Trinity College Dublin paid tribute to one of its most beloved and influential figures, the late Professor Trevor West, mathematician, politician and sportsman, with the installation of a memorial bench outside the Pavilion bar. The new memorial bench stands in recognition of Trevor's extraordinary contributions to sport, student life and the broader college community over his many decades at Trinity. On 14 May 2025, a gathering of friends, colleagues, Sport scholars, and West’s family took place at the Pavilion bar to mark the official unveiling of the new memorial bench and to celebrate the life of a man whose life and interests spanned academia, politics, and the playing fields of Trinity.
Trevor's longstanding connection with and love for Trinity began when he won a scholarship to Trinity where he earned a first-class degree in mathematics, graduating in 1960. Trevor returned to Trinity as a lecturer in 1966 after postdoctoral studies at St John's College, Cambridge and subsequent lecturing posts at Glasgow University and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
Trevor many passions covered sport, education, literature, history and politics and is remembered by generations of Trinity student as a stalwart of several sporting clubs as well as a keen supporter of Trinity Week and the Trinity Ball. Trevor was also a passionate advocate for the role and rights of women at Trinity and further afield, including acting as election agent for Mary Robinson when she first ran for the Seanad and also supporting her efforts to change the law banning contraceptives.
Trevor was a tireless advocate for sport at Trinity, serving as "a formidable, well known and legendary chair" of the Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC), now the Trinity Sport Union, from 1976 to 2009. Cricket was Trevor's enduring passion, both as a player and as an organiser. He played cricket for Cambridge University, Trinity College, Cork, Munster and Phoenix and served as president of the Trinity College cricket club. Trevor also played a vital role in the development of the game at both club and university level and went on to become one of Ireland's foremost cricket organisers. Trevor's other sporting interest was rugby and he was both a stalwart of rugby at Trinity and for eleven years served as honorary secretary of the Irish Universities Rugby Union.
Trevor's sporting legacy at Trinity was also ensured through his prominent role in vital sporting projects at Trinity, including being heavily involved in the campaign to build the Trinity’s modern Sports Centre opened in 2007 as well as spearheading a campaign to save the College Park at Trinity, when it seemed it might be sacrificed for development. Trevor also made significant contributions to scholarship on the history of sport at Trinity, authoring The bold collegians: the development of sport in Trinity College, Dublin (1991) and editing Dublin University Football Club, 1854–2005: 150 years of Trinity rugby (2003). As a scholar, senator, and sportsman, Trevor believed deeply in the role of sport within a well-rounded education and worked passionately to ensure it was supported and celebrated at Trinity.
Michelle Tanner, Director of Sport & Physical Activity at Trinity, reflected on his legacy: “Trevor West’s contribution to sport in Trinity was immeasurable. He championed student athletes with passion, integrity, and a deep belief in the value of sport in education. This memorial bench is a fitting tribute to a man whose legacy continues to inspire generations of participants of sport at Trinity. We are proud to honour his memory in a place that so many associate with camaraderie, competition, and community - values that Trevor embodied throughout his life."
Trevor West is also remembered and celebrated through the Trevor West Scholarship, which is awarded to exceptional athletes who have shown outstanding contribution to sport at Trinity and within their respective sport clubs. The unveiling of the Trevor West memorial bench was also an opportunity for current Trevor West Sports scholars to express their connection to his legacy.
Ciara Mulligan, Trinity College Basketball team member and one of the two 2024-2025 Trevor West Scholarship recipients, remarked: “The dedication of the Trevor West bench was a truly special occasion and a chance to honour someone who gave so much to sport and student life at Trinity. As a recipient of the Trevor West Sports Scholarship, I feel incredibly proud to be connected to his legacy. I'd like to thank the West family for their generosity and ongoing support of student athletes and for reflecting the values Trevor West lived by: leadership, commitment and the pursuit of excellence through this honour. This scholarship has supported me both on and off the pitch and court, giving me the resources and belief to push my limits, while also reminding me of the rich tradition of sport and leadership at Trinity that I am now a part of.”
Fellow 2024-2025 Trevor West scholar William Mac Donald Hughes echoed those sentiments, capturing West’s broad impact: “Celebrating Trevor West's legacy at the unveiling of a bench in his name was not just a pleasure; it was an honour. Known by far too many and for far too much, West’s reach was fantastically evident in just how many of his friends and family turned out to celebrate.”
William also reflected on Trevor’s influence on sport and beyond at Trinity: “Known best to me by my mother’s raging at his polymathy, his information-jammed and dryly humorous book ‘The Bold Collegians’, and of course for the scholarship bearing his name - of which I am the ever-too-lucky recipient - Trevor West’s impact on sport at Trinity, nay, on all facets of life in Ireland, be it sport, academia or politics, remains second to none."
William continued, “As a bench inscribed with his name now sits atop the Pav, and a scholarship likewise named is held by unscrupulous undergrads, West’s phenomenal legacy truly lives on. The opportunity to inspire clubmates, sportsfolk, and even ‘foreign universities’ alike towards sporting success and the joys of life born of such is one which I feel precipitates West’s will most - and one for which I am so grateful to be resourced.”
From his mathematical brilliance and political contributions to his tireless support of sport and student life, Trevor West’s legacy continues to resonate across Trinity. The memorial bench overlooking College Park and nestled beside the social heart of Trinity sport offers a space to reflect, remember and celebrate a true collegiate icon.
