NUI Galway PhD student Sandra Galvin from the Department of Bacteriology will bring the topical issue of water quality to the annual Science Speak competition in the RDS on Thursday, 3 May, 2007 where she will compete with students from the six other Irish Universities to claim the coveted national title. Compered by RTE's Pat Kenny, the contest rates the speakers' ability to communicate their research to a non-scientific audience. The judging panel, which includes Irish Times Science Editor Dick Ahlstrom, Peter Brabazon of Discover Science and Engineering, and RTE broadcasters John Creedon, Éanna Ní Lamhna and Kathriona Devereux, will determine the winner as the person best able to communicate their area of research and how it can affect peoples' everyday lives. Sandra's presentation, 'Water water everywhere - is it safe to drink?' is especially topical given the current national debate about water quality arising from the problems with water quality in the Galway region. It is based on her PhD research project which examines how to detect antibiotic resistant bacteria in water and in sewage and asks what is the significance of this issue for human health. The work is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. Sandra's work involves analysing various water bodies around Ireland including hospital effluent, outflow from a wastewater treatment plant, source water, drinking water, sea water, river water and lake water. "The effect the environment has on our health is of increasing concern worldwide," says Sandra. "Given the current climate of water quality issues in Ireland, this research further highlights the importance of increased monitoring and assessment of our water supplies." Originally from Askeaton, in County Limerick, Sandra holds a BSc in Microbiology from UCC. Now in her second year of a PhD at the Department of Bacteriology, NUI Galway, she is one of a team of researchers involved in the 'Enhancing Human Health Through Improved Water Quality' project, led by the Environmental Change Institute at NUI Galway. Science Speak is an annual competition organised by the seven Irish Universities; NUI Galway, University of Limerick, University College Cork, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University and NUI Maynooth. Each finalist, a postgraduate student, qualified for the national final through individual competitions in their respective university. Science Speak is a joint initiative organised by the Irish Times and the RDS in association with the Irish Universities Promoting Science. The event is sponsored by Wyeth Biotech and the Discover Science & Engineering Programme. ENDS

Internet researchers at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) at NUI Galway have made a major technological breakthrough in the Semantic Web, a machine readable version of the web which enables more efficient internet searching. Current internet technology means that users must filter search results and decide what is relevant. The Semantic Web enables the computer to filter information and also powers the intelligent transfer, sharing and negotiation of information between computer systems. The Semantic Web Search Engine developed at DERI is able to answer queries with more than 7 billion RDF statements in fractions of a second - the largest number reported so far anywhere in the world. An RDF statement is the entity that makes the Semantic Web semantic. Possible application areas include Social Network Applications and Analysis, eHealth applications, Web Search, location based services, and financial searches. "The importance of this breakthrough can not be overestimated" says Professor Stefan Decker, Director of DERI. "These results enable us to create web search engines that really deliver answers instead of links. The technology also allows us to combine information from the Web, for example the engine can list all partnerships of a company even if there is no single web page that lists all of them." Andreas Harth and Aidan Hogan, key researchers on the Semantic Web Search Engine project, have been working on the project for about three years. "I am excited about the prospects ahead," says Mr Harth. "We are currently working on realising inferencing - making the web truly intelligent - and we have results already." DERI is currently the largest applied research organisation in the world developing the next generation of internet technology – the Semantic Web. DERI was founded in 2003 with CSET (Centre for Science and Engineering Technology) funding from Science Foundation Ireland. It has since grown to over 100 people and has acquired significant additional research funding from sources such as the European Union Framework Programmes, Enterprise Ireland and SFI. ENDS

The trend towards increasing outflows of people as well as the more evident inflows from other countries should be welcomed as part of Ireland's changing pattern of migration, according to a former Dean of Commerce at NUI Galway, Professor Roy Green, who will deliver the 30th Annual Countess Markievicz Memorial lecture on Tuesday, 8 May 2007. The 'Building the Innovative Capability of Organisations' lecture, organised by the Irish Association for Industrial Relations (IAIR), with the support of Medtronic and GMIT, will take place at Áras Moyola, NUI Galway from 6.30 – 7.30pm. Prof. Green is Dean of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, one of Australia's leading business schools. Prof. Green argues that, like Australia, Ireland too must adopt a positive view of the trend for graduates to look for work abroad as well as at home, as many of these graduates are likely to return with enhanced skills and experience. Prof. Green, who was responsible for establishing the Centre for Innovation & Structural Change and J E Cairnes Graduate School of Business & Public Policy during his six years at NUI Galway, believes Countess Markievicz herself was one of the first examples of a migrant who contributed massively to the Irish nation. "The first phase of immigration comprised Irish expatriates from the less than halcyon days of the 1980s, who were forced to leave by the economic circumstances of the time and only now have the opportunity to return to senior positions in universities, public agencies and international firms, as well as professional s and skilled workers from a wide range of other countries, especially the new member states of the EU, who also want to contribute to the Irish economic transformation and build a new life here for themselves and their families," says Prof. Green. "With only a slight stretch of the imagination, you might say that London-born Constance Markievicz was an early prototype for this group, as were James Connolly, who was Scottish and New York native Eamon de Valera. "Unlike Joyce Beckett Shaw and the Massachusetts Kennedy clan, whose life and work were conducted abroad, the new generation will be gone one day but back the next, as a sophisticated, Blackberry wielding, Armani and Prada-clad globalised community, which according to AT Kearney's Globalisation Index, belongs to one of the most globalised economies in the world." Professor Green concludes that business schools have a major part to play in "preparing the next generation of leaders in our societies, through their management of organisations in both the public and private sectors, and that leadership in the future will no longer be about 'command and control', but releasing people's talent and creativity, more often than not in cross-functional, problem-solving teams, collaborative networks and 'communities of knowledge'". The lecture is free and open to the public. Further information is available from Dr Noel Harvey, Chairman of the IAIR on 091 742127 or Nuala Donohue, Department of Management, NUI Galway on 091 493771. The Irish Association for Industrial Relations was established in 1972 in response to a growing need to develop and exchange knowledge on industrial relations at the national level, providing a forum for discussion and research. Membership is drawn from management, trade unions, academics, students and others interested in industrial relations and related topics. ENDS

Pictured at the Honorary Conferring on Friday 29 June, 2007(L to R): Chief Justice Pius Langa; Enya; Bill Walsh; Niall FitzGerald, KBE; Dr Jane O Leary and Nicholas Carolan Honorary Doctorates conferred on Bill Walsh, Jane O'Leary, Chief Justice Pius Langa, Nicholas Carolan, Niall Fitzgerald, KBE and Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (Enya) Six outstanding individuals from the worlds of business, philanthropy, justice, music and the arts were conferred with honorary degrees from National University of Ireland, Galway on Friday 29 June, 2007. The conferring marks remarkable achievements and distinctive contributions both nationally and internationally by individuals who have excelled in their fields. The ceremony follows last week's honorary conferring of world renowned folklorist Tom Munnelly. Commenting, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway said, "It is a great pleasure to welcome such a distinguished group of graduands to NUI Galway to bestow on them the highest honour that the university can confer. This year with the worlds of the arts, justice, business and philanthropy represented by graduands from South Africa, Ireland, Britain and the United States, I believe that we have a wonderfully eclectic, diverse and particularly talented group of honorees." Bill Walsh (Degree of Doctor of Laws) is the Founder and Chairman of Sequoia Associates, a private investment firm, established in 1982. He is married and has six children. A quiet, steadfast philanthropist, Walsh is a long-time member of the American Ireland Fund and received its Distinguished Leadership Award in 1997. Walsh, his wife, and six children together endowed The William D. Walsh Family Library at Fordham University, and dedicated the Lumbard Classroom in Hauser Hall at Harvard Law School. In addition, Walsh established the Lumbard Fellowship to fund summer interns from Harvard Law School and Columbia and Fordham Law Schools to work in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Jane O'Leary (Degree of Doctor of Music) was born in Hartford, Connecticut, Jane has been resident in Ireland since 1972. A founding member of Aosdána, Jane has composed over 70 works, which have been widely performed and broadcast. In 1976 Jane established the contemporary music ensemble Concorde to promote and perform new music on a regular basis. She lives in Galway where she is a founder and current chairperson of Music for Galway, founded in 1981. Jane has served on the Board of the National Concert Hall, the Arts Council, and the Cultural Relations Committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs. She was chair of the Contemporary Music Centre during a period of significant development for the centre. She has been Composer in Residence at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and currently teaches composition at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. Chief Justice Pius Langa (Degree of Doctor of Laws) is an inspirational jurist who is the first African Chief Justice of South Africa. He rose from humble beginnings as a worker in a shirt factory, to a court interpreter and messenger; subsequently a prosecutor and magistrate and a Judge of the Constitutional Court. Chief Justice Langa has always been involved in attempts to improve the quality of life of his fellow South Africans. He continues to assist civic organisations, townships residents association and youth and recreational groups. In an extremely competitive profession, his rise from humble beginnings in apartheid in South Africa to the Chief Justice of a free South Africa is truly remarkable and bears testimony to a courageous and indefatigable personality. Nicholas Carolan (Degree of Doctor of Literature) has achieved a national feat in the last twenty years in the establishment of the Irish Traditional Music Archive. It holds and preserves there the largest multi-media collection in existence of Irish traditional music materials: over 28,000 sound recordings, 18,000 books and serials, 10,000 images, and a mass of other materials. It also holds the largest body of information about the music, organised on unique computer catalogues: over half a million content items in all. He is best known to the public for his long-running archival television series, Come West along the Road on RTÉ and Siar an Bóthar on TG4, and for his extensive public lecturing. He has also published a profusion of books and scholarly articles on the subject of Irish traditional music. This year 2007 will be the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Archive, an appropriate time to honour Nicholas Carolan s service to the nation. Niall FitzGerald, KBE (Degree of Doctor of Laws) became the Chairman of Reuters in October 2004, having spent over thirty years with Unilever in a variety of commercial and financial jobs in several countries. During his Unilever career, he worked and lived in Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, the USA and the UK. Niall FitzGerald joined the Board of Reuters as a non-executive director in 2003 and became Chairman in 2004. Niall FitzGerald was awarded an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire in 2002, and holds a number of Honorary Doctorates from American, British and Irish universities. Eithne Ní Bhraonáin-Enya (Degree of Doctor of Music) was born in Gaoth Dobhair and educated in Milford, County Donegal, Enya was born into a musical family. In 1980 she was asked to join the family group Clannad at the request of Nicky Ryan, Clannad's Manager at that time. After leaving Clannad in 1982 she commenced her musical collaboration with the producer and lyricist team of Nicky and Roma Ryan. Enya has become Ireland's best-selling solo artist in the history of the State and ranks alongside the most successful female artists in the world. She was the world s biggest selling female artist of 2001 and 2002. To date Enya has sold over seventy million albums worldwide. The honorary conferring will take place in the presence of the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland and former Taoiseach, Dr. Garret FitzGerald ENDS

Ag bronnadh na gCeimeanna Oinigh inniú ag OÉ Gaillimh (ó chlé): an tArd-Bhreitheamh Pius Langa; Enya; Bill Walsh; Niall FitzGerald, KBE; Dr Jane O Leary agus Nicholas Carolan Céimeanna Dochtúireachta bronnta ar Bill Walsh, Jane O'Leary, An tArd-Bhreitheamh Pius Langa, Nicholas Carolan, Niall Fitzgerald, KBE agus Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (Enya) Fuair seisear den scoth ó shaol an ghnó, an daonchairdis, an cheartais, an cheol agus na n-ealaíon céimeanna oinigh ó Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh inniu, Dé hAoine, an 29 Meitheamh 2007. Léiríonn an bronnadh na héachtaí agus an obair náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta atá bainte amach ag na daoine seo sna réimsí lena mbaineann siad. Bronnadh céim oinigh an tseachtain seo caite ar an mbéaloideasaí Tom Munnelly, a bhfuil cáil dhomhanda air. Dúirt an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, "Is mór an onóir dom fáilte a chur roimh an ngrúpa ar leith réamhchéimithe seo chuig OÉ Gaillimh agus an onóir is mó is féidir leis an Ollscoil a thabhairt dóibh á bronnadh orthu inniu. I mbliana agus réamhchéimithe ón Afraic Theas, as Éirinn, as an mBreatain agus as na Stáit Aontaithe ag déanamh ionadaíochta ar na healaíona, an ceartas, an gnó agus an daonchairdeas, is eicléictiúil, ilghnéitheach agus ildánach an grúpa céimithe atá againn." Is é Bill Walsh (Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí) a bhunaigh agus atá mar Chathaoirleach ar Sequoia Associates, gnólacht príobháideach infheistíochta, a bunaíodh i 1982. Tá sé pósta agus tá seisear clainne air. Daonchara ciúin seasmhach é Walsh atá in bhall le blianta fada den American Ireland Fund agus a fuair an Gradam Ceannaireachta uathu i 1997. Mhaoinigh Walsh, a bhean chéile, agus a seisear clainne an William D. Walsh Family Library in Ollscoil Fordham, agus ba iad a thiomnaigh an Lumbard Classroom in Hauser Hall ag Scoil Dlí Harvard. Chomh maith leis sin, bhunaigh Walsh Ánracht Lumbard chun intéirnigh a mhaoiniú i rith an tsamhraidh ó Scoil Dlí Harvard agus as Scoileanna Dlí Columbia agus Fordham chun go mbeidís in ann oibriú in Oifig an Ard-Aighne sna Stáit Aontaithe. Rugadh Jane O'Leary (Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Cheol) in Hartford, Connecticut, agus tá sí ina cónaí in Éirinn ó 1972. Duine de lucht bunaithe Aosdána í Jane a bhfuil breis agus 70 saothar cumtha aici, saothar a sheinntear agus a chraoltar go mion minic. I 1976, bhunaigh Jane an ensemble comhaimseartha ceoil, Concorde, chun ceol nua a chur chun cinn agus a sheinm go rialta. Tá sí ina cónaí i nGaillimh áit ar bhunaigh sí Music for Galway i 1981 agus is í atá ina cathaoirleach air faoi láthair. Bhí Jane ar Bhord an Cheolárais Náisiúnta, na Comhairle Ealaíon, agus ar Choiste um Chaidreamh Cultúir na Roinne Gnóthaí Eachtracha. Bhí sí in Cathaoirleach ar an Contemporary Music Centre agus an t-ionad sin á fhorbairt go mór ag an am. Bhí sí ina Cumadóir Cónaitheach le hAcadamh Ríoga Cheol na hÉireann agus faoi láthair tá cumadóireacht á teagasc aici san Ardscoil Cheoil agus Drámaíochta in Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath. Is dlí-eolaí den scoth an tArd-Bhreitheamh Pius Langa (Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí). Ba é an chéad Ard-Bhreitheamh Afracach ar an Afraic Theas. Thosaigh sé ag obair i monarcha léinte ar dtús. Ansin fuair sé post mar theachtaire agus mar theangaire cúirte; ansin mar ionchúisitheoir. D'oibrigh sé ansin mar ghiúistís agus mar Bhreitheamh ar an gCúirt Bhunreachtúil. Tá a shaol caite ag an Ard-Bhreitheamh Langa ag iarraidh caighdeán maireachtála na ndaoine san Afraic Theas a fheabhsú. Cabhraíonn sé i gcónaí le heagraíochtaí saoránachta, cumann cónaitheoirí bailte agus grúpaí óige agus caitheamh aimsire. Is gairm fhíoriomaíoch í seo, agus léiríonn an dul chun cinn a rinne sé i gcinedheighilt san Afraic Theas go hArd-Bhreitheamh san Afraic Theas shaor, chomh misniúil agus chomh dosháraithe is atá an fear seo. Tá éacht náisiúnta bainte amach ag Nicholas Carolan (Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Litríocht) le scór bliain anuas le bunú Chartlann Cheol Traidisiúnta na hÉireann. Is ann atá an bailiúchán ilmheán is mó de cheol traidisiúnta na hÉireann: Breis is 28,000 fuaimthaifead, 18,000 leabhar agus sraitheanna, 10,000 íomhá, agus go leor ábhar eile. Is ann is mó atá eolas le fáil faoin gceol freisin – curtha in ord ar chatalóga áirithe ríomhaire: breis is leathmhilliún acu ar fad. Is fearr aithne air mar gheall ar an sraithchlár cartlainne atá ar RTÉ le fada, Come West along the Road agus Siar an Bóthar ar TG4, agus mar gheall ar a chuid léachtaí poiblí. Tá neart leabhar agus alt scolártha foilsithe aige faoi cheol traidisiúnta na hÉireann. Beidh sé 20 bliain i mbliana ó bunaíodh an Chartlann, am feiliúnach chun onóir a thabhairt do sheirbhís Nicholas Carolan don tír. Rinneadh Cathaoirleach ar Reuters de Niall FitzGerald, KBE (Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Dlí) i nDeireadh Fómhair 2004, tar éis tríocha bliain a bheith caite aige le Unilever i bpoist éagsúla tráchtála agus airgeadais i dtíortha éagsúla. Agus é ag obair le Unilever, bhí sé ina chónaí in Éirinn, san Ísiltír, san Afraic Theas, i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá agus sa Ríocht Aontaithe. Rinneadh ball de Bhord Reuters de Niall FitzGerald mar stiúrthóir neamhfheidhmiúcháin in 2003 agus rinneadh Cathaoirleach de in 2004. Rinneadh Ceannasaí Oinigh Ridireachta d'Impireacht na Breataine as Niall FitzGerald in 2002, agus tá céimeanna oinigh Dochtúireachta faighte aige ó ollscoileanna i Meiriceá, sa Bhreatain agus in Éirinn. Rugadh Eithne Ní Bhraonáin-Enya (Céim Dhochtúireachta sa Cheol) i nGaoth Dobhair agus fuair sí a cuid oideachais i Milford, Contae Dhún na nGall. Bhí an teaghlach an-cheolmhar agus i 1980 d'iarr Nicky Ryan uirthi, Bainisteoir Chlannad ag an am, páirt a ghlacadh i gClannad – grúpa an teaghlaigh. I ndiaidh di Clannad a fhágáil i 1982 thosaigh sí ag ceol trí chomhoibriú leis an léiritheoir Nicky Ryan agus leis an liriceoir Roma Ryan. Is í Enya an t-amhránaí ban is mó éilimh sa tír seo agus tá sí ar dhuine de na hamhránaithe ban is cáiliúla ar domhan. Ba í an t-amhránaí ban ba mhó éilimh in 2001 agus 2002. Go dtí seo, tá breis is seachtó milliún albam díolta aici ar fud an domhain. I láthair ag an searmanas bronnta beidh Seansailéir Ollscoil na hÉireann agus an tIar-Thaoiseach, an Dr Garret FitzGerald. CRÍOCH