Welcome from the President of Mary Immaculate College

Welcome from the President of Mary Immaculate College

Dear Graduate, It is a bittersweet privilege to be writing to you for this Ceremony of Recognition, which is a virtual celebration of your academic and other notable achievements. Conferring ceremonies are occasions of wholehearted celebration for us all, marking as they do what are highlights in MIC’s calendar year. In any normal year, you would deservedly expect to celebrate your proud accomplishment in the company of those who have helped you along the way: your families, friends, classmates, lecturers and other staff members. The pageantry and formality of the graduation ceremony attests to the importance of what is happening for the graduates, their families, and indeed for the College itself. However, as we now know, 2020 was far from a normal year and, unfortunately, as one of the many casualties of the global pandemic, you were denied the age-old tradition of celebrating these achievements in the company of all those who supported and encouraged you along your journey. In place of our annual four conferring ceremonies, a special convocation meeting took place online between Professor Kersten Mey, President of the University of Limerick and myself, whereby all 2,084 graduands were conferred in absentia with their academic awards. While the social restrictions around COVID-19 may have prohibited us from celebrating in a proper and time-honoured way, it will not thwart our efforts to recognise your remarkable achievements, accomplishing what you have against the backdrop of a global pandemic. You met a litany of challenges during your course of study here at MIC, more so than any other preceding graduating class, but you successfully and bravely overcame them, displaying a determination and strength of character that will serve you well throughout your life. Therefore, it is with great pride that, on behalf of the entire MIC community, I congratulate you, the Class of 2020, on reaching this tremendous milestone under such adverse conditions. We are so very proud of you all. The most successful graduates have one thing in common: the wisdom to realise that their time in College provides them with an essential foundation for life and the means to unlock the doors of opportunity. And, crucially, they possess the willingness and courage to grasp those opportunities when they come their way and to realise that a career has many possible paths. Don’t be deterred by unfair criticism. As the philosopher Aristotle has written: There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. Be open to possibility and to the idea that deviating from an obvious path can lead you to a place you might never have considered but which could offer you immense satisfaction and reward.

I trust that you will carry warm memories of the College with you as you reflect on the time you spent studying here. I hope also that you will keep in touch with the friends that you have made in MIC and with the members of staff who have guided and inspired you. We wish you well and hope that you continue on your journey of excellence. While we cannot be together today, we very much look forward to welcoming you back on campus sometime in the future; perhaps as you further your studies, maybe even as employees, but most certainly as alumni. As a graduate of MIC, you join a community of alumni (www.mic.ie/alumni) that ultimately makes the world a better place through their ideas, innovations and engagement. You too, have the ability to develop and shape ideas that will make a positive and lasting impact on the world. With every good wish,

Professor Eugene Wall President, Mary Immaculate College

Fáilte ó Uachtarán Choláiste Mhuire gan Smál

A Mhic Léinn Iarchéime, a chara, Is mór an phribhléid dom a bheith ag scríobh chugaibh faoin gceiliúradh fhíorúil a bheidh ann chun aitheantas a thabhairt do bhur n-éachtaí acadúla agus do na spriocanna suntasacha eile atá bainte amach agaibh le linn bhur dtréimhse i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál. Faraor, ag am am céanna is cúis bhrónach dom nach mbeimid in ann teacht le chéile inniu don cheiliúradh.

Is ócáidí ar leith iad searmanais bronnta na céime ag ceiliúradh go croíúil na buaicphointí a shroichtear i bhFéilire Acadúil Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál. I ngnáthbhliain acadúil bheadh sibh ag súil go mór leis an gceiliúradh ar an ócáid mhór i measc na ndaoine sin a thug tacaíocht daoibh tríd an gcúrsa ar fad, bhur dteaghlaigh, bhur gcairde, bhur gcomhghleacaithe, léachtóirí agus baill foirne eile. Léiríonn an fhoirméaltacht, an ceiliúradh agus Searmanas Bronnta na Céime gur ócáid shuntasach í do na céimithe agus a dteaghlaigh agus lena chois sin is comóradh é don Choláiste féin. Mar is eol dúinn go léir, bliain neamhghnách ab ea 2020 agus ar mhí-ámharaí an tsaoil, de bharr na paindéime, sciobadh uainn traidisiún láidir a théann i bhfad siar chun gaisce na gcéimithe a fhógairt agus a cheiliúradh i dteannta iad siúd go léir a thug tacaíocht agus spreagadh dóibh ar an mbealach tríd an gcúrsa. In áit na gceithre searmanas a bhíodh ann do bhronnadh na céime, eagraíodh comhthionól speisialta ar líne idir mé féin agus an tOllamh Kersten Mey, Uachtarán Ollscoil Luimnigh inar tugadh aitheantas do chumas acadúil líon 2,084 céimithe in absentia. Cé gur chuir srianta sóisialta Covid-19 cosc orainn ceiliúradh a dhéanamh faoi mar a bhí riamh anall, ní chuirfidh sé as dár gcomhiarrachtaí aitheantas a thabhairt do na hiarractaí iontacha atá déanta agaibh ag baint amach spriocanna dochreidte i dtréimhe na paindéime domhanda. Sháraigh sibh go leor dúshlán go rathúil le linn bhur gcúrsaí staidéir anseo i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál, i bhfad níos mó ná aon ghrúpa mac léinn eile a cháilíodh roimhe seo. Léirigh sibh mianach thar an gcoitiantacht, diongbháilteacht agus díochas a sheasfaidh daoibh i gcaitheamh na mblianta amach romhaibh. Táimid an-bhródúil asaibh. Ar an ábhar sin is le teann mórtais agus ar son gach duine i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál, déanaim comhghairdeas ó chroí libh, sibhse Rang 2020, as an sprioc thábhachtach atá bainte amach agaibh in ainneoin na gcúinsí dúshlánacha a bhí le sárú agaibh. Tá rud amháin suntasach ag na céimithe is rathúla, is é sin an ghaois a aithint go dtugann a dtréimhse sa Choláiste bunchloch dóibh don saol agus don todhchaí leis an uain cheart a aimsiú le deiseanna forbartha agus deiseanna forbraíochta a thagann gan coinne. Agus, thar aon rud eile, taispeánann siad misneach iontach leis na deiseanna a thagann ina dtreo agus ar a dtuiscint go bhféadfadh gairm bheatha dul i dtreonna éagsúla. Ná bí curtha as do threoir le cáineadh éagórach. Mar atá scríofa ag an bhfealsamh iomráiteach, Aristotle ‘There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing and be nothing’. D’fhéadfadh sé tarlú go dtiocfadh féidireachtaí i do threo chuig áit eile nach smaoinófá air ach go bhféadfaidís an-sásamh a ofráil duit.

Táim cinnte de go dtógfaidh sibh cuimhní croíúla ón gColáiste libh nuair a dhéanfaidh sibh athbhreithniú ar an tréimhse a chaith sibh ag staidéar anseo. Tá súil agam leis go gcoinneoidh sibh i dteagmháil le cairde a rinne sibh i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál agus le baill foirne a threoraigh agus a ghríosaigh sibh. Guimíd gach rath oraibh agus tá súil againn go leanfaidh sibh ar aghaidh ar bhur dturas acadúil. Cé nach féidir linn teacht le chéile inniu, beimid ag súil go mór fáilte a chur romhaibh ar ais chuig campas an Choláiste am éigin amach anseo; b’fhéidir go mbeidh sibh ar ais chun leanúint ar aghaidh le bhur gcuid staidéir, nó b’fhéidir mar fhostaithe sa Choláiste, ach cinnte dearfa mar chéimithe de Choláiste Muire gan Smál; beidh sibh i bpáirt le grúpa alumnais a bheidh chun tosaigh i bhforbairt an domhain de bharr bhur gcuid smaointe agus bhur gcumas nuálaíochta. Tá an cumas agus an iniúlacht ionaibh chomh maith, le tuairimí a spreagadh agus smaointe a threorú a mbeidh tionchar dearfach acu ar fhorbairt an domhain. Leis an uile dhea-ghuí,