20 November 2006: NUI Galway will welcome secondary school students, parents and teachers from all over Ireland to its Open Day on Thursday, 30 November, 9am – 3pm. This year there is a special emphasis on providing information for parents, who play a crucial role in helping students choose what to study at third-level. Mary Coyle, Schools Liaison Officer, commented, "Completing the CAO form can be a stressful time for young people as they try to choose from the options available. Support from their parents plays an important part in helping them understand their choices and make the best decisions. On Open Day we hope to provide the information needed to make the decision-making process easier for everyone involved". Throughout the day there will be introductory lectures from across the faculties of Arts, Law, Commerce, Science, Celtic Studies, Medicine & Health Sciences, and Engineering. Over 70 exhibition stands, with academic staff and students on hand, will give an overview of campus life with information on everything from individual courses, to accommodation, to careers advice. The Open Day will also incorporate campus tours and laboratory demonstrations as well as information on extracurricular activities such as sports and societies. The University has a strong and justified reputation as a student-centred organisation and emphasises a commitment to the holistic development of each student. According to Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President, NUI Galway, "Going to University is one of the most exciting experiences of a lifetime, providing a unique opportunity to study, in depth, subjects that are really of interest. We help our students acquire knowledge and skills which are highly valued by employers and to make new and lasting friendships". The close proximity of the University to Galway City, one of the fastest developing cities in Europe and a thriving, bustling centre of culture and commerce, provides students with ready access to all facilities a modern city offers. Students of NUI Galway not only enjoy the social and cultural life of a dynamic energetic city, but also one of Europe's most beautiful and unspoiled hinterlands including the Connemara Gaeltacht, its rich cultural and artistic traditions, the Burren and the Aran Islands. For further information contact Mary Coyle on 091 492814, email mary.coyle@nuigalway.ie or visit www.nuigalway.ie. -ends-

20 November 2006: NUI Galway has launched a limited edition DVD, Claíocha Arda, which describes the life and work of Máirtín Ó Cadhain, one of the most prominent Irish language writers of the twentieth century. The limited edition DVD gives an insight into Máirtín Ó Cadhain's vision and life and is part of the centenary celebrations of his birth. The DVD which is subtitled in English has been issued by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUI Galway's national institute pioneering third-level education through the Irish language. Claíocha Arda roughly translates as 'fortification', which is a metaphor for the challenges Ó Cadhain faced in his lifetime. While television footage of Máirtín Ó Cadhain is in short supply, this DVD is a collection of the best of RTÉ's archive. Ó Cadhain himself talks about his youth, school life, republicanism, starting to write, literature, and what he believed was the root of all storytelling - love. "Silim gan an grá nach féidir scéalaíocht a dhéanamh/Without love there is no storytelling", Máirtín once said. Peadar Mac an Iomaire, Director of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, comments, "Máirtín Ó Cadhain was a pioneer of Irish-language modernism and his literary legacy is a national treasure. Claíocha Arda allows us an insight into the inspirations behind Máirtín's writings in his own words. This film is an inspiration to the young and the not so young when they see the loyalty and devotion of this man to his own community. Academics, historians, writers and students are just some of the audiences who will enjoy this DVD, which is certain to become a collector's item." The DVD contains an extract from Ó Cadhain's novel Cré na Cille and describes the inspiration for its characters. Ó Cadhain spoke Russian and was interested in the major Russian writers such as Dostoevsky, Chekhov and Maxim Gorki. Reflecting this, music by Shostakovich, Rachmaninov and Stravinsky is used on the DVD to add atmosphere to the black and white footage. The limited edition DVD is available for sale by contacting Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge on 091 492428 or caitriona.nichoirbhin@oegaillimh.ie -ends- Notes to editors: For more information, please contact Bríd Seoige: Tel. 00 353 91 495 302, Email: brid.seoige@oegaillimh.ie

…world's largest Semantic Web project goes from strength to strength at NUI Galway... 20 November 2006: Key next generation technologies for the Internet are being developed at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), NUI Galway, which will be the backbone of Ireland's knowledge economy. Professor Manfred Hauswirth, Vice Director of DERI, states that, "The success and growth of the knowledge economy in this country will be linked to our ability to easily create, share and retrieve information and data across organisations. To make this process efficient it has to be mechanised, which can only be achieved through self description of data and processes, namely by adding semantics into them." Using semantics, (tagging data to allow computers understand its meaning) DERI is developing technologies enabling people, organisations and systems to better collaborate and interoperate. The work being carried out by over eighty researchers, the biggest project of its kind in the world, will also involve other aspects of the digital society spanning from the public sector, e.g., health or governmental administration, to the personal domain, e.g., community portals which support novel ways for people to share information and interact. Professor Hauswirth was speaking in advance of Research Day at DERI on 23 November, which will see leading academics and industry experts convene at NUI Galway to receive an update on the technologies being developed by the institute and discuss the future of informatics in Ireland. Chaired by DERI's Directors Prof. Stefan Decker and Prof. Manfred Hauswirth, the day will offer a forum for researchers and practitioners coming from a wide variety of areas to discuss common interests, share and exchange expertise and establish new connections inside Irish academic institutions as well as with industry. According to Professor Hauswirth, "The mission of DERI is to establish semantics as the core pillar of modern computer engineering. We are three years into this huge and exciting project and are on the cusp of tagging the entire web, which will lead us into the next generation of the Internet and computing. We have over eighty of the best researchers in the world, from 16 different countries, working in Galway to drive this project forward in tandem with the rise of the knowledge economy." The DERI Research Day will be held in DERI Galway, IDA Business Park, Lower Dangan, Galway and attendance is by invitation only. Presentations will be made on topics including Web Services eXecution Environment; Semantic Web Search Engine; Information Centric Access in the case of SIOC; and Large Scale Sensor Networks. -ends-

Cuirfidh OÉ Gaillimh fáilte roimh dhaltaí meánscoile, tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí ó cheann ceann na tíre go dtí a Lá Oscailte Déardaoin, an 30 Samhain 9r.n. – 3i.n. I mbliana, cuirfear béim ar eolas a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí faoin ról tábhachtach a bhíonn acu cabhrú le daltaí rogha a dhéanamh faoina n-ábhar staidéir don tríú leibhéal. Dúirt Mary Coyle, An tOifigeach um Idirchaidreamh le Scoileanna, "Bíonn sé an-deacair ar dhaoine óga an fhoirm CAO a chomhlánú mar gheall ar an rogha atá ann. Cabhraíonn a dtuismitheoirí leo an rogha is fearr a dhéanamh. Ar an Lá Oscailte tá súil againn an t-eolas a chur ar fáil a chabhróidh le gach duine páirteach an cinneadh is fearr a dhéanamh." I rith an lae, beidh réamhléachtaí ó na Dámha seo, na Dána, Dlí, Tráchtáil, Eolaíocht, Léann Ceilteach, Leigheas & Eolaíochtaí Sláinte agus Innealtóireacht. Beidh 70 seastáin ann ar an lá agus comhaltaí foirne acadúla agus mic léinn ar fáil chun léargas a thabhairt ar shaol an champais idir cúrsaí, lóistín agus gairmchomhairle. Beidh turais den champas ar fáil ar an Lá Oscailte chomh maith le taispeántais saotharlainne agus eolas faoi ghníomhaíochtaí seach-churaclaim cosúil le spórt agus cumainn. Tá clú agus cáil ar an Ollscoil mar eagraíocht a thugann tús áite don mhac léinn agus bíonn béim láidir ar fhorbairt iomlánaíoch gach mac léinn. Dúirt an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, "Tá sé ar cheann de na heispéiris is fearr sa saol dul ar an Ollscoil, agus beidh an deis agat mionstaidéar a dhéanamh ar ábhair a thaitníonn leat. Tugaimid cabhair do na mic léinn eolas agus scileanna a fháil a theastaíonn ó fhostóirí agus cuireann siad aithne ar dhaoine nua, aithne a mhaireann go brách". Tá Cathair na Gaillimhe ar cheann de na cathracha is tapúla fás san Eoraip agus tá sí ina hionad rafar, spleodrach cultúir agus tráchtála; de bharr go bhfuil an Ollscoil chomh gar sin don Chathair, ní bhíonn deacracht ag mic léinn teacht ar na saoráidí go léir a bhíonn ar fáil i mbaile mór nua-aimseartha. Bíonn sult le baint ag mic léinn OÉ Gaillimh as an saol sóisialta agus cultúir atá sa chathair fhuinniúil bhríomhar seo, ach lena chois sin bíonn siad in ann taitneamh a bhaint as ceann de na cúlchríocha is áille agus is glaine san Eoraip, lena n-áirítear Gaeltacht Chonamara, traidisiúin shaibhre chultúir agus ealaíon, Boirinn agus Oileáin Árann. Chun eolas breise a fháil déan teagmháil le Mary Coyle ar 091 492814 nó mary.coyle@nuigalway.ie. É sin nó cliceáil ar www.nuigalway.ie. - críoch -

20 November 2006 – Speaking at NUI Galway recently, Dr. Garret FitzGerald said Irish society "could eventually find that we had created an ethical wasteland – a society without human values, corroded by materialism, selfishness and also hedonism" unless "firm ethical foundations can be laid in our schools". His speech 'Civic Republicanism and Public Morality' was part of a keynote seminar series focusing on themes related to civic engagement and active citizenship, hosted by the University's Community Knowledge Initiative. Dr. FitzGerald, former Taoiseach and current Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, said, 'Irish society still retains some pre-modern elements which by the start of the 20th century had largely disappeared in the rest of Northern Europe. These include an almost tribalist form of localism, and a client list approach to politics, together with a weak commitment to the state and the payment of taxes democratically levied by the state. In other words, our state is still marked by a notable absence of what has become known as civic republicanism. He continued, "Unless firm ethical foundations can be laid in our schools for what I would describe as a new 'civic republicanism' – the prospect of improving, or even maintaining, the quality of Irish society as we move further in the 21st century seems pretty grim. Many – but clearly today not all – parents will no doubt assist such a process, in their own way, but the schools – both primary and secondary – hold the key to this project". The Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) is a project at NUI Galway that promotes partnership with communities and endeavours to enhance social commitment within communities. Funded by philanthropic donations, the CKI hopes to reinvigorate the civic mission of higher education in Ireland, putting communities at the centre of debate. "We were delighted to have Dr. FitzGerald speak with us, as it was an educational and informative event for people of the Galway community," said Lorraine McIlrath, CKI Project Coordinator. The keynote series is being offered as a response to the increased alienation and declining social commitment that is common in today's communities, and will host a number of high profile people who are knowledgeable in these areas. KEYNOTE SEMINAR SERIES SCHEDULE: Dr. Garret Fitzgerald, Ret. Leader and Chancellor of the NUI, Tuesday, November 14th, 3.00pm - 4.00pm, Civic Republicanism and Public Morality Mr. Alan Kerins, Alan Kerins African Projects, Thursday, 25th January 2007, 3.00pm - 4.00pm, speaking on his work with the Cheshire House, volunteering and how important it is today. Mrs. Mary Davis, Chair of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship, Thursday, 22nd February 2007, 3.00pm - 4.00pm, speaking on her work with the Taskforce on Active Citizenship, the Special Olympics and active citizenship in Ireland today Mr. Alan Rusbridger, Editor of the Guardian, Friday, 9th March 2007, 3.00pm - 4.00pm, speaking on his work with the Guardian, as well as Journalism, New Media and Democracy Mr. Maurice Mullard, University of Hull, Reader in Social Policy, Thursday, 19th April 2007, 3.00pm -4.00pm, speaking on his work with the University of Hull, citizenship, social policy and the war on terror Ms. Caroline Casey, The Aisling Foundation, Thursday, 27th September 2007, 3.00pm - 4.00pm, speaking on her work with the Aisling Foundation and active citizenship, as well as the role that volunteering plays in community.