lámhdhéanta uathúla agus albam grianghraf a tógadh sa phríosún sa tréimhse 1974-1976. Rinneadh McMenamin a imtheorannú sa Cheis Fhada i lár na 1970idí áit a raibh sé ina urlabhraí Caighin. Scríobh sé ailt d’irisí príosúin lena n-áirítear Misneach, An Síoladóir, agus Faoi Glas, chomh maith le bheith ina eagarthóir ar An Fuascailteoir. Ailt agus scríbhneoireacht ó na príosúnaigh Phoblachtánacha féin a bhí sna hirisí seo mar aon le dánta, ceachtanna Gaeilge agus ailt ar stair na hÉireann agus ar pholaitíocht idirnáisiúnta, agus rinne siad an obair ealaíne do na clúdaigh iad féin freisin. Smuigleáladh na hirisí amach as an gCeis Fhada i gcaitheamh an ama, agus coinníodh an bailiúchán sábháilte go dtí gur cuireadh i dtaisce le Leabharlann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe é. Tá léargas faoi leith le fáil sa bhailiúchán seo ar thaithí na gcimí Poblachtánacha sa Cheis Fhada i rith thréimhse de na trioblóidí ina raibh foréigean seicteach ag dul in olcas. Tugann na hirisí agus na grianghraif seo spléachadh dúinn ar an saol laethúil sa champa géibhinn i gcomhthéacs an oideachais, na díospóireachta agus ghnáthchúrsaí an lae.           Seo mar a labhair Paddy McMenamin: “Mar chéimí le Béarla agus Stair de chuid Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, tugann sé pléisiúr dom an bailiúchán seo de pháipéir bhunaidh ó Chaighin na Ceise Fada a bhronnadh ar Leabharlann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe mar phríomhfhoinse do mhic léinn a bheidh i mbun staidéir agus taighde ar stair na hÉireann san fhichiú haois. Is pribhléid dom a fheiceáil go mbeidh na hirisí seo caomhnaithe go sábháilte laistigh den Ollscoil.” Tá bailiúchán suntasach ag Ollscoil na Gaillimhe cheana féin i ndáil le polaitíocht agus cultúr Thuaisceart Éireann i rith na tréimhse seo,  ó bhlianta na Gluaiseachta Ceart Sibhialta go dtí Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta agus anois tá cartlann McMenamin curtha leis. San áireamh leis an mbailiúchán tá cartlann an ghníomhaí ar son na síochána, Brendan Duddy, an acadóra agus abhcóide Kevin Boyle agus na státseirbhíseach Maurice Hayes. Is féidir rochtain a fháil ar Irisí Príosúin na Ceise Fada ar Stór Leabharlann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe: https://digital.library.universityofgalway.ie/p/ms/categories/paddy-mcmenamin             Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Monica Crump, Leabharlannaí na hOllscoile: “Ba mhór an onóir dúinn gur fágadh an bailiúchán uathúil seo faoinár gcúram agus gur iarradh orainn é a chaomhnú do na glúnta atá le teacht. Ligfidh sé do scoláirí na todhchaí tuiscint éigin a fháil ar ar tharla sa Cheis Fhada, agus i dTuaisceart Éireann trí chéile i rith na dTrioblóidí.  Tá an-áthas orm go bhfuil catalógú déanta ar an mbailiúchán iomlán anois agus go bhfuil na hirisí príosúin digitithe agus curtha ar fáil ar líne. Beidh deis anois ag lucht léite i bhfad níos leithne foghlaim faoin tréimhse chorraitheach sin i stair na hÉireann agus tuiscint níos fearr a fháil ar ar tharla.            Labhair an Dr Barry Houlihan, Cartlannaí in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe mar seo a leanas: Bailiúchán tábhachtach atá i gCartlann McMenamin agus cabhróidh sé na glúnta atá le teacht a theagasc agus iad a chur ar an eolas faoi thaithí na gcimí i rith na dTrioblóidí. Tugann sé deis dúinn staidéar a dhéanamh agus tuiscint a fhorbairt ar thréimhse dheacair den stair ar an oileán seo, agus meabhraíonn sé dúinn a thábhachtaí atá a leithéid de chartlann as Tuaisceart Éireann, mar aon leo siúd atá á gcoinneáil i Leabharlann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe cheana féin, chun cuimhní agus taithí na ndaoine siúd a bhí thíos leis an gcoimhlint a chaomhnú. Reáchtáladh imeacht chun seoladh na n-irisí príosúin digitithe a cheiliúradh, agus bailiúchán McMenamin féin, agus bhí comhrá ann mar chuid de idir Paddy McMenamin agus an tOllamh Breandán Mac Suibhne, Ollamh le Nua-Stair na hÉireann in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Bhí plé painéil ann chomh maith ag ar labhair an Dr Mary Harris, Léachtóir Sinsearach le Stair in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe; an Dr Barry Houlihan, Cartlannaí i Leabharlann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe; agus an Dr Laurence Marley, léachtóir le Nua-Stair na hÉireann agus na Breataine. Sheol Dr Mary Harris leabhar nua McMenamin, Voices From Inside: The Hidden Journals of Long Kesh ag an imeacht freisin. Críoch

Newly released archive offers rare insight into life inside prison camp A new digital archive of prison journals created in Long Kesh internment camp during the 1970s has been made available by University of Galway. The Paddy McMenamin Collection includes unique hand-made journals and a rare album of photographs from inside the prison from 1974-1976. Interned in Long Kesh in the mid-1970s, McMenamin served as Cage PRO and contributed to a number of prison journals, including Misneach, An Síoladóir, and Faoi Glas, as well as serving as editor of An Fuascailteoir. Along with individual cover artwork, the journals featured articles and writings by Republican prisoners, poems, Irish language lessons and articles on Irish history and international politics. The journals were smuggled out of Long Kesh over time, preserving the collection, before it was deposited with University of Galway Library. The collection offers a unique perspective into the experiences of Republican prisoners in Long Kesh during a period of the Troubles marked by increasing sectarian violence. The journals and photographs provide a lens into life in the internment camp, including education, debate and daily life.            Paddy McMenamin said: “As a University of Galway graduate in English and History, it is a pleasure to donate this collection of original Long Kesh Cage papers to University of Galway Library as a primary source for students studying and researching 20th century Irish history. It is a privilege for me to see the journals safely preserved for posterity within the University.” The McMenamin archive adds to University of Galway’s already extensive collections relating to the politics and culture of Northern Ireland history, from the years of the Civil Rights Movement through to the Good Friday Agreement and its legacies. These include the archives of peacemaker Brendan Duddy, academic and barrister Kevin Boyle, and civil servant Maurice Hayes. The digitised Long Kesh Prison Journals are accessible from the University of Galway Library Repository: https://digital.library.universityofgalway.ie/p/ms/categories/paddy-mcmenamin             Monica Crump, University Librarian, said: “We were honoured to be entrusted to hold this truly unique collection and preserve it for future generations, so that scholars can get a glimpse into life in Long Kesh and indeed in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.  I am delighted to see the full collection catalogued and the prison journals digitised and made available online, so that an even wider audience can learn and experience some of the realities of this turbulent time in our history.”            Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist at University of Galway Library, said: The McMenamin Archive is an important collection that will help teach and inform generations into the future about the experiences of prisoners during The Troubles. It allows us to study and understand a difficult time in our island’s history, and reminds us why such archives from Northern Ireland, along with those already housed at University of Galway Library, are vital to preserving the memories and experiences of those directly affected by, during, and after the conflict.” An event to mark the launch of the digitised prison journals and the release of the wider McMenamin collection featured a conversation with Paddy McMenamin and Professor Breandán Mac Suibhne, Professor of Modern Irish History at University of Galway. A panel discussion was also held, featuring Dr Mary Harris, Senior Lecturer in History at University of Galway; Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist at University of Galway Library; and Dr Laurence Marley, lecturer in Modern Irish and British History. McMenamin’s new book, Voices From Inside: The Hidden Journals of Long Kesh was also launched by Dr Mary Harris during the event. Ends  

The Anderson Bridge, developed in 1891 by Professor Alexander Anderson, recognised as a landmark in electrical engineering innovation One of University of Galway’s former presidents has been recognised with a prestigious commemoration for his groundbreaking invention in electrical measurement, more than 130 years on from the discovery. IEEE - the world's largest technical professional organisation advancing technology for humanity - has formally dedicated an IEEE Milestone for the Anderson Bridge which was developed at the University in 1891 by Professor Alexander Anderson. The recognition is marked by a commemorative plaque now on permanent display in the University’s Alice Perry Engineering Building, named after the first woman to graduate in engineering in Ireland and the UK in 1913. Used as the standard method for measuring electrical inductance for much of the 20th century, the Anderson Bridge refined how inductance was understood and taught in electrical engineering worldwide. Built on the principles first explored by Michael Faraday, Joseph Henry, and James Clerk Maxwell, the device became a cornerstone in engineering education and practice. The IEEE Milestones program recognises significant achievements in technology that have had a lasting impact on humanity. The Anderson Bridge joins this prestigious list, honouring Professor Anderson’s enduring contribution to science and engineering. Alexander Anderson was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy in 1885 and subsequently served as President of the University from 1899 to 1934. The laboratory where Anderson carried out his work is located in the main Quadrangle of the University and today is home to the Alexander Anderson Boardroom.              Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “Professor Alexander Anderson’s work has influenced generations of engineers worldwide, and we are proud to see this legacy honoured here on our campus. This recognition by the IEEE is a testament to the lasting contributions of research carried out at our university and reminds us of the how discoveries made here in Galway can shape the world.”             Kathleen Kramer, 2025 IEEE President and CEO, said: “Participating in IEEE Milestone dedication ceremonies, which recognise outstanding technical developments around the world, have always been joyful to me. Visiting these historically significant locations, where local volunteers have worked with technical experts, historians, and the public to celebrate pioneering achievements and the people behind them, is truly inspiring and a testament to how technological innovation benefits humanity. They are a great way to experience the history of technology alongside the global IEEE community.”             Professor Gerard Hurley, Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of Galway and member of the IEEE, said: “As an undergraduate in electrical engineering in UCC, I became aware of the Anderson Bridge for measuring inductance. I didn’t realise then that its invention was close to home. Incredibly, my whole career in Power Electronics has revolved around transformers and inductors and fate intervened to place me in Galway, home of the invention. Achieving the Milestone crowns a long association with its applications.”             Professor Johan Enslin, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Clemson University and President of the IEEE Power Electronics Society, said: “Power Electronics engineers understand the term - To Measure is to Know - very well and this IEEE Milestone is an excellent reminder of this principal. The principles of the Anderson Bridge are embedded in our controls and development of power electronic inverters.” Ends

Researchers supported to become future leaders through European Commission Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions-Doctoral Network University of Galway is leading three new projects that aim to make medical treatments safer, faster and more effective after researchers secured the support of one of Europe’s most prestigious funding programmes. The awards were made by the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions-Doctoral Network programme (MSCA DN), as part of Horizon Europe 2020. The programme supports researchers to become future leaders while investing in the University of Galway projects to improve lives and pave the way for better, more affordable healthcare. The network also provides training to make the researchers more creative, entrepreneurial and innovative, boosting their employability in the long-term. One University of Galway project has an emphasis on sustainability and a move away from animal testing for brain disease; a second is looking at cardiovascular issues, specifically around improving heart stent durability and longevity; and a third seeks to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in clinical trials. Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director of the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway, said: “These projects show how research can make a real difference in people’s lives. University of Galway is proud to be leading the way in creating smarter, safer, and more sustainable healthcare solutions.” Professor Ted Vaughan, Interim Director of the Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation at University of Galway, said: "These projects exemplify the mission of our new Institute – to accelerate fundamental and applied understanding of disease and enable disruptive solutions to health-based challenges. By combining cutting-edge science with collaborative training, we are not only advancing medical technologies but also shaping the next generation of research leaders. This investment from the European Commission underscores the importance of innovation that is ethical, inclusive, and focused on improving patient outcomes across society." The University of Galway projects funded by the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions-Doctoral Network are: Dr Mihai Lomora leads the €4.2 million CerebroMachinesTrain Doctoral Network research project - Smarter Drug Delivery for Brain Diseases. Using advanced 3D brain models that mimic real brain tissue, the project will test tiny machines which are being developed to bring medicine exactly where it is needed. It avoids animal testing, making research faster, more ethical, and more accurate. Dr Lomora is a Lecturer and Principal Investigator in Bio(material) Chemistry at the University’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences in the College of Science and Engineering and a Funded Investigator at CÚRAM - the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices. This network project involves 14 partners from eight countries, including the US. Four PhD students will be supported through the project at University of Galway.   Dr William Ronan leads the €2.71 million MEDALLOY research project - Stronger, Safer Materials for Life-Saving Devices. It focuses on making materials used in minimally invasive medical devices - like stents and heart valve supports - stronger and longer lasting. Dr Ronan is a Lecturer and Principal Investigator in Biomedical Engineering at the University’s College of Science and Engineering. The project includes partners from six countries - the US, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Czechia and Sweden. It will train nine PhD students, who will spend at least half of their time working directly in industry earning hands-on skills ranging from material science to patient care.   Dr Eimear Morrissey leads the €4.4 million EDICT research project - Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Trials. It is a research and training network led by the Health Research Board-Trials Methodology Research Network, based at University of Galway, which seeks to include older adults, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, or those from lower-income backgrounds in clinical trials. It will develop new tools, methods and policies to make clinical trials more inclusive, fair, and effective across Europe. A Lecturer in Evidence-Based Healthcare at the University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr Morrissey’s project will train 16 PhD researchers across 26 organisations in 12 countries, including universities, clinical trial networks, patient organisations, regulators and industry partners.   A fourth project, DECADOCS – Decadent Travellers and the Reception of Classical Antiquity, is in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London and the Cúirt International Festival of Literature. DECADOCS is the first doctoral network dedicated to the study of decadence, the disruptive societal phenomenon traditionally associated with accelerated decline and decay. Involving Dr Muireann O’Cinneide, a researcher in English, Media and Creative Arts at the University’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, this part of the network will explore late nineteenth-century travel and mobility as producing radical explorations of counter-cultural sexualities and complex imperial identities. It will also investigate the literary legacies of decadence in how contemporary literature grapples with concepts of civilizational mobility, decay, and regeneration.   The Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions-Doctoral Network programme involves researchers from different sectors working in international partnerships which are responding to well-identified needs. The network has academic and non-academic members. Dr Mihai Lomora said: “Our goal is to make brain treatments more precise and less invasive by using tiny machines that can deliver medicine exactly where it is needed. By combining advanced drug delivery with relevant brain models, we’re not only speeding up research - we’re also reducing the need for animal testing. This is a big step forward for both science and society.” Dr William Ronan said: “Nitinol is a remarkable material used in life-saving heart devices, but it can still be improved. Through the MEDALLOY project, we’re making these devices more durable and affordable, which means better outcomes for patients and faster innovation for the healthcare industry. We’re also training researchers who will work directly with companies to bring these improvements to life.” Dr Eimear Morrissey said: “Clinical trials are how we assess the effectiveness of new treatments and improve healthcare, but they often fail to include the full range of people affected by disease and who could benefit from treatments. Who gets included in clinical trials shapes the evidence we rely on to make healthcare decisions. With the EDICT project, we’re building a future where trials better reflect the people they’re meant to help. This work is urgent, and I’m proud that we at HRB-TMRN at University of Galway will be leading a project that can shift how clinical trials are conducted internationally.” Dr Muireann O’Cinneide said: “Irishness has always been a vital part of our understanding of late-19th-century concepts of decadence as an artistic force, especially given the influence of Oscar Wilde, whose time in Naples will be an important part of our research. University of Galway and Goldsmiths want to explore how seemingly elite frameworks of cultural reception can become reshaped by alternative cultural encounters, and how even travel associated with fixed locations and decayed pasts can become a way to imagine different geographies and futures.” Ends  

D’fhógair Ollscoil na Gaillimhe go bhfuil bronntanas suntasach daonchairdiúil faighte aici ó Dheirdre agus Irial Uí Fhionnáin, chun tacú le tógáil Leabharlann agus Ionad Foghlama nua na hOllscoile. Mar aitheantas ar fhlaithiúlacht mhuintir Uí Fhionnáin, tá Seomra Léitheoireachta na gCartlann agus na mBailiúchán Speisialta athainmnithe ag an Ollscoil agus tabharfar Seomra Léitheoireachta Cartlann agus Bailiúchán Speisialta Dheirdre agus Irial Uí Fhionnáin air feasta. Is áis agus seirbhís ríthábhachtach i Leabharlann na hOllscoile an spás tiomnaithe seo, áit a bhfuil cosaint á déanamh ar lámhscríbhinní uathúla, leabhair neamhchoitianta agus bailiúcháin chultúrtha, agus san am céanna áit a dtugtar rochtain do mhic léinn, do thaighdeoirí agus don phobal i gcoitinne ar an ábhar seo. Bhain Irial Ó Fionnáin céim amach ón Ollscoil in 1977, agus i gcomhar lena bhean chéile Deirdre, tá siad ag cur chun cinn an oideachais agus an chultúir trína ndaonchairdeas agus a rannpháirtíocht le hOllscoil na Gaillimhe, in Éirinn agus sna Stáit Aontaithe araon. Is léiriú é a dtiomantas go gcreideann siad gur cheart an fhoghlaim agus an léann a chothú ar mhaithe leis na glúnta atá le teacht.  Bhí an méid seo le rá ag Uachtarán Eatramhach Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, an tOllamh Peter McHugh: “Táimid thar a bheith buíoch de Dheirdre agus Irial as a bhfís agus a bhflaithiúlacht. Neartóidh a ndaonchairdeas misean na hOllscoile chun eolas a chaomhnú, fionnachtana a spreagadh agus ár mbailiúcháin a dhéanamh inrochtana do chách. Is tionscadal nach dtarlóidh ach uair amháin lenár linn é an Leabharlann agus Ionad Foghlama nua a bhfuil tacaíocht agus tiomantas alumni agus chairde na hOllscoile ag teastáil lena chur i gcrích, agus táimid buíoch as an tacaíocht atá curtha ar fáil ag Irial agus ag Deirdre chomh luath seo sa phróiseas.” Dúirt Leabharlannaí Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, Monica Crump: “Is údar áthais agus bróid dúinn gur cheadaigh Irial agus Deirdre Uí Fhionnáin dúinn an Seomra Léitheoireachta Cartlann agus Bailiúchán Speisialta a athaimniú mar aitheantas ar a dtacaíocht dár Leabharlann agus Ionad Foghlama nua.”  Mar chartlannaí, tuigeann Deirdre go maith an tábhacht a bhaineann lenár seomra léitheoireachta chun spás a chur ar fáil inar féidir le mic léinn, taighdeoirí agus an pobal i gcoitinne cur ar a gcumas spéis a chothú san oidhreacht, sa chultúr agus sa stair trínár gcartlanna agus bailiúcháin speisialta. Agus an t-am a caitheadh á chaomhnú agus á roinnt sa seomra léitheoireachta, cumasaíonn tacaíocht fhlaithiúil Dheirdre agus Irial an todhchaí, trí eispéiris foghlama níos comhoibríche, níos cruthaithí agus níos digití dár mic léinn sa Leabharlann agus Ionad Foghlama.” Tá Leabharlann agus Ionad Foghlama nua Ollscoil na Gaillimhe á thógáil faoi láthair i lár champas chathair na Gaillimhe agus beidh sé ina mhol lárnach do chomhoibriú, taighde agus pobal. Tá tacaíocht Rialtais ag an tionscadal trí dheontas caipitil €15 mhilliún tríd an Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta faoin gCiste Bonneagair Straitéisigh um Ardoideachas (HESIF) agus an tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas. Meastar go mbeidh an tógáil tugtha chun críche go luath sa bhliain 2027. Críoch

University of Galway has announced a significant philanthropic gift from Deirdre and Irial Finan, in support of the construction of the University’s new Library and Learning Commons. In recognition of the Finan’s generosity, the University has renamed the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room as the Deirdre and Irial Finan Archives and Special Collections Reading Room. The dedicated space is a key facility and service in the University Library, safeguarding unique manuscripts, rare books and cultural collections, while opening access to students, researchers and the wider community. Irial Finan graduated from the University in 1977, and together with his wife Deirdre, they have championed education and culture through their philanthropy and engagement with University of Galway, both in Ireland and the US. Their commitment reflects a belief in nurturing learning and scholarship for generations to come.  Interim President of University of Galway, Professor Peter McHugh, said: “We are deeply grateful to Deirdre and Irial for their vision and generosity. Their philanthropy will strengthen the University’s mission to preserve knowledge, inspire discovery and make our collections accessible to all. Our new Library and Leaning Commons is a once-in-a-generation project that requires the support and commitment of alumni and friends of the University, we are grateful for Irial and Deirdre’s early support.” University of Galway Librarian Monica Crump said: “We are delighted and honoured that Deirdre and Irial Finan have allowed us to name our Archives and Special Collections Reading Room in acknowledgement of their support for our new Library and Learning Commons. As an archivist, Deirdre understands very well the importance of our reading room in providing a space where students, researchers and the wider public can engage with heritage, culture and history through our archives and special collections.  As the reading room preserves and provides access to our past, Deirdre and Irial's generous support enables the future, through more collaborative, more creative and more digital learning experiences for our students in the Library and Learning Commons." University of Galway’s new Library and Learning Commons is currently under construction in the centre of the Galway city campus and will be a central hub for collaboration, research and community. The project is being supported by Government with a €15 million capital grant through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science under the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF) and the Higher Education Authority. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2027. Ends

University of Galway has celebrated the next generation of Irish sporting talent, awarding 22 prestigious sport scholarships to standout athletes. A further 66 athletes from previous years were also recognised at the special ceremony on campus. The University’s sport scholarship programme was developed to recognise students’ past achievements as well as to aid the development of their sporting talent alongside academic progress. The scheme offers a special subsistence grant, coaching, medical and physiotherapy support, performance nutrition and psychology, mentoring and performance planning and career development assistance. The awards night was marked by a presentation by ex-international soccer player and former University of Galway scholarship student, Niamh Fahey. Niamh Fahey said: “It was a pleasure to be at University of Galway and share experiences with the sports scholars, with the hope of passing on some of the learnings from my career, which combined elite sport with education. As a past student of the University, I know the importance of the sport scholarship programme, which provides support structures to create a positive learning environment where you can fulfil your potential in all aspects of your life.” Capped 115 times for Ireland, including three appearances at the 2023 World Cup, Niamh Fahey shared her journey from a scholarship student to her current role as Technical Coordinator for Liverpool Women. Her professional career has included stints at Arsenal, Chelsea, Bordeaux and Liverpool. Niamh Fahey was also an accomplished Gaelic footballer, winning an All-Ireland with Galway in 2005. During her time at Arsenal, she balanced semi-professional play, studies and working in the men’s team laundry. Earlier this year, she graduated with an MBA from Liverpool John Moores University. The awards night also featured successful student athletes who discussed balancing academic careers with sporting ambitions, including Fortune Igbokwe - Ireland U20 Basketball; Donagh Claffey – Bronze medallist in Rowing’s World U23; Sam O’Farrell - All-Ireland Hurling Winner with Tipperary; and Amy O'Sullivan, Irish Women’s Volleyball.             Des Ryan, Director of Sport and Physical Wellbeing at University of Galway, said: “It was energising to see so many talented players and athletes from the University in one room. Our mission is to be the most progressive and caring University sports programme on the island of Ireland. Our scholars will benefit from high-level challenge and support, led by our experienced High-Performance Lead, Feargal O’Callaghan. It was fantastic to have Niamh Fahey share her experiences and advice, alongside our other athletes. Niamh Fahey is one of Galway’s greatest sportspeople, and we are very proud she is part of our alumni.” University of Galway 2025 Sports Scholarships awardees:Athletics – Caitlin Hughes, Holly O’Boyle, Oisín DavisBasketball – Aoibhín Connolly, Nathan GbinigieCamogie – Olwen Rabbitte, Leah Gallagher, Caoimhe KellyGaelic Football – Maryanne Jordan, Eabha Smith, Shay McGlinchy, Cillian Ó Curraoin, Conor Corcoran, Rio MortimerHurling – Aaron Nyland, Sean Murphy, Edward O'ReillyRowing – Michael McGrath, Dominic CaseySoccer – Grace Gleeson, Jasmine Greaney, Brian Cunningham For more information on University of Galway’s sports scholarship programme, visit: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/sports/elitesport/ Ends

University of Galway has celebrated the achievements of more than 2,400 graduates during its autumn conferring ceremonies. Graduates, including 48 who qualified with a PhD, from across the University’s four Colleges were conferred with postgraduate and undergraduate degrees in a series of ceremonies on campus, joining the ranks of over 131,000 University of Galway alumni worldwide. The celebrations took place on campus from October 15th to 21st.             Professor David Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “Conferring week is one of the highlights of the University calendar, a time to recognise the hard work, dedication, and excellence of our students, and the commitment of our staff who have supported them along the way. We are very proud of our graduates as they embark on the next stage of their journey.” Ends

University of Galway has today launched a new research partnership with multinational engineering company Trane Technologies. The three-year collaboration on the development of sustainable technologies for advanced manufacturing processes is co-funded by I-Form, Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Trane Technologies. Trane Technologies is a global leader in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry sector with more than 40 sites worldwide, including its manufacturing subsidiary Thermo King in Galway. It has been a pioneer in the sector for more than 40 years. The research aims to enhance advanced manufacturing processes for systems used in buildings, homes and transportation, with a focus on sustainable and innovative technologies while increasing productivity and reducing environmental impact. President of University of Galway, Professor David Burn, said: “At University of Galway we have a proud and unique heritage in the field of engineering. Our research partnership with Trane is the essence of that, as we empower our academics, students and collaborators to pioneer an agenda of innovation, sustainability and learning.” Max Javaheri, Vice President, Advanced Manufacturing for Trane Technologies, said: “For over 45 years, Thermo King in Galway has been a cornerstone of manufacturing excellence and innovation. This public-private collaboration between Trane Technologies, the University of Galway, and I-Form will build upon that legacy and will focus on developing advanced, innovative, and sustainable production methods that will immensely impact our factories globally. This partnership will create meaningful impact by advancing clean manufacturing technologies and nurturing local talent. Together, we will transform the future of manufacturing and reinforce Galway’s position as a hub for innovation and advanced engineering.”   The research to be conducted as part of the partnership is to be led by Dr Noel Harrison, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, and Pádraig Conneely, Lecturer in Automation and Lean Manufacturing, both of whom are based in the School of Engineering at University of Galway.   Professor Laoise McNamara, Head of the School of Engineering at University of Galway, said:  “This partnership will combine cutting-edge academic research with a real-world engineering application, allowing University of Galway to collaborate with Trane Technologies' subject matter experts and automation engineers, as well as creating new learning opportunities for our researchers and students.”   Professor Denis Dowling, Centre Director, I-Form - Research Ireland Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, said: “This three-year collaboration exemplifies I-Form’s mission to drive the transformation of advanced manufacturing in Ireland through sustainable, high-impact research partnerships. By co-funding projects like this, we are helping to shape a more innovative and resilient manufacturing ecosystem for the future.” One of the aims of the research project is to enable sustainable, fast and reduced-cost development of new products and processes and digitalised manufacturing, by replacing time-consuming, physical experimentation with advanced, predictive modelling. The partnership will focus on advancing automation in brazing (the process of joining metal by melting an intermediary filler metal) and leak detection processes. It aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the material and process phenomena involved in automated induction and hydrogen brazing, leading to the industrial integration of optimised scalable brazing processes. As a world-class leader in fostering industry collaboration, University of Galway researcher and students will work with Thermo King R&D teams and other staff to develop advanced manufacturing solutions that will be deployed across Trane Technologies’ global network. The research project team will design, develop and validate robotic and automated systems for brazing operations; build proof-of-concept prototypes and test beds to demonstrate system capabilities; conduct industrial trials and validate system performance in a production-representative environment; and develop robotic system programmes and virtual simulations of process and tooling using in-house robotic systems. Ends

Research funded by Wellcome to explore disabled people’s experiences and develop guidance for law and policy Researchers at University of Galway are to work with young people with disabilities to develop guidance on how care and support systems can be reformed to fully realise human rights. Dr Clíona de Bhailís, a post-doctoral researcher at the University’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy, has been awarded a Wellcome Early-Career Grant of more than €700,000 to conduct the study. The research team will work alongside young people with disabilities aged 18–24 to interview other disabled people across Ireland to gather their lived experiences of care and support. The findings will be analysed to produce evidence-based guidance on how law, policy and systems can be reformed to realise disabled people’s human rights. Dr de Bhailís said: “The project comes at a critical moment in Ireland, with legislative developments, a referendum on family and care, and the impacts of COVID-19 reigniting public discussions on care. Despite this attention, young disabled people have often been marginalised in these debates. By placing them at the heart of the research process, the project aims to challenge assumptions about vulnerability and dependency while informing policy and practice.” Many disabled people require access to a range of care and support to live independently, including personal and intimate care, healthcare assistance, supported decision-making, and help navigating community services. Historically, the concept of care has been controversial within the disabled people’s movement, often seen as reinforcing dependency and ignoring that disabled people also care for and support others. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, disabled people have a right to live in the community with choices equal to others, including choosing the types of care and support that meet their needs. The project, entitled GenCare: Intergenerational Explorations of Care and Support for Disabled People in Ireland, will run for four years is designed to put young people at the forefront of shaping change in Ireland. Dr de Bhailís added: “The project will take an innovative approach by establishing a collective of young disabled co-researchers who will be involved in every stage of the research. They will gather data from disabled people across Ireland, documenting their experiences of care and support, and come up with ideas for reform. Our goal is to make sure disabled people are at the heart of any future reforms while ensuring we continue to learn from past experiences.” Ends

Researchers at the University of Galway have revealed the results of a world-first study into how bowel cancer shuts down the immune system, and how this can be reversed to improve treatment. The findings have been published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC). The research team showed how structural stromal cells switch off the immune system and how the body’s own killer cells can be switched back on, opening up the opportunity for a completely new approach to optimising immunotherapy for patients. Colorectal cancer – commonly referred to as bowel cancer – is one of the world’s most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Diagnoses in people under 50 have been climbing in recent decades, with recent global analysis showing these early-onset cases have almost doubled since 1990. In Ireland, the disease affects more than 2,500 people a year. Professor Aideen Ryan, Professor in Tumour Immunology at University of Galway's College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, said: “While immunotherapy has revolutionised care in cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer, it has shown very limited benefit in bowel cancer, leaving patients with advanced disease with few treatment options and poor survival outcomes.” The breakthrough research discovery is the first to demonstrate that tumour stromal cells – the structural cells that support cancer growth – are directly reprogramming the immune system. They do this by switching off, or hijacking, two of our body’s most important tumour-fighting cells – the natural killers (NK) and macrophages – rendering them unable to attack the cancer. Professor Ryan said: “The interaction between the cancer, our body’s healthy cells and our defence mechanism is a complex one, but our research shows that the cancer is essentially creating an immune brake – it is blocking the body’s natural response and fight mechanism.” What has been discovered in relation to how the cancer interacts with the human body? Tumour stromal cells are the structural cells which allow the cancer to grow. They are coated in sugars called sialoglycans. These interact with receptors on the body’s immune cells called Siglecs. This interaction causes the body’s natural defence response to be switched off and unresponsive when immunotherapy is used, and therefore unable to attack the cancer. The research identified a specific enzyme that drives this process of ‘switching off’, as it produces the Siglec-binding sugars on stromal cells. When the researchers blocked this pathway using drugs called sialidases, they could show that the body’s most important tumour-fighting cells – the natural killers (NK) and macrophages – reactivated. It showed that the tumours shrank and the spread of cancer, known as metastasis, was prevented.      The multidisciplinary research was conducted in collaboration with colorectal surgeons and pathologists at Galway University Hospital, led by Professor Aisling Hogan and Professor Sean Hynes; as well as experts in colorectal cancer – Dr Philip Dunne, Queen’s University Belfast and experts in targeting sialoglycans at Palleon Pharmaceuticals, MA, USA, who have developed sialidase drugs that disrupt the sialoglycan-Siglec interaction. Professor Ryan added: “Our research is a clear breakthrough in our understanding of bowel cancer and how immunotherapy could be more successful. This world-first finding shows that some of the bowel cancer cells are not just passive bystanders, they are actively reprogramming the body’s immune cells, preventing them from doing their job. We have uncovered an entirely new checkpoint and by focusing on it we can reactivate the immune system and improve our body’s innate ability to fight the disease, and even target metastasis.” Michael O'Dwyer, Professor of Medicine and Scientific Director of University of Galway Cancer Centre, said: “The work of Professor Ryan and her research team highlights an important interplay between cells within a tumour, facilitating disease progression and metastasis. This is an excellent example of impactful, innovative research with strong industry engagement currently being undertaken within the University of Galway Cancer Centre.” Jim Broderick, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Palleon Pharmaceuticals, said: “The sialoglycan-Siglec axis of immunosuppression in cancer was underappreciated until very recently. Targeting sialoglycan biology offers great potential for developing new therapies for diseases characterized by immune dysfunction, including cancer and autoimmunity. The discoveries from Professor Ryan’s lab bring new hope to patients battling colorectal cancer and other malignancies that have proven resistant to existing immunotherapies.” Professor Ryan’s pioneering cancer research is featured in the Breakthrough Cancer Research exhibition, Cancer Revolution: Science, Innovation and Hope, which is on display in Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre until Friday October 31st. It includes striking microscopy images of stromal cells interacting with tumours and a 3D tumour model, helping to visualise how these cells shut down the immune system in bowel cancer. The display explains how Professor Ryan’s team discovered that stromal cells act as an “immune brake” and how targeting this brake could finally allow immunotherapy to work for patients with colorectal cancer. The full paper is available online at the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer: URL: https://jitc.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/jitc-2025-012491 Ends

University of Galway and Atlantic Technological University have renewed a partnership for the provision of teacher education. Both universities re-committed to the Western Institute of Studies in Education (WISE) as the Centre of Excellence of Initial Teacher Education in the West and North-West region.  The partnership builds on the historic collaboration between Atlantic Technological University and University of Galway to strengthen teacher education in the region, including the development and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, research and broader educational initiatives. WISE collectively serves 1200 Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students in both undergraduate B.Ed and postgraduate Professional Master of Education programmes. President of Atlantic Technological University, Dr Orla Flynn, said: “Our purpose in ATU is to enhance the quality of life in our region, through excellent education and research, working collaboratively with partners like the University of Galway. The renewal of this MOU is a strong signal of our collective commitment to supporting the educational needs of young people in our region, and no doubt we will see further innovative initiatives together with the University of Galway in the years ahead.” Professor David Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “The EU classifies the north-west of Ireland as a ‘lagging’ region. The University has to be part of changing that, with partnership being central to our approach. We greatly value this reinvigorated partnership with Atlantic Technological University which will significantly contribute to improving outcomes in the region, through initial teacher education and related initiatives.” The renewed partnership was confirmed with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding by University of Galway and Atlantic Technological University. The signing recognises the autonomy of each institution as a recognised ITE provider to develop programmes in their respective areas and ensuring the region’s needs are met. The Western Institute of Studies in Education (WISE) is underpinned by a shared commitment to academic and educational cooperation. It is considered a key vehicle through which the Atlantic Technological University and University of Galway will continue to contribute to growth in the region. The teacher education partnership is in line with recommendations of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly and the European Commission, including to address rising regional socio-economic inequalities through the provision of a skilled workforce, support research and innovation, the encouragement of partnerships and collaborations, and a focus on efficiencies and productivity. Ends

Researchers set out recommendations for public sector organisations to help inform men on menopause at work New research has revealed that male colleagues and managers know little about menopause in the workplace. The study – Menopause in the workplace – was carried out by academics in University of Galway and University College Cork and included surveys of more than 1,600 workers across seven public sector organisations in Ireland. The findings have been released to mark World Menopause Day on Saturday, 18 October 2025. The research was carried out to explore men’s attitudes to and knowledge of menopause at work; the attitudes of other workers who are not experiencing menopause; and the impact of menopause on work outcomes for women – while also identifying interventions to support women. A series of recommendations have been set out alongside the survey findings: Given that almost 80% of CEOs and 70% of C-suite executives in Ireland are male, bespoke menopause training and information should be provided to male board members, senior executives, managers and colleagues. To encourage male colleagues to be menopause allies, organisations should offer information sessions and anonymous Q&A formats, so that men are equipped to support women in their menopause journey. Nearly 1 in 10 women leave their jobs due to menopause symptom severity, therefore menopause at work represents a whole of organisation issue and should be discussed as part of a broader conversation about employee wellbeing, productivity and retention. Dr Maeve O’Sullivan, College of Business Public Policy and Law, University of Galway, said: "The survey findings offer a snapshot of experiences, which in turn is drving these recommendations. One of the key findings is the low level of input from men. So, not only can we see a low level of men who are informed, there is also a low level of engagement with this issue. Workplace leadership has a responsibility to address this, for the benefit of both women and men.” The research team analysed responses to an online survey from 1,600 people, including 1403 women and 240 men. Some of the key findings were: One-third of men (37%) feel they are not well informed about menopause, while 3% felt very informed. Almost half of women (43%) feel a little informed. Four out of five men (80%) don't know if their company has a menopause policy, compared with three in four women (75%). No men, who are line managers and whose direct reports have spoken to them about menopause, feel very equipped to discuss the subject and offer support. One in eight men (13%) believe that menopause is only spoken about between female colleagues, compared with almost one-third of females (32%). 7% of men believe that menopause is a 'taboo' subject, compared with 9% of females. Almost two-thirds of men (61%) felt that organisations should adjust the physical work environment for those going through menopause. This compares with more than three in four women (76%). Approximately one in six men (16%) believe that organisations should not adjust the physical work environment for those going through menopause. This compares with one in 10 women (10%). 87% of women and 78% of men felt that organisations should provide training for line managers and supervisors on how to support women going through menopause. Some 75% of men who responded said that organisations should offer support to women going through menopause, compared with 84% of women. While 62% of women have discussed their menopause with their co-workers, only 1 in 8 (12%) have spoken to their manager about it, underlining a lack of trust or fear among these women.   Dr O’Sullivan added: “Many organisational decision-makers are male, despite this, little is known about menopause in the workplace. It’s not simply a gender or age issue but can impact the entire organisation. “Our study's findings show that more than three-quarters of line managers surveyed do not feel at all equipped to support their female direct reports. This highlights the urgent need to inform and equip men at all levels in the organisation to support women in their menopause journey. Menopause is not simply a female issue. “This is an organisational issue in the context of senior leadership tending to be more male than female. What sort of message are we sending out and how are we equipping our organisation leaders to support employees going through menopause?” Dr Elaine O'Brien, University College Cork said: "Despite menopause being widely discussed in society, there is very little focus on its impact on work and vice versa. Our Menopause in the workplace study finds that while some male colleagues are aware of this issue, much more information and education is needed to support menopausal women in work.” Ends  

University of Galway has appointed Professor Karena Yan as Dean of the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics.    Professor Yan joins the University from Durham University Business School, where she served as Professor and Associate Dean, leading the Doctor of Business Administration programmes.    Commenting on her appointment, Professor Yan said: “I am honoured to be joining the University of Galway and to steward the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics in service of our students, industry and communities in Ireland and beyond. Galway’s spirit is extraordinary – creative, welcoming, and outward-looking. Together we will grow our research power and visibility, deliver transformative education, and enrich the student experience in a thriving, globally connected community.”   Professor Yan succeeds Professor Jonathan Levie, who has served as an Interim Dean since January 2025.   Executive Dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law, Professor Alma McCarthy, said: “We are delighted that Professor Yan is joining University of Galway to lead J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics. Professor Yan brings extensive experience to the role having led significant international developments and partnerships in previous business school leadership roles. We are also grateful to Professor Jonathan Levie for his remarkable leadership and the depth of insight he brought to his role as Interim Dean throughout this transition.”   Professor Yan has extensive experience in research and academic leadership. Her research has been published in leading journals including Research Policy and Organization Studies and has been supported by major funding bodies such as the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Charles Wilson fund. At Durham University, she also served as Co-director of the Centre for Innovation and Technology Management and Chair of the Board of Examiners for the MSc Marketing programme.   She has advised the UK All Party Parliament Group’s report on the Metaverse and Web 3.0, and has been featured in The Economist, The Sunday Times and the BBC.  In addition to her role as School Dean, Professor Yan will serve as Established Professor of Innovation and Strategic Management, contributing to the School’s teaching and research initiatives.  Ends

A new international study led by University of Galway has found that entering menopause at an earlier age is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The research also showed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause appears to be associated with a reduced risk of dementia. The findings have been published today in the Journal for Alzheimer’s Disease. The research team from University of Galway and Boston University carried out the study with 1,329 cognitively healthy women from The Framingham Heart Study - the world’s longest running longitudinal cohort study - to analyse the association between reproductive factors and markers of brain aging. It found: Entering menopause at an earlier age is associated with an increased risk of dementia. HRT after menopause appears to be associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Greater exposure to estrogen over the reproductive lifespan was associated with enhanced cognitive performance and larger brain volumes. Having more children, higher blood oestrogen levels and being older at the time of menopause were also associated with better cognitive test performance, specifically better visuospatial skills - the ability to perceive, analyse and mentally manipulate visual and spatial information. Professor Emer McGrath, lead author and Associate Professor in Medicine, College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, University of Galway, and Consultant Neurologist, Galway University Hospital, said: “Our study explored the association between reproductive and hormonal factors across a woman’s lifespan and risk of brain aging. We looked at neurocognitive and neuroimaging markers from MRI brain scans, as well as cognitive test performance, including tests of memory, reasoning skills and visuospatial skills. We also looked at the future risk of dementia in relation to these reproductive factors. “We found that entering menopause at an earlier age appears to be associated with an increased risk of dementia, while post-menopause hormone replacement therapy appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia. Although our results suggest positive cognitive benefits of greater lifetime estrogen exposure, they do require further validation.” Women have a higher risk of dementia compared to men, with women accounting for almost two thirds of those living with Alzheimer’s disease. The research involved women from the Framingham Heart Study and investigated the age at the time of a woman’s first period; the age at onset of menopause; the duration of a woman’s reproductive lifespan; levels of oestrogen in the blood; and whether a woman used post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy or not. These factors were then related to performance on neurocognitive testing, signs of brain shrinkage on MRI scans and a woman’s future risk of developing dementia. Professor Emer McGrath said: “When we explored signs of brain ageing on MRI brain scans, we also found that having more children was associated with larger brain volumes, including in the areas we tend to see shrinkage in Alzheimer’s disease.” Despite its public health importance, our understanding of an association with sex related differences in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias significantly lags behind that in the cardiovascular field. While longer life expectancy in women may explain some of the higher risk in women, factors including reproductive health and hormonal levels in women may play an important role. The Framingham Heart Study is the longest running longitudinal cohort study worldwide. It started in 1948 with the recruitment of 5,200 adults from the town of Framingham in Massachusetts, Boston with approximately 15% of the participants of Irish ancestry. In 1971, the study recruited the children of the original Framingham cohort, along with their spouses, to form the Framingham Offspring cohort. This group was included in this study. Read the full study in the journal here: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13872877251372430 Ends

University of Galway is to host Ireland’s new supercomputer, following a collaboration agreement by the Government and the European Commission. The national high-performance computing system – CASPIr – will be operated by the University’s Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC), providing the research and innovation community across Ireland and Europe with significantly enhanced capacity to address challenges and opportunities in science and society such as climate, environment, health, AI and big data. CASPIr will be co-funded by the Department for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) as part of a five-year collaboration agreement. Professor David Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “The collaboration agreement for the new supercomputer CASPIr heralds a new era of research capability for Europe, and Ireland’s research community, and places University of Galway and our Irish Centre for High-End Computing at the helm of data driven study. I would like to thank Minister Lawless and his team in the Department for pursuing this investment and working with University of Galway to secure it. We can now look forward to the research community reaping the rewards of this next generation of supercomputing and data driven research as it drives University of Galway’s strategic focus on transformative data and AI to support interdisciplinary research addressing global challenges.” CASPIr follows on from the supercomputer Kay, which was commissioned in 2018. It is one of 31 supercomputers in Europe which are funded under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking. It is planned to be in service in 2027. CASPIr takes its name from Computational Analysis and Simulation Platform for Ireland. ICHEC is hosted at University of Galway and funded by the Department of Further and Higher, Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It is Ireland's national centre for high-performance computing, providing e-infrastructure, services and expertise to the academic research community, industry and the public sector. Its high-performance computing services are made available to researchers based on a peer review process by an independent panel of scientists. Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice-President Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “Leveraging supercomputing capabilities across the research and innovation domain is essential to realising solutions to pressing global issues and accelerating research impact. Today’s announcement will fuel and support the development of existing and new collaborative partnerships – regionally, nationally, and internationally.” Four key research themes have been identified as areas of focus for CASPir following go-live, including environment and climate; genomics; nano-materials; mobility. JC Desplat, Irish Centre for High-End Computing at University of Galway, said: “The signature of this Agreement with EuroHPC represents an important milestone for Ireland. It paves the way to the procurement of CASPIr, one of a new generation of supercomputers designed to execute sophisticated computer models known as ‘digital twins’, with broad domains of applications ranging from health and life sciences, to the search for new materials, mitigating the impact of climate change and improving mobility within our cities.” Dr Michael Nolan, Chair of the ICHEC Science Council which supports Ireland’s research community to access supercomputing, said: “CASPIr will enable the Irish research community to take leading roles in research consortia, international research programmes and attract industry investment that is built on the ability to integrate computational methods into R&D, alongside helping to deliver on government ambition.” Dr Sarah Guerin, Chair of the ICHEC Users Council and Associate Professor in Sustainable Energy Harvesting at University of Limerick, said: "This infrastructure will allow computational researchers to realise the full potential of our homegrown expertise and take on real global challenges. I am excited for people around Ireland to benefit from, among many others, the technological, economical and meteorological outputs that this will facilitate in universities and industry." For further information on the European Commission’s announcement on Ireland’s national supercomputer visit https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/way-open-building-eurohpc-world-class-supercomputer-ireland-2025-10-13_en Ends

Invasive succulent that smothers native plants shows extended flowering in new territories, where it can dominate coastlines     That vibrant carpet of pink and yellow flowers blanketing Mediterranean cliffs might look beautiful in holiday photos on a social media feed. But scientists have discovered these same Instagram snapshots are revealing how one of the world's most destructive coastal plants is taking over new environments by extending its flowering season and threatening native biodiversity.   An international team of researchers analysed more than 1,700 photographs from social media and citizen science platforms to track Carpobrotus species - commonly known as ice plants or sour fig – across South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and the US.   These fleshy evergeen succulent plants are native to South Africa but now smother coastal ecosystems from California to the Mediterranean and transform ecosystems.   A single Carpobrotus plant can cover up to 50m², suffocating everything beneath it. They change soil chemistry and monopolise pollinators with their showy flowers, disrupting local ecosystems.   The findings have been published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence.   They are the result of a global study conducted by University of Galway, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Experimental Station of Arid Zones in Spain, Charles University in the Czech Republic, Macquarie University in Sydney, Stellenbosch University in South Africa, and Penn State University.               Dr Susan Canavan, lead author and Honorary Researcher with the College of Science and Engineering at University of Galway, said: "We realised thousands of people were unknowingly documenting these invasions in the background of their beach selfies and cliff-top sunset photos. This gave us observers across the globe, from California's Big Sur to New Zealand's coastlines to Portugal's tourist beaches.”   For the research team, California's tourist hotspots provided nearly three times more usable photos than other regions, while remote locations in South Africa and the Azores relied entirely on dedicated naturalist platforms like iNaturalist.   The team discovered that the Carpobrotus populations flower longer than native ones, potentially producing more seeds and increasing their spread. In their native South Africa, the plants show a short, concentrated flowering peak but in invaded regions, they bloom across extended periods. This reproductive advantage may help to explain their invasive success.   They also found that local environmental conditions override genetic differences in determining flowering timing. The plants adapt to bloom during the local spring season, such as October in New Zealand and May-June in California and Europe, rather than maintaining the flowering patterns from their native range.   For coastal managers battling these invaders, the findings offer practical guidance - by revealing peak flowering times in the invaded regions, the research will help them to time removal efforts to prevent seed production.               Dr Canavan added: "Tourist destinations were goldmines of data. Every scenic overlook with Carpobrotus had hundreds of Instagram posts. But this also showed us the bias in social media data. Remote invaded areas remain invisible without citizen scientists actively documenting them. “The study also demonstrates how the digital age is transforming ecological research. What began as vacation photos and nature observations has become a powerful tool for tracking biological invasions.”               Dr Ana Novoa, co-author and project lead from the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, said: "These plants are notoriously difficult to control because they spread both by seed and by fragments. Even a small piece can regrow into a new colony. Knowing exactly when they flower in each region means we can strike when they're most vulnerable, before they produce the thousands of seeds that ensure next subsequent invasions."   The full study, published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence, is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70122.   Ends

Two student-led projects at University of Galway have won top prizes for sustainability and diversity and inclusion as part of the ENLIGHT European University Alliance.     The awards were announced at this year’s ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Conference in recognition of outstanding initiatives led by students that demonstrate impact, innovation, and alignment with ENLIGHT’s core pillars.    University of Galway is one of 10 research-intensive universities in the ENLIGHT European university alliance which was formed in 2020 with a shared aim to transform the way global challenges are addressed and to empower students, teachers and researchers to deal with complex sustainability issues.    Speaking about the recognition, Alex Metcalfe, Interim Vice President International at University of Galway, said: “We are immensely proud of our students for leading projects that not only embody the values of ENLIGHT but also drive real change on campus and beyond. Winning both awards in such highly competitive categories is testament to the creativity, commitment, and leadership of our students in shaping a more sustainable, inclusive future.”    In the Sustainability category, Adam Mullins of University of Galway Students’ Union was awarded first place for SPÉIR - SU Pantry - Students’ Union. The initiative is a system where food, which is surplus, in damaged packaging, end of line or near sell by or use dates, is collected through FoodCloud. It is then distributed to students at the University instead of being dumped.    The initiative was nominated by the University’s Sustainability Office. The judges commended its measurable impact in tackling food waste, connecting sustainability with wider societal issues and its strong potential to be replicated in other universities and cities.     In the Diversity and Inclusion category, Galway’s Active* Champions project was awarded first place. Judges highlighted the project’s peer-education approach and its impressive impact in addressing key challenges around inclusion and awareness, emphasising that “we can never have enough initiatives that highlight these issues.”     The award was accepted by postgraduate student María José Hun on behalf of a dedicated team of Active* Champions who are a network of student peer educators and leaders for initiatives on ending sexual violence and harassment, consent, sexual health and well-being, and active bystander skills. The Active* Champions initiative is led by the Office of the VP Equality Diversity and Inclusion.     The juries, comprised of sustainability and inclusion professionals from all ENLIGHT partners, praised all ten nominees across both categories, noting the closeness of the competition and the exceptional standard of entries.    ENLIGHT includes University of Galway; Comenius University, Bratislava (Slovakia); University of Groningen (Netherlands); University of Bern (Switzerland); University of Bordeaux (France); Ghent University (Belgium); University of Tartu (Estonia); University of Gottingen (Germany); University of the Basque Country (Spain); and Uppsala University (Sweden).    The project is supported by the Government and the European Commission. The aim is for the alliance to develop as a platform for the creation of a new type of European university campus where students and staff have increased opportunities for international study, training, teaching, research and sharing of services.    Ends    

Project to support patient care supported by Government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund  A consortium led by University of Galway spin-out Fortis Medical Devices has secured a €2.1 million government grant to accelerate the development of breakthrough stroke rehabilitation technology. The funding will accelerate the development of cueStim-Stroke - a new wearable device for patients affected by post-stroke gait irregularities, a major unmet clinical need. The consortium is led by University of Galway spin-out, Fortis Medical Devices, based in Spiddal and a client company of Údarás na Gaeltachta, along with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Smart Electronics, Shannon. The €2.1m grant was awarded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF). The project will directly address a pressing healthcare challenge, with nearly 20 million stroke patients worldwide affected by long-term gait impairments, despite rehabilitation. Stroke-related treatment and care costs are projected to reach €86 billion a year in the EU by 2040, underscoring the urgent need for transformative technologies. The consortium will also create a connected health ecosystem to support home-based rehabilitation, providing clinicians with real-time data on gait performance, patient progress, and adherence, enabling continuous improvement in patient outcomes through data-driven insights. Thomas Gutierrez, Chief Executive, Fortis Medical Devices, said: “Our mission is to significantly improve the quality of life for stroke survivors. With this DTIF award, we can accelerate the development of cueStim-Stroke to bring real-world solutions to patients and clinicians.” Professor Lokesh Joshi, University of Galway Vice-President of Research and Innovation, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Fortis Medical and a great example of a successful University of Galway research-led spinout from the University ecosystem that will deliver disruptive ground-breaking technology for post-stroke gait rehabilitation, which will make a major impact for patients.” Tomás Ó Síocháin, Chief Executive, Údarás na Gaeltachta, said: "We are extremely proud of this achievement by Fortis Medical Devices, a client company of Údarás na Gaeltachta. This is an excellent example of the innovation and entrepreneurship taking place in the Gaeltacht. This DTIF grant demonstrates the potential of Gaeltacht companies to develop groundbreaking technologies with global impact, while creating employment and economic growth in our communities."   Professor Suzanne McDonough, Head of RCSI’s School of Physiotherapy, said: “RCSI is delighted to be a key contributor to this important collaboration. cueStim-Stroke brings together world-leading expertise that has the potential to improve the quality of life of the 20 million people globally who are currently living with post-stroke gait impairments.” Shane Adams, Managing Director of Smart Electronics, said: “Smart Electronics is delighted to partner with Fortis Medical Devices and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences on this innovative project.” Fortis Medical Devices was established as a neuroscience and cardiovascular spin-out from University of Galway in April 2024, with Gearóid Ó Laighin retiring as Established Professor of Electronic Engineering and taking on the role of Chief Scientific Officer in the new company. Fortis brings world-leading expertise in wearable rehabilitation technologies and plans to extend its patented platform stimulator technologies to other chronic illnesses. The cueStim-Stroke product will complement Fortis’ Parkinson’s disease Freezing of Gait reduction technology, which is currently in late-stage development, and which has been designated a Breakthrough Device by the FDA in the United States. As a University of Galway spin-out, Fortis has licensed a suite of patents from the University and is planning to apply this patent portfolio in the treatment of a range of chronic conditions, in addition to post-stroke gait impairments and Freezing of Gait in Parkinson’s disease. RCSI will contribute its expertise in stroke medicine, patient management, and rehabilitation, while Smart Electronics Ltd will leverage its advanced capabilities in manufacturing wearable devices and managing global supply chains. Ends

A new initiative aimed at equipping children with coding and AI skills has been launched at Trinity Primary School in Tuam, Co. Galway. This pilot initiative seeks to prepare students, in DEIS schools particularly, to engage with and shape an increasingly computing and AI-powered world, while addressing a significant gap in Ireland's computing education system. The pilot study, led by the School of Education at University of Galway and proudly supported by Google.org, will engage 80 schools and up to 2,000 primary pupils over the next two years. Despite being enthusiastic, many teachers are not equipped with the resources, time or depth of knowledge needed to teach coding and AI effectively. This new project aims to tackle this issue by offering upskilling opportunities to teachers in primary schools, with workshops demonstrating how to integrate computing and AI with other subjects in the curriculum, enhancing lessons with AI and understanding AI concepts. For example, the pupils will then learn how to code robots to draw patterns and shapes and use AI to write music and songs.               Professor Cornelia Connolly of the School of Education at University of Galway said: "To grow our digital economy, Ireland needs an advanced workforce ready to take advantage of the opportunities digital transformation brings. Supporting our teachers and embedding these competencies within formal education is the way to do that. Current and future generations need to be able to navigate misinformation and other AI related challenges, and they also need to be able to take the opportunities which will be provided to those who can become skilful developers and operators of AI. This pilot is part of a nationwide computing education project with Trinity College Dublin and University of Limerick.” This pilot project will initially focus on DEIS and rural schools in the West of Ireland, with plans to expand nationwide as the project scales. Ends

A national campaign has been launched to equip people with the skills and confidence to respond appropriately if a friend discloses sexual violence or harassment. The “Start Here” campaign is being led by University of Galway’s Active* Consent, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ - formerly Union of Students in Ireland), Galway Rape Crisis Centre, and Education and Training Boards Ireland.   Resources include physical and electronic versions of tips on disclosure, a series of short videos that work through the tips, and open access to Active* Consent’s 45-minute eLearning module Sexual Violence and Harassment: How to Support Yourself and your Peers.    Originally developed in 2021 as a response to the Active* Consent and AMLÉ national Sexual Experiences Survey 2020, the initiative addresses the findings that 79% of college students who disclosed sexual misconduct first spoke to a close friend.   In 2022, the Higher Education Authority’s Survey of Student Experiences of Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education found that this figure was 85%, highlighting the vital role that peers have to support survivors.    Over the next six weeks, Start Here will offer:  Basic dos and don’ts of receiving a disclosure  Key information on support services and how to access them nationally  Current research statistics on college students’ experiences of sexual violence and harassment  Open access to Active* Consent’s self-guided 45-minute eLearning module Sexual Violence and Harassment: How to Support Yourself and your Peers   Ongoing interactive content diving deeper into all of this information in detail through quizzes, videos and other forms of direct engagement                Professor Pádraig MacNeela, Head of the School of Psychology at University of Galway and Active* Consent Programme Lead, said: “Active* Consent are delighted to be partnering with AMLÉ, Galway Rape Crisis Centre and our new partner Education and Training Boards Ireland for the 2025 Start Here campaign. When the Start Here campaign first launched in 2021, we knew from research that 79% of students would disclose a non-consensual sexual experience to a close friend. In more recent research from the HEA reported in 2022, this has risen to 85%. This shows the importance of people having access to ways of managing disclosures in a trauma-informed manner with some simple dos and don’ts, with the main objective to be confident in signposting to relevant services.”               Cathy Connolly, Executive Director, Galway Rape Crisis Centre said: “The Galway Rape Crisis Centre has been an integral part of the Start Here campaign since its inception in 2021. We are proud of the collaboration between Active* Consent, AMLÉ and now Education and Training Boards Ireland for this campaign. A strong motivator for us to be involved is that frontline and counselling experience is important in keeping the training Galway Rape Crisis Centre provides current and relevant, as it reflects the changing experiences of survivors of abuse and rape. The collaboration with the Active* Consent team, AMLÉ and Education and Training Boards Ireland has deepened as we continue to together work to improve disclosure response and outcomes for these survivors.”  Emma Monahan, Vice President for Welfare AMLÉ, said: “Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ) is proud to partner with Active* Consent on the Start Here campaign. The campaign first launched in 2021 in response to a study run by our organisation in 2020 which revealed that 79% of college students who experienced sexual misconduct first disclosed it to a friend. We hope that this campaign can continue to give young people the skills to listen, empathise and support their friends who have experiences sexual misconduct. This campaign has the potential to make a significant impact on creating a supportive environment for survivors of sexual violence, assault and harassment. Active* Consent has been an amazing resource both to students' unions and young people over the years and we are delighted to maintain our partnership and to continue working closely together."   Joseph Collins, Direct of Further Education and Training with Education and Training Boards Ireland, said: “Key to Active* Consent’s mission is doing the research and then creating tools and experiences that build knowledge and engagement for students and staff regarding consent, sexual violence, and harassment. Start Here meets this aim by taking an intimidating topic for many and translating it into concrete steps that both staff and learners can make use of in the real world. Education and Training Boards Ireland is honoured to support such an impactful campaign.”   Sinéad Morgan, Director, Further Education and Training with Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB), said: “The main objective of this campaign is to provide learners with practical knowledge and understanding of how to support someone who discloses to them. This campaign has the potential to make a significant impact on creating a supportive environment for survivors of sexual violence, assault, and harassment.”  Active* Consent is funded by Lifes2Good Foundation, Rethink Ireland, University of Galway, Government of Ireland and the Higher Education Authority.  To track the campaign on social media, follow Active* Consent on: Facebook; Instagram; TikTok, and Bluesky: @activeconsent and use the hashtags: #StartHere #ActiveConsent #ImListening #WhatWouldYouSay.   To view the Start Here el-earning module see: https://www.consenthub.ie/wp-content/uploads/eLearning-Module-Sexual-Violence-and-Harassment-How-to-Support-Yourself-and-Your-Peers/ and to access the campaign website visit: https://www.consenthub.ie/start-here/ For more information about the Start Here campaign or to get in touch with Active* Consent, email activeconsent@universityofgalway.ie. Ends