University of Galway students have won big at the annual National Student Media Awards (Smedias) and the BICS – Board of Irish College Societies.  The Discipline of Journalism praised the standard of work and achievements of MA and BA students, after scooping a Smedias award for their online newspaper Galway Pulse.  Law student Tom O’Connor made it a success two-years in a row at the Smedias, walking off with three awards for his radio reports on politics, refugees, religion and education in Uganda as well as the Sleep Out for Simon event on campus. In 2023, Tom O’Connor won the Smedias podcast of the year for a documentary on Kevin Boyle, a leading figure in the Northern Ireland civil rights movement.  Societies took home seven awards from the BICS – more than any other university.   Ríona Hughes, Societies Officer at University of Galway, said: “I could not be more proud of all the students from the University who represented us at the BICS National Society Awards. They represent the vital impact societies have on campus life creating invaluable opportunities for the students to enrich their learning journey and creating meaningful opportunities for their fellow students. Winning these seven awards is a fitting end to a very busy year for our societies.”  Dr Mei-Ling McNamara, Assistant Professor and Programme Director of the MA/BA Journalism, said: “The MA Journalism and BA Journalism students at University of Galway have shown exceptional talent and dedication to high-production multimedia storytelling. They should all be very proud that their hard work in journalism is being recognised at the national level.”  Enda Cunningham, editor of Galway City Tribune and lecturer, said: “The awards are fantastic news and a well-deserved win for all involved. It gives recognition to the hard work and dedication of University of Galway students against the backdrop of very strong competition from their peers across the country. The exceptionally high standard of content produced by the Galway Pulse team over the past year is indication that the future of journalism is in safe hands.” The full list of University of Galway winners from the Smedias is:  Website of the Year – online newspaper Galway Pulse.  Virgin Media Belonging Award - MA student Michelle Geraghty for her work on accessibility in Galway’s parks  Radio Journalist of the Year – Tom O’Connor – Law  Radio Doc of the Year and Radio Production – News and Current Affairs – Tom O’Connor – Law  The full list of University of Galway winners from the BICS is:  Best Mental Health Promoting Event - University of Galway Law Society Best Green Initiative - Environmental Society for the Organic Garden relocation Best Fresher Large College - Latisha McCrudden, Law, Politics and Minceirs Whidden Societies University of Galway Best Event Large College Fansci - Itzacon University of Galway Best Departmental Society Large College - University of Galway Zoological Society Best Society Charity Civic Large College - University of Galway Feminist Society Best Society Cultural Academic Social Large College - University of Galway Dramsoc Ends 

University of Galway has launched a new scholarship in honour of the renowned actress of stage and screen Siobhán McKenna.   The award is being established to support the next generation of student creatives in theatre at the University and will run alongside a lecture series, with the inaugural address given by Lelia Doolan, the theatre and film actor, director and producer who was also a collaborator and close friend of Siobhán McKenna. Siobhán McKenna was born in Belfast and a world-renowned actress of stage and screen, starring in Dr Zhivago, King of Kings and Of Human Bondage. Her career started in An Taibhdhearc Theatre in Galway and she went on to appear in Abbey Theatre productions in the 1940s before making her London debut in 1947 in The White Steed. She was also a theatre director, translator and activist, as well as an alumna of University of Galway. Her archive is held by University of Galway, which has long been committed to the preservation and extension of her legacy. The new Siobhán McKenna Scholarship Award will be awarded annually to one student on the MA in Drama and Theatre Studies, based on previous practical experience and academic achievement; potential for a rewarding career in the arts or politically-engaged arts; use of native languages. The inaugural recipient of the Siobhán McKenna scholarship was also announced - theatre maker and scenographer, Nouf Rafea. Donnacha O’Dea, Siobhán McKenna’s son who initiated the lecture series and scholarship award, said: "My family and I are delighted to celebrate my mother's legacy by establishing the Siobhán McKenna Award and Lecture Series to support the next generation of creatives in Theatre at University of Galway. We are proud to honour Nouf Rafea, as the inaugural recipient for the award. Nouf is a theatre maker and activist, making brave, innovative performance who follows in the footsteps of my mother." Dr Charlotte McIvor, head of Postgraduate Programmes in Drama and Theatre Studies in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, University of Galway said: “This visionary initiative places students and bringing together our wider community to reflect on McKenna’s legacy together in a dynamic package which we hope will have an impact on the future of Irish theatre. Nouf Rafea, our first scholarship recipient, epitomizes this promise.” Professor Rebecca Braun, Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies at University of Galway, said: “As a College we are delighted to honour of the impact of Siobhán McKenna’s legacy and to recognise the achievement of Nouf Rafea as the inaugural recipient of this scholarship. This scholarship speaks to our signature research areas of Creativity, Culture and Inclusion and Transnational Encounters and Global Legacies.” This event was co-presented by the Galway University Foundation, the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Drama and Theatre Studies, Arts in Action, and the Alumni Office. Ends

A collection of photographs documenting the history of University of Galway has been published after being collected and archived in a project sponsored by Agallamh na Seanórach/Retired Staff Association. More than 350 images, ranging from the late 19th century to the mid-1990s, have been discovered and digitised, illustrating the University in diverse ways from formal occasions; to connections to the city and the region; to real-life stories of students and staff; and the changing character and environment of the campus. The project began in November 2021 as part of the celebrations which followed on from the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the University in 1845. The research and digitisation of old photos was one of six projects sponsored by the Office of the University President through a special fund to record and share our institutional history. The result is visual history photographic database entitled Visual History of the University of Galway, Retired Staff Collection, which involved a partnership between research team and archivists in the University Library. The collection and searchable database is available online at https://exhibitions.library.universityofgalway.ie/s/visual-history-retired-staff President of University of Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “University of Galway is nothing without its people, its community. This is the people’s history and we are indebted to the retired staff who have brought forward a vibrant idea and brought new life to our University while reflecting on our past. We are delighted to have been able to support this project and the community of retired staff and our Library colleagues in order to illustrate our history and heritage and the people who made it. It is a much richer tapestry for it.” The Project was launched by Dr Lisa Griffith, Director at the Digital Repository of Ireland. University of Galway is the first university in Ireland to launch such a project, with a visual, fully-documented record of its past, going back several generations. The images are from private collections and the project was made possible because of the generous response of retired staff, friends and relations and alumni who loaned their photos and shared their recollections. It highlights the importance of students' and staff's individual, and sometimes unexpected, perspectives in capturing the lived experience of university life. Together with the personal memories and research that accompany them, they contribute to the social and institutional history of a period of significant change in university education in Ireland. The research team which led the project are Professor Jane Conroy (Emerita, French); Dr Séamus Mac Mathúna (former Runaí/Academic Secretary); Professor Stephen G. Jennings (Emeritus, Experimental Physics); and History lecturer Dr Jackie Uí Chionna. They collaborated with Library colleagues on the development of the digital exhibition, advising on digitisation, metadata and access requirements. Eimhin Joyce, Digital Projects Officer with the Heritage Collections and Digitisation team, worked closely with them on the creation of the exhibition using the University of Galway Digital Exhibition platform. Ends