Class Notes

1960s

Eamon Gilmore (BSc 1960), launched his book Inside Room in November 2015. Mr Gilmore’s book is about his time as Tánaiste and Labour party leader in Government.

Denis O’Dwyer, BA 1964 HDip in Ed 1965 MEd 1983, was conferred with a PhD in University College Cork on June 17, 2015.

1970s

Dr Patrick Gullane, MB BCh BAO 1970, has been invested into the Order of Ontario. Patrick, a pre-eminent head and neck surgeon, was recognised internationally for his enormous contribution to the field. What had been disfiguring or even impossible surgery for malignancies is now surgery that saves lives and provides a better quality of life.

William (Bill) Lynch, BSc 1975, retired this year after 40 years of service in education. For almost 17 years he worked in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), initially as an Education Officer on secondment from his teaching position, and from 2002 as a Director, Curriculum and Assessment, with responsibility for post-primary syllabus developments in science, mathematics and technology subjects.

John Kehoe (BComm 1978), has been recently appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the $18 billion global food group Kraft. Mr Kehoe will lead all of Kraft’s finance operations.

1980s

Dominick Sutton, BSc 1980, became Chief Data Officer for The Deal, the institutional business of US-listed firm The Street, in February 2015.

Deirdre Falvey (BA 1984), was recently appointed Features Editor at The Irish Times.

Shane O’Mara, BA Psychology 1986 MA Psychology, is Professor of Experimental Brain Research at Trinity College, Dublin, and Director of the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. His book, Why Torture Doesn’t Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation, is being published by Harvard University Press and is due for release in November 2015.

Dómhal Slattery (BComm 1988), was honoured at the ninth Annual NUI Galway Gala in New York City in November 2015. Dómhnal is founding CEO of Avolon, a global leader in the aircraft leasing industry.

John Sweeney (BA 1988), retired from Office of the President at NUI Galway earlier this year. John served in various roles across the University for over 40 years.

1990s

Deirdre Fottrell, BA 1989 LLB 1992, daughter of former NUI Galway President Pat Fottrell, received Letters Patent as Queen’s Counsel at a ceremony presided over by the Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, MP, in Westminster Hall, London, in February. She works at Number One Garden Court Chambers in London, specialising in Family and Child Law, and lectured for a number of years at Essex University. While a student at NUI Galway, Deirdre was Vice-President of the Students’ Union and Editor of Unity Magazine.‌

Michael O’Dwyer (MB BCh BAO 1990 MD 2005), will lead the new €2.2 million Blood Cancer Network Ireland, an initiative by Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland. Michael is Professor of Haematology at NUI Galway.

Professor Kangsen Mai, PhD Zoology 1995, is now a Professor in Aquaculture Nutrition at Ocean University of China and is also an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Jimei University. This latter award is an extremely prestigious one. Only a handful of Chinese academics receive this recognition.

Caroline Loughnane (BA 1993, MA 1996, HDipEd 1998), was appointed Academic Secretary for the University in September 2014. Caroline previously held the role of Director of Marketing and Communications since 2008.

Colleen Dube (MPhill 1994), was appointed as the Chief Executive Office of University in June 2015.

Eimear Ni Chonaola (BA 1997, HDipA 1998), Journalist and TG4/ RTÉ broadcaster, was the MC at the recent Galway element of the Global Irish Economic Forum 2015. Entitled ‘Gaillimh Nua’ Eimear led a programme which brought together members of the Global Irish Network, SMEs in the West region, Galway City and County Councils and the academic community.

Dr Andrew Ó Baoill, BSc 1998, has recently returned to NUI Galway as a lecturer in English, with responsibility for the BA with Journalism and the MA in Journalism.

2000s

Mathilda Twomey, NUI Galway law graduate, Justice Mathilda Twomey, was this year appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Seychelles. Justice Twomey graduated with a BA in English and French Law from the University of Kent, Canterbury, holds a degree in French Law from the University of Paris- Sud and was admitted as a Member of the Bar at Middle Temple, London, and as an Attorney-at-Law in Seychelles. She holds an LLM in Public Law from the School of Law, National University of Ireland Galway, and has also completed her PhD research there (under the joint supervision of Marie McGonagle, NUIG, and Seán Donlan, (UL).

Michael Kavanagh (MA 2004, Diop sa Ghaeilge 2012), Retired as the NUI Galway Academic Secretary late 2014.

Grainne McMahon (BA Int hons 2004) (LLB Hons 2009), has been appointed as Litigation Solicitor with Berwick Solicitors Galway and Dublin. The Galway native is former Editor of GALWAYnow and WEDDINGSnow Magazines and Head of News & Sport with iRadio. Gráinne is also a qualified Attorney-at-Law in New York.

Lorcan Shannon (BA 2007, LL.B 2008), from Lisdoonvarna in Co. Clare, launched a boutique immigration law practice based in New York. The Law Offices of Lorcan Shannon is a full service immigration firm offers a personalised approach on all immigration matters across the United States and Ireland in order to guide clients through the immigration process.

Rónán Gearóid Ó Domhnaill (BA International in 2000, MA in German 2005, PGDE 2007), has written two books on Irish history, Fadó Tales of Lesser Known Irish History and Fadó Fadó-More Tales of Lesser Known Irish History. Rónán is originally from Galway and is currently teaching Irish in Dublin.

Congratulations to Gary Thornton (BComm, 2001), last December Gary won the Volcano Marathon across the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Niamh Hughes (BComm 2003) and Adrian Boyle (BComm 2002, MBS 2003), were married on campus on April 25, 2015, after having both graduated on the same day in 2003.

Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh (BA in Irish and French 2005, MA in Modern Irish 2007, PhD in Irish Studies 2013), has written a poem, Filleadh ar an gCathaí, which has been selected as one of ten of Ireland’s best loved poems. Filleadh ar an gCathaí was selected as the EU presidential poem in 2013. Ailbhe moved to France for a number of years to teach French after completing her undergraduate degree at NUI Galway.

Siobhan Seoige (MA Nua-Ghaeilge 2006), was appointed to the state board of Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Paul McMahon (MA 2008), recently won the Keats Shelley Poetry Prize, which was judged by the UK’s poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.

Mark White (MSc 2010), is founder of Codacast, a tech start-up based in Galway. Codacast was featured as ‘One to Watch’ by Business & Finance magazine recently and, Silicon Republic awarded it ‘Start-up of the Week’ in July.

Likando Kalaluka (LLM 2012), has been appointed as the Attorney General of Zambia. Pictured below is Mr. Likando Kalaluka (right), being sworn in as Attorney General of Zambia by Republican President of Zambia, Mr. Edgar Lungu.

Mark Roche, BE 2015, is now studying a technology entrepreneurship masters at the University of Notre Dame, on a Naughton Fellowship. This is the first year that students from NUI Galway have been permitted to apply to the programme.