Céimeanna Oinigh bronnta ar Fionnula Flanagan, An Breitheamh Richard Goldstone, An tOllamh Deirdre McCloskey, Eugene Murtagh, Donagh O'Donoghue, Micheál Ó hUiginn agus an Gobharnóir Martin O'Malley Bronnadh céimeanna oinigh ar sheachtar den scoth – daoine ón domhan gnó, daonchairdis, ceartais, seirbhís poiblí, oideachas agus na n-ealaíon – in OÉ Gaillimh inniu, Dé hAoine, an 27 Meitheamh 2008. Dúirt an Dr James Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh gur "cúis bróid, thar ceann phobal OÉ Gaillimh, an seachtar seo a áireamh i measc alumni OÉ Gaillimh. Ach na céimeanna oinigh seo a bheith bronnta, áireofar iad i measc 60,000 alumni ar fud an domhain. Comhartha ómóis ar a bhfuil bainte amach ag na daoine seo iad céimeanna oinigh a bhronnadh orthu – an onóir is mó is féidir leis an Ollscoil a bhronnadh." Céim Dhochtúireachta sna Dána: Aisteoir Éireannach í Fionnula Flanagan a bhfuil Gradam Emmy bronnta uirthi agus ainmniúchán do Ghradam Tony faighte aici. Is in Amharclann na Mainistreach a d'fhoghlaim sí a ceird agus i measc na scannán ar ghlac sí páirt iontu tá The Others le Nicole Kidman, Transamerica agus Waking Ned Devine, mar aon le sraith teilifíse agus léiriúcháin ar stáitse. Chomh maith leis sin, ghlac sí páirt in eagrán den tsraith teilifíse Lost – eagrán dár teideal "Flashes Before Your Eyes". Thuill sí clú agus cáil in Éirinn den chéad uair sa bhliain 1965 tráth ar thug sí léargas iontach ar a cumas aisteoireachta i bpáirt Mháire i léiriú Theilfís Éireann den dráma Gaeilge – An Triail. Léirigh Fionnula Flanagan a cumas mar aisteoir a raibh sárthuiscint aici ar scríbhinní James Joyce sa scannán a rinneadh de Ulysses sa bhliain 1967. Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí: D'oibrigh an Breitheamh Richard Goldstone mar Bhreitheamh ar Chúirt Bhunreachtáil na hAfraice Theas; mar Phríomh-Ionchúisitheoir ar Bhinsí Coiriúla Idirnáisiúnta na Náisiún Aontaithe don iar-Iúgslaiv agus Ruanda; agus mar Sheansailéir ar Ollscoil Witwatersrand, An Afraic Theas. Chaith sé tamall ag teagasc i Scoileanna Dlí Ollscoil Nua-Eabhrac, Ollscoil Harvard agus Fordham. I láthair na huaire, tá sé ag feidhmiú mar ollamh ar cuairt in Ionad Dlí Ollscoil Georgetown. In 2006, chaith Goldstone seal ag teagasc san Ionad Éireannach um Chearta an Duine in OÉ Gaillimh. Céim Dhochtúireachta san Eolaíocht Síceolaíochta: Is Ollamh Oirirc le hEacnamaíocht, Stair, Béarla agus Cumarsáid in Ollscoil Illinois, Chicago í An tOllamh Deirdre McCloskey. Tá sí ar cheann de na heacnamaithe, reitricithe, scoláirí agus intleachtóirí poiblí is mó cáil sna Stáit Aontaithe. Tá 14 leabhar scríofa ag McCloskey, ina measc The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce – an chéad leabhar as magnum opus cúig imleabhar. Sular foilsíodh The Bourgeois Virtues ba iad na leabhair ba mhó cáil a scríobh sí The Rhetoric of Economics (1985) agus Crossing: A Memoir, a foilsíodh i 1999, leabhar ar tagraíodh dó sa New York Times mar Notable Book. Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí: Is é an tUasal Eugene Murtagh bunaitheoir agus Cathaoirleach Kingspan Group Plc. Ó cuireadh tús le Kingspan an chéad lá riamh sna 60idí mar ghnó beag teaghlaigh tá fás agus forbairt dhochreidte tagtha ar an ngnó agus anois tá sé ar cheann de na cuideachtaí is bisiúla in Éirinn. Tá láimhdeachas de bhreis is €1.8 billiún ag an nGrúpa anois, lena n-áirítear 43 monarcha dhéantúsaíochta i 28 tír ar fud an domhain. Tá breis is 6,500 duine fostaithe ag an nGrúpa ar fud na cruinne. Cheap Rialtas na hÉireann agus Rialtas na Breataine Murtagh mar stiúrthóir ar an gCiste Idirnáisiúnta d'Éirinn in 2000. Tá os cionn €849 milliún infheistithe ag an gCiste seo i dtionscadail ar fud na hÉireann. Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí: Duine aitheanta i measc phobal gnó na Gaillimhe é an tUasal Donagh O'Donoghue mar aon le comhalta d'Údarás Bainistíochta OÉ Gaillimh. Tháinig O'Donoghue i gcomharba ar a athair mar Stiúrthóir Bainistíochta Grúpa Thomas McDonagh & Sons Ltd. sa bhliain 1975 agus chinntigh sé gur tháinig fás agus forbairt ar an gcuideachta thar thréimhse 20 bliain. I measc na gcuideachtaí a raibh ról stiúrthóireachta aige iontu tá Bord na Móna, Coimisiún Craolacháin na hÉireann agus Aerphort na Gaillimhe. Chomh maith leis sin, bhí sé ina chomhalta boird de IBEC, Cumann Tráchtála agus Tionscail na Gaillimhe agus Amharclann Druid. Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí: Comhalta d'Údarás Bainistíochta OÉ Gaillimh agus stiúrthóir ar Ó hUiginn Teoranta, Gaillimh é an tUasal Mícheál Ó hUiginn. Bhí sé ina chomhalta de Chomhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe ó 1964 go dtí go ndeachaigh sé ar scor in 2004. Chaith sé daichead bliain ag obair ar son chathair na Gaillimhe, toghadh é mar Mhéara na Gaillimhe trí théarma éagsúla agus rinne sé an-obair ar mhaithe le cur le gach gné de shaol na cathrach agus an rialtais áitiúil, go háirithe sa réimse oideachais. Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí: Is é an Gobharnóir Martin O'Malley 61ú Gobharnóir Maryland. Le linn dó a bheith ag feidhmiú mar pholaiteoir Daonlathach i Meiriceá bhí sé ina Mhéara ar Baltimore ó 1999 go dtí 2007. Le linn an dá théarma a chaith sé mar Mhéara, ainmníodh Baltimore mar shamhail náisiúnta d'fheabhas i sábháilteacht phoiblí, éifeachtacht rialtais, oideachas agus forbairt gheilleagrach. Tá sé ag feidhmiú mar Ghobharnóir anois agus ag baint leasa as an taithí atá aige chun dul chun cinn a dhéanamh i Stát Maryland. Scríobhadh in The Washington Post gur "governor unafraid of government" é Martin O'Malley. Sa Business Week in 2005, liostaíodh O'Malley mar dhuine den "Five Fresh Faces" a chinnteodh dul chun cinn an Pháirtí Dhaonlathaigh. - críoch -

The fascinating subject of precious gemstones is proving popular among students of the Diploma in Gemmology at NUI Galway. The part-time programme, which is the only course of its kind in the country, is part of an innovative Scientific Studies Diploma Series aimed at adult learners. The Diploma provides students with a broad introduction to the study of gemstones by covering a range of laboratory based techniques used for their identification. "The emphasis of this course is on the practical side of gemmology with a scientific twist, although no previous knowledge is required," explains Course Director, Dr Martin Feely. "This is particularly useful for jewellers who want to learn more about the origin and formation of the stones they sell. The first hour of each weekly class involves a lecture while the rest of the session is devoted to the practical examination of over 200 gemstones, from diamonds to rubies, emeralds and sapphires." He added, "We also have specialist equipment available for the students to use so that they can see how gemstones are cut. Students are given an excellent background of the genesis of gemstones, and learn how the natural crystals form in the Earth's crust. On the course, students include people with degrees in geology, but also those with no previous academic qualifications, just a real interest in the subject and wish to learn." Another course in the Scientific Studies Series is the Diploma in Geology which provides an introduction to the science of geology for people interested in the landscape and the general outdoors. Subjects covered on this two-year course include Evolution of the Earth, The Human Perspective, and Hazards and the Environment. Dr. Kathryn Moore, Lecturer at the Department of Earth and Ocean Science and Course Director, says previous students of the course have revelled in the heavy emphasis placed on field trips throughout the programme. "It's a very sociable academic course for anyone that has a genuine interest in the outdoors. Past students have used the Diploma to enhance their career prospects and the course may also prove useful to geography teachers in secondary schools that now have to include geology in their teaching curriculum, or engineers looking for geological knowledge and understanding." Application forms and further information on both courses are available from the Adult and Continuing Education Office on 091 492062 or by emailing adulteducation@nuigalway.ie ENDS

Scientists from the Irish Seaweed Centre at NUI Galway say Ireland could become a key player in the production of biofuel from seaweed. According to Dr. Stefan Kraan, Manager of the Irish Seaweed Centre, "With its rich, sustainable, seaweed resources, Ireland is poised to become an important player in the next generation of biofuel production." Dr. Kraan was speaking at the annual conference of the International Society for Applied Phycology opened this morning at NUI Galway, for which over 400 delegates have registered. Phycology, the scientific study of algae, will be discussed and debated at the event which has attracted engineers, manufacturers, contractors, scientists, researchers, students, economists, industry representatives and policymakers. Seaweed has long been investigated as a potential source of bioethanol, which is typically made from crops such as sugar cane and corn, but technological barriers remain to its commercial use. According to Kraan, "Algae do not have the negative image of terrestrial biomass resources, which are said to be responsible for higher food prices, impacting on water use, biodiversity and destruction of rain forest. This conference allows us to examine the current technologies available for the production of bioethanol from seaweed. We will examine the economic and social aspects of using brown seaweeds for bioethanol production, and views on the feasibility of biofuel production from macroalgae." The keynote address at the conference 'Algae and biofuels: Quo vadis?' was delivered by Professor Michael A. Borowitzka, from Murdoch University, Australia. According to Professor Borowitzka, "Compared to other bioenergy crops (e.g. rapeseed, canola, peanut, oil palm) there are a number of species of algae that have higher areal productivities, higher oil content and that can grow in saline waters. These apparently very favourable properties have generated a frenzy of interest and activities in the field of energy production using algae, both microalgae and seaweeds." He continued, "For biofuel production the algal biomass needs to be produced at a cost of around $US1 or less per kg. In order to achieve this ambitious goal there is the need for year-round reliable high productivity algal culture and all factors (e.g. algae strains, algae culture, harvesting and further downstream processing) need to be optimized and efficiently integrated." Ireland boasts 16 commercially useful seaweed species, with additional species being added as more research is carried out. Ireland's location as off Western Europe, surrounded by clean seas, is a major selling point to the world market. The current uses of seaweeds in Ireland are as foods and food supplements; fertilizers, liquid seaweed extracts, soil conditioners, animal feed supplements, raw material for seaweed polymers (alginates), cosmetics, body-care products, thalassotherapy (sea water and seaweed treatments), medical preparations, biotechnology and biomedicine. -ends-

NUI Galway's Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) is to develop a new intelligent trip planner in collaboration with Irish start-up Tourist Republic Ltd. The internet tool, TripPlanr, will allow travellers to plan more complex trips than existing technology allows, such as combining multiple destinations on a fixed budget and timeline. The cost of this initiative is €200,000 and has received support funding under Enterprise Ireland s Innovation Partnership programme. TripPlanr will be aimed at the more adventurous traveller who wants more than a weekend for two in one of Paris s main hotels. The technology will combine Touristr.com's traveller recommendations with information from airlines and accommodation providers, suggesting the most perfectly-attuned trip possible. Jan Blanchard, is CEO of Tourist Republic and sees huge benefits in the partnership, "We knew that to build the intelligent trip planner which we have in mind, we needed a team to rival the in-house expertise at Google or Yahoo! Through Enterprise Ireland we have this opportunity to bring our vision to reality with DERI, which is the largest Semantic Web research institute in the world". DERI's specialised expertise in Information Mining, the Semantic Web and Web 2.0 applications will allow TripPlanr to filter data and make recommendations based on the preferences of the traveller and their social network. Building on Touristr.com s existing destination review site, the new solution is expected to increase the probability of the traveller booking the targeted option suggested. According to Dr. John Breslin, Project Leader with DERI at NUI Galway, and founder of the popular online forum boards.ie, "The pre-internet problem of information deficit has been replaced with the problem of information overload. We are faced with an overwhelming surfeit of similarly sounding destination descriptions and offers. We hope to make online trip planning much more personalised by enabling networked knowledge using the latest technologies developed here at DERI." The TripPlanr project has a skilled team in place to research and develop the application, and the project is currently recruiting for web developers to join this exciting work. TripPlanr is expected to be in beta testing by the end of the year. -ends-

Multi-culturalism is the order of the day at the Clare Education Centre in Ennis which will host a Diploma Series offered by NUI Galway s college of Arts, Social Science and Celtic Studies in conjunction with the University's Adult and Continuing Education Office. Applications for the four programmes in Irish Music Studies, French, German and the Irish language are now invited from people seeking a new challenge or from those interested in brushing up on those rusty language skills. No previous knowledge of any of the subjects is required for the diplomas, which have proven to be a popular choice among adult learners over a long tradition of part-time programmes at NUI Galway. A rising interest in the Irish language has prompted the University to restructure its Diploma in Irish which is now offered at three levels, to cater for all abilities. Bríd Seoige of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta, which delivers the Diploma in Irish, said people who have never spoken a word of Irish before can now study the language to diploma level. "Previously some students found the diploma tough and many dropped out but now we are offering three levels of diploma, catering to those non-Irish students interested in the language, right up to competent Irish speakers who wish to strengthen their written and grammar skills," she said. While the diploma is popular with students of all capabilities, in recent years there has been increased demand for the course among mature students interested in pursuing a career in teaching. "We have had a lot of students who have taken up the diploma as a way of fulfilling the Irish requirement for primary school teaching," said Bríd. "There has also been a lot of interest in the course in the aftermath of the comedian Des Bishop s recent television series which has helped to enhance the Irish language s reputation especially among young adults." The Diploma in Irish Music Studies will strike a chord among the north Clare traditional music scene which is noted throughout the country for its historic musical culture. The course provides insights from music, dance, poetry, television and film into the ways in which Irish performers and writers have been actively involved in imagining and re-imagining Ireland from the 18th century to the present. Tim Collins, one of the course directors who will deliver the traditional Irish music and dance components of the programme, said it was suited to anyone with an interest in Irish culture. "Musical ability is not a requirement for students entering this course as the programme is mainly centred around the debate and discussion of the identity of Irish traditional music," he said. "Up to now our classes have included a diverse mix of students from doctors in Galway to musicians in Ennis so it really is a course that has broad appeal to a wide cross section of society." French and German are also popular course options for people in the region considering part-time education. Giving students the ability both to converse and comprehend a variety of everyday topics and situations in the languages, both courses also equip students with an introduction to the civilisations, cultures and societies of both countries. For further information on the Ennis Diploma Series contact the Adult and Continuing Education Office at 091 492062 or email adulteducation@nuigalway.ie. -ends-