The Cusack Archive, containing unique official and personal material relating to the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack and his family, has been presented to the James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway at a special reception at the University. The archive was donated by a former librarian at NUI Galway, the late Patricia O'Connell, who was a niece-in-law of Michael Cusack. Material includes: the official Minute-book of the Dublin Hurling Club, from its foundation in 1883 - giving membership, minutes and accounts for the fledgling club, of which Cusack was Vice-President, and also arrangements for hurling matches in the Phoenix Park in early 1883; Michael Cusack's diary of his visit to Clare in June 1902; a letter to his sons on the same occasion; a prayer book presented by him to his wife Margaret in 1880; notes tracing his ancestry, including a note from him for his children; photographs of Michael, Margaret and their children. Librarian Marie Reddan highlighted the significance of the donation. "The Cusack Archive adds substantially to NUI Galway's holdings on the revival of Irish culture in the later nineteenth century. It is a unique collection and complements existing material from the Stiophán Bairéad Collection (the first Treasurer of the Gaelic League) and the University's newspaper holdings from the later nineteenth century, which include The Celtic Times." Michael Cusack (1847 – 1906) was born in the parish of Carron on the eastern fringe of the Burren. As a teacher, he taught in Corofin, Lough Cútra, St Colman's College, Newry, Blackrock College and other schools in Dublin, Kilkenny and Kildare, before founding his own academy. In 1884 he founded the GAA, aiming to revive hurling and Gaelic football and to develop athletics. Cusack was also involved in the Irish language revival movement, and was a regular contributor to various periodicals, as well as founding The Celtic Times, a weekly newspaper devoted to 'native games' and Irish culture. Aside from its value for researchers into the cultural forces at work in that seminal period and in particular the events leading up to the foundation of the GAA in 1884, the Michael Cusack Archive affords an unparalleled insight into the personality of Cusack, the private family man. It is furthermore unique in constituting the only known surviving material in Cusack's own hand, donated to NUI Galway directly from his family. The University is deeply appreciative of this generous and valuable donation from Patricia O'Connell to the James Hardiman Library to which she devoted so much of her life. Unfortunately, Patricia herself, who was a distinguished author of three books on the Irish Colleges on the Continent, passed away in December 2006. ENDS

Tá ag éirí go hiontach leis na mic léinn a d'fhreastail ar an Dioplóma i Scileanna Teilifíse in Ionad na hOllscoile i nGaoth Dobhair le 4 bliana anuas. Le déanaí, bhuaigh an clár Siúlach Scéalach, a léirigh mic léinn an chúrsa agus mic léinn an Ard-Dioplóma i gCumarsáid Fheidhmeach, (An Cheathrú Rua), an léiriúchán teilifíse i nGaeilge is fearr ag comórtas SMEDIA i mBaile Átha Cliath. Taifeadadh an clár faisnéise i nGaeltacht Ghaoth Dobhair ag tús na bliana. Tá an cúrsa seo ag tosú arís i mí Mheán Fómhair i gcomhpháirtíocht le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta agus tá an tIonad i nGaoth Dobhair ag glacadh le hiarratais anois. Ní bheidh táillí le híoc chun freastal ar an chúrsa seo agus íocfar liúntas cothabhála leis na rannpháirtithe. Tá iarmhic léinn ó chúrsa Ghaoth Dobhair ag obair le comhlachtaí teilifíse ar fud na tíre agus tá ag éirí go geal leo. Tagann mic léinn as gach cearn den tír le freastal ar an chúrsa seo agus baineann siad sult agus tairbhe as. Duine acu sin, Séamus Ó Súilleabháin as Cúil Aodha i gCo. Chorcaí: "Bhain mé an-sult as an gcúrsa agus as an am a chaith mé i nGaoth Dobhair. Chuaigh an bhliain thart róghasta". Tá Séamus ag obair mar eagarthóir le Nemeton anois thíos i bPort Láirge agus tá dúil bhreá aige ann. Dúirt sé freisin: "Tá suim mhór agam i spórt agus is minic a bhím ag déanamh eagarthóireachta ar chláracha peile. Mar sin de, ní bhíonn deacracht ar bith agam ag éirí ar maidin le dul ag obair" Duine eile a rinne an cúrsa ná Fiona Ní Chléirigh as Gaoth Dobhair. Mar chuid den chúrsa, chuaigh Fiona amach ar thaithí oibre le Telegael, comhlacht leiriúcháin, An Spidéal, Co. na Gaillimhe, agus anois tá post lánaimseartha aici leo i mBéal Feirste. "Tá dúil bhreá agam sa phost. Ós rud é go raibh trealamh den scoth againn ar an chúrsa bhí mé ábalta teacht isteach ar an dóigh a n-oibríonn achan rud san ionad oibre. Tá mé breá ábalta tabhairt faoi eagarthóireacht, grafaicí agus meascadh fuaime anois." Rinne Louise Ní hAnachaí as Baile Átha Cliath an cúrsa anuraidh agus dúirt sí: "Chuidigh an cúrsa liom áit a fháil sa 4ú bliain den chúrsa céime sa chumarsáid in Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Thamhlacht. Ní raibh le déanamh agam ach bliain amháin agus fuair mé Céad Onóracha sa chéim i mbliana." Chun bróisiúr a fháil, cuir glaoch ar an Ionad ag (074) 9531919. Críoch

Sr Avril O'Regan, Chaplaincy NUI Galway, accepts a cheque for €3,000 from the NUI Galway Alumni Association Board toward the Ghana Project, which has raised over €65,000 to fund a team of 21 students who will travel to Ghana next week. The students will spend two weeks in the western African country helping local people build their own homes. They will work and live on the construction site with the homeowners' families during their stay. The trip is organised by the NUI Galway Chaplaincy, part of the University's Student Services, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity Ghana, which has already built over 4,000 homes in Ghana. Also pictured are Mr Peter Mannion, Students' Union Education Officer, NUI Galway; Catherine Hickey-O Maolain, Vice Chair of the NUI Galway Alumni Association Board and Ailíse McMahon, from Bray, County Wicklow, a fourth year Arts student and member of the Ghana Project. The mission of NUI Galway Alumni Association Board is to nurture an active and mutually beneficial relationship between NUI Galway and all its graduates throughout the world. ENDS

Secondary school students from Athenry and Spiddal are to battle it out in this year's final of the REMEDI schools debate competition at NUI Galway on Wednesday, 9 May 2007. The motion for this year's final is: The current situation whereby most Irish hospitals do not facilitate cord blood collection is unacceptable. Arguing in favour of the motion will be Jack Rawlings and Catherine O'Keefe, Transition Year students at Presentation Secondary School, Athenry. Arguing against the motion will be fifth year students Ciara Ní Ghabhain and John Gerard O'Gnímh, representing Coláiste Chroí Mhuire, An Spidéal. Prizes include a Galway Crystal trophy for the winning school, while the successful students will be presented with iPods. The runners up will also receive a Galway Crystal trophy for their school and personal prizes of iPOD shuffles. Professor Frank Barry, Scientific Director of REMEDI, and one of the world's leading experts in stem cell research, will chair the judging panel. A total of eight schools across the city and county participated in this year's competition, which is part of the Galway Region Outreach (GRO) programme. GRO is an innovative outreach programme aimed at secondary schools in the region facilitated jointly by REMEDI and the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Sciences (NCBES) at NUI Galway. It promotes science, engineering and technology to students and encourages them to consider a career in these fields. The aim of the competition is to stimulate discussion among young people on the ethical and societal issues raised by developments in biomedical sciences. ENDS

Glacfaidh daltaí meánscoile ó Bhaile Átha an Rí agus An Spidéal páirt i gcraobhchomórtas díospóireachta scoileanna REMEDI in OÉ Gaillimh, Dé Céadaoin, 9 Bealtaine 2007. Is é rún na díospóireachta i mbliana: The current situation whereby most Irish hospitals do not facilitate cord blood collection is unacceptable. Beidh Jack Rawlings and Catherine O'Keefe, Daltaí Idirbhliana ó Choláiste na Toirbhirte, Baile Átha an Rí, ag argóint ar son an rúin. Beidh Ciara Ní Ghabhain agus John Gerard O'Gnímh, daltaí ón gcúigiú bliain i gColáiste Chroí Mhuire, An Spidéal, ag argóint i gcoinne an rúin. I measc na nduaiseanna atá ann don scoil a bhuann tá trófaí Galway Crystal, agus bronnfar iPod an duine ar na daltaí a n-éiríonn leo. Is é an tOllamh Frank Barry, Stiúrthóir REMEDI, agus ceann de mhór-eolaithe an domhain ar thaighde gascheall, a bheidh ina chathaoirleach ar phainéal na moltóirí. Ghlac ocht scoil as ar fud chathair agus chontae na Gaillimhe páirt sa chomórtas seo i mbliana. Is cuid de chlár For-Rochtana Réigiún na Gaillimhe (GRO) an comórtas seo. Clár nuálach for-rochtana é GRO atá dírithe ar mheánscoileanna sa réigiún le páirtíocht ó REMEDI i gcomhar leis an Ionad Náisiúnta um Eolaíocht Innealtóireachta Bithmhíochaine (NCBES) in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an GRO eolaíocht, innealtóireacht agus teicneolaíocht a chur chun cinn i measc daltaí agus iad a spreagadh le tabhairt faoi ghairm bheatha sna réimsí seo. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an gcomórtas díospóireacht faoi na ceisteanna eiticiúla agus na ceisteanna i measc na sochaí a bhaineann le forbairtí sna heolaíochtaí bithmhíochaine a spreagadh i measc daoine óga. CRÍOCH