New festival celebrates UCD

THE inaugural UCD Festival on Saturday, June 18 promises a day of opportunity for alumni, staff, the local community and friends of the college to experience an enormous variety of talks and exhibitions, theatrical performances, live music, interactive workshops and family entertainment. 

This will be a day like no other in UCD, and will be an ideal opportunity to experience the state-of-the-art facilities on campus, explore new buildings and the wonderful parkland.

This event, right in the heart of Dublin, is open to the local community. 

There are a number of spoken word events featured in the programme. These will involve leading thinkers and UCD academics discussing important societal challenges such as water, while the question of housing will be addressed by a panel of experts in design, policy and provision, including Fr Peter McVerry.

A panel of inspirational and leading female UCD graduates will address the changing nature of women’s role in society and in the workplace. The ‘Women in Leadership’ panel will feature UCD graduates including Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan, Master of the National Maternity Hospital, Dr Rhona Mahony and broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan.

The Sutherland School of Law will host a lively debate on Brexit, with UCD graduate Michael McDowell, ahead of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union.

The UCD School of English Drama and Film will celebrate one of their leading alumna, Maeve Binchy, with a “characters in conversation” event entitled ‘Remembering Maeve’.

Well-known friends, relatives and contemporaries of Maeve’s will recall one of Ireland’s best loved writers with a programme of readings and recollections.

A panel of top UCD sporting athletes will take part in a discussion on Life After Sport. Hosted by Jarlath Regan, creator of the ‘An Irishman Abroad’ podcast, the panel will include Derval O’Rourke and Niall Breslin (Bressie) among others. The discussion will outline their rise to success in their sport and how UCD helped prepare these athletes for the inevitable end and rebirth of their professional lives.

There will also be tours, trails and exhibitions while the James Joyce Library will have many of its special collections on display. There will be rare access to two of the Georgian houses on the campus, which will be open for guided tours throughout the day.

The full programme of events can be seen on www.ucd/festival.ie