Archives: Awardees

Dermot Weld is globally admired for his accomplishments as one of Ireland’s most successful racehorse trainers. After graduating from UCD (to become the youngest qualified vet in Ireland), he worked as a jockey before becoming a trainer who has won more international and local titles than could possibly be listed. He became the only European trainer to have saddled the winner of the prestigious Melbourne Cup in Australia and trained the winner of a leg of the American Triple Crown. Weld has won all five of the Irish Classics. This summer, he was named the Galway Festival’s top trainer for the 29th time in the last 30 years. He trains at Rosewell House stables in the Curragh, established by his father Charlie, and has been an unwavering supporter of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UCD. As well as his success at racing, Weld continues life as a dedicated veterinarian and as an ambassador for veterinary education and research.

After graduating from UCD with a degree in Social Science, Orlaith Blaney worked in the Irish advertising industry for many years, joining McCann Erickson in 1998 and becoming managing director of McCann in 2003. At 32, she was named Ireland’s Youngest Agency Boss. Orlaith was the youngest and only female MD of an international network agency in Ireland. The company soon merged with digital agency Blue Cube, becoming a major leader in delivering creative solutions to solve today’s business and brand challenges. Through the McCann group, Blaney has been awarded the global HK McCann Leadership Award for business development on two occasions. She is currently president of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners, among other roles.

Integrity: It’s in our DNA
The empathy, dedication and conviction of our graduates make us what we are. Their passion to change the world changes us.

Fr Peter McVerry, a beacon of hope for many, was rightfully the UCD Alumni Award in Science in 2015 for dedicating his life to fighting poverty and homelessness.

He is known for his lifelong dedication to the troubled youth of inner-city Dublin. After graduating from UCD with a Science degree in 1969, he has campaigned tirelessly on issues of justice, poverty and homelessness.

In 1974, he opened a small hostel for young boys and founded the Arrupe Society, which soon began to grow. The Arrupe Society, which evolved into the Fr Peter McVerry Trust, has progressed from a three-bedroom flat in Ballymun to 11 homeless hostels, over 100 apartments, a residential drug detox centre and two drug stabilisation services. He has worked tirelessly for over 40 years, advocating for the poor and encouraging greater spending at government level.

As a social activist Peter is a strong advocate for those who have no voice in society.  He has written widely on issues relating to young homeless people such as accommodation, drugs, juvenile justice, the Gardaí, prisons and education.

Based at Peter McVerry Trust’s Open Access Centre in Upper Sherrard Street, Peter’s ongoing work with and campaigning on behalf of troubled young people has made him one of the most prophetic voices in Ireland today.

Dr Tony Holohan is a 1991 medical graduate of University College Dublin. He trained initially in general practice and subsequently in public health medicine. Dr Holohan was appointed as Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Children in Ireland in 2001 and has worked extensively on policy development in areas such as cancer control, prevention, primary care, health information and health technology assessment. In 2008, he was appointed as Chief Medical Officer. He has had an instrumental role in health policy for this country, including the ambitious crosssectoral Healthy Ireland Initiative. He is regarded as a leader in the field of evidence based Public Health Medicine in Ireland.

Excellence: It’s in our DNA
The strength of character and spirit of our graduates make us what we are. Their determination and ambition shines through, inspiring us all to aim higher.

Rena Buckley is recognised for her commitment to both sport and health. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from UCD in 2009 and is one of the most decorated players in GAA history, having won a total of 17 All-Ireland senior medals: nine in football and five in camogie. She was The Corkman/ Springfort Hall Sports Person of the Year 2006. Since 2013, Buckley has been an active chartered physiotherapist as a partner in the Physiotherapy Centre and Muskerry Physiotherapy Clinic. She continues to excel as a member of the Inniscarra camogie team and the Donoughmore ladies’ football team.

Dr Patrick Bradley is widely recognised for his work and research in otorhinolaryngology: head and neck surgery. He studied Medicine at UCD, graduating in 1975 and initially pursued a career in general surgery. In Liverpool, he completed his head and neck surgery training. Since procuring his FRCS(Ed), he has been appointed Head and Neck Surgeon at University Hospital Nottingham. Dr Bradley has also been appointed to the Executive Committee of the European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology. He remains involved in otorhinolaryngology research and delivers lectures across the globe.

Miriam O’Callaghan is well known for her contribution to broadcasting. She received her Bachelor of Civil Law from UCD in 1979 and Diploma in European Law in 1981. She has been the presenter of RTÉ’s leading current affairs show, Prime Time, since 1996. She began presenting a summer chat show, Saturday Night With Miriam, in 2005 and currently hosts a regular weekend radio show, Sunday with Miriam. O’Callaghan won an IFTA for Best TV Personality in 2003 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Ulster in Derry in 2011. She lends her time and support to numerous charities.

Creativity: It’s in our DNA
The tenacity and originality of our graduates make us what we are. Their pursuit of new ideas transforms our lives and incredibly puts the world in our hands.

Dr Dave Burke was awarded the UCD Alumni Award in Engineering in 2015 in recognition of the pivotal role he plays in the management of the Google android operating system, to make it the global force it is today.

Dave Burke earned a Bachelor of Engineering in 1997, a Master of Engineering Science in 1999 and a PhD in Electronic Engineering in 2003, all at UCD. As early as 2000, Dr Burke developed a service called “StreetWise”, one of the world’s first mobile maps applications. He subsequently became CTO of VoxPilot, a successful UCD start-up company. He is a renowned author and is named as co-inventor on several patents. As Vice President of Engineering (Android) at Google, Dave now leads a team of over 300 engineers. Based in Silicon Valley, California, the team continues to develop the Android operating system, which runs on over 80 percent of the world’s smartphones.

In April, he was appointed to an Adjunct Professorship at the UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

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Jim Sheridan is one of the most celebrated film directors in the world. After graduating from UCD in 1972, where he read History and English, Sheridan began writing plays. He emigrated to Canada in 1981, eventually settling in New York. Eight years later, he wrote and directed his first critically acclaimed feature film, My Left Foot, for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He has written, directed and produced numerous award-winning films since, including The Field, In the Name of the Father, The Boxer, In America and Brothers. Overall, Sheridan’s films have amassed 16 Academy Award nominations and have won two Academy Awards to date. His latest project, The Secret Scripture, starring Aidan Turner, Eric Bana and Vanessa Redgrave, is currently in post-production.

Yvonne Farrell received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1974 from UCD and, with Shelley McNamara, established Grafton Architects in 1977. Both are adjunct professors at UCD, the recipients of numerous awards, have been published extensively internationally, have exhibited in Dublin, London, Paris, Madrid and Zürich and have lectured widely in European and American Schools of Architecture, at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin and the Royal Academy in London. Their practice has gained world renown in recent years and their international awards include World Building of the Year 2008 for the Universita Luigi Bocconi in Milan. They are currently working on a commission for a new university campus for UTEC Lima in Peru.