SPIRe Undergraduate Awards

Award Categories, Criteria and Past Winners

Congratulations to SPIRe's Award Winners for 2022-23!

The Brian Farrell Medal

This award was established by friends and colleagues of Professor Brian Farrell who retired from UCD in 1994. It is awarded annually to the student(s) in Stage 1 Politics who achieves the highest grade point average in the two best core Stage 1 Politics modules taken by all Politics students.

The prize may be awarded to up to three students. In the rare case that more than three students meet the prize criterion, overall Stage 1 grade point average will be considered.

2022-23 Winner: Mariana Suárez Sembera
2021-22 Winners: Soumya Arora, Ana-Danielle Yembet
2020-21 Winner: Fionn Kenneally
2019-20 Winners: Alysia Cloake, Stephen Mahon
2018-19 Winner: Alex Greaney
2017-18 Winners: Nils Hugo Ekelund, Elizabeth Higgins, Alan Kelly, Tommy MacDiarmada and Eannan Monaghan

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The Conor Martin Memorial Medal

This prize was established by the friends and colleagues of the late Reverend Professor Conor Martin, who was Professor of Ethics and Politics from 1952 until his death in 1980.

The medal will be awarded annually to the student in Stage Two Politics who achieves the highest combined grade point average in three core Stage Two Politics modules.

Up to three medals may be awarded. In the rare case that more than three students meet the award criterion, overall Stage 2 grade point average will be considered.

2022-23 Winner: Francisco Negreira Gomez
2021-22 Winners: Jack O'Connell, Adrianne Ward
2020-21 Winner: Ciara De Buitleir
2019-20 Winners: Iseult O'Callaghan, Jonathan Strieben
2018-19 Winner: Nils Hugo Ekelund
2017-18 Winner: Diana Volpe

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The Peter Mair Medal

This award commemorates a former SPIRe graduate and leading political scientist, Professor Peter Mair.

The medal will be presented to the final stage Politics student(s) who achieves the highest weighted Stage grade point average in their two best Politics and International Relations modules.

The prize may be awarded to up to three students. In the rare case that more than three students meet the prize criterion, overall Stage Four grade point averages will be considered.

2022-23 Winners: Eimer Conlon, Molly McHugh
2021-22 Winners: Jennifer O'Keeffe, Ewan Ramsay
2020-21 Winner: Elizabeth Higgins
2019-20 Winner: Arshdeep Kaur
2018-19 Winners: Jack Heron, Ross Merriman
2017-18 Winners: Nina Carroll and Anna L. Blix

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The Tom Garvin Medal

This award is named in honour of Professor Emeritus of Political Science at UCD, Tom Garvin.

The annual award takes the form of a medal presented to the student(s) who achieves the highest grade for their thesis submitted in SPIRe’s Advanced Seminar.

The prize may be awarded to up to three students. In the rare case that more than three students meet the prize criterion, overall Stage Four grade point averages will be considered.

2022-23 Winner: Eimer Conlon
2021-22 Winner: Ewan Ramsay
2020-21 Winner: Elizabeth Higgins
2019-20 Winner: Clelia Li Vigni
2018-19 Winner: Ross Merriman
2017-18 Winner: Anusha De