Another remarkable year has showcased student and academic achievements alongside an ambitious programme of cultural outreach, reflecting our Irish roots and global reach. We continue to take pride in the creativity, innovation and impact our students have on the social and cultural fabric of Irish society. Fostering this talent and preparing students to embark on dynamic and impactful careers was never more apparent than at the first BA Creative & Cultural Industries Final Year Showcase, which demonstrated talent, ambition and creativity in abundance.
In September, the College hosted a very special premiere of In Time: Dónal Lunny. Produced by South Wind Blows in association with UCD, the documentary film follows Lunny’s moving journey through traditional, folk and contemporary music. Friends, family and guests were treated to live performances by Dónal, Paddy Glackin and the UCD Traditional Music Practice Ensemble as well as a conversation with the film’s Emmy Award-winning director, Nuala O’Connor.
Another artist whose documentary film ODYSSEY illuminated the Trapdoor Theatre was John Behan, with a special UCD screening and Q&A with the film’s contributors: the sculptor John Behan, director Donald Taylor Black, and composer Bill Whelan.
From artistic to literary legends, Colm Tóibín delivered the inaugural Craig Dobbin Legacy Lecture to alumni and friends at the University of Toronto and Memorial University in Newfoundland in May. A partnership between the College and the Ireland Canada University Foundation, the Craig Dobbin Legacy Programme is designed to advance strong links through academic scholarships for research opportunities. Spellbound guests listened to Tóibín reflect on “Literature of Homecoming”, an especially poignant and timely lecture as the 180th anniversary of 1847 approaches, marking the beginning of Ireland and Canada’s shared history, which endures today with many Irish calling Canada home, as remarked by Ambassador John Concannon. Award-winning journalist and author Fintan O’Toole delivered the Annual College Lecture in partnership with the UCD Clinton Institute last November.
The College enjoyed many successes in national and international awards and distinctions. Professor Diarmaid Ferriter was named the patron of the Dr Éamon Phoenix Foundation. The Man Booker Prize winner Anne Enright, Professor of Fiction, UCD School of English, Drama and Film, was elected to the Royal Irish Academy, Ireland’s highest academic honour. Professor Porscha Fermanis, UCD School of English, Drama and Film, was awarded €2.5 million in ERC Advanced Grant funding to lead the PanAsia project.
As College Principal, I was honoured to win the 2026 NovaUCD Consultancy of the Year Award, leading a team of 7, for the first comprehensive study of Irish language media on the island of Ireland, tendered by Coimisiún na Meán.
The year finished on a high with Kathy Rose O’Brien, a graduate of the UCD Clinton Institute, and Kate Lawlor, an MA student in UCD School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore, being awarded prestigious Fulbright Scholarships to undertake landmark academic and cultural placements at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C., and the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, respectively. Their achievements reflect the excellence and global impact of the College’s students and alumni.
The College was delighted to announce several new appointments, including Dr Katherine Ebury as James Joyce Chair, and award-winning novelist Niamh Campbell to the Creative Writing Team following the recent publication of her third novel, Make Strange.
Established in 2022, the BA Creative & Cultural Industries confers its first cohort of alumni this year.
Dr Michael Iantorno was appointed to the School of Art History & Cultural Policy, which also celebrated its milestone 60th anniversary. The School welcomed back long-standing lecturer and friend Professor Emerita Paula Murphy, who delivered the Annual Alumni Lecture on “An unorthodox approach to being a sculpture historian”. The School of Classics also hosted the 2026 UCD Classical Society Inaugural Lecture.
Furthering our commitment to diversity and inclusion, a bilingual gender diversity website was launched in March, which aims to recognise the identities and experiences of transgender and gender-diverse students, faculty, and staff.
The School of Languages, Cultures & Linguistics, along with TCD, hosted more than 300 international scholars at the biennial Society for Italian Studies conference, commemorating Ireland’s pioneering role in Italian Studies.
■ ucd.ie/artshumanities