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University of Galway 2026 Alumni Awards
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Alumni Awards Gala 2026. Awardees included Deirdre Ní Choistín (Irish), Fiona Murtagh (Sport), Ruth & David Mackey (Leadership), Prof Fran O'Rourke (Arts), Katie Mannion (Law, Public Policy & Society), Michael Lohan (Business), Patrick Farrell (Engineering, Science & Technology), Prof James Meany (Medicine) | Photo Credit: Aengus McMahon
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Change Makers

University of Galway 2026 Alumni Awards

04 June 26
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University of Galway marked the achievements of its 2026 Alumni Award recipients at a gala ceremony on campus, celebrating graduates who are making an outstanding impact across a wide range of fields, from arts and business to law, science, health, and public service. Reflecting the strength and global reach of a community of more than 145,000 alumni since 1845, this year’s honourees are recognised for their leadership and influence at local, national, and international levels.

The 2026 Alumni Award recipients are:

Ceapadh Deirdre Ní Choistín mar Ard-Stiúrthóir TG4 in Aibreán 2025, an ceathrú ceannasaí ó bunaíodh an stáisiún in 1996 agus an chéad bhean sa ról. Thosaigh sí le TG4 in 1999 i ndiaidh di an tArd-Dioplóma sa Chumarsáid Fheidhmeach a bhaint amach ó Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Bhí sí ina Ceannaire Nuachta agus Cúrsaí Reatha, agus roimhe sin ina Bainisteoir Cumarsáide, áit ar chuir sí straitéis nua cumarsáide ilardáin i bhfeidhm. Chaith sí ceithre bliana déag mar Léiritheoir agus Stiúrthóir agus bhunaigh sí an t-ardán ar líne MOLSCÉAL in 2017. Tógadh Deirdre i gCill Choca, Co. Chill Dara. Bhain sí céim amach sa Ghaeilge agus sa Fhraincis ó Choláiste na Tríonóide sular thug sí aghaidh ar Ghaillimh. Bronnadh céad onóracha uirthi i Máistreacht sa Ghnó sa Straitéis Ardleibhéil, Ceannaireacht agus Nuálaíoch ó UCC/IMI in 2024. Tá cónaí uirthi ar an Spidéal lena fear céile Breandán Ó Conláin agus a gceathrar mac.
Dr Ruth Mackey is Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer, and COO of MBRYONICS, where she bridges complex optical physics and large-scale industrial operations. A pioneer of satellite laser communication, her doctoral research in Adaptive Optics at University of Galway – once considered far from commercial application – now underpins technology required on tens of thousands of satellites worldwide. Named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Established Category in 2024, she also played a pivotal role in establishing Photon-1, Ireland's first high-volume manufacturing facility for satellite optical transceivers. Ruth holds an MPhys from Heriot-Watt University and a PhD from University of Galway. A committed advocate for STEM education, she and the MBRYONICS team sponsor the ‘Bringing Innovation to Light’ award at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. Dr David Mackey is Co-Founder and CTO of MBRYONICS, where he leads the development of radiation-hardened photonic systems and satellite optical terminals underpinning the company's STARNET, STARCOM, and STARGATE product lines. Named EY Established Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024, he is a globally recognised expert in miniaturising complex laser systems for space, and he holds over 35 patents. David holds a PhD in Applied Optics from University of Galway and a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from University of Limerick. He co-founded MBRYONICS in 2014, bringing together a rare combination of aerospace engineering experience, doctoral research in photonics, and an entrepreneurial spirit he has nurtured since starting his first business at the age of 15.
Katie Mannion is Managing Solicitor at the Irish Refugee Council Independent Law Centre (IRC), where she leads a team providing legal representation to people seeking international protection, separated families pursuing reunification, children whose ages have been disputed, and applicants experiencing homelessness or unsuitable accommodation. Katie addresses systemic issues through strategic casework, litigation, and advocacy for improved procedures and legislation. Her leadership since 2018 has coincided with significant global upheaval and evolving client needs. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, she developed pro bono legal networks to support Afghans at risk. In 2023, the Law Centre advocated for 550 men sleeping rough after being denied accommodation upon seeking Ireland's protection. The High Court found this breached the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the right to dignity. A further test case at the Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed that EU states cannot suspend respect for human dignity regardless of political or logistical pressures. Before joining the IRC, Katie practised with the Immigrant Council of Ireland and earlier served as Human Rights Officer at Amnesty International Ireland. She authored Child Migration Matters on child-specific considerations in immigration law. Katie graduated with a BCL from University of Galway in 2005, where she developed a conviction that remains central to her work: that the primary purpose of law is to protect people at their most vulnerable.
Fiona Murtagh is a competitive rower from Moycullen, Co. Galway, and a two-time Olympian who has played a central role in the recent success of Irish rowing internationally. Fiona took up rowing in 2009, following her twin brother Alan into the sport, before earning a scholarship to Fordham University in New York. Her breakthrough came in 2019 with a national title, leading to senior international selection in 2020. That year, she was part of the Irish Women's Four that won bronze at the European Championships, followed by silver in 2021. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Fiona was a member of the Women's Four that won bronze, Ireland's first-ever Olympic medal in women's rowing. She subsequently transitioned to the Women's Pair, partnering with Aifric Keogh, and competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In 2025, Fiona reached a career-defining milestone, winning gold at the World Rowing Championships in the women's single sculls, firmly establishing herself among the world's leading athletes in the sport. A strong role model for aspiring athletes, Fiona embodies the values of discipline, resilience, and excellence, and she continues to represent Ireland on the world stage.
James Meaney, from Westport, Co. Mayo, studied medicine at UCG (now University of Galway), graduating with Honours in 1985. After radiology training in Liverpool and Ann Arbor, Michigan, he was appointed to St. James's Hospital, Dublin, where he has worked for the past 25 years. He has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature, and holds several MRI patents on technology now implemented in scanners worldwide. He has also secured €10 million in grants and philanthropic funding for next-generation MRI and CT imaging platforms at the Thomas Mitchell Centre for Advanced Medical Imaging, Trinity College Dublin. A Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and the only serving Irish person so honoured, James has also served as President of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance Angiography. Committed to fostering creativity in medicine, he founded the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) ‘Art in Medicine’ competition, now in its 12th year, and a visiting Fellowship between TCD and Pembroke College Cambridge, which has welcomed many distinguished writers, including Claire Keegan.
Michael Lohan has been Chief Executive Officer of IDA Ireland since April 2023. IDA Ireland is Ireland's inward investment promotion agency, responsible for attracting and developing foreign direct investment for the economic and social benefit of the country. It works with multinational companies across sectors, including financial services, technology, biopharmaceuticals, medical technologies, and the green economy. Prior to becoming CEO, Michael held senior leadership roles within IDA, including global responsibility for Life Sciences and Organisational Lead on Talent, Transformation, and Innovation. He joined IDA in 2003 from the private sector, having held management positions with Nortel's European Operations in Galway and IEC Electronics. Michael holds an Engineering degree and an MSc in Technology Management from University of Galway, and he is also a graduate of the Berkeley Executive Programme.
Prof Fran O'Rourke has an MA, Lic Phil, PhD, PhD, and DLitt, and he is a native of Co. Laois. Fran moved to Galway in 1961, attending the Claddagh National School and St Mary's College before graduating from University College Galway in Philosophy and German in 1971. Postgraduate studies took him to Vienna, Louvain, Cologne, and Leuven, where he received his PhD in philosophy summa cum laude. He was appointed Assistant Lecturer at University College Dublin in 1980, retiring as Emeritus Professor in 2016. Fran has published widely in ancient, medieval, and contemporary philosophy. His most recent book, Joyce, Aristotle, and Aquinas, is a revised version of a PhD in Anglo-Irish literature, and in 2023 he was awarded a DLitt by the National University of Ireland. He has held Fulbright and Onassis Fellowships. Alongside his philosophical work, Fran has researched Joyce's use of Irish traditional song. With classical guitarist John Feeley, he has performed Joyce-related recitals worldwide, from Shanghai to San Diego, and released two acclaimed CDs. Their second, Casadh na nAmhrán / Turning the Song, was shortlisted for the German Schallplattenpreis. Fran is fluent in eleven languages and is a regular contributor to RTÉ's Sunday Miscellany.
Prof Patrick Farrell is a computational mathematician with professorships at University of Oxford and Charles University in Prague, developing numerical algorithms for solving partial differential equations, the language in which the laws of physics are written, with applications from weather prediction to understanding space-time around a black hole. His work has earned him the Wilkinson Prize for Numerical Software, the Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society, and the 2025 Germund Dahlquist Prize. He has also been invited to deliver a lecture at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians, one of the highest honours in the discipline. Patrick graduated with a BSc in Mathematics from University of Galway in 2006, receiving the Royal Irish Academy's Hamilton Prize, before completing his PhD at Imperial College London. His techniques have since been applied across renewable energy, physiology, and the geosciences, including fieldwork in the Antarctic with the British Antarctic Survey.
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