Honorary Degrees 2024-2025

Moira O'Brien

Moira O'Brien is 91 years of age and is still working for the benefit of public health. She spent most of her research and teaching career in Trinity College Dublin where she is Fellow Emerita and Emeritus Professor of Anatomy. She was founder of the first Human Performance Laboratory in Ireland (based in Trinity). This laboratory was used by a generation of top Irish Athletes, Olympians and Irish Teams to enhance their training and improve their performance. She set up the first full-time Masters in Sports Medicine degree programme in Ireland and Great Britain and established the first Certificate in Maximising Performance and Monitoring of Training in Sport. She was Chief Medical Officer to the Irish Olympic Council from 1979-89, being the Irish team doctor in the Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul Olympic Games, and an expert advisor for Norway in the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In all contexts, Prof. O’Brien fought for equal participation opportunities for women in sport in general and in the Olympics in particular. In a recent pre-Paris Olympic event hosted in Trinity on 18th April 2024, she was hailed as a pioneer in Sports Performance by the Chief Executive Officer of Irish Olympic Committee, Peter Sherrard. She was the first female Professor in the School of Medicine in Trinity College Dublin. She has over 120 academic journal publications, has written or co- authored 31 books and has given over 650 presentations. She established the first dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density clinic in Ireland within the Anatomy Department in Trinity, to diagnose and assess the risk of developing osteoporosis in both men and women She challenges the indifference in the field insisting that osteoporosis is preventable and generally treatable. She is an expert consultant on osteoporosis and is President of the Irish Osteoporosis Society (IOS). She has received many outstanding awards including The Sir Roger Bannister Award in 2015 for a lifetime’s contribution to the field of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the first Lifetime Achievement award by the Irish Osteoporosis Society in 2015.

Linda Ervine

Linda Ervine is manager of and has been the driving force behind the ‘Turas’ Irish language centre, in Belfast. She is the founder of Scoil na Seolta, the first Integrated School to teach through the medium of Irish. In this regard she has made a remarkable and entirely unique contribution to the development of both the Irish language in Belfast, and to cross-community understanding in Northern Ireland. Coming from a working-class Protestant background, she was part of a cross-community group of women who, in 2011, began taking Irish classes under the auspices of the Methodist Church’s East Belfast Mission which was itself based in a working-class loyalist, or loyalist, area of inner-East Belfast. She subsequently took over the project and has been responsible for Turas becoming the largest Irish language centre in Belfast with over 600 weekly learners. Most of these are, improbably, from a Protestant/Unionist background which has traditionally been hostile to Irish language and culture. She argues forcefully that the Irish language is not something for Unionists to fear. Rather they should embrace it as part of their own heritage. Turas has been responsible for making countless connections between the Unionist and Nationalist communities, regularly bringing Protestants and Catholics into areas associated with the other community. Finally, Ms Ervine has been a generous supporter of Trinity’s Belfast Campus-based M Phil in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation. At significant personal cost and with huge courage in the face of oppositional extremism from within her own community, she has built a vibrant community based on language learning in a deprived part of Belfast where no such community previously existed or would have been imaginable. Her work resonates with the vision of a shared future and of intercultural understanding within the north, across the island, and between the UK and Ireland. She received an MBE in 2021 and an Honorary Doctorate from QUB in 2023.

Sir Donnell Deeny

Sir Donnell Deeny has been an influential alumnus of Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated in 1973, having served as the Editor of TCD Miscellany, Captain of the University Challenge Team, and Auditor of the College Historical Society (Hist) winning the Irish Times debating competition on three occasions. He is one of the most notable judges in the history of the High Court and Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland. His judgments, over 300 in all, have been cited in more than thirteen legal textbooks, including Halsbury’s Laws. He has also served as President of the Irish Legal History Society, where his notable discourse on Irish legal history is about to be published. He is, thus, a distinguished figure in Irish and British legal history, with a remarkable career in the courts of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. His influence extends far beyond the courtroom most notably through his exceptional leadership on the global stage as Chair of the UK Spoliation Advisory Panel (a role that involves addressing the restitution of Nazi-looted art) earned him an international reputation as a leader in legal and ethical integrity and fairness where complex historical injustices are at issue. Sir Donnell’s work has been acclaimed by experts as a legal triumph and has brought him international recognition, reinforcing his status as an authority on provenance and restitution matters. In June 2023, the Irish Government established an expert committee tasked with advising on the sensitive and significant issue of the restitution and repatriation of cultural objects and the appointment of Sir Donnell Deeny as chair of this committee was a testament to his vast expertise and distinguished career in the field of cultural restitution. He is a former Chairman of Opera N Ireland and of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, High Sheriff of Belfast in 1983 and founding Chair of the Ireland Professorship of Poetry. Finally, his long-standing involvement with Trinity College culminated in his appointment as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Dublin in 2014 – a role from which he will retire at the end of this academic year.

Dermot Smurfit

Dermot Smurfit is a pioneering Irish businessman and noted philanthropist – and it is primarily for the latter that he is nominated for this award. Together with his older brother Michael, he built the family packaging firm, Jefferson Smurfit, into one of Ireland’s most successful and internationally acclaimed public companies. It is today the largest paper and packaging producer in the world. Now in his 80s, and retired from executive management, he continues to play a role in the business world as an investor and non-executive director of boards and is a quietly transformative philanthropist to the causes he supports. While preferring not to publicize his giving and averse to public recognition, he has been an exceptionally generous supporter of initiatives in health and higher education over decades. He is a Supporter of Great Ormond Street Hospital and of Crumlin Children’s Hospital, a donor to Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, a Vice-President of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Chair and Founder of the Friendship Ball – a bi-annual fundraising gala which raises money for cardiac research. A steadfast advocate for investing in higher education, he was on the Board of the University of Limerick’s Foundation and is among Trinity College Dublin’s most generous benefactors. As well as personally supporting projects across the University - most notably the Old Library Redevelopment Project and the Trinity Business School - he also continually encourages others in his global networks to support Trinity and is a member of the Provost’s Council. Since retirement from Smurfit Group Limited, he has brought his managerial and investment skills to his career as philanthropist. His giving is both generous and strategic: he understands the importance of focusing on a few key causes - in his case, health and higher education - and donating in a way that brings maximum value to the initiative and also serves as a multiplier to leverage further investment.

John Feehan (Sc.D.)

John Feehan is one of Ireland’s leading geologists, botanists, environmental communicators, authors and broadcasters. He is particularly well known as an ‘interpreter of the Irish landscape’, a role for which he has received broadcasting awards. He actively connects with those in agriculture and industry to build appreciation and understanding of biodiversity, and to develop conservation and restoration strategies. He was for many years a lecturer in UCD’s school of Agriculture and Food Science and has an extraordinary record in research and teaching (and is an elected member of the Royal Irish Academy). Thus for example, during his research on the stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Irish Lower Palaeozoic in the 1970s, he discovered what are still amongst the oldest known vascular plant fossils which indicated that higher plants colonised land at least 415 million years ago and the discovery extended the history of vascular plants back to the mid-Silurian period, far earlier than had previously been thought, a discovery that received international recognition. More generally, he has published multiple books in diverse areas. As an outworking of these insights, he has been influential in the restoration and management of peatland landscapes and has also worked on mining and quarrying sites, and has been instrumental in assisting Irish extractive industries to comply with European best environmental practice. He is a strong advocate for community supported agriculture and integrated mixed farming as a means of maximising the ‘natural capital’ of land and sustaining rural communities. Between 1992 and 2008 John collaborated with Bord na Móna on Ireland’s peatland heritage. He has developed principles for the restoration of the country’s post-extraction peatlands, emphasising their potential for biodiversity and as a rich amenity resource for local communities. In recent years he has devoted his attention more particularly to the interface between religion and science, reflections on nature and creation, and on human capability and our common home. In his retirement, he continues to teach and write, participating in outreach at all levels: summer schools, field courses and postgraduate programmes. He is also an award-winning environmental communicator whose work is driven by a deep commitment to the maintenance of rural biodiversity and cultural heritage, and the sustaining of rural community. Between 1986 and 1990 he wrote and presented the television series Exploring the Landscape and Exploring the Celtic Lands, produced by Éamon de Buitléar and directed by Paddy Breathnach, for which he received a Jacob’s Television Award in 1988. He has been recognised by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management from whom he has received their Environmental Merit Award for involvement in environmental issues and his role in bringing to the attention of the public the importance of environmental heritage. He received a special award from Bord na Móna for his work in communicating environmental values. Finally, during the Covid period he began an ongoing YouTube video series about Ireland’s wildflowers (now in its fifth season) that continues to attract an ever-increasing viewership.

Ian Roberston (M.D.) and (Sc.D.)

Professor Ian H. Robertson is a world leading neuroscientist and psychologist whose work has had extraordinary social impact and whose pre-eminence in the field of neuroscience is a testament to his relentless pursuit of knowledge and innovation. The stellar nature of his academic career is evidenced by the fact that he was the first psychologist in Ireland to be elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Professor Robertson was formerly Professor of Psychology in Trinity College Dublin and a Visiting Professor at University College London, Bangor University, University of Wales and Visiting Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto. Previously, he was a senior scientist at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge, where he was also a fellow at Hughes Hall College. His publication of over 600 scientific papers and books in esteemed scientific journals such as Nature, Brain, Journal of Neuroscience, and Psychological Bulletin underscores the profound impact of his contributions to neuroscience and psychology. Professor Robertson’s pioneering research and development of innovative rehabilitation strategies, including limb activation training, sustained attention training, and self-alert training, have revolutionised cognitive rehabilitation. His ground-breaking work in Goal Management Training has played a pivotal role in managing frontal lobe impairment. His theoretical approach to cognitive rehabilitation and widely used tests of attention are cornerstones of the field. His research offers invaluable insights into enhancing cognitive function, improving quality of life, and granting autonomy to individuals grappling with neurological and cognitive impairments. Moreover, the breadth of the impact of his work exists also in the fact that he has written books which are simultaneously scientifically rigorous and accessible to non-scientists, including The Winner Effect (2012), The Stress Test (2016) and How Confidence Works (2021). From the perspective of Trinity College, it is notable that as well as serving as Dean of Research, Professor Robertson was the founding director of Trinity’s Institute of Neuroscience, and the founding director of the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) in Trinity College Dublin. GBHI represents the largest philanthropic donation ever received by Trinity College. This accomplishment alone underscores Professor Robertson’s extraordinary ability to leverage his expertise and vision to establish institutions that significantly impact society, culture, and civil society. Indeed, in this regard it is notable that Professor Robertson has, since 2016 been the T Boone Pickens Distinguished Scientist, at the Centre for Brainhealth at University of Texas, Dallas. The recognition of Professor Robertson’s exceptional achievements is particularly timely given the pressing issues and challenges facing healthcare, neuroscience, and cognitive rehabilitation today. In an era characterised by a growing ageing population and rising concerns about mental and brain health, his work is exceptionally relevant. His dedication to advancing knowledge and improving the lives of individuals facing cognitive challenges perfectly aligns with Trinity’s mission and values. Professor Robertson is simultaneously being awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science (Sc.D.) - to mark the scale of his achievements - and an Honorary M.D. – to mark his long connection with the School of Medicine in Trinity.

Catherine Day (LL.D.)

Catherine Day has made a truly remarkable contribution to Europe and European society and to Ireland and Irish society. She joined the European Commission in 1979 working with Commissioner Richard Burke and Commissioner Peter Sutherland, before moving to work as Deputy Head of Cabinet for Commissioner Leon Brittain (first in the Directorate General (DG) for Competition and then in the DG for External Economic Affairs and Trade Policy). She served terms as Deputy Director of the DG for External Relations, where she was responsible for relations with the Balkans and Russia. As Director General of the DG for the Environment, she led the development of the REACH legislation which is aimed at protecting human health and the environment from the effect of chemicals, and on policy for climate and renewable energy. She was deeply involvement in the enlargement of the EU from 15 countries to today’s 27. She chaired the Association Committees with candidate countries and was one of the architects of the pre-accession process. Most notably in 2005 she was appointed as Secretary General of the entire European Commission. This role meant that she was the top Civil Servant within the European Commission - the first woman to hold such a prestigious post – a position she held for 10 years until her retirement. Known affectionately by colleagues as “Catherine Day and Night”, she worked tirelessly on behalf of the European Union and Europe generally, and in the context of issues of very significant difficulty and controversy including the Euro crisis and complex negotiations over the EU budget. On her return to Ireland, following her retirement, she took on multiple high-profile voluntary roles, where her experience and expertise are proving invaluable including Chair of the Governing Authority of UCC, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Chester Beatty library, Chair of the independent review group on the role of voluntary organisations in publicly funded health services in Ireland, Chair of the Expert Group on Direct Provision, and Chair of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality. Her deep and on-going commitment to Europe is reflected in her current membership of the Strategic Council of the European Policy Committee, which brings together leaders and experts to provide insights and forward-looking perspectives on the major challenges facing the EU. She is also a board member of the European Movement Ireland and of the Institute of International and European Affairs, an Irish policy think-tank focused on European and international policy trends. Catherine Day is the recipient of multiple awards both national and international, including the Grand officer of the Order of Leopold, the President of Ireland Distinguished Service Award, Garret FitzGerald Gold Medal for International Relations, UCD Foundation Medal, membership of the Royal Irish Academy and the Women who Make a Difference Award from the International Women’s Forum in 2022. There can be no doubt that Europe and Ireland have benefited and continue to benefit enormously from the generous and selfless contribution that Catherine Day has made and continues to make to for the benefit of all.