In the News..

Tabharfaidh na Laethanta Oscailte deis do mhic léinn ionchasacha breathnú ar chúrsaí, ar an gcampas agus ar shaol na mac léinn Cuirfidh Ollscoil na Gaillimhe fáilte roimh na mílte mac léinn, tuismitheoirí agus caomhnóirí agus múinteoirí gairmthreorach chuig na Laethanta Oscailte Fochéime áit a bhfaighidh siad eolas faoi dheiseanna staidéir agus faoi shaol an mhic léinn i gcathair na Gaillimhe.  Beidh na Laethanta Oscailte ar siúl Dé hAoine, an 2 Deireadh Fómhair agus Dé Sathairn, an 3 Deireadh Fómhair idir 9am agus 3pm. Beidh deis ag cuairteoirí turas a dhéanamh den champas, foghlaim faoi chúrsaí agus an tacaíocht atá ar fáil, agus labhairt le mic léinn reatha agus leis an bhfoireann.  Foghlaimeoidh cuairteoirí faoi bhreis is 60 clár fochéime agus glacfaidh siad páirt i gclár cainteanna ábhair, gníomhaíochtaí praiticiúla, turais champais, taispeántais agus seisiúin eolais.  Idir Leigheas, Cógaisíocht, Altranas, Innealtóireacht, Gnó, Dlí, Eolaíocht, na Dána agus go leor eile, beidh deis ann tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoi réimsí ábhair éagsúla agus faoin raon cúrsaí fochéime atá ar fáil.  Bhí an méid seo le rá ag Sarah Geraghty, Stiúrthóir Earcaíochta Mac Léinn agus For-rochtana in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe: “Is é an aidhm atá leis an Lá Oscailte an deis a thabhairt do mhic léinn taithí a fháil ar Ollscoil na Gaillimhe iad féin. Is cinneadh mór é ollscoil a roghnú, agus níl aon bhealach níos fearr chun tuiscint a fháil ar áit ná siúl timpeall an champais, bualadh leis na mic léinn agus leis an bhfoireann, breathnú ar na háiseanna agus tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoin méid atá ar fáil.   “Ba mhaith linn go mbeadh ceisteanna ag na mic léinn, go mbeidís fiosrach agus intinn oscailte acu. Beidh mic léinn ann a bhfuil a fhios acu go díreach cad ba mhaith leo a staidéar agus beidh mic léinn eile nach bhfuil cinneadh déanta acu fós. Beidh neart deiseanna ann chun na roghanna a iniúchadh agus a fháil amach cé na deiseanna atá le fáil acu as a gcuid spéiseanna.   “Tá Ollscoil na Gaillimhe rangaithe i measc an 2% is fearr d’ollscoileanna ar domhan agus rangaithe sa chéad áit in Éirinn maidir lena tionchar ar Spriocanna Forbartha Inbhuanaithe na Náisiún Aontaithe. Tá i bhfad níos mó i gceist le hollscoil a roghnú ná rangú, áfach. Tugann an Lá Oscailte deis do mhic léinn bualadh le pobal na hOllscoile agus eolas a fháil faoi na deiseanna atá ar fáil dóibh laistigh agus lasmuigh den seomra ranga.   "Le breis is 60 clár fochéime agus deiseanna ar nós socrúchán oibre nó staidéar thar lear ar fáil ar níos mó ná 90% dár gcúrsaí, is é an chloch is mó ar ár bpaidrín an t-eolas, an taithí agus an mhuinín a theastaíonn uathu don todhchaí a thabhairt do mhic léinn. Agus tá i bhfad níos mó i gceist le saol na hollscoile ná an méid a tharlaíonn taobh istigh den seomra ranga. Le breis is 115 cumann mac léinn agus 47 club spóirt, tá an oiread sin deiseanna ann do mhic léinn bualadh le daoine nua, spéiseanna nua a aimsiú agus a bheith mar chuid dár bpobal.”   Beidh réimse gníomhaíochtaí ar siúl ar fud an champais i rith an dá lá, agus beidh deis taithí phraiticiúil a fháil, ceisteanna a chur agus tuilleadh eolais a fháil faoi chúrsaí agus faoi shaol na mac léinn.   I measc na mbuaicphointí, áirítear iad seo a leanas:  Altranas & Cnáimhseachas: Téigh isteach sna spásanna oiliúna cliniciúla in Áras Mhaighe Seola agus faigh blaiseadh den oiliúint atá le fáil i dtimpeallacht chúraim sláinte fíorshaoil.  Dlí: Tabhair cuairt ar Sheomra Bréagchúirte na hOllscoile agus faigh tuilleadh eolais faoi staidéar a dhéanamh ar an Dlí.  Leigheas: Bain triail as do scileanna cliniciúla, ó éisteacht le buillí croí go tástálacha digiteacha cluaise agus súl.  Eolaíocht & Innealtóireacht: Tabhair cuairt ar áiseanna den scoth agus faigh léargas nach bhfuil oscailte don phobal ar áiseanna Fisice, Ceimice agus Innealtóireachta na hOllscoile.  Drámaíocht: Tá blaiseadh den fhuinneamh cruthaitheach le fáil in Ionad Uí Dhonnchadha sna máistir-ranganna agus turais.  Spórt: Buail leis an bhfoireann spóirt, faigh amach faoi dheiseanna chun dul san iomaíocht ag an leibhéal is airde agus foghlaim faoi scoláireachtaí spóirt.  An Ghaeilge: Féach ar áiseanna Gaeilge na hOllscoile le turas treoraithe as Áras na Gaeilge.  Saol na Mac Léinn: Buail le mic léinn reatha agus foghlaim faoi chlubanna, cumainn, spórt, tacaíocht agus gníomhaíochtaí atá ar fáil sa saol lasmuigh de na léachtaí.  Lóistín: Faigh tuilleadh eolais faoi na roghanna éagsúla lóistín atá ar fáil agus faoi shaol an mhic léinn i nGaillimh.  Fisic & Ceimic: Tabhair cuairt ar shaotharlanna Fisice agus Ceimice na hOllscoile agus faigh tuilleadh eolais faoin teagasc, foghlaim agus taighde sna réimsí seo.   Is féidir clárú anois. Is féidir le mic léinn ionchasacha clárú don Lá Oscailte, an clár iomlán a íoslódáil agus tuilleadh eolais a fháil anseo www.universityofgalway.ie/opendays.   Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil seol ríomhphost chuig: opendays@universityofgalway.ie   Críoch   

The Open Days will give prospective students the opportunity to explore courses, campus and student life  University of Galway will welcome thousands of prospective students, parents and guardians and guidance counsellors to its Undergraduate Open Days to find out more about study opportunities and life as a student in Galway city.  The Open Days will take place on Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd, from 9am to 3pm, with visitors able to explore the campus, find out about courses and supports, and talk to current students and staff.  Over two days, visitors can learn about more than 60 undergraduate degree programmes and take part in a programme of subject talks, hands-on activities, campus tours, demonstrations and information sessions.  From Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing and Engineering to Business, Law, Science, Arts and beyond, there will be opportunities to find out more about different subject areas and the range of undergraduate courses available.  Sarah Geraghty, Director of Student Recruitment and Outreach at University of Galway, said: “Open Day is all about giving students the opportunity to experience University of Galway for themselves. Choosing a university is a big decision, and there is no better way to get a sense of a place than by walking through the campus, meeting our students and staff, exploring the facilities and finding out more about what is available.  “We want students to come along with questions, curiosity, and an open mind. Whether they already know exactly what they want to study or are still deciding, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore their options and discover where their interests could take them.  “University of Galway is ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide and is ranked number one in Ireland for our impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. There is much more to choosing a university than rankings, however. Open Day gives students the opportunity to meet the people who make up our community and find out about the opportunities available to them both inside and outside the classroom.  “With more than 60 undergraduate programmes and over 90% of our courses offering opportunities such as work placements or study abroad, we are focused on giving students the knowledge, experience and confidence they need for the future. And university life is about much more than what happens in the classroom. There are more than 115 student societies and 47 sports clubs for students to get involved in, offering so many opportunities for students to meet new people, discover new interests and become part of our community. The growth we are seeing in student participation shows how important these opportunities are, with membership of our four Gaelic Games clubs, for example, doubling over the past year.”  There will be a range of activities across campus throughout both days, with opportunities to get hands-on, ask questions and find out more about courses and student life.  Highlights include: Nursing & Midwifery: Step inside the clinical training spaces at Áras Moyola and discover what it is like to train in a real-world healthcare environment. Law: Visit the University's Moot Courtroom and find out more about studying Law. Medicine: Try your hand at clinical skills, from listening to heartbeats to digital ear and eye examinations. Science & Engineering: Explore state-of-the-art facilities and get behind the scenes in the University's Physics, Chemistry and Engineering facilities. Drama: Experience the creative energy of the O'Donoghue Centre with masterclasses and tours. Sport: Meet the sports team, find out about opportunities to compete at elite level and learn more about sports scholarships. As Gaeilge: Explore the University's Irish-language facilities with a guided tour from Áras na Gaeilge. Student Life: Meet current students and discover clubs, societies, sports, supports and activities that make up life beyond the lecture theatre. Accommodation: Find out more about the different accommodation options available and what it is like to live as a student in Galway. Physics & Chemistry: Visit the University's Physics and Chemistry laboratories and find out more about teaching, learning and research in these areas.  Registration is now open. Prospective students can register for Open Day, download the full programme and find out more at www.universityofgalway.ie/opendays.  For further information, contact opendays@universityofgalway.ie.  Ends

Researchers from University of Galway are part of an international team testing the feasibility of restoring deep-sea coral habitats damaged by bottom trawling by installing 3D-printed artificial reefs. Twenty-three artificial reefs have been placed on the deep seabed off the south-west Porcupine Bank, off the west coast of Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay, France, as a contribution to the Horizon Europe project ‘REDRESS’ (Restoration of deep-sea habitats to rebuild European Seas). The current campaign is part of, a three-year mission known as the REDECOR (REstauration DEs CORaux d'eau froide), involving collaboration between researchers from University of Galway, Ifremer and the Sorbonne University in France.  The expedition to deploy the artificial reefs took place on board L’Atalante, a vessel of the French Oceanographic Fleet, during August. Reefs were placed at depths between 900 and 1100m off the Porcupine Bank, and in the Guilvinec Canyon, Bay of Biscay, where other reefs installed during the 2025 expedition were also monitored. Monitoring of both Irish and French restoration sites is planned next year on board an Irish research vessel. Dr Anthony Grehan, a deep-sea ecologist at University of Galway and co-leader of the mission to the Porcupine Bank, said: “These deep-sea coral reefs provide vital habitat for a diversity of marine life, but many have been damaged over many years. Because these corals grow by only a few millimetres each year, natural recovery of lost reefs can take decades to centuries. With this project, we are testing whether we can actively accelerate that recovery by creating new starter structures for corals to grow on which also mimic reef structure to help re-establish functioning reef habitats. The early results are very encouraging, and if we can show that these approaches work, it could open up new possibilities to scale up the restoration of damaged coral reefs elsewhere in the Atlantic and beyond.” While cold-water coral reefs are regarded as being less well-known than their tropical cousins, they provide important habitats for marine life and support biodiversity in the deep-sea including fish. The corals however are quite fragile and easily damaged by deep-sea trawling. While recent fisheries and conservation regulations prohibit trawling in many areas where corals are found, the issue now is how to return damaged areas to full health. Marie-Claire Fabri, a research engineer in deep-sea benthic ecology at Ifremer and co-leader of the Bay of Biscay region expedition, said: “Preserving these areas alone is not enough; the active restoration of cold-water corals is urgently needed. The ban on bottom trawling has helped stop the direct pressure on these habitats, but to go further - given the slow growth of these corals in the Atlantic - just a few millimeters per year—we cannot simply wait for them to recover on their own.” The artificial reefs are eco-designed cylinders made from low-carbon concrete incorporating volcanic material. Each 3D-printed structure is approximately 80cm high and 100cm in diameter, weighing around 600kg. They provide structurally complex physical microhabitats including tunnels, ledges and overhangs, that offer shelter and provide surfaces for corals and other marine life to colonise. The reefs are placed individually on the seabed, rather than together to form a single connected structure covering an area of about half a hectare. Researchers will monitor the sites over the coming years through photography, video and 3D mapping to assess how the coral and other marine life develop on and around the reefs. Different approaches are being tested as part of the research. Some reefs were equipped with oyster shells, ceramic plates and tiles to encourage coral larvae to settle naturally, while others were fitted with fragments (‘nubbins’) of living coral. The living coral fragments were collected from the ocean in depths of around 950 metres. Once brought to the surface, they were kept in seawater tanks under conditions designed to replicate their natural environment. Small branches were then taken from the colonies and attached to oyster shells before being anchored on the artificial reefs. The team is focusing its research on the two principal reef-forming species of cold-water coral, Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata. The aim is to see whether the coral can survive and establish new colonies or enhance the attractiveness of the artificial reefs for colonisation by coral larvae.   Encouragingly, researchers found that the coral fragments, known as nubbins, which were placed on the artificial reefs during the REDECOR 2025 mission are still alive. The reefs have also been colonised by a range of marine species, including sea urchins, fish, crabs and crinoids. The research will also monitor seawater conditions, sediment and chemical contaminants. This will help improve understanding of the conditions needed for healthy coral growth and assess the potential impact of climate change and ocean acidification on restoration efforts. Both restoration sites are now protected from further damage by bottom trawling. The SW Porcupine Bank restoration site is protected under the European Common Fisheries Policy, where trawling is prohibited at depths greater than 800 metres. The Guilvinec Canyon in the Bay of Biscay is a Natura 2000 site where trawling is also prohibited. REDECOR forms part of the European REDRESS (Restoration of deep-sea habitats to rebuild European Seas) project, which is bringing together 27 partners from 15 countries to investigate the restoration of damaged deep-sea habitats across Europe. The research is funded by the European Union through the REDRESS project, the French Oceanographic Fleet, Ifremer and the Sorbonne University. REDRESS partners from the UK, Iceland and Italy have also installed the same artificial reef modules in their restoration sites in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean which will provide a pan-European perspective on the feasibility of using these reefs to actively promote restoration of areas where coral habitat has been damaged. The researchers expect that results from REDECOR and REDRESS will help inform implementation of the new European Nature Restoration Law which provides targets to restore damaged areas of sponge, coral, and coralligenous algae. Ends