Forbairt an chéad suiteáin dá leithéid in Éirinn a bhuíochas le comhoibriú idir Ollscoil na Gaillimhe agus Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe. Osclaíodh taispeántas nua, Iad Siúd a Tháinig Slán: Scéalta ó Stair Institiúidí Thuama agus na hÉireann i Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe. Is é seo an chéad suiteán músaeim atá dírithe go hiomlán ar na hinstitiúidí Máithreacha agus Naíonán agus ar an tionchar a bhí acu ar shochaí na hÉireann.  Tugann an taispeántas léargas ar an gcaoi ar caitheadh le máithreacha singile agus a bpáistí in Éirinn, agus aird ar leith á tabhairt ar institiúid Máithreacha agus Naíonán Thuama agus na fadhbanna oidhreachta atá fós i gceist dóibh siúd a tháinig slán. Agus fócas ar leith sa taispeántas ar an gcion atá déanta ag Catherine Corless ar mhaithe le stair na hÉireann, insítear scéalta 18 nduine a tháinig slán ón institiúid trí thaispeántais fuaime agus amhairc. Tá sraith podchraoltaí curtha i dtoll a chéile freisin a dhéanfaidh éascaíocht don phobal eolas domhain a chur ar scéalta iad siúd a tháinig slán.    Dúirt an staraí Catherine Corless: "Is tionscadal iontach agus ríthábhachtach é seo, cuimhní cinn na ndaoine siúd a tháinig slán as Áras Thuama a bhailiú, scéalta a mbeadh dearmad déanta orthu le himeacht ama murach sin. Foireann dhíograiseach in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe faoi cheannas an Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley atá taobh thiar de Thionscadal Béaloidis Thuama agus cuirfear ar taispeáint anois é i Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe, a bhfuil spás agus am tugtha go fial acu dóibh siúd ar fad a tháinig slán.” Cruthaíodh an taispeántas i gcomhar le Tionscadal Béaloidis Thuama de chuid Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, atá á stiúradh acu siúd a tháinig slán, faoi cheannas an Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley agus an Dr John Cunningham. Tá fianaise agus déantáin phearsanta eile á mbailiú acu ó 2018 i leith ó dhaoine a tháinig slán ó na hinstitiúidí, óna dteaghlaigh agus ó dhaoine a raibh tionchar díreach ag an stair seo orthu. Tugtar cuireadh do chuairteoirí blaiseadh a fháil, trí chuntais ó bhéal, grianghraif, cáipéisí agus giuirléidí pearsanta, den taithí a bhí acu siúd a chaith tréimhsí dá saol in institiúid agus den tionchar buan a bhí aige sin ar na glúnta a tháinig ina ndiaidh.  Is é an taispeántas seo an chéad chomhoibriú idir Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe agus Ollscoil na Gaillimhe ó comhaontaíodh meabhrán tuisceana nua chun comhoibriú níos dlúithe idir an dá eagraíocht a éascú.  Dúirt Uachtarán Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, an tOllamh David Burn: “Tá sé oiriúnach go mbeidh áit ag Catherine Corless agus acu siúd a tháinig slán as institiúid Máithreachais agus Naíonán Thuama anois taobh le laochra na Gaillimhe inár músaem cathrach. Tá an-áthas orainn a bheith i mbun comhpháirtíochta le Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe ar an tionscadal seo mar go léiríonn sé a thiomanta is atáimid ár n-oidhreacht chultúrtha a shaibhriú trí dhul i bhfeidhm ar an bpobal agus, ar an gcaoi sin, cabhrú linn go léir ceachtanna a fhoghlaim ón tréimhse dhuairc sin inár stair. “Tá Muintearas agus Meas ar phéire de chroíluachanna na hollscoile, áit a mbraithfidh gach duine go bhfuil fáilte rompu, go bhfuil tacaíocht ar fáil dóibh, go bhfuil ceangal acu leis an bpobal agus go bhfuil luach orthu mar chuid dhílis dár bpobal. Meabhraítear dúinn sa taispeántas tiomnaithe seo nach raibh na luachanna sin ann san am a caitheadh agus léiríonn sé a thábhachtaí atá sé go mbeadh deis ag an bpobal foghlaim faoi scéalta na 18 nduine seo a tháinig slán.” Áireofar sa taispeántas i Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe portráidí grianghrafadóireachta díobh siúd a tháinig slán, fianaise phearsanta, taifid fuaime mar aon le cáipéisí cartlainne, agus réada, lena n-áirítear mionsamhail de réir scála d’institiúid Máithreacha agus Naíonán Thuama a chruthaigh Catherine Corless, agus dlaoi ghruaige ón scríbhneoir a tháinig slán, J.P. Rodgers.  Dúirt Stiúrthóir Gníomhach Mhúsaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe, Adam Stoneman: “Tá áthas orainn an taispeántas tábhachtach seo ar institiúid Máithreacha agus Naíonán Thuama, a forbraíodh i ndlúthchomhar le grúpa daoine a tháinig slán trí Thionscadal Béaloidis Thuama, a roinnt leis an bpobal. Tá a bhfuil le rá acu agus a n-eispéiris ríthábhachtach agus muid ag féachaint le teacht ar thuiscint ar an stair chasta seo. Tá músaem in ann a bheith ina ionad machnaimh agus cneasaithe chomh maith le hionad tuisceana, agus is céim thosaigh í an taispeántas seo i dtiomantas fadtéarmach Mhúsaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe agus Ollscoil na Gaillimhe chun feasacht agus tuiscint an phobail maidir le stair institiúideach na hÉireann a chothú.” Beidh an taispeántas ar siúl i Músaem Cathrach na Gaillimhe ó mhí Iúil go mí Mheán Fómhair 2026 i bhforhalla an mhúsaeim agus tá sé mar aidhm aige cuairteoirí Éireannacha agus idirnáisiúnta a mhealladh. Tabharfaidh 29 grúpa turasóireachta ó na Stáit Aontaithe cuairt ar Ghaillimh le linn na tréimhse sin go sonrach chun an taispeántas a fheiceáil agus chun foghlaim faoi stair na hÉireann.  Beidh clár cainteanna poiblí, ceardlann agus taispeántas ag gabháil leis an taispeántas. Tuilleadh eolais: GalwayCityMuseum.ie. Críoch

Collaboration between University of Galway and Galway City Museum develops the first installation of its kind in Ireland A new exhibition, Survivor Stories: Tuam and Ireland's Institutional Past has opened at Galway City Museum, the first dedicated museum installation to focus on Mother and Baby institutions and their impact on Irish society.  The exhibition provides an insight into Ireland's treatment of single mothers and their children, focusing on the Tuam Mother and Baby institution and the legacy issues still faced by survivors today. Highlighting Catherine Corless's immense contribution to Irish history, the exhibition tells the stories of 18 survivors of the institution through audio and visual exhibits. An accompanying podcast series has also been created to allow for in-depth, personal engagement with survivors' stories.  Historian Catherine Corless said: “What a wonderful and vital project this is, to gather the life stories of the Tuam Home Survivors, which otherwise would be forgotten in time. This Tuam Oral History Project, created in University of Galway, by a dedicated team, led by Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley, will now be exhibited in the Galway City Museum, who have graciously given space and time for all Survivors.” The exhibition has been created with University of Galway's survivor-led Tuam Oral History Project, led by Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley and Dr John Cunningham, which has been gathering testimonies and other personal artefacts from institutional survivors, their families and those directly affected by this history since 2018. Through oral histories, photographs, documents, and personal objects, visitors are invited to engage with first-hand experiences of institutional life and its lasting impact across generations.  The exhibition is the first collaboration between Galway City Museum and the University of Galway since the agreement of a new memorandum of understanding to facilitate closer collaboration between the two organisations.  President of University of Galway, Professor David Burn said: “It is fitting that Catherine Corless and survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby institution will now have a place beside heroes of Galway in our city museum. We are delighted to partner with Galway City Museum on this project as it encapsulates our shared commitment to enrich our cultural heritage by truly engaging audiences to help us all learn lessons from our dark past. “Belonging and Respect are two of our university’s core values where everyone should feel welcomed, supported, connected and valued as an integral part of our community. This dedicated exhibition acts as a powerful reminder of the historical absence of such values and why it is so important that the wider public gets to learn about these 18 survivor life stories.” The exhibition at Galway City Museum will comprise of photographic portraits of survivors, testimonies, audio alongside archival documents, and objects, including a detailed scale model of the Tuam Mother and Baby institution created by Catherine Corless and a very poignant lock of hair from writer and survivor J.P. Rodgers.  Acting Director of Galway City Museum, Adam Stoneman said: “We are pleased to share this important exhibition on the Tuam Mother and Baby institution, developed in close collaboration with a group of survivors through the Tuam Oral History Project. Their voices and experiences are vital to understanding this difficult history. Museums can be places of reflection and healing, as well as understanding, and this exhibition marks a first step in a longer-term commitment from Galway City Museum and University of Galway to develop greater public awareness and understanding of Ireland’s institutional histories.” The exhibition will run at Galway City Museum from July to September 2026 in the museum foyer and aims to engage Irish and international visitors. 29 US tour groups will visit Galway over the period specifically to see the exhibition and learn about Ireland's past.  A programme of public talks, workshops and screenings will accompany the exhibition. Further information is available at: GalwayCityMuseum.ie. Ends

Researchers at University of Galway have secured prestigious funding support through the European Research Council (ERC) to progress projects on an AI-assisted clinical support tool and improve next-generation regenerative medicines. The awards are among 182 projects across Europe which have been awarded ERC Proof of Concept grants to explore the commercial or societal potential of their research. One project, iChatRD, will develop a user-centred clinical decision support system for the diagnosis of rare and inherited metabolic diseases. The second project, GeIEV, will develop a new hydrogel technology that could significantly improve the delivery of next-generation regenerative medicine for tissue injury. The European Research Council Proof of Concept scheme is funded under Horizon Europe, the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation. iChatRD has been awarded a grant of €150,000 and will run for 18 months. The AI-assisted, fully transparent clinical decision support tool suggests expert-level rare disease diagnoses from unstructured patient descriptions within seconds. The overall goal of the project is to translate the research prototype into a practical, clinically relevant tool, which is also aligned with regulatory requirements and market needs. The team will develop ChatRD2.0 through best practices in engaged research, working side by side with metabolic disease specialists, paediatricians, and frontline clinicians to ensure the tool is shaped by the people who will actually use it. The project is led by Professor Ines Thiele and Research Fellow, Dr Cyrille Thinnes from the School of Medicine, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and the Digital Metabolic Twin Centre at the University of Galway. Dr Cyrille Thinnes, University of Galway, said: “For patients with rare diseases, reaching a diagnosis can take years and involve consultations with a dozen or more physicians. This funding gives us the opportunity to turn ChatRD, currently a research tool, into something clinicians can, and want to, use in their daily practice. Our goal is to put a reliable decision support system in the hands of the doctor who sees a patient on day one, not year five. Crucially, every suggestion ChatRD produces is fully explainable, so the clinician can see exactly why a disease was flagged, which we believe is essential for fostering trust in AI-assisted medicine.” Professor Ines Thiele, University of Galway, said: “When exploring avenues for translating our fundamental research on digital metabolic twins into patient-focused applications, we kept encountering a major challenge: the richest clinical information exists as free text: the language of a human, not of a computer. ChatRD bridges this gap, by enabling metabolic modelling and natural language work together to suggest candidate diagnoses for inherited metabolic diseases. The ERC Proof of Concept grant now helps us take ChatRD into the real world, by working directly with clinicians to help shorten the diagnostic odyssey that may burden rare disease patients for years.” The second project, GelEV has been awarded a grant of €150,000 and will run for 18 months. It will focus on the development of a new technology that could significantly improve the delivery of next-generation regenerative medicines for tissue injury. The project aims to validate a novel hydrogel designed to deliver extracellular vesicles (EVs), tiny particles secreted by cells, allowing them to work more effectively. The project is led by principal investigator Dr Meadhbh Brennan and technical lead Dr Hannah Aris from the School of Engineering at University of Galway. Dr Meadhbh Brennan, School of Engineering, University of Galway, said: “By creating a delivery platform compatible with a wide range of EV therapies, the GelEV ERC proof-of-concept project has the potential to accelerate the development of new treatments for tissue injury indications, while supporting the growing extracellular vesicles therapeutics industry.” Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said: “Many of today's innovations begin with a researcher asking a fundamental question. These 182 projects show that curiosity-driven science and real-world impact go hand in hand. With Proof of Concept funding, ERC researchers can test how their discoveries could become new treatments, technologies, services or solutions that benefit people across Europe.” Ends