The National University of Ireland has awarded the Irish Historical Research Prize 2005 to Christopher Maginn for 'Civilizing' Gaelic Leinster: The Extension of Tudor Rule in the O'Byrne and O'Toole Lordships published by Four Courts Press in 2004. The Irish Historical Research Prize of €3,000 is awarded for the best work of original scholarship by an NUI graduate or student published in the past three years. Dr Christopher Maginn is a graduate of NUI Galway and Assistant Professor of History at Fordham University, New York.

Special Commendation was given to Dr Nollaig O Muraíle for his mammoth five volume edition of Leabhar Mór na nGenealach: The Great Book of Irish Genealogies compiled (1645-66) by Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, published by Eamonn de Búrca/Edmund Burke, Publisher 2004, which he considered "an enormous contribution to the study of Irish genealogy". Dr Ó Muraíle, is a member of the staff of the NUI Galway Scoil na Gaeilge. The last winner of the Irish Historical Research Prize was Nicholas P. Canny for,Making Ireland British 1580-1650 published in 2001 by Oxford University Press.
The full list of NUI Galway graduates who were awarded NUI awards are as follows: Irish Historical Research Prize Dr Christopher R. Maginn NUI Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Humanities Dr Jane S. Grogan Travelling Studentship in Archaeology Mr John G. Malcolm Travelling Studentship in Medicine Dr Esther O'Sullivan Travelling Studentship in Mathematics Ms Brenda Ryan Travelling Studentship in Astrophysics Mr Damien Quinn Dr. Mary.L. Thornton Scholarship in Education Ms Elaine Keane Dr HH Stewart Literary Scholarship in French - 2nd Prize Ms Chloé Diskin Dr HH Stewart Literary Scholarship in German – 2nd Prize Ms Mairéad Una Ní Chatháin Dr HH Stewart Literary Scholarship in German - CommendationMs Chloé Diskin Dr HH Stewart Literary Scholarship in Italian – 3rd Prize Ms Cristina Ciamberlano Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Biochemistry – 3rd Prize Mr Chee Peng Hor Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Gynaecology and Obstetrics Ms Gabrielle Colleran Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Gynaecology and Obstetrics – 2nd Prize Mr Nigel Glynn Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Medical Microbiology Ms Rachel Fallon Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Medical Microbiology – 3rd Prize Ms Ciara Freeman Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Medicine, Ms Emma Harrington Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Paediatrics Mr Donal Sexton Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Pathology – 2nd Prize Mr Kevin Cronin Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Pharmacology Ms Maeve Ann O'Reilly Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Physiology – 2nd Prize Mr Patrick Gleeson Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Psychiatry – 3rd Prize Ms Éadaoin Ní Challaráin Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Psychiatry - Commendation Mr Donal Sexton Dr HH Stewart Medical Scholarship in Surgery – 2nd Prize Ms Michelle O'Shaughnessy NUI/Denis Phelan Scholarship in Electronic Engineering Mr Dermot Campbell NUI/Denis Phelan Scholarship in Science: in the "Numerative Sciences" Mr Connell Murphy NUI/French Government Medal and NUI Prize for Proficiency in French Ms Valeria Ballarotti