Trinity College Alumni Awards 2011/ Dámhachtainí Alumni Choláiste na Tríonóide 2011
Posted on: 07 November 2011
A world leading botanist, pioneering medic, chairman of the Ireland Funds and legal counsel to UN, were among four recipients of Trinity College’s Alumni Awards on November 4th last. The alumni were presented with awards at Trinity College Dublin in recognition of achievements in their respective fields and the contribution they have made in Ireland and internationally.
Peter Wyse Jackson, Deirdre Kelly, Provost Dr Patrcik Prendergast, Patricia O’Brien and Hugo MacNeill
Deirdre Kelly, B.A., M.B., M.D., F.R.C.P.I. (1971)) is Director of the Liver Unit, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Professor of Paediatric Hepatology at the University of Birmingham.
In 1989 she set up the Paediatric Liver Unit at the hospital which provides a national and international service for children with liver failure and undergoing liver transplantation.
Deirdre studied medicine in Trinity, specialising in adult and paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology with Professor Donald Weir. She runs an active research programme focusing on viral hepatitis in children, molecular genetics of inherited liver disease and quality and outcome of life following liver and/or intestinal transplantation. Deirdre was Medical Director of the Birmingham Children’s Hospital (2000-2007), a Commissioner on the Healthcare Commission (2007-2009) and is a Commissioner of the Care Quality Commission (2008).
Hugo MacNeill B.A. (1981) earned a degree in Economics and a Diploma in Anglo Irish Literature in Trinity, and went on to study Economics at graduate level in Oxford. He worked for Boston Consulting Group and Goldman Sachs in London before returning to run Goldman’s investment banking business in Ireland. He is currently Chairman of the Ireland Funds, a Council Member of the British Irish Association, and a Board Member of GOAL UK.
As a student, Hugo’s contribution to Trinity’s sporting achievements is legendary, winning Colours in both Rugby and Soccer. Rugby success continued: winning his first Irish cap in 1981 and adding 37 more, including two international championships outright, one shared, and two Triple Crowns.
Hugo’s career is also remarkable for his commitment to human rights. In 1981 he refused to go on the Irish Tour to South Africa as the apartheid regime was still in place. In the aftermath of the 1995 IRA bombing in Canary Wharf he organised, with Trevor Ringland, the Peace International Rugby Match in Dublin with the world’s leading players, filling Lansdowne Road in protest against terrorist violence.
Hugo continues to make an enormous contribution to Trinity. In particular, he supports key aspects of its ‘Engagement with Society’ mission, including flagship initiatives aimed at widening educational participation by marginalised groups. One of these is the National Institute for Intellectual Disability (NIID), for whom he is a tireless champion.
Patricia O’Brien, B.A., M.A.,Barrister-at-Law, (1978) is Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel for the United Nations. She received a B.A. (Mod) Legal Science in 1978 and an M.A. in 1987 at Trinity.
Patricia served as a Senior Legal Adviser in the Office of the Attorney General and later moved to Brussels as Legal Counsellor at the Irish Permanent Representation to the EU. She returned to Dublin in 2004 when she was appointed Legal Adviser in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In 2008 Patricia was appointed to her current position in the United Nations where she works directly with the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, managing a staff of over 200 people. Patricia relishes the challenges of her job which covers the spectrum of international law issues facing states and the United Nations. These include issues of war and peace, international humanitarian law, human rights law, Middle East issues, the International Criminal Court and other international courts and tribunals.
Peter Wyse Jackson B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (1978) is the President of the Missouri Botanical Garden and George Engelmann Professor of Botany at Washington University in St Louis. He obtained a B.A. (Mod.) in Botany and an M.A. from Trinity College Dublin, where he also was conferred with a Ph.D. for research in plant taxonomy.
In 1981, he was appointed Administrator of the Trinity College Dublin Botanic Garden. He joined the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), where he helped to establish the international organisation, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and became secretary general of BGCI in 1994. He returned to Dublin in 2005 as Director of the National Botanic Gardens and in 2010 he was appointed to his present position.
As one of the world’s foremost and best known botanists and plant conservationists, Peter has played an influential role in reshaping and leading the international botanic garden community over the past two decades. He was a key contributor to the development and implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, adopted by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in 2002 and has been Chairman of the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation since 2005. His recent research includes work on plant conservation, Irish ethnobotany and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
Orthu sin ar bronnadh Dámhachtainí Alumni Choláiste na Tríondóide le déanaí, bhí duine de na luibheolaithe is fearr ar domhan, oibrí leighis ceannródaíoch, cathaoirleach Chistí na hÉireann agus comhairleach dlí leis na Náisiúin Aontaithe. Bronnadh na dámhachtainí ar na alumni ag Coláiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath mar aitheantas ar a gcuid gnóthachtálacha ina réimsí féin faoi seach agus ar an méid atá bainte amach acu in Éirinn agus go hidirnáisiúnta.
Tá Deirdre Kelly , B.A., M.B., M.D., F.R.C.P.I. (1971) ina Stiúrthóir ar an Aonad Ae, Ospidéal na Leanaí, Birmingham agus ina hOllamh le Heipiteolaíocht Péidiatraice in Ollscoil Birmingham. Sa bhliain 1989 a bhunaigh sí an tAonad Ae Péidiatraice san ospidéal. Cuireann an t-aonad seirbhís idirnáisiúnta ar fáil do leanaí a gcliseann ae orthu agus a mbíonn trasphlandú ae le fáil acu.
Rinne Deirdre staidéar ar leigheas i gColáiste na Tríonóide, le speisialtóireacht i ngaistreintreolaíocht i ndaoine fásta agus i ngaistreintreolaíocht agus heipiteolaíocht péidiatraice leis an Ollamh Donald Weir. Reáchtálann sí clár taighde gníomhach a dhíríonn ar heipitíteas víreasach i leanaí, géineolaíocht mhóilíneach an ghalair ae ó oidhreacht agus caighdeán agus toradh saoil tar éis trasphlandú ae agus/nó stéige. Bhí Deirdre ina Stiúrthóir Míochaine ar Ospidéal na Leanaí, Birmingham (2000-2007), ina Coimisinéir ar an gCoimisiún ar Chúram Sláinte (2007-2009) agus is Coimisinéir í ar Choimisiún na Cáilíochta Cúraim (2008).
Bhain Hugo MacNeill B.A. (1981)céim san Eacnamaíocht agus Dioplóma sa Litríocht Angla-Éireannach amach i gColáiste na Tríonóide, agus rinne sé staidéar ar an Eacnamaíocht ag leibhéal iarchéime in Oxford. D’oibrigh sé le Boston Consulting Group agus le Goldman Sachs i Londain sular fhill sé chun gnó baincéireachta infheistíochta Goldman in Éirinn a reáchtáil. Tá sé ina Chathaoirleach ar Chistí na hÉireann faoi láthair, chomh maith le bheith ina Chomhalta Comhairle le Cumann na Breataine-na hÉireann, agus Comhalta Boird le GOAL UK.
Is mór an méid a chuir Hugo le gnóthachtála spóirt Choláiste na Tríonóide; bhuaigh sé Dathanna i rugbaí agus i sacar. Rinne sé tuilleadh éachtaí i rugbaí: Roghnaíodh é le dul ag imirt d’Éirinn an chéad uair i 1981 agus roghnaíodh é 37 uair eile ina dhiaidh sin. D’imir sé ar fhoirne a bhuaigh dhá chraobhchluiche idirnáisiúnta amach is amach, ceann amháin roinnte agus dhá Choróin Thriarach.
Díol suntais eile i ngairm Hugo a thiomantas do chearta daonna. Sa bhliain 1981 dhiúltaigh sé dul ar Thuras na hÉireann go dtí an Afraic Theas, mar go raibh an córas apartheid fós ar bun. Nuair a phléasc an IRA buama in Canary Wharf i 1995, d’eagraigh sé féin agus Trevor Ringland Cluiche Rugbaí Idirnáisiúnta na Síochána i mBaile Átha Cliath, inar imir na himreoirí domhanda ab fhearr. Líonadh Bóthar Lansdún mar agóid in aghaidh foréigin sceimhlitheoirí.
Tá Hugo fós ag cur go mór le Coláiste na Tríonóide. Go sonrach, tacaíonn sé le príomhghnéithe mhisean an choláiste ‘Caidreamh leis an tSochaí’, lena n-áirítear príomhthionscnaimh a dhíríonn ar cur le rannpháirtíocht san oideachas ag grúpaí ar an imeall. Ceann acu sin ná an Institiúid Náisiúnta do Mhíchumas Intleachtúil (NIID), dream a ndéanann sé obair mhór dóibh.
Is í Patricia O’Brien, B.A., M.A., Abhcóide, (1978) Fo-Ard-Rúnaí Gnóthaí Dlí agus Abhcóide Dlí na Náisiún Aontaithe. Bhain sí B.A. (Mod) san Eolaíocht Dlí amach in 1978 agus bhain sí M.A. amach i 1987 ag Coláiste na Tríonóide.
D’fhóin Patricia ina Comhairleach Dlí Sinsearach in Oifig an Ard-Aighne agus ina dhiaidh sin bhog sí go dtí an Bhruiséil ina Comhairleoir Dlí le hIonadaíocht Bhuan na hÉireann chuig an AE. D’fhill sí ar Bhaile Átha Cliath in 2004 nuair a ceapadh í ina Comhairleoir Dlí sa Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha.
Sa bhliain 2008 ceapadh Patricia sa phost atá aici faoi láthair sna Náisiún Aontaithe, áit a n-oibríonn sí go díreach leis an Ard-Rúnaí, Ban Ki-moon, agus foireann 200 duine á bainistiú aici. Baineann Patricia an-sult as na dúshláin a bhaineann lena post, a chuimsíonn an raon saincheisteanna dlí idirnáisiúnta a bhíonn os comhair stát agus na Náisiún Aontaithe. Áirítear orthu sin ceisteanna faoi chogadh agus síocháin, faoin dlí daonnúil idirnáisiúnta, faoin dlí cearta daonna, saincheisteanna a bhaineann leis an Meánoirthear, leis an gCúirt Choiriúil Idirnáisiúnta agus le cúirteanna agus fiosrúcháin idirnáisiúnta eile.
Is é Peter Wyse Jackson B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (1978) Uachtarán Gharraí na Lus Missouri agus Ollamh George Engelmann ar Luibheolaíocht in Ollscoil Washington in St Louis. Bhain sé B.A. (Mod.) sa Luibheolaíocht agus M.A. amach i gColáiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath, áit ar bronnadh Ph.D. air as taighde i dtacsanomaíocht phlanda.
Ceapadh é ina Riarthóir ar Gharraí Lusanna Choláiste na Tríonóide Bhaile Átha Cliath in 1981. Chuaigh sé isteach san Aontas Idirnáisiúnta do Chaomhnú an Dúlra (IUCN), áit ar chabhraigh sé leis an eagraíocht idirnáisiúnta Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) a bhunú, agus ceapadh é ina ard-rúnaí ar BGCI sa bhliain 1994. D’fhill sé ar Bhaile Átha Cliath i 2005 ina Stiúrthóir ar Gharraithe Náisiúnta na Lus agus i 2010 ceapadh é ina phost reatha.
Mar dhuine de na luibheolaithe agus caomhnóirí plandaí is mó le rá agus is mó cáil ar domhan, tá tionchar imeartha ag Peter ar phobal idirnáisiúnta na ngarraithe lus a mhúnlú agus a threorú le fiche bliain anuas. Chuir sé go mór le forbairt agus le cur i bhfeidhm na Straitéise Domhanda maidir le Caomhnú Plandaí, a ghlac Coinbhinsiún an NA ar Éagsúlacht Bitheolaíochta i 2002 agus tá sé ina Chathaoirleach ar an gComhpháirtíocht Domhanda do Chaomhnú Plandaí ó 2005. Áirítear ar an taighde atá déanta aige le gairid obair ar chaomhnú plandaí, eitnea-luibheolaíocht na hÉireann agus an tionchar a bhíonn ag athrú aeráide ar an mbithéagsúlacht.