UCD honorary degrees for Oscar nominated Irish language filmmakers
Posted 11 September, 2024
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University also recognises renowned individuals from the worlds of sustainability, business, and primary healthcare
Irish filmmakers Colm Bairéad and Cleona Ní Chrualaoi have been awarded honorary degrees by University College Dublin in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the field of Irish language filmmaking and the global success of their feature film An Cailín Ciúin [The Quiet Girl].
Released in 2022, the film earned seven Irish Film & Television Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Director, and also Best Actress for young Irish star Catherine Clinch, with An Cailín Ciúin [The Quiet Girl] marking her film debut.
It is the first ever Irish film to be nominated in the 'Best International Feature Film' category at the Academy Awards.
It has been wonderful for our newest graduates to receive their degrees in the company of inspirational role models from across filmmaking, sustainability, law, politics, business and primary healthcare,” said UCD President, (opens in a new window)Professor Orla Feely.
“Our university community takes great pride in recognising individuals who have positively impacted society and the world through their particular areas of passion, focus and commitment.”
“With life stories and achievements that serve to inspire our students, we are proud to add these individuals to our list of esteemed honorary degree recipients,” she added.
UCD President Professor Orla Feely, Colm Bairéad, Cleona Ní Chrualaoi, and Dr Aoife Whelan Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
“[Colm and Cleona] have proved themselves to be outstanding ambassadors for the creative arts, for Irish filmmaking and for the Irish language itself, and their success aligns with UCD's global engagement objective: to bring the best of the world to Ireland, and the best of Ireland to the world,” said (opens in a new window)Dr Aoife Whelan from the UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore who read the official citation at the award ceremony.
During its week-long graduation celebrations for its newest degree holders, UCD also presented honorary degrees to a number of other individuals in recognition of their extraordinary contributions in their respective fields.
Professor Kate Raworth and Professor Tasman Crowe, UCD Vice-President for Sustainability Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
Receiving an honorary doctorate for her influential work on balancing human need with the wellbeing of the Planet, ecological economist Professor Kate Raworth was presented with a Degree of Doctor of Economic Science in front of the university’s first ever graduating class from its new BSc in Sustainability.
Awarded in recognition of how she has fundamentally shifted thinking around economic activity and sustainability through the creation of her Doughnut economic model, which envisions an economy balancing human needs with environmental sustainability, Professor Raworth’s work has reached a diverse audience, including the UN General Assembly and Pope Francis.
Rarely travelling and never by air, it was a great honour for UCD for her to accept the invitation to come to the University.
“If there is one person who embodies the kind of disruptive thinking and action needed to move us forward into a new way of living that creates a better relationship between us and our planet, it’s [Professor] Raworth,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Tasman Crowe, UCD Vice-President for Sustainability, who delivered the official citation at the award ceremony.
Professor Cecily Kelleher, Principal of UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, Missie Collins, and Professor Colin Scott, Registrar and Vice President for Academic Affairs Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
Healthcare activist Ms Missie Collins received a UCD Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science for her valued contributions to the (opens in a new window)UCD led All-island Traveller Health Study and decades-long track record of advocacy for the Traveller community .
A mother of eight, the achievements of Ms Collins and her colleagues in Pavee Point include the official recognition of the ethnicity of Travellers by the Irish Government in March 2017.
As an Irish Traveller, she has spent more than 30 years challenging health inequalities faced by her community, and has played a vital role at local and national level to help ensure health authorities consider the needs of the Travellers.
She has helped establish more than 40 Traveller Health projects throughout Ireland, and was instrumental in the creation of the UCD led All-island Traveller Health Study – which provided a framework for policy development and practise in relation to Traveller health and included a census survey of 40,000 Travellers on the Island of Ireland.
“[Missie] had long advocated for such a study and was engaged in supporting it,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Cecily Kelleher, Full Professor of Public Health Medicine & Epidemiology and Principal of UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, who read the official citation and was the principal investigator of the study.
“She exemplifies what we mean by community development… A tireless campaigner, Missie receives this award in recognition of a lifetime of public service achievement on behalf of her community and as an exemplar for healthcare delivery more generally.”
Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean UCD College of Business, Angela Moore, Professor Orla Feely, President UCD and Dr Maeve Houlihan, Associate Dean, UCD Lochlann Quinn School of Business Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
The Newry native and business leader Angela Moore was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Economic Science.
A founding donor of the UCD Moore Centre for Business at UCD Quinn School, Angela, along with her late husband George, one of the founding fathers of the global data analytics industry, has generously supported investment in the education of future generations.
“A common strand running through Angela’s engagements is her selfless focus on societal development and a commitment to the building of a better world,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Anthony Brabazon, Dean of UCD College of Business, during the reading of her citation.
“Amongst the themes closest to Angela’s heart are the encouragement and support of budding entrepreneurs, and closely aligned with that, a fundamental belief in the capability of education to transform understanding, perspective, opportunity, and ultimately, society.”
Splitting her time between the US and Ireland, Angela is the Managing Partner of Ravensdale Capital, an angel and venture investment fund for start-ups focused on consumer data analytics and decision sciences.
She is also Managing Director of Macha Capital Partners, a private investment fund with a special focus on women-led initiatives in Ireland.
“In honouring Angela Moore, we recognise her many accomplishments as a business leader, entrepreneur, mentor and leader of educational transformation. Most of all we recognise her as an inspirational and empowering role model for us all,” added Professor Brabazon.
Honouree Tony Smurfit, President and CEO of packaging company Smurfit WestRock Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
Conferred an honouree by the University to recognise a career at the very highest level of business, Tony Smurfit was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science.
President and Group Chief Executive Officer and Director of Smurfit Westrock, he joined the Jefferson Smurfit Group in 1986, and in the early years of his career served in several postings across Europe and the United States.
He became CEO of the company's European division in 1999, COO of the Smurfit Group in 2002, and in 2015 he was appointed CEO of Smurfit Kappa.
Earlier this year, he led the successful merger with the US packaging company Westrock to form Smurfit Westrock, becoming the global leader in the sustainable paper and packaging sector.
Headquartered in Dublin, the group has annual revenues over $32bn and employs over 100,000 people across 40 countries.
Tony has made an immense contribution to business and society in Ireland and overseas through his service on a wide variety of boards, and he maintains an active connection with UCD and generously gives his time to speak at its events and meet with students.
“A key theme that Tony emphasises when asked for his views on leadership is the importance of a strong team-based organisational culture based on clear purpose and core values, which he identifies as integrity, safety, loyalty and respect,” said Professor Brabazon.
“[He] animates the values daily through his actions and it is telling that one of the attributes of the Smurfit Group of which he is most proud is the longevity of service of many of its staff, speaking directly to his belief in these values.”
Professor Frank Monaghan, Head of the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, and Mairead McGuinness, EU Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
In recognition of her outstanding achievements as a member of the EU Commission and her contributions to the Agri-Food sector in Ireland and the European Union, Mairead McGuinness, EU Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets, was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.
An Irish household name before entering European politics as an MEP in 2004, Ms McGuinness worked as a journalist, broadcaster and commentator.
She joined RTÉ as a radio producer after graduating from UCD with a degree in Agricultural Economics, and later worked as a researcher on the Late Late Show with famed Irish broadcaster and presenter Gay Byrne.
She became known for presenting high-profile farm radio news programmes and television shows such as Landmark and Ear to the Ground, and working on a range of consumer affairs programmes.
A newcomer to politics, her career in Europe started when she topped the polls in 2004 and was elected on the first count. Ms McGuinness was subsequently re-elected in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Among her many roles in the European Parliament, she was a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
In 2014, she was elected a Vice-President of the European Parliament and in 2017, was elected First Vice-President of the Parliament with almost 90% of the Parliament’s membership vote - evidence of the high esteem in which she was held by her peers, according (opens in a new window)Professor Frank Monahan, Head of the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, reading her official citation.
In 2020, she was appointed to her current position as EU Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union by Commission President Ursula van der Leyen.
Her appointment was endorsed by all the major political groupings in the European Parliament – again a tribute to her recognition as a formidable European politician.
As Commissioner she oversees the EU’s financial sector, has led the EU’s strategy on sustainable finance, and has worked on enhancing the Capital Markets Union to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Honouree Eugene McCague Credit: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography
One of Ireland's most eminent lawyers, and former Managing Partner and Chairman of Arthur Cox, Eugene McCague was conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Laws for his considerable footprint in law, business and public life in Ireland.
A former Chair of the UCD Governing Authority, he expertly supported the University in realising its educational and scholarly mission.
“In a newspaper interview he commented that when he arrived in UCD in the late 70s it was a forbidding, concrete place,” said citator (opens in a new window)Professor Imelda Maher, UCD Sutherland School of Law.
“Since then, as you all can see, the campus has matured into a vibrant, beautiful place. I hope Eugene that you can see how you have contributed to that extraordinary evolution for us here in Belfield.”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
