Cois Coiribe is delighted to share the thoughts of our Director of the Ryan Institute, Prof Frances Fahy. Embark on a journey of discovery, ambition, and expertise, and explore the evolving odyssey that is University of Galway’s transformative Ryan Institute.
The phrase ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ feels especially apt in the context University of Galway. Our collective success – driven by world-class research, innovation, and the dedication and talent of our staff and students – has a transformative effect on the well-being of our region, just as the vitality of our region resonates back into the life of our University.
The phrase only truly holds if you’re in a boat.
Over the past two decades, as a geographer and social scientist at University of Galway, I’ve worked alongside communities and collaborators to explore just energy transition pathways, with a particular focus on inclusive participation in environmental research and action. My work strives to support society, policymakers, and stakeholders in the urgent task of transforming unsustainable systems. As Director of the Ryan Institute, I am deeply proud of our thriving community of researchers who are also driving this agenda, and in so doing, ensure that everyone benefits from the rising tide.
At the Ryan Institute, our vision is to lead transformative, transdisciplinary research that sustains the planet and serves the public good. We believe the most pressing challenges of our time – climate change, biodiversity loss, public health and sustainable food and energy systems – require more than technical solutions. They require collaboration, courage, and most especially, community.
The Ryan Institute is University of Galway’s largest research institute and the central home for our environmental, and wider sustainability, research. The Centres and Clusters within the Institute bring together and promote cooperation between outstanding researchers from a diverse array of disciplines, along with emerging talent and trusted partners across academia, industry, and society.
These research groups – focussing on Ocean Research and Exploration, Energy, Environment and Health, Agriculture, Food Systems and Bioeconomy, International Development Innovation, Built Environment and Smart Cities, Biodiversity and Bioresources and Economic and Social Impact. In addition, our members have leadership positions in National Centres of Excellence such as Construct Innovate, MaREI and iCRAG.
At its heart, our Institute offers a space to collaborate, because no single discipline can meet the demands of the global challenges ahead.
This issue of Cois Coiribe highlights some of the exceptional Ryan Institute researchers and their cutting-edge work. For example, Rory Monaghan introduces the European SH2AMROCK project, a bold vision for Ireland’s energy future, exploring how hydrogen from indigenous wind energy can fuel a low-carbon, energy-independent island. Sinéad Waters explains how innovative research and national collaboration are defining the future of agri-food, helping to transform food systems for greater sustainability and resilience. Audrey Morley examines the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), highlighting how shifts in ocean currents could dramatically reshape our climate. Una Murray’s contribution highlights the significance of justice within environmental research, sitting well within the social sciences, exploring the relationship between people and place.
The Ryan Institute continues to grow, with new members joining our community every month. Christina Tadiri and Maggie Reddy, new lecturers to University of Galway, are featured in our Spotlight On series. As outlined in their contributions, Maggie’s unique research explores the DNA of marine biodiversity, and Christina’s innovative work in eco-epidemiology explores the complex interplay between disease, wildlife, and environmental change. Early career researcher Isuri Weerasinghe delves ‘Into the Deep’, investigating the delicate balance between deep-sea innovation and marine ecosystem protection.
Over the past year, the Ryan Institute has strengthened a number of key local regional and global partnerships, including advancing agreements with Údarás na Gaeltachta, National Parks and Wildlife Services, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN to deepen collaboration around sustainability and innovation at all levels. Our close work with Galway City Council to develop and conserve our city’s assets is reflected in the Q&A piece with Tiarnan McCusker, from Galway City’s Climate Action Team.
Overall, the contributions contained within this issue illustrate the rich breadth of research and other activities taking place across the Ryan Institute, and they also point toward a shared ethos: an unwavering commitment to sustaining our planet through research excellence.
The impact of our collective energy is immense. Ryan Institute researchers are both leaders of, and core partners in, major national and international funding successes, including multiple EPA and Research Ireland-funded initiatives, as well as prestigious EU Horizon grants supporting hydrogen energy, innovations in the built environment, marine ecosystems, and climate mitigation. These partnerships testify to the excellence and innovation of our people, our place, and our mission.
It is clear from the selection of work highlighted in this issue that we in the Ryan Institute do not simply respond to global change; we shape it. With integrity, with imagination, and with impact.
We are working to develop and deliver on this vision. This includes refurbishing any ageing core facilities. For example, our Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station has been a site for marine and anthropogenic aerosol measurements since 1958 and is internationally renowned for generating one of the longest outstanding datasets of aerosol measurements in the world, and the longest such dataset in Europe. The Ryan Institute Marine Research and Innovation Station in Carna is over 50 years old and is a distinctive research infrastructure that is in urgent need of investment.
As Ireland’s only third-level institute with such unique infrastructure, these assets, with investment, offer us a competitive advantage and the potential to be the hub of excellence and leadership in marine and ocean science research, and a national level and well beyond. Building on our rich and long tradition of marine and coastal research and our advantageous location on the west coast of Europe, the Ryan Institute is strategically placed to provide world class transformative leadership in ocean research and innovation. The ambition to consolidate Galway as the ‘Ocean Capital of the World’ is well within our grasp.
We are now in a position to build on this momentum, asserting our leadership across marine, climate, energy, food and agriculture, biodiversity, and overall planetary health. Galway’s natural assets – its coastline, peatlands, rivers, and lakes – are matched only by our human assets. Our researchers, our students, our professional staff, our wider communities and partners. By embracing both, we can move forward; together.
To the Ryan Institute operations and technical teams: thank you. Many of you have supported our research community for decades, and I am deeply grateful for your dedication. Thanks to our colleagues in the research offices and across the University research community. My thanks to all our researchers who have contributed to this issue and to the Cois Coiribe editorial team – thank you for shining a light on our collective work.
As Director of the Ryan Institute, I am committed to maintaining and growing these efforts. I aim to support our researchers as they continue to contribute and lead in their respective fields, while ensuring a work environment where staff feel valued and an institute where researchers want to belong.
My vision for the Ryan Institute is to continue to harness and support the full potential of our people and our place, to progress our continued and collective ambition for transdisciplinary research that sustains the planet and serves the public good.
As a final call to action: let’s all get on the boat, and row together!
