Ladies and gentlemen.
Ta an-áthas orm bheith i bhur láthair anocht ar an ócáid speisialta seo.
Táim thar a bheith buíoch daoibh as an cuireadh agus an fáilte. I am
delighted to be here at this very special event, celebrating this
University, its graduates and its contribution to Irish society.
I was very pleased to be invited to join in your celebrations and I want to
thank you for your warm welcome. I extend my best wishes to my alma mater,
NUI Galway on its continuing development and contribution to Irish
society.As an alumnus, I have very fond memories of my time here in Galway
and am always happy to visit and renew acquaintances. The people we honour
here this evening have made remarkable and diverse contributions to Irish
life, which rightly deserve to be acknowledged.
I congratulate each of tonight's award recipients:Máire Whelan, Attorney
General of Ireland;Gerry Kilcommins, VP Global Vascular Operations &
General Manager, Medtronic Galway;Prof. Fergal O'Gara, Chair of
Microbiology UCC; Director, BIOMERIT Research Centre (BRC);Marie Mullen -
Tony Award-winning actress, Druid Theatre Company co-founder;Professor Tim
O'Brien, Director, Gait Laboratory & Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon,
Central Remedial Clinic; andPeadar Mac An Iomaire,
Iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ
Gaillimh.In honouring those six distinguished graduates this evening, we
highlight not only their achievements, we also take the opportunity to
recognise the contribution, and indeed the calibre, of Irish graduates
generally.Since its establishment well over a century and half ago, NUI
Galway has always aimed to be one of Ireland’s foremost centres of academic
excellence. Since spending time as a student on this campus in the 1970s, I
have seen NUI Galway, and indeed the surrounding city, grow and develop
continually. In particular the transformation that has taken place over the
last decade has been remarkable. The campus now offers the best of
facilities for teaching and research and a wealth of modern amenities for
students.With over 17,000 current students from over 90 countries, 2,500
staff and 80,000 alumni worldwide - NUI Galway is now a major international
university, respected globally for the quality of its teaching and
research.Last July, I visited this campus to launch the new Engineering
Building. On that occasion I was struck by the talented young researchers I
met. Their work in areas such as functional biomaterials, biomechanics,
green technology and internet technology was tremendously impressive.As a
teacher - meeting bright young people is always inspiring - but these young
men and women were interesting and exciting for another reason. They were
working on the technology and innovation which will drive the Irish economy
for the decades ahead.In recent weeks, we've been fortunate to see Ireland
attract FDI in such areas as cloud computing, gaming, medical technology
and biomedical devices.Without the bright young alumni of this University
and other higher education institutions, Ireland would lose its edge in
competing for this foreign investment.Our investment in Education and in
R&D is a conscious, planned and determined approach to support Ireland's
future prosperity through knowledge and innovation.Education is at the very
heart of Irish society. Throughout our history this country has held
learning and knowledge in high esteem. This is a defining element of Irish
life which has distinguished us for generations. Now, in the global
knowledge economy, we must use our educational skills and expertise to
drive innovation and help us achieve a sustainable prosperity.Universities
too are playing their part and working in new ways to bring Ireland to the
fore - internationally. A new entrepreneurialism in education sees Irish
Universities forging relationships nationally and globally. I know that NUI
Galway is a leader in this field with dynamic relationships;- regionally:
with GMIT, St Angela's Sligo, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Burren
College of Art, Lionra Network;- nationally: with University of Limerick;-
internationally: with Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and
others.Much of this is due to the foresight and energy of Jim Browne,
President. I commend him and his team for the commitment they have shown to
that engagement. Jim has explained to me before the thrust of the
University's action:a determination to address regional needs and strengths
focussing on national priorities while working to the highest international
standards.This is working. The West of Ireland - supported by a world class
university – is, and can continue to be, a competitive and powerful region.
The evidence of the biomedical industry - with the West a globally
significant hub and industrial cluster - confirms this.I encourage NUI
Galway and its leadership to continue to be ambitious for the University,
for the region and for the country.I know many current students are
concerned that they face an uncertain future. However, I believe that there
is a resilience in our people that will bring our country through its
current difficulties. Our country still has many positives and great
potential for the future. In looking to the future we will be depending on
the university to ensure that today’s students become the innovative,
confident, imaginative and creative graduates that will lead economic
recovery and future prosperity.In diverse ways our Alumni Award winners
have helped to shape Irish society and culture, broken new boundaries of
knowledge and forged new industries and enterprises. In the arts and
culture, in business, governance and industry, and in the sciences - they
are the social leaders, who continue to build our future. They serve as an
inspiration to the next generation of emerging students - and they too will
bring their talents and ingenuity to Irish society and enterprise in new
and creative ways. I congratulate tonight's honourees and all involved in
this event.I thank President Jim Browne for the invitation to be here. I
pay warm tribute to the work which Jim and his colleagues are doing.In
conclusion I want to extend my best wishes to NUI Galway for its future and
to all the staff, students and alumni - I wish you well in all your
endeavours.Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.