09 February 2007: Scholars from all over the world will attend the Annual Conference of Sports History Ireland which will be held in connection with the Centre for Irish Studies, NUI Galway on the 16 – 17 February, 2007. This is the third annual conference of Sports History Ireland, a society dedicated towards the development of the study of the history of sport amongst amateur and professional historians. Dr. Iognáid o Muircheartaigh, President, NUI Galway, said: "This year's conference has secured what appears to be the most impressive list of speakers to date, including established and emerging scholars in the world of sports history from Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and Australia". One particularly controversial feature of this year's conference will be Liam O'Callaghan's paper 'Reflecting on the brave and the faithful: the invention of tradition in Munster rugby', which will expose the myth surrounding the Munster Rugby phenomenon. Another innovative feature of this year's conference is Sean Crosson's investigation into representations of Gaelic Games in narrative cinema. A special feature of this presentation will be the screening of the Oscar nominated Paramount Pictures short on hurling, Three Kisses (Justin Herman, 1955). Among the other titles in the conference programme are: The 'Lion of Lahinch: an IRA man at the Walker Cup' Les Bleus multicolores: Contesting identities and French Football Batting on a sticky wicket: George Frith Barry and the growth of chess in Victorian Ireland Gaelic games versus "Cromwell s game": the GAA and association football in Derry City, 1884-1934 How to become an Irish sporting hero: lessons from Dan Donnelly. Dr. Paul Rouse, Chair of Sports History Ireland, remarked that "the ambition of the society is to use the conference to further promote the study of sports history both in the universities and in local communities." He also mentioned "the society would welcome secondary school students to the conference, especially with sport now a part of the history curriculum". Topics to be addressed during the two-day conference include Sinn Fein's attempt to stop hunting in 1919; Ireland's last rugby international in Belfast; Representations of Gaelic Games in narrative cinema; The journalistic career of Michael Cusack; The sporting pursuits of women in the nineteenth century Ireland; and the relationship between sport and the Irish Anti-Apartheid movement, 1964-74. Distinguished guest speakers will include Dr. Phil Dine from the National University of Ireland, Galway; Professor Conal Hooper, Director, Centre for Sport Studies, UCD; Professor Mike Cronin, Boston College; Dr. Dilwyn Porter and Professor Richard Holt from the International Centre for Sport History and Culture, De Montfort University, Leicester. The conference will be officially launched by Dr. Iognáid G. Ó Muircheartaigh, President, National University of Ireland, Galway, in the Moore Institute, NUI Galway on 16 February and the full conference programme is available on the Centre for Irish Studies website at: www.nuigalway.ie/cis - Ends - For further information, please contact David Doyle, Conference Co-Ordinator, Centre for Irish Studies, NUI Galway. Phone: 091-492051 mobile: 0868798479 or email: sportshistoryireland@gmail.com Notes to Editor: The Sports History Ireland society was formed in 2005 under the direction of Dr. Paul Rouse (University College Dublin) and Dr. William Murphy (Mater Dei) in an attempt to promote the highest levels of scholarship in Irish sports history in a way that is inclusive to general public. This has been the hallmark of the society's endeavours so far, something that the society prides itself on. The first two conferences were held in University College Dublin and the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, respectively. Both conferences were complete sell-outs and drew much media attention, as a result of the line-up of national and international speakers. Speakers: Professor Conal Hooper, Director, Centre for Sport Studies, UCD School of Public Health and Population Science. Dr. John Newell, Lecturer in Statistics, Department of Mathematics, NUI Galway, Consultant Statistician, Sports Performance Units, Newcastle United F.C. and Celtic F.C. Dr. Phil Dine, Lecturer, Department of French, NUI Galway. Sport and Identity in France: Practices, Locations, Representations. (An ongoing project funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences) Dr. Jim Shanahan, Trinity College Dublin Paper: Sean Burke, the Lion of Lahinch : an IRA man at the Walker Cup This paper will focus on a little-known event in Irish sporting history, the story of Sean Burke s experience at the 1932 Walker Cup at Brookline, Mass., USA. Burke (1899-1974) was Ireland s finest amateur golfer in the 1930s and 40s, winning the Irish Open Amateur championship in 1947, eight Irish Close titles, eleven South of Irelands, and six West of Ireland championships. He was only selected for one Walker Cup team, however, and this paper examines why. Burke was the first player from the Free State to be selected for the Walker Cup, but he was also the first working man to feature on the team, and his golfing career sheds light on the exclusive nature of amateur golf in both Ireland and Britain in the early decades of the twentieth century. Concentrating on Burke s own account of his experiences at the Walker Cup as told to his friends and family, it reveals how his past as an IRA volunteer came to light, and how he was ostracised by the Royal and Ancient GC and his fellow team mates, despite being the best performer in practice. Even today, he is not mentioned in Gordon Simmond s officially-sanctioned history of the Walker Cup. I will argue that Burke s experience provides valuable perspectives on the organisation of golf in Ireland and Britain, and on attitudes to British-Irish relations in the decade after the War of Independence. Liam O Callaghan, PhD Candidate, Leeds Metropolitan University. Paper: Reflecting on the brave and the faithful: the invention of tradition in Munster rugby

Monday 5 February 2007: A troupe of sixth-class pupils from across Galway city will entertain family and friends in a story-telling evening at the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway on Thursday 8 February as part of the University's Access Office programme. The children from Scoil Bhríde, Shantalla; Holy Trinity Girls School; and St Michael's Boys School Mervue have been developing their story telling skills through workshops led by storytellers Clare Murphy and Rab Fulton, as part of the 'Uni For You' initiative. The Access Office's three-year structured programme of activities aims to positively promote third level education to children and their communities. Story-telling is an excellent educational tool, which develops the child's capacity for active listening, in a world filled with stimuli that reduces the attention span this is an excellent starting point for self-development. The memory, imagination, creativity, liner and abstract thought and self-expression of the child is enhanced through the process of creating and telling their own story. Speaking ahead of the story telling evening, Vice President of Strategic and External Affairs at NUI Galway, Professor Ger Hurley said: "Story-telling enhances confidence and communication skills and is part of the Irish seanchaí tradition that we want to encourage in the next generation." Parents, siblings, teachers and NUI Galway staff will enjoy the children's debut story telling performance, where a selection of stories ranging from the frightening to the funny, will be relayed. Clare Murphy, story-teller, says: "By retelling old tales and inventing their own, children engage their imagination and find confidence in their own innate storytelling abilities. Story-telling is the intrinsic glue that encourages us to learn to listen, to respect and to understand those around us in our community." The Access programme has wide-ranging activities and has been developed in close partnership with the link schools, Scoil Bhríde, Shantalla, Holy Trinity Girls School, and St Michael's Boys School Mervue. -ENDS-

5 Feabhra: Mar chuid de chur i bhfeidhm Scéim Teanga na hOllscoile a aontaíodh mar chuid d'Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003, cuirfear seirbhís iomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fáil do chustaiméirí a ghlaonn ar Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. Beidh custaiméirí in ann teacht ar an tseirbhís nua ón 1 Feabhra 2007 ar aghaidh. Is í príomh aidhm na Scéime ná go gcuirfí le soláthar seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge san Ollscoil i réimse na hacadúlachta, an riaracháin agus na seirbhíse ginearálta. Nuair a aontaíodh an Scéim le hOifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, earcaíodh beirt Fheidhmeannach Teanga go speisialta chun an Scéim a chur i bhfeidhm. Chas na Feidhmeannaigh Theanga mar Aonad Iniúchta le comhaltaí foirne i gceithre spriocroinn go dáta, comhaltaí foirne an mhalartáin ina measc. Tá an t-athrú do chóras an mhalartáin mar chuid de thoradh an phróisis seo. Seo mar a labhair Uachtarán na hOllscoile, An Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh "Ní bheidh le déanamh ag an gcustaiméir ach an tseirbhís a éileamh trí chnaipe a bhrú. Mura mbeidh an córas uathoibríoch in ann cuidiú leis an gcustaiméir, beidh an custaiméir in ann labhairt le hoibreoir malartán a bhfuil Gaeilge líofa aige/aici." Lean an tUasal Ó Muircheartaigh "Tá dualgas faoi leith orainn in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh freastal a dhéanamh ar phobal na Gaeltachta agus ar phobal na Gaeilge i gcoitianta. Tá teanga na Gaeilge lárnach d'fhís fhadtréimhseach na hOllscoile agus táimid an bhuíoch de lucht bainistíochta, teicneoirí agus oibreoirí de chuid an mhalartáin as ucht an tseirbhís iontach seo a chur ar fáil. Mar gheall gurb é an malartán an chéad phointe teagmhála leis an bpobal, tá sé seo thar a bheith tábhachtach. " Mar fhocal scoir dúirt an tUachtarán " Ní dhéanfar aon athrú ar an gcóras a fhreastalóinn ar chustaiméirí a roghnaíonn seirbhís trí mheán an Bhéarla. Ní bheidh le déanamh ag an gcustaiméir a bhfuil seirbhís trí mheán na Gaeilge uaidh/ uaithi ach uimhir a ceathair a bhrú ag tús chlár an mhalartáin. Cuireadh a leithéid de sheirbhís dhátheangach ar fáil le linn saoire na Nollag agus fuarthas aischothú thar a bheith dearfach ó chustaiméirí an mhalartáin. Tá súil againn go gcuideoidh soláthar na seirbhíse nua seo lenár gcustaiméirí uile. Beidh feabhas ag teacht ar sheirbhísí i gcoitianta trí Ghaeilge san Ollscoil mar chuid de chur i bhfeidhm na Scéime agus déarfainn le pobal na Gaeilge is libhse na seirbhísí seo , éilígí iad." Le aghaidh tuilleadh eolais déan teagmháil le: Dáithi Ó Madáin, Áras na Gaeilge ag 091-495449 nó rphost ag daithi.omadain@oegaillimh.ie nó Lisa Ní Fhlatharta, Áras na Gaeilge ag 091 495451 nó rphost ag lisa.nifhlatharta@oegaillimh.ie - CRÍOCH -

5 February 2007: Technologies to help elderly people lead more independent lives are to be developed through research conducted by the Irish Centre for Social Gerentology (ICSG) at NUI Galway, which has been awarded a €1.5 million grant from the Intel Corporation, with the support of the IDA. The ICSG research will inform the design, application and usability of new technologies to enhance the quality of life and independence of older people as part of the newly launched Technology and Research for Independent Living (TRIL). TRIL is a virtual centre, established as part of Intel's European Health Research and Innovation Capactiy. The project involves cross-collaboration among NUI Galway, UCD and Trinity College. An ethnographic gerotechnology research team at the Centre will focus on the content and meaning of older people's lives, their need for new technologies and their experiences with that technology as part of a secure but independent home environment. The team will also examine older peoples' experiences of disability which will provide guidance and feedback to those designing and producing new technologies in relation to falls, cognitive function and social connectedness. Welcoming the funding, Prof. Eamon O'Shea, Director of the ICSG said: "The TRIL initiative is an important development in the ongoing study of age and ageing at NUI Galway. The ethnographic research at ICSG will ensure that older people are at the heart of clinical and technological decision-making with respect to new technologies." The ICSG team will unite the various engineering and design strands of TRIL through enhanced multidisciplinary information systems that link conceptualisation to application, with a personalised focus on the experiences of older people in their own homes. The funding will allow the ICSG to expand its interests in technology and ageing, which along with the economics of ageing and rural ageing, represent the primary research themes of the Centre. It also builds on the existing expertise of the staff of the ICSG, helping to establish the group as an international centre of excellence in the realm of social ageing. In addition, the funding demonstrates the growing interest of the private sector in the area and the increasingly multidisciplinary approach taken in ageing research endeavours. Further information on the work of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology can be found at www.icsg.ie -ENDS

5 Feabhra 2007: Bhí searmanas speisialta ar siúl in onóir do na 57 mac léinn a fuair Scoláireacht Iontrála san Ollscoil. Is aitheantas é seo ar an ardchaighdeán acadúil i measc rang 2006/07. Bhí an tUachtarán féin, an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, i láthair ag an searmanas in Áras na Mac Léinn, Dé Sathairn, an 3 Feabhra 2007. Bronnadh seic €1,525 ar na mic léinn chomh maith le scrolla a dearadh go speisialta chun an t-éacht a rinne siad sa scrúdú deiridh scoile a cheiliúradh. Is ó gach cearn den tír na buaiteoirí agus déanann siad ionadaíocht ar 18 gcontae, ó Aontroim go Corcaigh agus ó Dhún na nGall go Port Láirge. Is de bhunadh na Gaillimhe 23 scoláire. Bronnadh na scoláireachtaí ar scoláirí ó 43 scoil ar leithligh, rud a léiríonn go bhfuil tallann acadúil den scoth le fáil i réimse leathan scoileanna, idir scoileanna beaga agus móra, ar fud na tíre. Dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh: "Tá an-áthas orainn anseo in OÉ Gaillimh aitheantas a thabhairt do thallann acadúil na 57 mac léinn iontach seo ó cheann ceann na tíre. Tá ríméad orm fáilte a chur rompu ar an gcampas seo agus tá moladh ag dul dóibh as an Ollscoil seo a roghnú le staidéar a dhéanamh inti. Táimid ag súil go mór lena dtallann acadúil a chothú agus tacú leo ina gcuid staidéir". Gheobhaidh gach iontrálaí nua a bhainfidh 560 pointe amach (590 i Leigheas agus Eolaíochtaí Sláinte) na scoláireachtaí seo. D'éirigh le beirt mhac léinn déag as na Dámha seo – na Dána, Tráchtáil, Innealtóireacht, agus Leigheas & Eolaíochtaí Sláinte uasmhéid na bpointí a fháil (600 pointe) (chomh maith le seisear eile a fuair an uasmhéid sna scrúduithe A-level). Fuair triúr mac léinn déag 590 pointe. -CRÍOCH-