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INDEPENDENT THINKING
The University College Cork Magazine 2016
IN THE
NEWS
CNN’s social media head,
Samantha Barry, takes on
New York and the world
Inside…
FEATURES
04 Bowing out 47 Popular pundit
Outgoing President Dr Michael B Murphy We ask well-known sports commentator
looks back on a decade in office Marty Morrissey about his news and views
08 Leading lady 50 Well on track
UCC graduate Samantha Barry is top of the How Phil Healy’s outstanding UCC relay
social league race brought personal and global kudos
11 Here to stay
New bust of George Boole commemorates
his genius REGULAR FEATURES
12 Up for the challenge
President-elect Professor Patrick O’Shea 26 Keep in Touch!
tells us what shapes his perspective
32 Weddings
15 Music to our ears
34 Alumni Reunions
How annual concert on The Quad helps
charities 36 Alumni Achievement Awards
16 Bright city lights 52 Spotlight on Sport
Cork University Business School has plans
to move downtown
19 Down on the farm
Quercus scholar and inventor Marie Martin
reveals the source of her inspiration
20 In and out
We follow UCC graduate Dr Anna Marie
Naughton’s work with the homeless
23 The last word
Newly appointed Writer-in-Residence,
Cónal Creedon, on life and his universe
30 Simply divine
As the Honan Chapel marks 100 years we
celebrate its wonderful art
38 Mind over matter
We talk to award-winning quantum physics
researcher Professor Seamus Davis
41 Back to roots
UCC is the first university to grow its own
fresh veggies for students and staff
44 Central station
Student hub will bring all facilities under
one roof on campus 08
INDEPENDENT Thinking
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Nancy Hawkes
EDITORIAL ADVISOR
Margaret Jennings
32 COMMISSIONING EDITOR
Mike Ryan
DIGITAL EDITOR
Denis Twomey
DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI ADVISORS
Aideen Hogan • Karen Kelly • Nini Schwart
• Dr Jean van Sinderen-Law • Caroline Waters
DISTRIBUTION
Geraldine Taylor
DESIGN
Vermillion Design Consultants
www.vermilliondesign.com
COVER
Samantha Barry in Times Square, New York.
19
Photograph by Michael Appleton
PRINTER
20
City Print, Cork
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES AND COMMENTS
Nancy Hawkes
T: 00 353 (0)21 4902812
E: editor@ucc.ie
ALUMNI ENQUIRIES
Karen Kelly
T: 00 353 (0)21 4903643
E: alumni@ucc.ie
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23 47
INDEPENDENT Thinking 3
It was my privilege to serve
during a rollercoaster decade
As UCC President Michael Murphy prepares to hand over the baton after ten years, he
shares some of his memories of leading the university through high and low times
I
“ t was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” goals and the projection of its uniqueness to the
How Charles Dickens’s opening line from A Tale outside world, coupled with effective implementation.
of Two Cities (1859) might have been written to The UCC Strategic Plan for 2007–12 embraced
capture the experience of the past decade in UCC! a vision for “a world-class regional university”. Our
In February 2007, my first month in office, the purpose today remains excellence in teaching, learning
boundless optimism of the Celtic Tiger era was still and research, but striving also to maximise relevance
alive: “We could not possibly put a three-storey to the needs of local society and business.
building on the former greyhound-racing track, This vision has since emerged as a global theme
land prices being where they are, and going where for university planning but our early embrace of the
they’re going...”, was a contribution at our university’s agenda attracted considerable international attention.
finance committee. The UCC Plan (2009–12) featured as a case study in
Just four years later, the same committee was the Henley (UK) MBA programme, students being
voting monies to provide free meals for penurious required to compare and contrast the strategic plan
students and to help house others sleeping in cars (or of Nokia Corporation with that from Cork. Comparison
under a bridge in one case), such was the change in of the status of both institutions today, might give
national, institutional, citizen and student fortune. pause for thought to those who foist a business sector
And yet the Western Gateway Building was built. ethos on universities!
Although it took a decade to find all €109 million Vision must give way to actions, effective
required, UCC now boasts the largest and most implementation. Eventually, in 2015, UCC was awarded
modern academic edifice in the country. The lesson: 21 A grades across 30 metrics by the European Union
universities the world over are extraordinarily resilient U-Multirank, the highest number among all 1,220
and UCC matches the best. universities assessed, celebrating in particular our
Wasn’t our Main Quadrangle built at the very performance under regional university measures.
height of the Famine (1847–49), while cholera in the Dickens must have had university rankings on
city prevented Queen Victoria from coming into the his mind. It has been quite a roller-coaster decade.
campus to perform the opening. One hundred and By 2010 and by dint of much hard work, UCC had
sixty years later no mere national bankruptcy would made its way into the top 200 (top 2%) of global
derail the ambitions of today’s 23,000 confident, universities, recognition we went on to enjoy for three
ambitious, diverse and clever community of consecutive years.
students and staff. But alas, no more! Eight years of continuous
Citation of a construction project as a premier revenue cuts, 15% fewer staff serving 10% more
institutional accomplishment is, of course, slightly students, enforced early retirement of some of
ironic, as I have repeatedly and publicly denied our most productive academic and support staff,
enslavement to the edifice complex – a common loss of our academic stars to other international
characteristic of university presidents! More universities, and – equally important – the imposition
fundamental than buildings have been the evolution of a bureaucratic stranglehold seen mostly in less
of the vision for the university, the refinement of its developed countries has taken an inevitable toll.
44 INDEPENDENT
INDEPENDENT Thinking
Thinking
3 Dr Michael Murphy,
University College
Cork’s President since
2006, reflects on his
time in office.
“A HIGHLIGHT OF THE DECADE HAS
BEEN OUR DESIGNATION IN 2010,
AS THE FIRST UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN THE
WORLD TO BE ACCREDITED WITH THE
GREEN FLAG OF THE FEDERATION FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, RECOGNITION
THAT ITSELF SPARKED OFF A NEW GLOBAL
UNIVERSITY MOVEMENT”
INDEPENDENT Thinking 5
Nevertheless, we have adapted magnificently: “events, dear boy”. Well, “events” have certainly
fewer than 50 cents of each euro flowing to UCC now played their part in the trajectory of UCC lately.
comes from the state, contrasted with 86 cents in Examples include: fire at the old naval building
2006, due to growing international and postgraduate housing the Coastal and Marine Research Centre
fee-paying student numbers, as well as growing and on Haulbowline Island; the floods of November 2009
diversifying research income. Meanwhile, universities which submerged one third of the campus and
in other countries have enjoyed ever more state and inflicted tens of millions of euro worth of damage;
private sector investment and – also enjoying greater volcanic eruptions in Iceland in 2010 stranding
autonomy to ensure greater effectiveness – have dozens of staff and students on field trips in Western
passed all Irish universities by. Europe; and the global economic tsunami of 2008
There is one very important and notable exception from which Ireland is only now recovering. Ah,
to the rankings trend, student-initiated and student- yes, Macmillan.
led and a manifestation of that independent thinking The roller coaster experience continues. A sublime
that we celebrate: UCC’s commitment to institutional moment came in October this year when we learned
and societal sustainability is second to none. A that UCC had, once again, been named the Sunday
highlight of the decade has been our designation in Times University of the Year for 2017. It is recognition,
2010 as the first university campus in the world to in my view, that UCC is confident in its understanding
be accredited with the Green Flag of the Federation of the role of a university and clearly committed
for Environmental Education, recognition that itself, to discharging that role to very high standards.
sparked off a new global university movement. We exist primarily to teach our students, to learn
UCC’s positioning as a champion of the green with and from them, and to provide all students
agenda, among the top four universities in the world and staff with opportunities to grow, to improve
every year since “greenmetric” rankings began, continuously, to experiment and to innovate – to be
is a source of great pride for everyone. The most Independent Thinkers.
recent green initiative, the development of our own During the past decade UCC grew in size – in
vegetable garden on our new lands at Curraheen its student population, campus acreage, built
(which you can read about in this magazine), is also environment and research income. It is more diverse
a reminder that the campus estate grew by 53 acres – in its international representation among staff
(40%) during the downturn. and students and in its popularity among both
You will have noticed that when I began this piece domestic and international student markets. It is
I highlighted that UCC has had a plan, implemented more successful in its innovation measures and its
it and enjoyed impact and success. But you will also commercialisation and more inclusive, transparent
have noticed another theme – the encroachment and resilient than at any previous time.
of unanticipated occurrences, famously described It has been my privilege to serve during one of the
by the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan as most challenging decades in our history.
1 Michael has been privileged to meet many extraordinary 1 There have been fun moments too over the decade, including
people during his 10 years in office, including here Michael being nominated by the UCC Students’ Union for the
in 2007, with honorary graduate, Irish-American Ice Bucket Challenge. Here he is seen being doused by SU
philanthropist Loretta Brennan Glucksman. President Mark Staunton in the middle of UCC’s famous Quad.
6 INDEPENDENT Thinking
Keep in Touch
with...
Picture: Rowan Davenport
Win a €1,000 travel voucher to be
our VIP guest at UCC’s Christmas
Homecoming event 2016
T
hese days, contact
information changes all the The prize also includes:
time. We would like you • a travel voucher for €1,000 to be spent on your flights home
to keep in touch with UCC (if you live abroad) or, if you are based in Ireland, on
and let us know where you are now. future travel plans.
To say thank you for your effort, you • a two-night stay for you and a guest in five-star luxury, at Hayfield
will be entered into a draw to be our Manor hotel, Cork, including breakfast and dinner (on one night).
VIP guest on campus for the annual • to put the festive icing on the (Christmas) cake, a family box for the
UCC Christmas Homecoming seasonal pantomime, Cinderella, in the Cork Opera House. Four
reception held in UCC’s Aula Maxima runners-up will win pairs of tickets to the show.
on 22 December 2016.
All graduates automatically become lifelong
members of the UCC Alumni Association.
Register for events, make a donation, or
update your details at community.ucc.ie
To be eligible to enter the draw, you need to be a graduate of University Sponsored by UCC in partnership with
College Cork. The draw will close on 30 November 2016 and the winner
will be announced on 1 December 2016. The winner and runners-up will
be advised by letter and the results announced on the UCC website.
There is no cash alternative should the winner or runners-up be unable
to claim their prize. Full terms and conditions for this draw can be
found at: www.ucc.ie/en/alumni/
INDEPENDENT Thinking 7
TITLE
Newswoman SAMANTHA
is top of the social ladder
Being at the heart of the American
presidential election was just one
aspect of UCC graduate Samantha
Barry’s job as head of social media
at CNN. The Cork woman tells
Clodagh Finn about her meteoric
rise to fame in the digital world
S
he interviewed Donald
Trump in a toilet in Miami,
spoke to Hillary Clinton
backstage and talked to
Bernie Sanders and every other
candidate in the recently-held
US presidential election.
Samantha Barry, UCC graduate
and head of social media at CNN,
was at the very heart of the 2016
election, though she’s quick to
clarify that her Snapchat interview
with Trump took place in a toilet
because that was the only place
they could set up on the day.
The fact that Trump was even
willing to do a Snapchat interview
reveals just how vital a role social
media played in the election.
“It had a huge part to play,”
says 34-year-old Samantha. “You
1 From her New York
saw that in the readiness of the office, Cork woman
candidates to give the extra Samantha Barry now
stories and sidebars necessary oversees a staff of
30-plus people and has
for an Instagram and helped to transform
a Facebook audience.” CNN from a TV news
From the outset of the network into a 24-hour
global multiplatform
primaries, CNN turned two-hour network. Pictures:
presidential debates into trending Michael Appleton
8 INDEPENDENT Thinking
phenomena on Instagram, everything. It’s a rare privilege to Did her time there help her get
Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook. cook dinner,” she says. to where she is now? “Absolutely. It
It’s a brave new world and The office day goes by in a helped me hone my skills and gave
Samantha Barry, a native of heartbeat – from 7.30am to 6pm me confidence in journalism and
Ballincollig, Cork, is at the forefront – then, she tries to shut off for a made me feel that I could do this.
of it. Since she graduated with few hours before tuning in again to It really started me on the path to
an Arts degree (English and keep an eye on primetime coverage working at the BBC.”
Psychology) from University and what is coming out of Hong After graduating from UCC, she
College Cork in 2002, she has Kong as it wakes. went on to do an MA in Journalism
gone on to earn a name as a at Dublin City University and from
world-renowned social media that got a job at RTÉ.
expert who is invited to share “I WROTE FOR “When you grow up listening to
her expertise at conferences and a radio station and the next thing
universities all over the world. THE UNIVERSITY you are on the radio reading the
Two years ago, she was news – ok, it might be at 3 o’clock
EXAMINER. I DID
headhunted from BBC World in the morning but it’s still the news
News in London to run CNN’s THREE RADIO SHOWS – it’s kind of fun.”
growing social media division. At 24, she took a year off to
From her New York office,
ON THE UNIVERSITY go to Australia and took up a job
she now oversees a staff of 30- RADIO. I JUST PUT as lunchtime reporter at Newstalk
plus people and has helped to radio when she came home. She
transform CNN from a TV news MY HAND UP AND still recalls a week-long series she
network into a 24-hour global TRIED STUFF” did on Ireland’s most dilapidated
multiplatform network. secondary schools, as one of the
She strives – and this is her highlights of her career.
mantra, she tells us – “to create She stayed at Newstalk for a
a CNN news habit for every It’s a long way from her student year and a half, but the travel bug
generation on every platform”. days at UCC, though she says her had bitten. In 2009, she went to
“That means reaching people who digital journey began the week South America and while there
don’t have a cable subscription. she started college. “I tell the she got what she describes as a
That means reaching people in story that the first email address “very offbeat opportunity” to go
Africa who have leapfrogged I ever had was in UCC. The first to Papua New Guinea with ABC to
desktops and are going straight mobile phone I got was from Bank train young reporters.
to mobile and social. No matter of Ireland. They were offering “That was the first lightbulb
where people live, they know they new students who signed up in moment. Feature phones had
can come to us and we are going 1999 a free Nokia flip phone,” just arrived in Papua New
to serve them up great stories Samantha says, adding that her Guinea and had changed how
and information in a way that they US colleagues can’t believe that everyone communicated. I set
want to consume it.” happened as late as 1999. up Facebook pages for 13 radio
Ask her about her job and she’ll But what really stands out stations and then, I said – wait a
tell you she “absolutely loves it”. from her student days is the way second – this thing that we call
Most mornings start at 5.30am or UCC gave her an opportunity to social media is changing not only
6am and the first thing she does put her hand up: “I don’t mean in how we communicate but how
is look at her emails on her mobile class. I mean for things that could we consume news.”
– it’s been on all night. She then potentially put you down the path After a year and a half there,
checks her WhatsApp groups, of where you were going to go. I she had a stint in Pakistan – “it was
Facebook, Twitter and CNN’s wrote for the University Examiner. amazing and fascinating” – before
messaging apps. I did three radio shows on the going to London to work at BBC
“Then, I grab a coffee on the run. university radio. I just put my World News and BBC Media Action.
I’ve massively embraced the New hand up and tried stuff,” she says, “They sent me to a lot of
York way of life, which is to order advising others to do the same. amazing places, including Burma,”
INDEPENDENT Thinking 9
she says, mentioning another “With this little thing,” she says
What device could you
career highlight. tapping her iPhone, “so many
not do without?
“When I went there first in 2012, people have access to information
My phone. I have an iPhone
I sat in a room with about 100 that they never had before.”
for everyday. I have a
young journalists and I asked if Another upside is that
Samsung that I use for
anybody had a mobile phone. One technology has allowed her to
virtual reality.
Burmese guy put up his hand and stay in touch with friends and
put what can only be described family. “I am so connected to
Kindle or book?
as a satellite phone on the desk. my family in Ireland because of
Real books, definitely. I love
Nobody else in the room had WhatsApp. I Facetime my sister
my book shelf and I have
a mobile phone.” Davina, in Sweden and my brother
carted books from Papua
Two short years later, Samantha Brendan, in Barcelona.
New Guinea to London. When
Barry walked off the tarmac in She Skypes her parents Máiréad
CNN relocated me to New
Yangon airport and was astounded and David in Bantry, Co Cork,
York, I didn’t own one piece
to see how radically things had and WhatsApps her mum. “We
of furniture. The only thing
changed. “Everybody had a mobile are every Irish parent’s worst
that was taking up space in
phone, from the taxi driver to the nightmare; none of us lives at
the boxes was books.
monk I met. And a lot of them were home. My dad had to suck it up
getting their news from Facebook and buy wifi for the house.”
Favourite place in the world?
or messaging apps. It was an Looking ahead, she says the
It depends on the season. I
amplified version of what has been future of news-gathering and news
love Paris in December. It is
happening all around the world.” consumption is very exciting. While
an excuse to wear fabulous
She weighs the pros and cons people on social media tend to
layers and sit outside
carefully when asked if she thinks live in a kind of self-congratulatory
and people-watch while
the seismic shift in behaviour, bubble that reflects their existing
drinking champagne and
prompted by innovations in views, sometimes big, important
eating cheese.
digital technology, is a good news stories penetrate that filter.
I love Italy in the summer.
or a bad thing. The most recent example
I love what the Italians can
On the downside, she was the picture of the bloodied
do with tomatoes.
says cyberbullying is a real Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh,
problem, though publishers and photographed in an ambulance.
platforms are trying to combat it. “The reach of that on social was
“Sometimes the comments section huge. People shared that story who
of CNN is not a nice place to be.” had never shared a story on Syria
On balance, however, she thinks before. When people do that, we
information is a real equaliser. say, ‘Yes, we did our job’.”
1 0 INDEPENDENT ThinkingA RoBUST
limestone engraved by Cork-based
sculptor Matthew Thompson. The
project was made possible through
the generous support of two UCC
tribute to genius
alumni, Shemas Eivers and Teddy
McCarthy. The logistics were
managed by Barrie Curley and Ross
O’Donovan in the Office of Buildings
and Estates at UCC.
In recognition of Boole’s dual
Lincoln and Cork affiliations, the
piece was unveiled jointly by
George Boole is here to stay, as a sculpture in his
Ireland’s Ambassador to the UK
honour takes pride of place, writes John Fitzgerald (and UCC alumnus) Dan Mulhall
and Sir Dominick Chilcott, British
Ambassador to Ireland.
H
e was the centre of Sited between the Boole Library It stands as a lasting tribute not
attention at UCC, and and the Main Quad, this newest just to Boole and his legacy, but
further afield, for the feature on the campus tourist trail to all of the staff and friends of
whole of last year, has also already taken its place in UCC who successfully brought his
but the impact and memory of the student mythology, as it has association with this university to
George Boole, the forefather of quickly become a charm for pre- global recognition during 2015.
the digital age and first professor examination students who have
of mathematics at our university, been seen to rub the logician’s nose, or more on George Boole
F
is here to stay – thanks to this John Harvard-style, in order to bring and his legacy in UCC visit
magnificent bust, created by good luck in exams. georgeboole.com
sculptor Paul Ferriter. In fact some students maintain
Although the life and legacy of that to copper-fasten their good
one of UCC’s original Independent luck, they have to actually rub it with
Thinkers (1815-1864) was celebrated their own nose – Eskimo kiss style!
with a major programme of events, Paul Ferriter, who worked
raising local, national and global from three drawings and one
awareness on his 200th birthday, photographic portrait, sculpted
it was the realisation of how he first in clay, then used silicon and
laid the foundation stone for our wax in what is known as “the lost
indispensable digital devices that wax method” to create a mould
bridged the centuries between his into which molten bronze was
genius and 20th-century life. poured to make the shape of
It was because of Boole’s ideas the final piece.
that our students now have mobile The bust is one and
devices to take selfies beside the a half life-size and rests
bronze bust of this famous man on a column of Kilkenny
– unveiled last April as a lasting
physical tribute to him and his
celebratory year.
3 First-year Genetics
student Ciara Judge tests
the new ‘tradition’ that
says rubbing the nose of
George Boole’s statue will
bring good luck in exams.
Picture: Emmet Curtin
INDEPENDENT Thinking 1 1An Independent Thinker
with fearless ideas
3 UCC’s president elect,
Professor Patrick O’Shea,
says the idea of the
university being a place of
Independent Thinking, is
hugely important to him.
1 2 INDEPENDENT ThinkingProud Corkman and UCC physics graduate Professor Patrick O’Shea has been appointed
the 15th President of University College Cork with effect from next February. Currently
Vice President and Chief Research Officer at the University of Maryland, USA, he
gives here some of his perspectives on life. In conversation with Nancy Hawkes
In the 1920s, my grandmother, My parents were really motivated as a student was an inspiration to
Mary Shea (which later became to make sure that their children me to become an academic.
O’Shea) was raising a young got ahead. They valued education
family of three sons near even though they didn’t have I have four important guiding
Glengarriff in West Cork when much themselves. They were principles: Be entrepreneurial.
her husband Patrick died of very interested in books and in By that I mean: be someone who
tuberculosis. She opened a sweet knowledge and learning, and they sees a problem that you want to
shop to make a living and was made sure their children had a solve, who is willing to take a risk
fairly successful until she was good education. to solve it and who creates more
evicted from the building she value than you consume in the
rented. She moved to Pope’s Quay I met my wife Miriam Smyth, in process. That’s my definition of
in Cork city where she made her UCC. She got her undergraduate entrepreneur. It’s not necessarily
living as a maid. It was a pretty degree in Marine Biology. We a term that connotes “business”.
rough life for the family. moved to Maryland to do our Anyone can be an entrepreneur in
PhDs. She is currently head his or her own way.
My parents met as the result of clinical research strategic Be unreasonable. Reasonable
of a tragedy. Both my uncles, planning in the US Department people adapt and get along.
Paddy and Dermot, were killed of Veteran Affairs which runs Unreasonable people are unhappy
in accidents a few months apart. an extensive medical system for with the status quo and want to
Paddy died in a mine in England, military veterans. change things. As George Bernard
and Dermot was killed in an We have had a happy and Shaw said: “Reasonable people
accident on the island of Mauritius. productive life in the US. We adapt themselves to the world.
Dermot’s best friend sent a letter have a son Ronan, who’s 19 Unreasonable people attempt to
to my grandmother in French. years old. He has just started his adapt the world to themselves. All
Someone told my father, Michael, second year at Brown University progress, therefore, depends on
that there was a young lady called studying neuroscience. He runs unreasonable people.”
Jo (Josephine) Watkins, who grew for the track and field team there, Be tenacious. “Ever tried. Ever
up on the South Terrace, who could so he’s inherited some of the failed. No matter. Try again. Fail
read French. They first met on family running genes! again. Fail better”, to quote Samuel
Brown Street in the Legion of Mary Beckett. This could be applied to
Hall, to translate the letter. I’m an introvert – basically a Phil Healy. Her recent extraordinary
physics and mathematics nerd! athletic performance went viral
One of my earliest memories is of I remember sitting in a lecture on social media. I’ve shown the
my father. Just like his own father, theatre in the Kane Building, video clip to many people as a
he contracted tuberculosis when listening to Dr John Delaney, who great example of the quality of
I was a baby and spent two years was my first-year physics teacher, tenacity and perseverance when
in a TB sanatorium in Glanmire. and thinking: “I’d love to be like all seems lost.
My mother would cycle to see him. I’d love to be a teacher.” Be collaborative and think big,
him with me on the back of her However, I never thought I could to quote Goethe: “Dream no small
bike. We weren’t allowed into the work up the courage to stand up dreams, for they have no power
hospital because the disease was in front of a class. So I’ve had to to move the hearts of men.” Think
so contagious. So, I remember work every single day of my life of Newgrange, the world’s oldest
looking up at his room and seeing to “fake” being an extrovert. The astronomically aligned structure.
him standing on a balcony. quality of teaching I saw at UCC Imagine 5,000 years ago, when
INDEPENDENT Thinking 1 3the men and women of Meath best places to survive a nuclear
decided to build it. People probably apocalypse. Recently I found an “I HAVE FOUR
looked at them and wondered article from Esquire magazine
why they were wasting their time. in 1962, which cites Cork as one
IMPORTANT GUIDING
Newgrange represents the strength of the few places in the world PRINCIPLES: BE
of the Irish culture and economy; that had sufficient infrastructure
that they could marshal resources as a base from which to rebuild ENTREPRENEURIAL,
and build the partnerships to civilisation. This concept has been
BE UNREASONABLE,
something amazing. in my head since I was a child, so
now is my chance to help Cork take BE PERSISTENT, AND
Perceptions of Ireland abroad its rightful place among the great
THINK BIG”
have really changed. 100 years cities of the world.
ago Irish people were pretty far
down the totem pole. But that’s not When you’re in a leadership when you get to the edge of the
the case anymore. Ireland is now position, you’re sometimes not map, it gets very scary. A research
viewed as a sophisticated European sure what’s going to happen next. institution like UCC is involved in
country. When people heard that One of the lines I like to use is the creation and understanding
I was taking the job in UCC, it was the last sentence from the book of knowledge, and the creation
viewed as a very positive step by 2001: A Space Odyssey. It reads: of people who have the mindset
my US friends and colleagues. “For though he was master of and educational background to be
the world, he was not quite sure creative explorers.
There is a term “American what to do next. But he would
exceptionalism” and the same think of something.” Some of the Universities should be of and for
thing exists in Cork. Cork people essence of leadership is to lead the community. I was involved
think of themselves as being when you don’t have enough in a panel discussion recently,
exceptional. And I agree that Cork information to make an absolutely and the question was: “Where
is more important globally than definitive decision. Exploration is do good ideas come from?” I
people imagine. When I was a child like that too. simply said: “Cities,” by which I
in the early 60s, I remember hearing Some people are content to mean communities. The sparks
a story that Cork was one of the be tourists. It’s comfortable. But that ignite great ideas come
when groups of people rub up
against one another, arguing
7 A meeting of minds: and disputing. So the university
Patrick O’Shea should be of the community and
chats with Physics
undergraduate
city. The University should create
John McCarthy more value for the people than
during a recent visit it consumes. That could be my
to the UCC campus.
Pictures: Tomás Tyner.
motto or epitaph: create more
value than you consume.
The idea of UCC as a place of
Independent Thinking is hugely
important to me. It meshes with
the Fearless Ideas concept that
is a hallmark of the University
of Maryland. They both connect
well to the “creative explorers”
concept I mentioned earlier, i.e.,
explorers have to be both fearless
and independent thinkers. It will
be exciting to combine these
concepts in my new role.
1 4 INDEPENDENT ThinkingHitting a high note
on the Quad
A
Summer’s Evening on the Quad, which 1 Music-lovers at this year’s Summer’s Evening
on The Quad were clearly having a good time
clocked up 11 years this summer, has so far at the annual event, which is a fundraiser for
raised over €550,000 for local charities. local charities. Pictures: Provision
This year’s event, which featured Rebecca
Storm, Michael McCarthy and Keith Hanley, boasted
a 2,000-strong attendance. To date, over 20,000 Event organiser Pat Cotter points out that
music-lovers have enjoyed this unique annual event. a contributory factor to the concerts being so
The support of sponsors like construction successful with the public is that the beneficiaries are
company BAM, The Evening Echo newspaper, the Cork charities. “At the end of the day, it’s about Cork
River Lee Hotel, Cork’s 96FM and more recently people supporting Cork charities,” he adds.
Cork University Business School (CUBS) ensures And in using our beautiful 19th-century stone-
that all ticket sales go directly to the nominated face quadrangle as the venue, we maintain that
charities each year. link between UCC and the community which has
A large team of volunteers among UCC staff always been a unique feature of our university, down
worked in collaboration with An Garda Síochána through the decades.
Bridewell Community Policing, who volunteer their
time in co-ordinating, promoting and hosting the Plans for A Summer’s Evening on the
event. Cork Cancer Research Centre, Special Olympics Quad 2017 are already underway.
(Munster), Cork Simon Community, Down Syndrome See summeronquad.ucc.ie
Cork and the Children’s Leukaemia Association have @ASummersEveningOnTheQuad
all benefited from the event in past years. @ASummersEvening
INDEPENDENT Thinking 1 5CUBS’ scout for city centre
building is a landmark success
The proposed transfer of Cork University Business School to the heart of the city’s finance
centre and its ongoing recruitment of top-class professorial staff is placing it at the centre
of its field in education, both locally and globally, reports Helen O’Callaghan
A
bold decision by Cork of the finance and business district to consider moving further out.
University Business is paramount, says head of CUBS, “But I think you lose something
School (CUBS) to locate Professor Ciaran Murphy. “It’s by not being part of the dynamic
its executive education important that a business school presence in any city.”
facility in a landmark building, in an should be close to the commercial In a sense, CUBS is giving
area rapidly becoming Cork City’s activity of the city. It ensures new life and fuller meaning to the
centre of business activity, says a students have an opportunity old real estate adage, “location,
lot about where CUBS sees itself. on a daily basis to imbibe the location, location”, which describes
The acquisition of the entrepreneurial experience and the three most important aspects
iconic Lapp’s Quay heritage culture of Cork.” of any property and which was
building – formerly Cork Savings It might be easier, he concedes, coined by tycoon Harold Samuel.
Bank – combined with CUBS’ to find a green site if CUBS were Because relocating its School from
determination to find a city centre the heart of UCC’s campus, right
location for its proposed €120m into the city’s business hub – a
business school, is an ambitious 15-minute walk from UCC and a
move. Clearly it’s setting its sights five-minute hop to Cork’s renowned
on being a world-class player. English Market – is emblematic of
Having a strong physical where it is positioning itself in the
presence “downtown” in the heart sphere of business education.
3 Having a strong physical
presence “downtown” in the
heart of Cork’s finance and
business district is paramount,
says head of CUBS, Professor
Ciaran Murphy.
1 6 INDEPENDENT ThinkingCUBS’ vision begins from the our BComm students are already
position that Cork and the southern going abroad to business schools,
region need a top-class business mainly in Europe and the US, but
school of an international standard. some in Asia too.”
“That for us is the key driver,” says One vital element on which
Ciaran. He sees its reach going this world-class experience
further. The business education is predicated is recruitment
delivered here will mark it out as of professorial staff. CUBS is
a significant player on the national committed to hiring 30 new
stage and it will have a global professorial-level posts over the
impact: be world class “from” Cork, next four years. “We’re doing
rather than “in” Cork. global searches for staff. We’ve
“Our students will be had applications from all five
challenged to excel – but continents. We’ve filled the first 10
supportively. We’re going to posts – the vast bulk of appointees
produce graduates who’ll be have international experience.
thinkers, shapers, designers We’re now embarking on a second
and developers of the future – round of recruitment.”
essentially movers and shakers Also essential in delivering
in the business sphere. We will this high-level education is what
emphasise the need for students to Ciaran terms “a smart building
be inventive and entrepreneurial in for smart students”. Currently
their approach to business.” spread over two buildings on
Ciaran quotes the words of UCC’s campus, CUBS has never
management consultant and had a purpose-designed/built
educator Peter Drucker: “Since business school building. And a
we live in an age of innovation, a vital element of the proposed new
practical education must prepare building will be a top-class digital
a man for work that does not infrastructure, enabling students
yet exist and cannot yet be to “be in contact with students
1 The iconic heritage building, formerly
clearly defined.” anywhere in the world at any time
Cork Saving Bank, (seen here and on
These words, he says, and ensuring incredibly fast access next page), has been bought as the new
encapsulate what CUBS is to information”. city centre location for Cork University
Business School.
about: “None of us can predict Meanwhile, acquisition of
the milieu of progress that will the former Cork Savings Bank
happen in all sorts of areas – and building – with an investment of will position it as the go-to for
what jobs will result. At CUBS, €5m – represents “great historical executive education. “Staff at
we want to educate students to connectivity” with UCC, he says. all levels of multinational and
be agile thinkers, to move with “It was designed by the Dean indigenous companies in Cork
developments and to help invent brothers, who were also architects need continual up-skilling. And our
their own futures.” of UCC’s quadrangle buildings.” offering isn’t just to the business
CUBS’ world-class education A firm of heritage architects community – large public sector
will be underlined by the offer has been commissioned to organisations like the HSE and Cork
to undergraduates of work repurpose the building. City Council have a big requirement
placements and university Housed in a building that for ongoing training.”
(business school) placements historically played an important The business school is
abroad. “We want to develop more role in the business and community in discussions with the Irish
linkages with top business schools life of Cork, the CUBS facility will Management Institute (IMI) with a
internationally, so students can do now meet the region’s ongoing view to a merger with UCC. CUBS
shared projects with students from business education needs. Generic is already alma mater to the largest
business schools [abroad]. Many of and customised programmes number of undergraduate students
INDEPENDENT Thinking 1 7in any business school in Ireland – leaders, drawn from national
undergraduate intake increased by and international communities, “WE’RE GOING TO
15% in the last two years. Now, with whose input will help shape future
the strength of the IMI brand and direction of the School. This PRODUCE GRADUATES
with the size of IMI’s client base, board, says Ciaran, will have a WHO WILL BE THINKERS,
a merger will see UCC become key role in keeping CUBS honest.
the largest provider of executive “Our performance needs to be SHAPERS, DESIGNERS
education in Ireland. It will be measured. We need to be held
AND DEVELOPERS OF
UCC’s first Dublin campus and will accountable to our vision and
make the university accessible to commitment – I will insist we are.” THE FUTURE”
companies based in the greater In keeping with its unrelentingly
Dublin region. “We’ll be able to outward focus, CUBS is actively
tap into our alumni in a way we seeking international students The School is also hoping to
haven’t been before.” – and affiliations with other have completed a process of
Ciaran says a business school institutions of note. On the gaining international accreditation
must be a two-way street. He research front, the School wants by 2018. The AACSB (Association
sees an important role for adjunct to partner up with business to Advance Collegiate Schools
professors in giving real-world universities globally. It has of Business) accreditation is
experience to the scholarly mix. already teamed up with Zhejiang an international standard, but
“It’s not just about CUBS providing University, one of the top three American-based. CUBS project
graduates who’ll go out to the universities in China, to conduct manager Áine McCarthy says it’s
business world. We want to bring research into new technologies and the largest accrediting body for
business to our students, so services for the financial industry. business schools in the world.
we’ll appoint top-class business “This summer we hosted a number “It’s regarded as a benchmark for
leaders as adjunct professors. They of their staff and students in UCC business school quality across the
will share experience, wisdom for three weeks. And 10 of our academic community.”
and views of the future with research students, accompanied
students and staff.” by staff, spent two weeks in CUBS has developed a
CUBS is in the process of Hangzhou. It’s an example of the new brand and logo, along
finalising an advisory board of type of research partnership we with its own website:
distinguished external business are seeking to develop.” https://www.cubsucc.com/
3 The renovated and repurposed former Cork
Savings Bank will be the go-to centre for
executive business education in the region.
Pictures: Clare Keogh
1 8 INDEPENDENT ThinkingMarie Martin,
Quercus Scholar and inventor
The 20-year-old UCC student who
has invented a product for making
chemical spraying safer for farmers
talks about her entrepreneurial
spirit and being a farmer at heart
In conversation with Denise Goggin
3 Marie Martin is as comfortable with being
at home on the farm, as with studying
business in UCC, where she has excelled as
a promising young entrepreneur. Picture:
Clare Keogh
Growing up in Dingle, farming has been in my family marts, they would all be chatting about what products
for generations. My father is a farmer, my grandfather they are using.
is a farmer and I hope that farming will always be a big
part of my life. I applied for the Quercus Scholarship Programme in
The idea for the Safe Scrub Sprayer came about my first year in UCC. I was selected for the Innovation
after my father, Pádraig, was out doing his daily work, Entrepreneurial Scholarship after I sat my Leaving Cert. I
spraying weed-killer. He became very unwell after being wanted a broad business degree, so I chose Commerce.
exposed to the chemicals. I started doing research We get a lot of benefits being a Quercus scholar. I
into finding something that would protect my dad, am part of a great community as there are Quercus
but I couldn’t find anything. I started messing around scholars in a number of different areas. If we need
in the garage at home with equipment and I came up support, it is there.
with a prototype.
I won the Young Entrepreneur Competition in I am representing the UCC Blackstone LaunchPad
January, 2012. I got a lot of help from my dad, family [a campus-based entrepreneurship programme], in
and friends and Don Holland in Kerry Tractors in Tralee, the Forbes 30 under 30 competition. I worked with
setting up the business. To date, I have sold over 1,000 Peter Finnegan and Trish Gibbons for the launch of
units of the sprayer. the Blackstone Launchpad, UCC, and built a great
relationship with them. I now work with them as a
Being taken seriously at pitching competitions when student ambassador promoting the service. What they
I was 15 was a huge hurdle to overcome. It took me a are doing is amazing. My role is to encourage start-ups
while to break into the market. I’d chat to the farmers at to sign up and to use this great facility on campus.
trade shows. I’d read the Farmers Journal, religiously, so
I could hold up my end of the conversation! They would You can have a great product, but if you’re not willing
then realise that I knew what I was talking about. I love to talk to people, and put yourself out there, you are
the underdog, and proving people wrong. not going to succeed. I would advise anyone with a
A lot of my sales come from word of mouth. business idea to just give it a go. Also, don’t be afraid to
Farmers are complete boasters! Around the ringside of ask for help.
INDEPENDENT Thinking 1 9All in a DAY’S WORK
UCC graduate Dr Anna Marie Naughton has been working for the past two years with
the homeless in Cork. Michelle McDonagh spent a morning with her and some of her
patients in her medical clinic at the Simon emergency shelter in the city centre
A
lthough Anna Marie had Anna Marie had been a GP Team which includes mental health
been a GP for over 10 locum for ten years before taking professionals, administration staff
years before she started on her current role. She started in and lately a social worker. Dr Don
working with the adult November 2014 doing one clinic a Coffey was the sole GP in the
homeless services in Cork and week, but is now doing five clinics service until June 2014 when he
as she puts it herself “was no — three at the Simon shelter on took a career break.
innocent”, her current role has Anderson’s Quay on Mondays, “I have never had a career plan,
been a total eye-opener. Wednesdays and Fridays and two I just found myself here. I really like
As well as making her far at St Vincent’s Hostel. the work, it’s very different. There’s
more conscious of the weather – always a crisis, I’m certainly never
because she knows which of her bored, whether it’s a guy brought
patients will be sleeping out in the
“IT CAN BE HARD TO in with seizures or somebody
cold and wet – she has come to SWITCH OFF THOUGH. suicidal downstairs. It can be hard
view the city differently. to switch off though. Last winter,
“It’s like a parallel universe. I LAST WINTER, I was waking in the middle of the
look at the city with different eyes I WAS WAKING IN night thinking about my patients
now. These people are society’s who I knew were sleeping out,
most disadvantaged; they have THE MIDDLE OF THE and ringing the soup run to see if
the hardest lives ever. They are so-and-so turned up. I was taking
NIGHT THINKING
children of people with addiction too much home, but it can be hard
and mental health problems, they ABOUT MY PATIENTS not to be overwhelmed by the
often have a history of childhood sadness,” Anna Marie admits.
abuse and are self-medicating with
WHO I KNEW WERE Despite the incredible work that
alcohol or drugs or both. They are SLEEPING OUT...” Cork Simon do at the coalface of
hugely traumatised people just the country’s homeless crisis, there
trying to survive.” are simply not enough beds for
With her black skinny jeans, Since March 2002, a general the increasing numbers looking for
orange Converse and youthful practice service has been provided them. The current lack of private
appearance, Anna Marie looks on-site to the homeless population rental accommodation means the
more like a recent college graduate in Cork. This is in keeping with the situation is more dire than ever.
than an experienced GP who aim of the Department of Health Anna Marie explains: “There are
graduated from UCC in 1998. and Children HSE Social Inclusion different types of homelessness.
She certainly does not look like Services, to improve access to You have the people who don’t
the hard-working 43-year-old mainstream services and to target have a home of their own and
mother of five children (aged services to marginalised groups. are sofa surfing, maybe staying
from 20 down to five-year-old The GP and nurse operate as part with friends until they run out of
twins), that she is. of the Adult Homeless Integrated sofas. Then you have the rough
20 INDEPENDENT Thinkingsleepers who sleep out on the
streets, many of these have
serious mental health issues
and are quite unwell. The classic
picture of a homeless person
was the older alcoholic, but they
are getting younger all the time
and we are seeing more women.
They are hugely vulnerable. Many
have come through the youth
addiction services but have
ended up here at the end of the
line, addicted and homeless. No
matter how hard they try, they
just can’t get past it.”
A young woman called Susan,
who is staying in the shelter,
comes into the clinic limping
and complaining of a sore foot.
She doesn’t know what she did,
but can’t put any weight on
her foot and is in a lot of pain.
She tells Anna Marie she is “off
the pin completely” (which
Anna Marie explains means she
is not using needles to inject
heroin) and feeling a lot better.
When Anna Marie asks
Susan about a recent spate of
1 UCC graduate Dr Anna Marie Naughton
addicts injecting through the started running a clinic once a week with
groin, a highly risky practice, Simon in Cork city in November 2014. She
now runs five clinics. Pictures: Clare Keogh
Susan says she wouldn’t dream
of injecting into her groin, only
into her arms or neck (causing
Anna Marie to wince). She tells
me that her best friend lost
both legs from injecting into the
groin and eventually “OD’d” and be genuine about her weight going to them. If I see somebody
died. As Anna Marie says, it is a loss or she might be trying to in normal general practice, I can
parallel universe. get the supplements to sell on effectively believe most of what
Susan mentions that she has and a clothing grant to spend on they tell me and they usually have
been losing weight and has no something other than clothing. The good recall. That is not always the
clothes that fit her and asks clinic’s nurse, Elaine Conlon, who case here, although, to be fair, most
Anna Marie for a prescription for has been working there for over people are very straight with me,”
nutritional supplement drinks. ten years, has hard-earned insight Anna Marie says.
After she leaves with a letter into patients’ motivation. However, she takes the
for the Mercy Urgent Care Clinic “Our patients have great respect compassionate “there but for the
and some Nurofen, Anna Marie for my role and especially for the Grace of God” viewpoint; that
explains that she has had to role of the nurse. I have to be her patients are just doing what
become something of a detective conscious that what they tell me they can to survive a desperate
since she started working in the is not necessarily true and what situation, and that any of us would
homeless services. Susan could they are looking for might not be do the same in their circumstances.
INDEPENDENT Thinking 2 1Her next patient is a beaming and there is an alarm button on
woman in her 30’s called Caroline the wall above her desk.
who has a bed in a homeless While I chat to Anna Marie in
shelter for women in the city. She between patients, she gets a call
is complaining of pain in her back from one of the Simon key workers
and legs and looking for painkillers downstairs to tell her she is with
containing codeine which Anna a young homeless woman who
Marie will not prescribe to was raped the previous night in
somebody in addiction. The wide the city centre. Anna Marie rings
beam on her face is because the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit
she is madly in love with a man at the South Infirmary where she
she met sleeping rough on the explains the situation to a nurse
street, who she believes has been there and is advised on the next
protecting her. steps the victim should take. It’s
When Anna Marie goes next all in a morning’s work for a GP
door to the nurse’s room to get working with people who live such
some painkillers (not containing precarious lives.
codeine), I ask Caroline how One major bugbear for Anna
she ended up homeless. She Marie is the lack of integration of
explains quite matter-of-factly services for homeless people and
that her father, a heavy drinker, the fragmentation of care.
brutally attacked her a few weeks “The homeless services are
“Is their trying to play the previously and she had to leave like an orphan service. You have
system any worse than the wealthy the house. She mentions that she child services, prison services,
trying to dodge paying taxes? has five children in foster care, probation, addiction, casualty,
Is the woman with the perfectly and is “praying to Our Lord” to psychiatry, social work, all probably
manicured nails in the big house get her own place. dealing with the same people
with the Range Rover in the After she leaves, Anna Marie who are constantly running from
driveway, drinking a bottle of wine explains that Caroline is “a car pillar to post. There are a lot of
a night, any different to the women crash in terms of service issues” people working in the area of
I see in my clinic who drink on and while it can be easy to get homelessness, but little link-up in
the streets? They are just coming caught up in her turmoil, she has communication and services.”
from a different place and different learnt to meet her and her other Anna Marie was involved in
social supports. These people are patients where they are. Her organising the second Irish Street
starting out in life so far behind, it’s priority for Caroline was to treat Medicine Symposium which took
like a poverty of hope.” her pain, to get some background place at UCC last September 24th.
Anna Marie is involved in a information, offer her a long-acting As I leave the shelter, Caroline
research study being carried contraceptive and to encourage is sitting outside on the kerb in her
out by the School of Applied her to return. strappy sundress on a rare sunny
Psychology at UCC and Cork Like any patient, it takes time day, waiting for her “fella”, who is
Simon, titled Exploring the Effects to build up a relationship of trust, inside. She will wait all day if she
of Adverse Childhood Experiences and while all of her patients were has to, she says, beaming widely.
on Those Using Homeless Services. singing her praises on the morning
The aim of the study is to examine that I observed Anna Marie at All patients referred to in the
the prevalence and severity of work, she points out there have article gave their permission for
trauma within the homeless been a few occasions where the reporter to observe Dr Anna
community in Cork and to identify she and Elaine were “effed out Marie Naughton during their
a relationship between childhood of it”. While she has never been consultation. All names have
trauma and homeless and other physically threatened, Anna Marie been changed to protect the
adult life events. has had personal safety training identity of all patients.
22 INDEPENDENT ThinkingYou can also read
