Honorary Conferrings

A number of renowned individuals became NUI Galway Honorary Graduates during the academic year 2014/2015. Their names join those of previous honorees, including the late Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, Margaret Atwood and Enya.

1. Irish actor Stephen Rea and Dr Charlotte McIvor, lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies, attending the conferral of Stephen Rea’s Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree.
2. NUI Galway conferred an Honorary Degree on President of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency Joachim Gauck, pictured listening to traditional Irish music in the Quadrangle.
3. Charlie Byrne and Patricia Burke Brogan with NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne.
4. Phillip Smyth, Director of the Shannon College of Hotel Management; Professor Svante Pääbo, Swedish biologist and Director at the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany;Áine Brazil, Vice Chairman of Thornton Tomasetti, New York, USA; and  Billy Lawless, Chicago-based Galway-born Businessman and Vice-President of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights who were all conferred with Honorary Doctorates by NUI Galway in June 2015.
5. Honorary conferrings at NUI Galway with Dr Jim Browne, NUI Galway President.
6. Former GAA President, Dr Mick Loftus was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by NUI Galway. Dr Loftus is pictured with (left) Eamon O’Shea, Professor of Economics at NUI Galway and former Manager of the Tipperary Senior Hurling team and (right) Dr Jim Browne, NUI Galway President.
7. NUI Galway conferred Carl Hession with an Honorary Masters of Music.