An greann agus an fhantaisíocht ba dhual don phobal Éireannach a chleachtadh sa ré mheánaoiseach an téama atá roghnaithe d'imeacht idirnáisiúnta a bheidh ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh, Dé hAoine, 12 Meán Fómhair. Is ar cheann de mhórshaothair litríocht mheánaoiseach na hÉireann a bheidh an collóiciam lae seo bunaithe: Aislinge Meic Conglinne nó The Vision of Mac Conglinne mar a thugtar air i mBéarla. Is é Institiúid de Móra um Thaighde sna Daonnachtaí agus sa Léann Sóisialta in OÉ Gaillimh atá ag eagrú an imeachta seo agus beidh saineolaithe as Éirinn, an Ghearmáin, an Ísiltír, an Iodáil, an Iorua, Meiriceá Thuaidh agus as an Albain i measc na gcainteoirí. Tugann Aislinge Meic Conglinne, a cumadh thart ar 1100 AD, léargas dúinn ar conas a chrá deamhan ar Rí na Mumhan mar gur craosaire gan náire a bhí ann. Déantar cur síos sa scéal seo ar an tionchar a bhí ag brionglóidí mac léinn bocht faoi bhia cabhrú leis an rí an deamhan seo a ruaigeadh ar deireadh thiar. Aoir bunaithe ar an gcráifeacht agus ar an bpribhléid a bhain leis na hoird chléiriúla agus léannta le linn na ré meánaoisí in Éirinn atá sa saothar seo. Tá scigaithris ann freisin ar na príomhfhoirmeacha liteartha a bhí i réim ag an am; aithris ar shaol na naomh, aislingí, iomramh, tairngreachtaí agus an Tiomna Nua. Is í an tOllamh Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha, Scoil na nDaonnachtaí, OÉ Gaillimh, atá i mbun an collóciam seo a eagrú. Deir sí gur "sárshaothar greann é Aislinge Meic Conglinne agus tá sé ar cheann de na saothair is iontaí d'oidhreacht liteartha na Gaeilge". Is iomaí athinsint Bhéarla a rinne leithéidí W.B. Yeats, Austin Clarke, Pádraic Fallon agus Peter O'Shaughnessy ar an mbunsaothar meánaoiseach seo san fhichiú céad. Scríobh an tAthair Peadar Ó Laoghaire leagan cáiliúil Gaeilge – An Craos-Deamhan (1905), leagan a mbeadh cur amach ag mic léinn a d'fhreastail ar ollscoil san aois seo caite air. - críoch -

NUI Galway has launched a calendar to celebrate the successes of its NUI Galway First Year Schools Competition. The art competition is part of the University Trail Access Programme designed to encourage an interest in third-level education among students in selected Secondary Schools in Galway City, County and Gaeltacht regions. A record number of over 400 first-year students from 13 Galway secondary schools participated in this years' NUI Galway First Year Schools Competition. Students were asked to express through the media of Art, Music, Drama and Writing why they would like to study at NUI Galway, what it would mean for them and how it would change their future. The academic-year calendar features highlights of the artwork submitted and will be distributed to students of the participating secondary schools. NUI Galway Access School Co-Ordinator, Ashla Ward, says the competition entries were of a very high calibre: "We were very impressed by the aspirations, ideas and effort that the students put into the competition. The creation of a calendar by the University demonstrates the value NUI Galway puts on this marvellous work." The University Trail activities help to build a relationship between the pupils and the university over time by a series of structured fun, interactive and informative activities. Now in its seventh year, the University Trail programme has delivered its activities to over 9,000 students. The University Trail Access Programme is supported by the HEA targeted funding for special initiatives. -ends-

A complex and inspiring new art installation is being brought to Galway City by the Arts and Theatre Office at NUI Galway. From 10 September, the University will present an installation called 'it is the wave that cracks the wax...an organization of the memory, 2008'. The performance installation fuses choreography, visual art, the spoken word, dance, music, sounds and symbols. The work is an ongoing collaborative process between the choreographic installation artist, writer, director, dancer and performer Ursula Mawson-Raffalt, and the painting, light, sound, video and media artist Anthony J. Faulder-Mawson. Both are co-founders and artistic directors of the International Platform for Innovation in the Arts. Fionnuala Gallagher, Arts Officer at NUI Galway, welcomes the opportunity to host two pioneering artists: "Ursula and Anthony are breaking boundaries through individual viewpoints and high-level technique, involving the natural and complex processes of life with startling results. The aim of NUI Galway mirrors that of the International Platform for Innovation in the Arts: simply to inspire each individual rather than to entertain the masses. Come see for yourself." The work is accompanied by an installation of paintings by Anthony J. Faulder-Mawson entitled 'dia duit a Gaillimh_b.o.n.j.o.u.r.Galway'. The painting exhibition runs Monday to Saturday, 12-5pm, from 10 September to 8 October, in the University Art Gallery, Quadrangle, NUI Galway. The performance installation runs from 10-13 September in the Bank of Ireland Theatre at NUI Galway at 8.15pm, with admission €10. A lecture on the art work will be given at the public launch at 6pm on Wednesday, 10 September, 2008, in the University Art Gallery, Quadrangle, NUI Galway. For information and bookings call the NUI Galway Arts Office on 091 495098. -ends-

NUI Galway is pleased to announce that Dr Caroline McIntosh has been appointed as Head of Podiatry. Dr McIntosh will manage the School of Podiatry at the University, which offers the first undergraduate programme available in the State leading to a BSc (Hons) in Podiatry. Over 20 students have been accepted onto the popular new course and will qualify in four years as healthcare professionals specialising in the management of disease and disorders of the lower limb and foot. Dr McIntosh joins NUI Galway from the Division of Podiatry at the University of Huddersfield, UK, where she taught a range of subjects since 2003, including research methods, medicine, vascular assessment, diabetes and wound care. Prior to her tenure at the University of Huddersfield, Dr McIntosh worked with the NHS as a Senior Podiatrist with Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust in North Yorkshire. Speaking about her appointment, Dr McIntosh said, "With an ageing population, increasing diabetes and obesity, there is a growing demand for podiatrists in Ireland. Podiatry plays a critical role in managing patient health and quality of life. This is an extremely exciting position for me personally and for this area of the healthcare profession in Ireland." Throughout her career, Dr McIntosh has been involved in a number of research studies including two clinical trials investigating the effect of honey dressings on wound healing following toe-nail surgery. She has also contributed to a large multi-centre study investigating different treatments for verrucae. Her PhD, which she completed in 2007, focused on the need to build and disseminate evidence-based wound care. Dr McIntosh has published a number of papers in the field of tissue viability, particularly on the diabetic foot, and has presented at national and international conferences. She recently co-edited the text book 'Lower Extremity Wounds; A Problem-Based Approach'. Dr McIntosh is also a member of the Editorial advisory board for Wounds UK Journal. Plans are currently underway for a Podiatry Clinic which will be developed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) located in the Merlin Park campus of Galway Regional Hospitals but will primarily provide services to community based patients. The Clinic will work in partnership with the University's School of Podiatry to provide for the clinical education and training components of the programme. Dr McIntosh is originally from Cramlington in Northumberland, UK. For more information about NUI Galway's BSc (Hons) in Podiatry visit www.nuigalway.ie/podiatry -ends-

Matters of particular interest to Irish and Irish-American constituencies were discussed at last night's US Presidential Debate at NUI Galway. At the event, Democrat Bruce Morrison, former Congressman and author of the Morrison Visa legislation, went head-to-head with Republican Grant Lally, Head of Irish-Americans for McCain and former President of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. The debate was organised in the 'Town Hall Meeting' style and pre-submitted questions were posed by members of the audience estimated to number over 700. Deemed to be the largest of its kind ever held in Ireland, the meeting provided attendees with a unique, unfiltered opportunity to deepen their understanding of the complex blend of substance and style that shapes electoral politics in the United States. Under discussion were the plight of the undocumented Irish in the United States and the future of foreign direct investment in Ireland under either a Barack Obama or John McCain administration. Both Bruce Morrison and Grant Lally argued that their candidate cherished the historical ties between the two countries and would endeavour to further strengthen the relationship between Ireland and the United States. Morrison and Lally also traded barbs on all of the key issues that have defined the 2008 campaign, including: the state of the global economy, the Iraq war, the American health care system, the issue of experience, and the enigmatic Vice-Presidential candidacy of Sarah Palin. According to NUI Galway Law Lecturer Larry Donnelly, the Boston native and political analyst who moderated the debate: "The United States is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, is waging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with no clearly defined exit strategy and has seen its status in the world fall precipitously in recent years. Polls show that most Americans blame the Bush administration and John McCain, as a Republican, is finding it very difficult to escape President Bush's shadow. When that is coupled with the excitement that Barack Obama's candidacy has generated, it seems like 2008 will be the Democrats' year, but as history proves, nothing is certain until all the votes are counted". The debate was co-sponsored by NUI Galway's Law Society and the Literary & Debating Society, with addresses by their respective heads Peter Mannion and Dan Colley. -ends-