NUI Galway has selected six projects by current and retired staff to showcase the breadth of the history of the institution.  NUI Galway was established in 1845 as Queen’s College Galway, and following construction of the iconic Quadrangle building, the University opened its doors four years later to the first cohort of just 68 students.   The six projects selected aim to draw on the history and heritage of the institution and to deepen its connection to the community and its focus on working for public good. Following the announcement of the six projects NUI Galway President Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “I am particularly pleased that these research projects are rooted in our university community in all of its diversity. They include research on the history of LGBTQ in our university, as well as that of the Irish Traveller community here. They draw on the collective memory of our retired staff, who hold so much institutional knowledge and social history of this place.  “The projects include the beginning of Irish language scholarship in the university through the figure of Tomás Ó Máille, as well as the development of our Library and archives – both of which set this university apart. And they engage students in using the most up-to-date technologies to record our current shape and size for future scholars.” The initiative to select six projects follows on from the celebration of the university’s 175th anniversary in 2020.  They are:  Culture and Citizenship: Tomás Ó Máille by Professor Lillis Ó Laoire and Dr Deirdre Ní Chonghaile  This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Professor Tomás Ó Máille (1880-1938), Galway's first Professor of Irish from 1909 to 1938. A folklore collector, linguist, newspaper editor, one-time Irish Volunteer and founding member of An Taibhdhearc, he is best known for his books An Béal Beo and An tIomaire Rua.  Ó Máille recorded hundreds of wax cylinders - recently digitized - of songs and stories from Irish speakers from every county west of the Shannon.  A key figure in the emergence of the modern Irish state, culture and citizenship are the cornerstones of Ó Máille's legacy.  The exhibition will run in the Hardiman Research Building from September 16 until December before touring. Exploring LGBTQ+ Lives at NUI Galway by Dr Declan Coogan and NUI Galway LGBT+ Staff Network Committee The key question this project will seek to answer is who/what were the people, places and events within or led by our university that influenced progress on human rights for LGBTQ+ people?  The project will also ask about the issues that remain to be resolved and co-develop strategies the university and partners might adopt to promote future progress.  MincéirsArchive – An Online Digital Archive of the Irish Travelling Community by Owen Ward, the Traveller History and Culture Sub-Working Group, Mincéirs Misl'd in Education Committee, Mincéirs Whiden Society, and Kieran Hoare, NUI Galway Library This is a digital archive of a growing collection of all types, complemented by historical documents and scholarly texts.  It will illustrate NUI Galway’s positive relationship with the Irish Traveller community, enhancing our university’s reputation as a champion for equality, inclusion and diversity.  The collection will include items from numerous archives and the team are making a public call for donations of historical materials linked to Traveller culture. History of the Library in 100 Objects by Marie Boran, Caitriona Cannon, Geraldine Curtin, Patricia Ffrench and Emma Goode, with assistance from Eimhin Joyce and NUI Galway Library The Library opened in 1849, with the distinguished scholar and historian, James Hardiman, as the first librarian.  One hundred objects will be chosen from collections - including books, manuscripts, archival collections, letters, photographs, newspaper issues, library furniture, stationery or artefacts - to tell its story. A Virtual and Tactile Record of the NUI Galway Campus Today by Eileen Kennedy and MakerSpace student volunteers Drone photography and photogrammetry will be used to generate a snapshot of the University campus as it stands, 177 years since its founding, and create a 3d virtual campus map. A Visual History Archive for NUI Galway: The Retired Staff Collection by Professor Jane Conroy, Professor Gerard Jennings, and Dr Séamus Mac Mathúna on behalf of the Retired Staff Association/Agallamh na Seanórach Drawing on private collections of photographs and film, this project will create a visual record of the University’s past. It will be the first university in Ireland to document and preserve its history and the history of its people and community in this way.  Ends

Tá sé thionscadal roghnaithe ag OÉ Gaillimh a raibh baint ag comhaltaí foirne reatha agus comhaltaí foirne atá ar scor leo chun stair na hinstitiúide a léiriú.  Bunaíodh OÉ Gaillimh sa bhliain 1845 mar Choláiste na Banríona, Gaillimh agus nuair a tógadh an Chearnóg aitheanta osclaíodh doirse na hOllscoile ceithre bliana ina dhiaidh sin don chéad chohórt de 68 mac léinn. Tá sé mar aidhm ag na sé thionscadal a roghnaíodh tarraingt ar stair agus oidhreacht na hinstitiúide agus a nasc leis an bpobal agus a fócas ar oibriú ar son leas an phobail a neartú. Tar éis na sé thionscadal a fhógairt dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Tá áthas faoi leith orm go bhfuil na tionscadail taighde seo fréamhaithe i bpobail éagsúla na hollscoile. Áirítear leo taighde ar an stair LGBTQ san ollscoil, chomh maith le pobal Taistealaithe na hÉireann anseo. Tarraingíonn siad ar chuimhní ár gcomhaltaí foirne ar scor a bhfuil an oiread sin eolas institiúideach faoin áit seo agus faoin stair shóisialta acu.  Áiríonn na tionscadail chomh maith spléachadh ar thús léann na Gaeilge san ollscoil trí shaol agus saothar Thomáis Uí Mháille, chomh maith le forbairt na Leabharlainne agus na gCartlann – ar gnéithe uathúla an dá cheann acu den ollscoil seo. Anuas air sin, déanfaidh siad spéis ár gcuid mac léinn a spreagadh trí úsáid a bhaint as na teicneolaíochtaí is nuaí chun go mbeidh taifead ar chuma agus cruth reatha na hollscoile ann do scoláirí na todhchaí.” Tagann an tionscnamh chun sé thionscadal a roghnú sna sála ar an gcomóradh 175 bliain den ollscoil in 2020.  Seo a leanas na tionscadail:  Cultúr agus Saoránacht: Tomás Ó Máille leis an Ollamh Lillis Ó Laoire agus an Dr Deirdre Ní Chonghaile Déanann an taispeántas seo saol agus saothar an Ollaimh Tomás Ó Máille (1880-1938) a cheiliúradh, arbh é an chéad Ollamh le Gaeilge i nGaillimh é idir 1909 agus 1938. Is fearr an aithne atá air as a leabhair An Béal Beo agus An tIomaire Rua agus bhí sé ina bhailitheoir béaloidis, ina theangeolaí, ina eagarthóir nuachtáin, ina bhall d’Óglaigh na hÉireann tráth, agus ar dhuine acu siúd a bhunaigh an Taibhdhearc.  Rinne Ó Máille amhráin agus scéalta ó chainteoirí Gaeilge ó gach contae taobh thiar den tSionainn a thaifeadadh ar shorcóirí céarach, agus tá digitiú déanta ar na sorcóirí sin le gairid.  Bhí Ó Máille ar dhuine de cheannródaithe stát nua-aimseartha na hÉireann, agus cultúr agus saoránacht ina mbunchlocha dá oidhreacht.  Reáchtálfar an taispeántas in Áras Taighde Uí Argadáin ón 16 Meán Fómhair 2022 go dtí mí na Nollag 2022, sula dtéann sé ar camchuairt. Iniúchadh ar an Eispéireas LGBTQ+ in OÉ Gaillimh leis an Dr Declan Coogan agus Coiste Líonra Foirne LGBT+ OÉ Gaillimh Féachfaidh an tionscadal seo leis an bpríomhcheist seo a fhreagairt: cé hiad na daoine, nó céard iad na háiteanna nó na himeachtaí laistigh dár n-ollscoil, nó a raibh an ollscoil i gceannas orthu, a raibh tionchar acu ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta ag daoine LGBTQ+ maidir le cearta an duine?  Déanfaidh an tionscadal cíoradh ar na saincheisteanna atá fós le réiteach agus forbróidh sé straitéisí a bhféadfadh an ollscoil agus comhpháirtithe eile glacadh leo chun dul chun cinn sa todhchaí a éascú.  Cartlann Mincéirs – Cartlann Dhigiteach ar Líne de Phobal Taistealaithe na hÉireann le Owen Ward, Foghrúpa Oibre Stair agus Chultúr na dTaistealaithe, Coiste Mincéirs Misl'd in Education, Cumann Mincéirs Whiden, agus Kieran Hoare, Leabharlann OÉ Gaillimh Cartlann dhigiteach í seo ina bhfuil bailiúchán ilchineálach ábhair. Táthar ag cur leis an mbailiúchán i gcónaí, agus san áireamh ann tá cáipéisí stairiúla agus téacsanna scolártha.  Féachann an chartlann le caidreamh dearfach OÉ Gaillimh le pobal Taistealaithe na hÉireann a léiriú, rud a chuirfidh le cáil na hollscoile mar eiseamláir den chomhionannas, den chuimsitheacht agus den éagsúlacht.  San áireamh sa bhailiúchán beidh míreanna ó chartlanna go leor agus tá glao poiblí á dhéanamh ag an bhfoireann ábhair stairiúla a bhaineann le cultúr an phobail Taistealaithe a fháil. Stair na Leabharlainne in 100 Réad le Marie Boran, Caitriona Cannon, Geraldine Curtin, Patricia Ffrench agus Emma Goode, le cúnamh ó Eimhin Joyce agus Leabharlann OÉ Gaillimh Osclaíodh an Leabharlann in 1849 nuair a bhí an scoláire agus staraí iomráiteach, Séamus Ó hArgadáin, ina chéad leabharlannaí.  Roghnófar 100 réad ó bhailiúcháin na leabharlainne, lena n-áirítear leabhair, lámhscríbhinní, bailiúcháin chartlainne, litreacha, grianghraif, nuachtáin, troscán leabharlainne, stáiseanóireacht nó déantáin, chun a scéal a insint. Taifead Fíorúil agus Tadhaill de Champas OÉ Gaillimh Inniu le Eileen Kennedy agus mic léinn Chúinne na Cruthaitheachta Úsáidfear grianghrafadóireacht dróin agus fótagraiméadracht chun íomhá a ghiniúint de champas na hOllscoile mar atá sé 177 bliain tar éis a bhunaithe, agus chun mapa fíorúil tríthoiseach (3T) a chruthú. Cartlann Amharc-Staire do OÉ Gaillimh: Bailiúchán na Foirne ar Scor leis an Ollamh Jane Conroy, an tOllamh Gerard Jennings, agus an Dr Séamus Mac Mathúna thar ceann Chumann na gComhaltaí Foirne ar Scor / Agallamh na Seanórach Ag tarraingt ar bhailiúcháin phríobháideacha grianghraf agus físeán cruthóidh an tionscadal seo taifead físiúil de stair na hOllscoile. Beidh OÉ Gaillimh ar an gcéad Ollscoil in Éirinn a dhéanfaidh a stair agus stair a comhluadair agus a pobail a chur ar taifead ar an gcaoi sin.  Críoch

New research by NUI Galway has found that cost of purpose-built student accommodation is a barrier to full participation in third level from prospective students.  The research compares rents and availability of university provided student accommodation in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and some European Universities.  The 68 page report shows that purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) offered by Irish universities is relatively costly, compared with universities in Northern Ireland and some European universities.  The report is available here. The research noted that the cost and extent of PBSA is of major concern to Student Unions and prospective students, and that it acts as a barrier to full participation from potential students, including those with disabilities, as well as some international students. The development of high cost, private, tax relief driven, investor-led PBSA is driving higher rents and lowering space and accommodation standards. This research was conducted Áine Dillon, BCL Law Student, and Professor Padraic Kenna at the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy, NUI Galway over the past year. It found that single occupancy rooms make up less than half the accommodation provided by Irish universities, with shared occupancy rooms most common in NUI Galway and University College Cork. Professor Kenna said: “It is a surprising finding that rents for university provided purpose-built student accommodation are so high in Ireland. These could rise even further due to current development costs. Without a capital subsidy to the university providers, it will be increasingly difficult to provide affordable new student accommodation. With that in mind, our report recommends the establishment of Student Housing Associations (Approved Housing Bodies) to provide affordable student accommodation.” The report advocates for low-cost, socially inclusive, disability friendly, digitally advanced, student housing. Access to affordable and good quality PBSA is a significant public interest issue, and one which will be highlighted as the new Technological Universities in Ireland begin to provide student accommodation. Ends