2025 Class Acts - UCD Connections

DECLAN WALSH

BComm International 1995

Irish journalist Declan Walsh has won a coveted Pulitzer Prize for journalism, along with the staff of the newspaper, for coverage of the ongoing civil war in Sudan. The Mayo native is the chief Africa correspondent for The New York Times. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prize is regarded as the highest national honour in print journalism. Walsh, who started his career as a journalist at the Business Post in 1998, has been based in Kenya since 2020, having been with The New York Times since 2012. Over his distinguished career, he has reported from numerous conflict zones, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Egypt, earning international acclaim for his fearless, insightful storytelling.

STEPHEN ROBB

BAgrSc Food and Agribusiness Management 2015, MAgrSc 2018

Stephen Robb, Renewables Editor at the Irish Farmers Journal, a tillage farmer and director of the Northwest Energy Park, a proposed anaerobic digestion project in Donegal, has joined Darragh McCullough and Ella McSweeney as a presenter on RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground. One of the country’s longest running TV shows, it explores the big issues facing farming and rural life, including climate change, biodiversity, food production, agri policy and social issues.

MARY REGAN

MA European Studies 2005

Mary Regan has been appointed the first female political editor of the Irish Independent. In the role, the award winning Galway journalist will oversee political coverage for the Irish Independent in digital and print, as well as the Sunday Independent. Regan has been a political reporter with RTÉ since 2018, and has covered Irish politics for more than a decade, including as political editor with the Irish Examiner and UTV Ireland. She is also a former news editor with the Business Post. She brings insight and experience to this high-profile role.

PETER FINN

BA 1984, MA 1986

Roscommon native Peter Finn has been appointed the new International Editor for The Washington Post. In the role, he will oversee more than 60 reporters, editors and other journalists in Washington and 23 locations around the world. A longtime foreign correspondent, Finn served as The Post’s National Security Editor from 2013 to 2022, overseeing teams that won a Pulitzer Prize three times. In his new role, he will focus on extending the reach of The Post’s international coverage at a time when many aspects of the world order are shifting.

SYBIL MULCAHY

BA English 1994

Sybil Mulcahy has been appointed Group Digital Editor at DMG Media. In the role, she leads editorial teams across EVOKE, EXTRA.ie, Businessplus.ie, Rollercoaster. ie, Everymum and One Fab Day. Prior to joining DMG as editor of EVOKE in 2016, Mulcahy was a reporter and presenter with TV3 Ireland, hosting shows such as Ireland AM and Xposé.

SIMON ATKINS

BSc 2003

Simon Atkins is co-executive producer of the hit reality show, The Traitors US; his brother Warren is a producer on the show. The brothers were part of the team that won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program for the show. The siblings have been working in the television industry for over 15 years in the UK and the US.

KEVIN FLANAGAN

BSc 2018, MSc 2021

Kevin Flanagan captained Bristol University to the semi-finals of this year’s University Challenge, where his team was defeated by Christ’s College, Cambridge, captained by another Dubliner, Oscar Despard. An Ad Astra scholar, Flanagan studied physics and astronomy before a masters in machine learning techniques at UCD and a PhD in interactive artificial intelligence at Bristol.

KERRIE PATTEN

BA Politics and Economics 2021

Kerrie Patten, Media Experience Director at Havas Media Ireland, won the Rising Star award, sponsored by Mediahuis Ireland, at the Irish Media Awards 2025.The judges commended Patten as an outstanding winner in a competitive category and a leader for the future. Patten specialises in sustainable media planning and communications.

TONY CHAMBERS

BComm 1989, DipPrAcc 1990

Tony Chambers has been named President of The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, leading the US entertainment giant’s restructure of its businesses in the region. Chambers will oversee strategic priorities and financial operations, leading initiatives across businesses in the territory, and steering operations such as HR, communications, and finance. Chambers has been with Disney for 30 years and as head of global theatrical distribution oversaw Disney’s features output under the Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures banners.

LOUISE RYAN

MBS 1996

Drinks industry veteran Louise Ryan has been appointed Managing Director of Diageo’s Irish business. Ryan previously worked at Pernod Ricard. She started her career at Mars, and also worked as a consultant to companies in the FMCG sector. She is now responsible for brands such as Baileys, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Guinness, which has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years.

PAUL KELLY

BComm 1988

Wexford native Paul Kelly has been appointed CEO of the Royal Dublin Society, having previously held the role of CEO of Fáilte Ireland since 2017. The 3,000-member RDS sits on 43 acres in Ballsbridge and hosts a range of concerts, trade fairs and other events, and supports activities across a range of areas in the arts, culture, and science and technology. Its main stadium, which is currently being redeveloped, is home to Leinster Rugby and the annual Dublin Horse Show.

CONOR MURPHY

MBS 2005

Conor Murphy has been appointed Head of Regional Wealth at Davy. Murphy joined Davy’s Graduate Programme in 2005 and has been with the firm ever since. A registered representative of the Irish Stock Exchange and a chartered tax advisor, he is based in Davy’s Cork City offices. In his new role, Murphy will manage a team of portfolio managers, investment advisors, financial planning managers and client service executives offering financial planning and investment services.

SARAH BOGOSSIAN

MBS International

Marketing 1999 Sarah Bogossian, formerly Goodbody investment firm’s investment banking director, has joined investment company Elkstone as a venture partner. At Goodbody, Bogossian focused on the technology and video gaming sector; she will bring this expertise to Elkstone where she will oversee capital formation, support early-stage founders, and manage investor relations. Bogossian previously worked for EY as corporate finance director.

EAMON BRABAZON

BComm 1992, MAcc 1993

Bank of America has named Eamon Brabazon Co-Head of Global Mergers and Acquisitions. Brabazon, who has been with the bank for nine years, was most recently head of M&A in Europe, Middle East and Africa where he advised on some of Bank of America’s highest-profile deals. Brabazon began his career at Davy in Dublin and later joined JP Morgan. He is Bank of America’s first UK-based global co-head of M&A for many years.

LUCY CHADWICK

MVB 2009

Lucy Chadwick is the recipient of the Image MBA Scholarship 2024. Chadwick, who is undertaking the Executive MBA, is Global Partnerships Manager at Forte Healthcare, an Irish-owned animal health SME. After qualifying and working as a veterinary surgeon, Chadwick sought a role that would have a greater impact on overall animal health. She works with the R&D pipeline, looking at animal health solutions that enable a reduction in the use of antibiotics.

JIM MINTERN

BComm 1987, DipPrAcc 1988

Jim Mintern has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of CRH, having been with the building materials company for over 20 years. In recent years, CRH quit the Irish Stock Exchange and moved its main listing from London to the New York Stock Exchange. Mintern led this strategic transition of CRH’s primary listing. CRH employs 80,000 people in 29 countries and is the market leader in both North America and Europe, partnering on transportation and critical utility infrastructure projects, and complex non-residential construction and outdoor living solutions.

KEVIN LUCEY

BBLS 2000, MAcc 2001

DCC PLC, the conglomerate that owns Flogas, has appointed Kevin Lucey to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Lucey joined DCC in 2010 and has held various roles over the past 15 years, most recently that of Chief Financial Officer. DCC has its headquarters in Dublin but is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is in the process of implementing a new strategy to concentrate on its core energy business.

MANDY O’SULLIVAN

MAcc 1997

DCC PLC has promoted Mandy O’Sullivan to the role of Group Director of Corporate Development and its leadership team. Previously O’Sullivan, who has been with DCC since 2017, held the role of Head of Corporate Finance. The company is currently building a multi-energy sustainable business in the energy sector and aims to grow DCC into a global energy leader with its ‘Cleaner Energy in Your Power’ strategy.

PAT LAFFAN

BSc Economics and Finance 2003

Dairygold has appointed Pat Laffan as General Manager for its Dairy Ireland business. Laffan will have responsibility for the management of the manufacturing and commercial aspects of the business, enhancing its commercial and operational performance, and leveraging recent investments in modern facilities to seize new opportunities and optimise financial outcomes. Laffan has been with Dairygold for over 20 years, serving in a variety of commercial and financial roles.

CIARA REILLY

MSc Marketing Practice 2006

After almost two decades with the company, Ciara Reilly has been appointed the new Managing Director of RED C Research. RED C was acquired by the Business Post Group in 2021. In recent years, it has expanded into the UK under the RED C and Relish Research brands. The consultancy delivers insight through research and employs over 85 staff across Dublin and London. It is ranked among the top 125 market research companies globally.

ELIZABETH SHEEHAN

BComm International 1994

Elizabeth Sheehan has been appointed Country Executive of 30% Club Ireland. In the past 12 months she has also been named chair of the board of creative agency Pluto and its events wing, Pluto Live, joined the board of Bus Éireann as a non-executive director with a special interest in sustainability and strategy, and co-founded The Coaching Network. She continues in her roles as board member of the ASAI and chair of Ad Net Zero Ireland.

BARRY O’SULLIVAN

BA 1995, MBA 2008

Diageo Great Britain has appointed Barry O’Sullivan as its Managing Director. O’Sullivan, who joined Diageo in 2021, was previously Managing Director of Diageo Ireland where he oversaw consistent and sustainable growth, initiated a €100 million decarbonisation programme at St James’s Gate and announced a €30 million investment in the production of Guinness 0.0. Prior to joining Diageo, he held roles with Mars and Mars Petcare in multiple locations around the world.

JOHN O’DRISCOLL

MSc Financial Services 2015

Asset manager Gresham House Ireland has announced the appointment of John O’Driscoll as its Sales and Business Development Manager. O’Driscoll was previously with BCP Asset Management. Gresham House Ireland manages over €800 million in assets and is part of London headquartered Gresham House plc, which has €10 billion in assets under management.

CATHAL MARLEY

BA 1988, MBA 2003

EirGrid Group has announced the appointment of Cathal Marley as its new CEO. Marley was formerly CEO at Gas Networks Ireland, and is a 20-year veteran of the utilities and infrastructure sector across electricity, gas and water industries. Marley takes up his new role at a transformational time for EirGrid as it works to deliver on the decarbonisation of Irish society.

PAUL LYNAM

BSocSc 2010

The British Irish Chamber of Commerce has announced the appointment of Paul Lynam as its new Director General. Lynam has extensive experience in British-Irish relations and trade policy, having previously served as Director of Policy and Public Affairs and Deputy Director General. The Chamber works to strengthen the economic relationship between the UK and Ireland.

CONNIE COSTELLO

BComm 1987, DipPrAcc 1988

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has announced the appointment of Connie Costello as Group Chief Financial Officer. Costello joins HRI from the Central Bank of Ireland, having previously held senior positions in First Active PLC, Ulster Bank, An Post and the Department of Public Expenditure. A racing fan, Costello has a proven record in strategic financial leadership, operational efficiency and transformation programmes.

JAMES HAYES

BSc 2009, BArch 2012, MArch 2013

James Hayes and his wife Camille Rosenfeld have been named the 2025 caretakers of Great Blasket Island. Hayes, who studied architecture but now works as a visual artist, and Rosenfeld, who works in the energy industry, were reported to be unfazed by the absence of electricity or running water on the island, located nearly five kilometres off the coast of Dingle, Co. Kerry. Great Blasket Island has no permanent residents, having been deserted since the 1950s due to the difficulty of emergency services reaching it in bad weather.

LIANNE O’SHEA

MA Directing for Theatre 2008

Druid Theatre Company has named theatre director Lianne O’Shea the 2025 recipient of the Marie Mullen Bursary, an annual award for women working in theatre in Ireland in the fields of design, directing and dramaturgy. O’Shea is a director whose most recent work includes PLAY, an intimate site-responsive exploration of Hamlet. In 2024 she was a Resident Director at the Abbey Theatre, and also recently directed a showing of short plays on the Peacock stage at the Abbey Theatre as part of the Fighting Words Playwriting Programme.

DAVE RUDDEN

MA Creative Writing 2013

Gill Books has acquired the English-language rights outside North America to children’s book writer Dave Rudden’s two-book series, Tales of Darkisle. Rudden previously published the Knights of the Borrowed Dark trilogy. The first novel in the new series, Conn of the Dead, was published in April; the second, Nell on Earth, will follow in early 2026. Hodderscape has acquired his fantasy trilogy for adults, launching January 2026.

NIDHI ZAK/ ARIA EIPE

MFA 2019

Irish poet Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe has been selected for the Heaney-Miłosz Residency – a programme celebrating the friendship between Nobel Laureates Seamus Heaney and Czesław Miłosz – in Krakow, Poland. A jury member for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award, she is the founder of the Play It Forward Fellowships, commissioning editor at Skein Press, poetry editor at Fallow Media and contributing editor to The Stinging Fly.

NIALL WILLIAMS

BA 1979, MA 1980

Clare-based author Niall Williams has won the 2025 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, and a prize of €20,000, for Time of the Child, his 11th novel. Williams’ 1997 debut, Four Letters of Love, has been made into a film starring Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne and Helena Bonham Carter, which was released in July.

RÓISÍN NÍ NEACHTAIN

Access Certificate History and Politics 2010, MA Creative Writing 2024

Publishing Ireland has awarded its inaugural Breakthrough Award to Kildare writer Róisín Ní Neachtain. Ní Neachtain’s writing has been published in Abridged,The Honest Ulsterman, Firmament and Broken Sleep Books. She will gain work experience at Irish publishers, take part in training courses and attend the London Book Fair.

ANDREA MARA

BComm International 1997

Andrea Mara’s latest novel, It Should Have Been You, is another bestseller for the Dublin-based thriller writer. Her 2022 novel, All Her Fault, has been adapted for television with Sarah Snook (Shiv Roy in Succession) in the lead role. The novel is set in Dublin, but the television adaptation on Sky, due later this year, is set in Chicago and was filmed in Melbourne.

JUSTIN KELLY

BCL 2006

UCD law graduate Justin Kelly has been appointed Garda Commissioner for a five-year term starting in September, succeeding Drew Harris. With over 30 years in An Garda Síochána, Kelly has served as Deputy Commissioner Security, Strategy and Governance since October 2024, and previously as Assistant Commissioner overseeing Serious and Organised Crime. His academic credentials also include an MBA from DCU, an MA in Serious Crime Investigation from UL, and an MA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

JENNY MELIA

BSc Chemistry 1992, PhD Chemistry 1997

Jenny Melia has been appointed CEO of Enterprise Ireland. Melia has worked with EI for 29 years, and held a number of senior leadership roles across the organisation. Among EI’s ambitions is a plan to increase exports to €50 billion by 2029.

PATRICIA REILLY

MVB 1996

Patricia Reilly has been appointed to President Ursula von der Leyen’s Clean Transition Cabinet team at the European Commission, with responsibility for Agriculture, Health and Food Safety, Animal Welfare, Equality, and Tourism.

EMMA BLAIN

BA Politics and Greek and Roman Civilisation 2002,MA Politics 2004

Emma Blain was Lord Mayor of Dublin from December 2024 to June 2025. She sits on Dublin City Council in the constituency of Dublin Bay South. She served as an Irish Delegate at European level on the Committee of the Regions. Prior to becoming Lord Mayor she worked for Fine Gael in media and communications roles and also worked as a journalist with the Sunday Independent.

BARBARA CULLINANE

MBS 2009

Barbara Cullinane has been appointed Ireland’s Ambassador to Austria. She works to foster relations between Ireland and Austria, and to provide consular services and support to the Irish community in Austria. As Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna she is tasked with promoting Ireland’s foreign policy interests and values among the international community.

PAUL FRANEY

BA Sociology and Politics 2000

Garda Paul Franey has been appointed Chief Superintendent attached to Garda Headquarters. He was formerly in charge of the National Victims Policy unit and ran the Strategic Planning Unit for four years. Franey has provided training to police officers from across the EU on hate crime and LGBT policing issues on behalf of the Council of Europe. He is the former secretary and founder of G-Force, the LGBTQ+ employee network for An Garda Síochána.

JIM O’CALLAGHAN

BCL 1989

Jim O’Callaghan has been Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration since January 2025. A Fianna Fáil TD for the Dublin Bay South constituency since 2016, prior to his career in politics, O’Callaghan practised as a barrister. He played rugby for UCD, Cambridge University, London Irish, Wanderers, Leinster and Connacht and for Ireland at under-21 level.

TERESA MC KEON

BA 1953, HDip in Ed 1954

One of the first Irish women to obtain a mathematics degree at UCD, McKeon initially worked as a teacher and school principal. During the civil war, she worked with refugees, focusing on the protection and empowerment of women and girls. Sr Teresa McKeon received a 2024 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for charitable works in Sierra Leone over 70 years.

STELLA O’LEARY

BSc 1972

Stella O’Leary received a 2024 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad. In 1996, O’Leary founded the Irish American Democrats Political Action Committee to lobby US elected officials to support the Good Friday Agreement and peace and prosperity in Ireland. She served as Presidents Obama and Biden’s Observer to the International Fund for Ireland.

JOHN ROCHE

BAgrSc 1993, MAgrSc 1995, PhD Agriculture 2001

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, has appointed Dr John Roche as his Chief Science Advisor. Roche joins a number of other key personnel as part of the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology Advisory Council and will act as its deputy chair. Roche, who grew up on a dairy farm in Co. Kerry, was appointed the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Chief Science Advisor in 2018. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Auckland’s School of Biological Sciences.

MÍCHEÁL O’KEEFFE

BA Economics and Politics 2007

The Central Bank of Ireland has appointed Dr Mícheál O’Keeffe Director of Policy and International. O’Keeffe will be responsible for leading the development of financial regulation domestically and internationally. O’Keeffe formerly worked as Senior Advisor to Minister Paschal Donohoe in his role as President of the Eurogroup, and as Chief of Staff and Counsellor to the Governor at the Central Bank of Ireland.

JUNE FANNING

MVB 2000, PhD Parasitology and Immunology 2008

Dr June Fanning has been appointed Chief Veterinary Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Chief Veterinary Officer has responsibility for animal health, animal welfare, veterinary public health, and food safety policy areas of the department, as well as animal by-products, medicines, and the support of the export of animals and products of animal origin to existing and new markets.

EMER HIGGINS

BA Economics and Sociology 2005

Emer Higgins is a Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation with special responsibility for public procurement, digitalisation and eGovernment. Elected TD for Dublin Mid-West in the 2020 general election, she has served as the party’s spokesperson on equality. Prior to being elected, she worked as Chief of Staff for PayPal Customer Service, EMEA.

PROFESSOR MARY DONNELLY

BCL 1986

is Professor of Law at University College Cork. Her research interests lie in medical/capacity law, individual autonomy, consumer protection, financial services and the digital environment.

PROFESSOR NUALA FINNEGAN

MA 1993

is Professor in the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, and Director of the Centre for Mexican Studies at UCC.

PROFESSOR YVONNE GALLIGAN

BA 1980, MA 1985

is Director of DEI, Professor of Comparative Politics and founding director of the AIB Research Centre on Inclusive and Equitable Cultures at TUDublin.

PROFESSOR WILLIAM MULLIGAN

BA 1997

is a lecturer in the School of History at UCD, with a particular interest in international history of the 19th and 20th centuries.

PROFESSOR MICHELLE NORRIS

MSocSc 1995

is Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy at UCD. Her research focuses on housing policy and urban regeneration.

MAIRÉAD NÍ GHABHÁIN

BCL 2005, LLM 2006

has been appointed to the board of Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the island of Ireland.

ANN MARIE LENIHAN

BA 1986

CEO of NewsBrands Ireland have been appointed to the board of the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland.

CLARE MULCAHY

HDipBS 1996, MBS 1997

Head of Consumer Affairs at the Irish Aviation Authority, have been appointed to the board of the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland.

JOHN MC LAUGHLIN

BArch 1990

has been appointed to the board of IMMA.

ELEANOR O’HIGGINS

MBA 1985

Adjunct Associate Professor at UCD School of Business, has been appointed a lay member of the Judicial Appointments Commission.

JIM BERGIN

MSc 1995

has been appointed chair of FBD Holdings plc. Bergin was formerly CEO of Tirlán Co-Operative Society.

JENNIFER GEARY

BComm 1996, MAcc 1997

has been appointed a non-executive director of RiskSmart, the operational risk management software company.

ORLAGH GERAGHTY

MSc Marketing Practice 2006, MSc Digital Marketing 2016

Head of Brand Marketing, Britvic Ireland, is the new chair of the Council of the Marketing Society of Ireland.

SENAN MURPHY

BComm 1989, DipPrAcc 1990

has been appointed an independent non-executive director of Glanbia.

HUGH O’DONNELL

BComm 1992, MAcc 1993

has been appointed independent non-executive director of PTSB and the Bon Secours Hospital System.

SHANE O’LOUGHLIN

BAgrSc 2005

has been appointed to the board of Tirlán.

EMILE DALY

BCL 1992

Emile Daly BL, a former adjudicator at the Workplace Relations Commission and former Vice-Chair of the Employment Appeals Tribunal, has been nominated to the District Court by the Minister of Justice. Daly has been a practising barrister for over 30 years. After the establishment of the Judicial Appointments Commission in January, only candidates recommended by the commission can be nominated by the Government for appointment by the President.

SEÁN GUERIN

BCL 1995, LLM 1999

Seán Guerin SC was elected Chair of the Bar Council and took up his responsibilities in September 2024. Guerin was called to the Bar in 1997 and became a member of the Inner Bar when appointed Senior Counsel in 2013. Guerin practices mainly in public law, including criminal, regulatory and administrative law. He has served for many years on the Professional Practices Committee of the Bar Council and has been Chair of the Criminal State Bar Committee since 2022.

CAOILFHIONN GALLAGHER

BCL 1999

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC was appointed a visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford in 2025. During her three-month fellowship at the Institute she focused on impunity for journalists’ deaths, and on creating systematic changes to secure accountability in these cases. Gallagher has been involved in many high-profile human rights cases in the UK courts, at the European Court of Human Rights, at the Privy Council and before international bodies.

PATRICK TIERNAN

BBLS 1996

Chartered accountant Patrick Tiernan has been appointed CEO by Lloyd’s. Tiernan has been part of Lloyd’s senior leadership team since 2021, when he joined as Chief of Markets, combining the roles of Performance Director and Chief Commercial Officer. A three-decade insurance industry veteran, a hallmark of Tiernan’s tenure as Chief of Markets was a focus on innovation and education through Lloyd’s Lab and Lloyd’s Academy.

GAIL SLATER

BCL 1993, LLM 1997

Gail Slater has been named US Assistant Attorney General and Head of the Antitrust Division at the US Department of Justice, which enforces laws against illegal monopolies and anti-competitive business behaviour. Slater, a former advisor to US Vice-President JD Vance, has been living in the US since 2003. She was previously general counsel at the Internet Association, a body that represented Google and Facebook.

SÍOFRA O’LEARY

BCL 1989

Dr Síofra O’Leary, the first female President of the European Court of Human Rights and the first Irish person in the role, has been awarded the UCD Ulysses Medal, the highest honour UCD can bestow. Th e award recognises O’Leary’s contribution to human rights law over an illustrious career as a legal scholar, judge, and judicial statesperson. O’Leary has joined UCD Sutherland School of Law as Adjunct Professor.

NIAMH HOWLIN

BCL 2003, PhD 2007

Niamh Howlin was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Legal Scholarship prize at the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association Law Book Awards 2025. Associate Professor at UCD Sutherland School of Law, she received the award for Barristers in Ireland: An Evolving Profession Since 1921 and A Century of Courts: The Courts of Justice Act 1924. Howlin published A History of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions 1975- 2025 earlier this year.

KEVIN BARRY

BSc Architecture 2021, MArch 2024

Recently graduated architect Kevin Barry was awarded the overall RIAI Student Excellence Award 2024, sponsored by Scott Tallon Walker Architects, for his project, The Department of Husbandry Labourers’ Dorms. The award encourages study of contemporary architecture, communication between the schools of architecture, and awareness of architecture in society.

ANDREW CLANCY

BSc 1998, BArch 2001, CertArchProf 2004

The Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant, designed by Andrew Clancy of Clancy Moore Architects in collaboration with Ayesa Engineers, was shortlisted for the 2025 Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Public Choice Award. This recognition celebrates the plant’s innovative design and its transformative impact on the Arklow community.

ORLA O’KANE

BSc 2004, BArch 2006

Orla O’Kane, Senior Architect with O’Mahony Pike Architects, was announced as the winner of the RIAI Emerging Architect Award 2024. The jury noted O’Kane’s coherent statement about the role of the architect as a public advocate and her passion, energy and capability to work at a high level in professional practice whilst immersing herself in architectural culture.

CONOR SREENAN

BSc 1998, BArch 2001

Conor Sreenan has been appointed State/Principal Architect at the Office of Public Works. Sreenan joins the OPW from the Grangegorman Development Agency where he was a director since 2018 with responsibility for strategy and design. Prior to this, Sreenan worked for almost 20 years in the private sector.

LAURA BURKE

BE Chemical 1992

Laura Burke, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed her term as the 132nd President of Engineers Ireland earlier this year. During her presidency she focused on sustainability and diversity as key priorities for the engineering profession. Burke was appointed Director General of the EPA in 2011 and has served as a director since 2004. She is a member of the Climate Change Advisory Council and of the High-Level Implementation Committee of Food Vision 2030, the Irish Agri-Food Sector Strategy.

SEAN FINLAY

BSc Geology 1971

Sean Finlay has been named President of the Irish Academy of Engineering. Finlay is Director of Business Development at Geoscience Ireland, a network of 40 companies delivering integrated expertise in water, minerals, environmental and infrastructure development to clients in over 80 countries. GI is supported by the Geological Survey of Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. The GI network provides design, consultancy and contracting services to multilateral agencies, governments and the private sector.

JOHN JORDAN

MSc Technology Management 2003

The 133rd President of Engineers Ireland, the organisation which aims to drive sustainable development through education, regulation and advocacy, is civil engineer John Jordan. Jordan is the Managing Director of Wirtgen Ireland, based in Enfield, Co. Meath. Prior to his appointment as President, he has been actively involved with Engineers Ireland for many years, serving on various committees and as chair of the Finance Committee (now the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee) since 2018.

PATRICK KINSELLA

MB BCh BAO 1976, DipCH 1980

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners named Patrick Kinsella its National GP of the Year 2024. Dr Kinsella, who has practised near Lakes Entrance for over 40 years, is seen as a backbone of the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust health service. Having practised in both urban and rural settings during the course of his career, he says he finds work in more remote areas very professionally satisfying and proactively tries to attract more GPs to his local area.

BRENDAN KELLY

BSc Radiography 2011, MB BCh BAO 2015, ProfCert 2021

Dr Brendan Kelly has been named the Health Innovation Hub Ireland’s National Innovator of the Year 2024 for work leveraging artificial intelligence for MRI in multiple sclerosis. Dr Kelly is Fellow in AI and Paediatric Radiology at Great Ormond St Hospital for Sick Children, London, where his team uses the model NeUFormer, an innovative AI approach to the detection of radiologic progression on MRI, to provide faster and more accurate diagnoses for people with MS.

LISA MC NAMEE

MSc Immediate Care 2022

Dr Lisa McNamee, who won the Rising Star award at the 2024 Women in STEM Awards last October, is the co-founder of Space Medicine Ireland. Space medicine is the preparation of astronauts for flight, the maintenance of their health in flight, and rehabilitation after flight. She has completed the European Space Agency’s space physician training course and a University of Texas principles of aviation and space medicine course. McNamee is currently in GP practice in Dublin and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.

CATHERINE MORAN

MB BCh BAO 2006

Ms Catherine Moran, Ireland’s first female consultant neurosurgeon, who works at Beaumont Hospital, has appeared in Virgin Media One’s four-part series Brain Doctors. After UCD, she completed a doctorate at RCSI, followed by surgical training and fellowships in Ireland, England and the United States and brought a speciality called deep brain stimulation to Ireland for patients with Parkinson’s and those experiencing tremors.

LAUREN V. O’CONNELL

MB BCh BAO 2014, MD 2023

Ms Lauren V. O’Connell is the recipient of the 2025 PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship, awarded by RCSI. She is undertaking a Fellowship in advanced colorectal cancer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She previously worked as a Specialist Registrar in General and Colorectal Surgery at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.

MARY REILLY

MB BCh BAO 1986, MD 1996

Professor Mary Reilly, globally renowned clinical neurologist, has been awarded the honorary MBE given to foreign nationals who have made an outstanding contribution to the UK. She is Professor of Neurology and Head of the Division of Clinical Neurology at University College London’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology. A former President of the Association of British Neurologists, she won the 2024 Alan J. Gebhart Prize for Peripheral Nerve Research.

MARY CODD

MB BCh BAO 1980, MD 1996

Associate Professor Mary Codd has been elected as President of ASPHER, The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region. This is the first time that a president has been elected from an Irish member School of Public Health. Her election reflects both her outstanding contributions to public health education and research, and growing international recognition of Ireland’s leadership in the field.

RICHARD KEARNEY

BA English and Philosophy 1975, MA 1977

Richard Kearney, Charles B. Seelig Professor of Philosophy at Boston College, received the Research Ireland St. Patrick’s Day Medal in honour of his achievements as an academic, author, and poet, and his efforts to aid the Northern Ireland peace process. He was presented with the award, which recognises academic collaboration between Ireland and the United States, by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

DAVID FARRELL

BA Politics 1981, MA 1983

Professor David Farrell of UCD School of Politics and International Relations has been elected to the prestigious Academia Europaea. Farrell is a political scientist and specialist in the study of representation, elections, parties, and deliberative mini-publics. Academia Europaea is the pan-European academy of humanities, letters, law and sciences.

SALOME MBUGUA

MA Equality Studies 2001

Dr Salome Mbugua, researcher, gender equality activist and human rights advocate was selected as the 2024 Women of Concern honouree. She is CEO of AkiDwA – The Migrant Women’s Network Ireland – and has over 20 years’ experience working with under-represented groups. Mbugua has contributed to numerous international forums, among them the UN and EU.

MARINA CONWAY

BAgrSc 1996, MAgrSc 2006

former CEO of Western Forestry selected as 2025 Nuffield Ireland Scholars. Conway’s research is on the potential of agriforestry and McKay’s is on grasslands and climate change adaptation.

ZOE MC KAY

BAgrSc 2015, PhD 2019

dairy farmer and Assistant Professor at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, selected as 2025 Nuffield Ireland Scholars. Conway’s research is on the potential of agriforestry and McKay’s is on grasslands and climate change adaptation.

MICHELE DILLON

BSocSc 1980, MSocSc 1983

Michele Dillon, PhD, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Professor of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, has been awarded the 2025 Civitas Dei Medal at Villanova University. A leading voice in the sociology of religion and contemporary Catholicism, Dillon is the first social scientist to receive this prestigious award which honours Catholics who have made exemplary contributions to the Catholic intellectual tradition.

ENRICO TERRINONI

PhD Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama 2004

President Michael D. Higgins has presented a Distinguished Service Award to Professor Enrico Terrinoni, Professor in Residence at the Italian National Academy and Chair of English Literature at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia. Professor Terrinoni’s biographical study of Joyce’s time in Rome won the Francesco De Sanctis Prize, the Viareggio-Repaci Prize and the Perosa Prize. He is the President of the James Joyce Italian Foundation.

CYRIL O’REGAN

BA 1974, MA 1978

Professor Cyril O’Regan, Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, has been awarded the 2024 Ratzinger Prize in Theology, widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the field, essentially the Nobel prize of theology. Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, presented the award to O’Regan during a ceremony at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City last November, where O’Regan had an audience with the late Pope Francis.

DIARMAID FERRITER

BA 1992, PhD 1996

One of Ireland’s best-known historians, Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor of Modern History at UCD, has published The Revelation of Ireland 1995 – 2020. This is a sequel to his T he Transformation of Ireland, published in 2004, which was the first survey history of 20th century Ireland in many years. Ferriter’s latest book is a deep dive into a turbulent period in modern Irish history, covering economic and political upheavals as well as societal and cultural shifts.

SHARON CUNNINGHAM

MBA 2015

Sharon Cunningham, co-founder and CEO of Tipperary based Shorla Oncology, together with Shorla’s CTO, Orlaith Ryan, was named 2024 EY Entrepreneur of The Year. They were also winners in the Emerging category. Shorla is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and commercialises innovative oncology drugs. Its mission is to make existing oncology treatments better through formulation re-innovation.

HEIDI DAVIS

BSc Human Nutrition 2015

Heidi Davis, CEO of Peri, has been named Enterprise Ireland High-Potential Start-Up Founder of the Year for 2024. The company uses AI-enabled technology to personalise the management of menopausal symptoms. The Peri, a wearable device, helps users log their symptoms and provides insights to guide women toward a personalised management plan. EI’s Founder of the Year Awards celebrate start-ups with potential to become world-class companies of the future.

EDDIE DILLON

BComm 1997

Eddie Dillon, co-founder and CEO of fintech CreditLogic, is a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 in the Emerging category. CreditLogic uses a platform which simplifies the capture, processing and validation of client data for banks, reducing customer processing times by 90% and cutting operational costs of complex processes by 50%. CreditLogic serves all banks in Ireland, key public sector entities, and a growing number of other regulated businesses.

JOHN FITZGERALD

BE Electronic 1991, MBA 1999

John Fitzgerald is CEO of Irish technology company SuperNode, which has secured €8 million in funding to further its development of superconducting transmission cables. Funding comes from investment group Volnay and Norwegian green investment group Aker Horizons, which co-own the company. SuperNode specialises in next-generation cable systems capable of conveying more energy than conventional electricity cables.

HUGH SHEEHY

BE Mechanical 1989

Hugh Sheehy is CEO of Dublin headquartered electric vehicle (EV) charging company Go Eve. They announced a partnership with Netherlands-based Zerova Technologies that aims to cut EV charging time from hours to minutes and make it easier to charge vehicles at workplaces, hotels, depots and garages. The UCD spinout company’s DockChain technology allows a single charger to charge multiple vehicles.

SIMON FORSYTH

BBLS 1997

Simon Forsyth is CEO of LirOptic, a UCD spinout company, and one of ten global start-ups selected for Round 8 of Luminate NY, the world’s largest accelerator for start-ups working on industry-first solutions enabled by optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI). Each finalist receives $100,000 and competes for up to $2 million in follow-on funding. The LirOptic Lens is a first-of its-kind adjustable solid-state lens.

ANTHONY MC LOUGHLIN

BE Mechanical 2004

Anthony McLoughlin is founder and CEO of Better Futures, an AI-focused start up at NovaUCD, which has won the Distribution Solutions Award category at the ABB 2025 Startup Challenge, receiving a $30,000 prize and a contract with automation group ABB to bring EVA™, the company’s AI Assistant Platform, to market in the next six months. EVA™ is designed to free up engineers from paperwork.

BRENDAN NOUD

BComm 1999

Brendan Noud, co-founder and CEO of learning management system LearnUpon, is a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 in the International category. He launched LearnUpon in 2012 and it is now the leading cloud-based learning management system, with offices in the United States, Australia, Serbia and Dublin. Customers around the world use LearnUpon to train employees, customers, partners and resellers.

FERGAL MEEGAN

BBLS 2001, MBS 2002

Fergal Meegan and Barry Murphy’s NovaUCD headquartered Assiduous, a team of capital markets professionals and technologists dedicated to helping business owners grow and achieve financial independence, has raised €1 million from EU strategic investor EIT Digital, Enterprise Ireland and private investors. Assiduous also announced the launch of its Corporate Finance Autopilot™, a virtual corporate finance service-as-a-software solution, enabled by the latest AI advances, which aims to bridge the gap between business owners and capital markets throughout their entire corporate lifecycle.

BARRY MURPHY

BE Civil 2010, ProfCert 2013

Fergal Meegan and Barry Murphy’s NovaUCD headquartered Assiduous, a team of capital markets professionals and technologists dedicated to helping business owners grow and achieve financial independence, has raised €1 million from EU strategic investor EIT Digital, Enterprise Ireland and private investors. Assiduous also announced the launch of its Corporate Finance Autopilot™, a virtual corporate finance service-as-a-software solution, enabled by the latest AI advances, which aims to bridge the gap between business owners and capital markets throughout their entire corporate lifecycle.

DAVID HARTIGAN

MSc Management Consultancy 2016

David Hartigan, awarded the Rising Star Award at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards, is founder and CEO of BCorp-certified Hemp Heroes, a seed-to-shelf hemp company in Co. Wicklow, which manufactures a range of hemp-based products. It was shortlisted for the 2025 Guaranteed Irish Business Awards in the food category.

CONOR HANLEY

BE Chemical 1990

Conor Hanley’s medical technology company FIRE1 has raised $120 million in new financing. The company aims to improve heart failure management by making it easier for patients to monitor their own condition. Ireland Strategic Investment Fund contributed $22 million to the round. FIRE1 has also received Breakthrough Device Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration.

SADHBH WOOD

BBL 2024

Sadhbh Wood is co-founder and CEO of Bean Around, which makes cosmetic skincare products from coffee grounds. The company is also working on coffee-based biochar, a charcoal which can enhance biogas fuel production and capture carbon from the atmosphere. In 2024, Bean Around made the Lidl Kickstart programme and was a finalist in The Irish Times Innovation Awards.

STEPHEN O’DWYER

BE Biomedical 2021

Stephen O’Dwyer is founder and CEO of TrojanTrack, the equine biomechanical analysis company which utilises deep neural networks to assess racehorses for injury. The company is one of nine selected for UCD’s six-month AI Ecosystem Accelerator Programme, delivered by NovaUCD and CeADAR. O’Dwyer was a finalist in The Irish Times Innovation Awards.

TOLUWABORI AKINOLA

BSc Computer Science 2024

Toluwabori (Bori) Akinola secured his first national senior 100m title at the National Senior Track and Field Championships in July, and the national 60m title at the Irish Indoor Athletics in February, in a time of 6.61 seconds. The win in February, Akinola’s first senior title, ties him joint second on the Irish all-time list, behind the national record of 6.57 achieved by fellow UCD alumnus Israel Olatunde.

EIMEAR BREATHNACH

BComm 2001

Eimear Breathnach has been named a Woman of Influence in Irish Sport by Sport for Business. The two time Paralympic table tennis player served as President of Paralympics Ireland from 2021 to 2024, and led the organisation through a successful 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. She was responsible for the successful implementation of the Paralympics Ireland strategic plan and also played a key role in the reorganisation of Paralympics Ireland.

JOHN CARR

BAgrSc 2022, MSc 2024

John Carr represented Ireland at the World University Equestrian Federation SRNC in Switzerland in September 2024 as a member of the three-person team from the Irish Universities Riding Clubs Association. He placed third in the individual showjumping. Ireland came first in the team showjumping. The Irish team finished fourth in dressage. The combined title also went to Ireland, with Carr in sixth position in the individual combined.

LISA CLANCY

BA 1991

Lisa Clancy has been named President of Paralympics Ireland. Clancy has served as Vice President since 2021, and takes up the role as the organisation builds towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. The former GAA Director of Communications runs a consultancy business providing strategic and communications advice to corporates and sports organisations. Clancy is recognised for launching Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport Leadership programme.

DAVID COURELL

BComm Marketing 2005, MBS International Business 2007

The Football Association of Ireland has appointed David Courell as CEO. Courell, from Castlebar, Co. Mayo, had served as COO since February 2022 and as Interim CEO since April 2024. He previously worked with the British Paralympic Association and held various roles with the English Football Association prior to moving back to Ireland.

MARK ENGLISH

MB BCh BAO 2019

Middle-distance runner Mark English, Irish record holder for both indoor and outdoor over 800m, became the first Irish athlete to break the 1:44-barrier in the 800m with a time of 1:43.92 to win the FBK Games in June. English, a former UCD Ad Astra Academy Elite Sports Scholar, won his fifth European medal in March, taking bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn.

CLARE FARRELL

BSc Human Nutrition 2018

Clare Farrell joined Liverpool FC as Lead Performance Nutritionist at the start of the 2024/25 season, which saw Liverpool winning the Premier League Championship under Arne Slot. She previously spent three years as a nutritionist with Munster Rugby and a year with West Ham United Women’s FC. Farrell was a 2022 All Ireland club title winner with Longford Slashers.

LARA GILLESPIE

BSc Health and Performance Science 2022

Cyclist Lara Gillespie followed her 2024 top 10 finish at the Paris Olympics with progression to the World Tour with UAE Team ADQ and a first senior (bronze) medal at the World Track Championships, in Denmark earlier this year. In July 2025, Gillespie became the first Irish woman to take a podium place on a stage of the Tour de France Femmes.

SARAH HAWKSHAW

MSc Food Nutrition and Health 2023

Sarah Hawkshaw has been named captain of the Ireland Women’s hockey team. Hawkshaw earned her first cap for Ireland in January 2019 in a match against Chile, was part of the Irish squad that made history by qualifying for the Olympics for the first time in 2020, and competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Hawkshaw had a distinguished collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts from 2014 to 2017.

SARAH HEALY

BCL 2023

Runner Sarah Healy was declared the new European Women’s Indoor 3,000m champion in The Netherlands in March, becoming Ireland’s first gold medallist at the European Indoor Championships since David Gillick in 2007. She also won the 1,500m at the Diamond League meeting in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and came second in the Diamond League meeting in Paris with a personal best of 3:57.15.

COLIN JUDGE

BAFS Actuarial and Financial Studies 2017

At the 2025 Irish National Closed Table Tennis Championships, Paralympian and world Class 3 No 8 Colin Judge regained his National Para Table Tennis title following a closely contested final against Paddy Vaughan. Judge competed at his second Paralympic Games in Paris last summer, putting in a strong effort before losing out to world number one Feng Panfeng in the round of 16.

SARAH LAVIN

BSc Physiotherapy 2018

Former UCD Ad Astra Academy Elite Sports Scholar Sarah Lavin holds the national record in 100m hurdles (12.62) and 60m hurdles (7.90). She claimed her tenth national at the 2025 Irish Championships, and just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish in the extraordinarily fast European Indoor Championships 60m final in Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands.

JOHN MENTON

BCL 1991

John Menton has been appointed to the board of the Olympic Federation of Ireland. Menton competed in Sydney 2000 in the discus event and chairs the High Performance committee of Irish Sailing. A former partner in law firm Arthur Cox, Menton is now an investor with a focus on tech and life sciences investments. He is a director of RentalMatics and an investor in Zeus Scooters.

PAUL O’DONOVAN

BSc Physiotherapy 2017

Voted Ireland’s Greatest Ever Olympian in the Sunday Independent in 2024 and RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year 2024, lightweight rower Paul O’Donovan is the only Irish athlete ever to win a medal at three Olympic Games. He won Ireland’s first Olympic rowing medal in Rio 2016 and won gold at Toyko 2020 and Paris 2024. Paul is both a physiotherapist and a doctor.