In the News..

The triumphs and endeavours of athletes, sports clubs and coaches have been celebrated at the 40th University of Galway Sports Awards. Among the winners were Under-23 World Rowing Champion Donnacha Keeley, senior international cross country athlete Fiona Everard and the University Women’s Hockey Club. Donnacha Keeley won sports person of the year, while Caitlin Hughes from the Athletics Club won individual performance of the year for her contribution to the Irish Under-20 European Cross Country team. Some other winners on the night were Kate Ní Ghacháin (Unsung Hero award), Tiffanie Fitzgerald, for her contribution to University of Galway Camogie over her four years as an undergraduate student, and the Swimming and Waterpolo clubs for hosting the best event. The awards ceremony was held at the Radisson Red Hotel in Galway and hosted by RTÉ Sport’s Darren Frehill. Des Ryan, Director of Sport and Physical Wellbeing, University of Galway, said: “Our Sports Awards are a celebration of Sport in the University of Galway. They recognise our dual aspiration of achieving High Performance and Sport for All. The awards recognise the performances, achievements and hard work of our athletes, players, teams, coaches, committee members and volunteers. Our mission in the University of Galway Sports Unit is to be the most progressive and caring University sports programme on the island of Ireland. All the nominees and award winners are helping us on that mission. “Everyone involved in our Clubs bring honour, often glory, and also enjoyment, in no small amount, to University of Galway. “Many of the awardees will with certainty go on to achieve greatness in their chosen sport and all have and will continue to contribute great social capital to our environment and their future environments. For us in the Sports Unit, it is an honour and a pleasure to work with them and to get to know such talented individuals and to support all those involved in Clubs. We look forward to bright futures for all of our sporting community and take this opportunity of the awards to recognise all those who have greatly contributed to sport in the University of Galway.” Ciara Meehan, Dean of Students, University of Galway, said: “Congratulations to each of the awardees and a special word of thanks to all those who promote our university values of respect, openness and excellence through our Clubs. “Our annual sports awards reflect not only the excellence of our students in terms of preparation, performance and competing, but also the contribution they and their clubs make to promoting wellbeing and belonging in our community.” The University of Galway Sports Awards recognise performance, leadership and participation, as well as those that contribute to the running and development of the Clubs. They also celebrate remarkable final year individuals who have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to sport; shown an impeccable example of sportsmanship and a high level of performance and achievement; been an excellent ambassador within the University and for student sport; and competed at a regional level or above. University of Galway is now home to 40 plus active sports clubs, which are student-led and organised, with approximately 6,000 students participating in sport and activity daily at the University. 2025 Sports Award Winners Best Event of the Year The Relay Gala – Swimming and Waterpolo Club Captain of the Year Eoin Kenny (Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow) Boxing Club of the Year Rowing Club Coach of the Year Sebastian Locteau (Craughwell Co. Galway/France) Swimming and Waterpolo Most Improved Club Camogie Club Fundraising of the Year Fundraising Achievements 2024-2025 – Hockey Club Individual Performance of the Year Caitlin Hughes (Swinford, Co. Mayo) Athletics University Honours Fiona Everard, (Enniskeane, Co. Cork) Athletics Kara McCleane (Roscahill, Co. Galway) Basketball Tiffanie Fitzgerald (Gowran, Co. Kilkenny) Camogie Lauren Murray (Killiney, Co. Dublin) Sailing Thomas McStay (Claregalway, Co. Galway) Athletics Sports Person of the Year Donnacha Keeley (Clonmel, Co. Tipperary) Rowing Unsung Hero Kate Ní Ghacháin (Foxford, Co. Mayo) Kayak Team of the Year Women’s Senior 4 National Champions - Rowing Student’s Union Club Captains Choice – Female Dimana Nedeva, (Galway City/Sofia, Bulgaria) Badminton Student’s Union Club Captains Choice – Male Oisín Mc Laughlin (Moville, Inishowen, Co. Donegal) Pool and Snooker Dean of Student Award Adam Mullins (Clonmany, Inishowen, Co. Donegal) Mountaineering Sarah Hontz (Galway City/USA) Lacrosse Subacqua Club Muireann O’Reilly (Castlegar, Co. Galway) Camogie Surf Club Boxing Club Róise Ní Mhurchú (Belmullet, Co. Mayo) Surf Anna Sheehy (Tralee, Co. Kerry) parkrun Volleyball Director of Sports Award Mohammed Zajeer Ahmed (India/Galway) Cricket Swimming and Waterpolo Men’s Soccer Athletics Hockey and Mixed Hockey Colm O’Riordan (Furbo, Co. Galway) Judo Louise O’Connor (Moycullen, Co. Galway) Camogie Dave Daly (Gaelcarraig, Galway City) Men's Soccer Martin Hughes (Corrandulla, Co. Galway) Hockey Sean Byrne (Carlow town) Rowing Tom Keal (Crosshaven, Co. Cork) - Student’s Union Clubs Captain 2024-2025 Gradam Gaelach Award Swimming and Waterpolo Ends

A new digital archive of Threshold, one of Northern Ireland’s longest-running literary periodicals of the 20th century, has been digitised and made available online from University of Galway Library Archives. The new digital archive includes more than 3,000 pages of all published issues of the journal, including special themed issues on topics ranging from W.B. Yeats to Irish-America to literature during the Troubles. The archive also includes a selection of wider letters, pamphlets and advertisements from the journal’s archive. First published in 1957 by its founding editor, Mary O'Malley of the Lyric Players Theatre, Belfast, the journal provided an outlet for leading and emerging writers across poetry and fiction, as well as topical essays, reviews, and criticism for over thirty years. Its final issue was published in 1990. The Threshold digital archive will be formally launched during the Cúirt International Festival of Literature alongside an exhibition of original issues, photographs and correspondence relating to publication and from the wider Lyric Theatre/O'Malley archive. It can be viewed at https://digital.library.universityofgalway.ie/p/ms/categories?collection=629 Catriona Cannon, Head of Heritage Collections and Digitisation at University of Galway Library, said: "Threshold holds a special place in the literary history of Ireland, offering a platform for some of the most influential Irish voices of the 20th century over its thirty-three year run. We're excited to share this invaluable resource with a global audience online. By preserving over 3,000 pages of poetry, fiction, and essays, we ensure future generations can continue to engage with the journal's rich cultural legacy.” Conor O’Malley, son of Pearse and Mary O'Malley, said: “We are delighted that the full content of Threshold will now be accessible online to researchers from whole of Ireland and beyond. University of Galway Library is to be warmly congratulated on its initiative and vision.” University of Galway Archivist Dr Barry Houlihan said: “The new digital archive of Threshold opens up a hugely significant part of our literary heritage and an important journal of new writing since it was founded in 1957. Through its online archive Threshold will find a new global readership today.” Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer of the Lyric Theatre, said: “University of Galway Library Archives are providing a wonderful resource for students and enthusiasts of Irish theatre and literature with this welcome online presence of Threshold. It is an astonishing source of inspiration and another reason to celebrate the long-reaching and all-embracing vision of Lyric Theatre founder Mary O’Malley.” The Threshold archive launch events coincide with other activity at University of Galway as part to Cúirt International Festival of Literature, including those featuring students and staff, such as: University of Galway MA Showcase https://www.cuirt.ie/whats-on/ma-showcase/ Writing masterclasses, in association with Faber Academy, including one with Eimear McBride, author of A Girl is a Half-formed Thing, The Lesser Bohemians, Strange Hotel and The City Changes Its Face https://www.cuirt.ie/whats-on/fiction-masterclass/ As part of Arts in Action - University Translator-in-Residence Astrid Huisman and Keith Payne in conversation with Lorna Shaughnessy https://www.cuirt.ie/whats-on/arts-in-action-on-translation-with-keith-payne-and-the-university-translator-in-residence/ As part of Arts in Action - University of Galway Writer-in-Residence, Molly Hennigan: Visual and Literary Histories of Incarceration https://www.cuirt.ie/whats-on/university-of-galway-writer-in-residence-visual-and-literary-histories-of-incarceration/ Launch of the 33rd edition of ROPES Literary Journal by the MA in Literature and Publishing class https://www.cuirt.ie/whats-on/ropes-launch-5/ The Threshold journal archive lies within the wider Lyric Theatre/O’Malley archive at University of Galway Library, which documents and preserves a richly detailed history of theatre production, design, art, and music at the Lyric since its foundation. Overt the course of more than three decades, Threshold welcomed contributors and guest editors including Seamus Heaney, Mary Beckett, Kate O'Brien, Gerald Dawe, John Hewitt, John Montague, among others. Volume 1 of Threshold was introduced with the following foreword: “The History of Irish periodicals is not encouraging. Despite high literary standards and imaginative presentation of general topics, few have survived. No one, however, would deny the value of their contribution to creative writing and objective criticism.” The launch event on Friday April 11th at 4pm will include a panel discussion about the story and history of Threshold, its writers, editors and publications and on the future of literary periodicals. Speakers include Conor O’Malley, Dr Barry Houlihan, and Jimmy Fay, moderated by Lindsay-Ann Reid and introduced by Monica Crump. Ends

New appoint aims to address critical medical workforce shortages University of Galway has announced the appointment of Professor Robert Scully as Ireland’s first Established Professor of Rural and Remote Medicine. The landmark appointment aims to strengthen medical training and tackle critical doctor shortages across the West and North West of Ireland. Professor Scully brings extensive experience as an academic GP, medical educator, rural physician and a long-standing advocate for rural healthcare. His appointment comes as University of Galway prepares to launch an innovative four-year Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme, designed to attract a diverse range of graduates and deliver high-quality accelerated medical training with a strong focus on rural and regional healthcare needs. Professor Scully, who played a key role in ScotGEM’s development, said: “The University of Galway’s GEM programme offers a transformative opportunity to address the critical need for more medical graduates, and particularly those from diverse backgrounds, including rural and remote areas. The graduates of this programme will be equipped to pursue any medical career, but by immersing them in the West and North West, we can improve recruitment and retention and ensure that underserved communities receive the high-quality care they deserve." Influenced by established international models, including the Scottish Graduate Entry Medical Programme (ScotGEM), University of Galway’s Graduate Entry Medicine will focus on immersive rural placements and community-based training. The new initiative is particularly timely, as Ireland faces significant deficits in the medical workforce, especially in rural areas. With a growing and ageing population, patients often wait several days for GP appointments, a situation compounded by shortages in rural and remote healthcare systems. The University’s Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme is uniquely tailored to address these challenges. Students will gain experience in general practices, and integrated care hubs and regional (model 3) hospitals that provide acute services such as 24/7 surgery, acute medicine, and critical care, but are not tertiary hospitals - fostering a strong commitment to social accountability and healthcare improvement.             Professor Martin O’Donnell, Dean of University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Consultant Stroke Physician with Health Services Executive Ireland, said: “I welcome the appointment of Professor Scully and the leadership experience he will bring to the GEM programme. Alongside plans for a new Medical School, this appointment, and the introduction of the new programme reflects University of Galway’s strategic emphasis on innovation in medical training. These developments will help meet the urgent need for healthcare professionals and modernise medical education to align with Ireland’s evolving healthcare landscape.” University of Galway has medical academies in Letterkenny, Sligo, Castlebar and Ballinasloe, and is uniquely positioned to address regional healthcare deficits. With 48 places available annually, the GEM programme will support Ireland’s Sláintecare model for a safe, high-quality health service. Dr Michelle Canavan, Professor of Older Adult Health at University of Galway and Consultant Geriatrician at University Hospital Galway, leads the academic programme on integrated care delivery with a focus on interprofessional learning.             Dr Canavan said: “The delivery of healthcare is changing, with an increased emphasis on developing generalist and specialist care at community-level close to where people live, often termed the ‘left-shift’ in healthcare which is especially important for this region. By expanding graduate-entry training opportunities and focusing on rural and remote healthcare, we aim to build a sustainable medical workforce equipped to meet, and champion, the needs of communities across the country."             Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer HSE West and North West, said: “I am very pleased to see the GEM programme progressing and warmly welcome Professor Scully to the role. This programme is an example of the strong partnership that exists between University of Galway and health services in the West and North West, working together to meet the needs of the communities that we serve.”             Professor Pat Nash, Regional Clinical Director HSE West and North West, said: “This new graduate entry programme is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students from a wide range of backgrounds to pursue a career in medicine. The focus on rural and remote medicine is very important and will go some way to address the shortage of doctors in rural areas across the West and North West.” A graduate of University of Galway, Professor Scully holds degrees from the Universities of Warwick, Edinburgh and Dundee. He has extensive experience in rural and remote general practice and rural medical education, having contributed to the expansion of GP training and curriculum development in Ireland. His appointment underscores the University’s commitment to excellence in rural medical education and healthcare delivery. Ends