Latest news with #DanielMcNamara
Belfast Telegraph
29-05-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast's oldest Christian burial site being neglected, say councillors
At the May meeting of the council's important Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, a number of councillors made an appeal for the council to move forward with work required at Friar's Bush Cemetery, off the Stranmillis Road. At the meeting, member agreed to move from phase one of the newly devised Historic Cemeteries Programme to stage two, which means that money had not yet been committed by the council, but 'options were being fully worked up'. Alliance Councillor Michael Long told City Hall: 'We have been trying to get tours at Friar's Bush Cemetery for a while, and getting an agreement is taking at least two months. 'I know there are staffing issues, but I would really like to push this. It is really a delay to work there which has been really transformational.' SDLP Councillor Séamas de Faoite said: 'By way of an update, there are tours taking place, and I have been engaging, along with Councillor Gary McKeown, with one of the groups that has been operating tours for quite some time. 'They are very keen for a delegation of councillors to come and take part with one of the tours, and see some of the work they are doing. 'But there has been some frustration, in terms of moving ahead with work. One of their challenges has been getting approved to do Saturday tours, which is obviously a natural time when there will be a lot of tourists or visitors to the city about the place, particularly people who might have family ties to Friar's Bush. 'They have raised with me a couple of other issues they are trying to get progress on – there was a lot of damage from Storm Eowyn, including the felling of one of the large thorn trees which was first recorded in the early 1700s. 'That has not been properly removed, and they are looking for some way to replace that. 'They want support in clearing some of the paths between the graves, so there is safer access for the tour groups. They have also requested assistance on the raising of the headstone of Daniel McNamara, the United Irishman, who died on St Patrick's Day 1869. 'Also, the finial (ornamental) cross that was above the entrance gate was removed through Covid, because there was fear it was rotted and rusted and would fall.' He said: 'It is a real resource in south Belfast, and something that a lot of people have family ties to. I have only recently discovered I have family ties in connection to Friar's Bush. 'I think it is really important that we see that move forward, it is an area of great history within the city, and we need to protect and preserve access to it.' Legend has it that St Patrick built a church and blessed a well on the site of Friar's Bush Graveyard, while an order of friars is also said to have been established there. Two important stones found within the cemetery grounds appear to support this theory. The name Friar's Bush comes from an old hawthorn tree in the centre of the cemetery. 'It was blown down in Storm Eowyn in January and revealed the hidden grave of Daniel McNamara, a Catholic man who helped lead the United Irish rebellion in the 1790s. During the 18th century, Catholics gathered in secret in the graveyard to worship under the bush, as the celebration of Catholic mass was banned under the Penal Laws. After it was consecrated in 1829, the cemetery was used exclusively by Catholics. Court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law The site also contains the mass graves of hundreds of people who lost their lives during the cholera epidemic of the 1830s and the famine of the 1840s. It was maintained by the Catholic Church until 2000 when it was taken over by the council. The council says about the Historic Cemeteries Programme: 'The council owns five historic graveyards, four of which are currently closed: namely Balmoral, Clifton Street, Friar's Bush and Knock. 'Surveys have identified a programme of conservation and health and safety works which are required to improve the condition of the graveyards. 'Conservation and restoration improvements will allow the graveyards to be more accessible to the public and contribute to neighbourhood tourism. Safety works to monuments are being brought forward within a first phase of works.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The T1D Fund Announces Daniel McNamara as Head of Strategy & Industry Engagement to Grow the T1D Fund Brand and Drive Greater Interest in T1D Investments
Former Bristol Myers Squibb executive brings business acumen and extensive experience across academia through biopharma to strengthen partnerships with investors, scientific collaborators, and the T1D community BOSTON, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The T1D Fund: A Breakthrough T1D Venture, LLC, an impact investment fund focused on accelerating life-changing solutions to treat, prevent, and ultimately cure type 1 diabetes (T1D), announced today the appointment of Daniel McNamara as Head of Strategy & Industry Engagement. An innovative leader with a demonstrated history of delivering transformative change, McNamara will play a critical role in leading strategic efforts to position the Fund as a catalyst for advancing promising treatments and cures. This will include establishing the Fund as the central source of information on the most recent developments in the T1D landscape, ranging from promising new approaches to key clinical advances. By leveraging his expertise across the academic and biopharma ecosystem and engaging with various industry stakeholders, he will serve as a key liaison to grow the profile of the T1D Fund, increase recognition of the shortfalls of current standard of care, and ultimately generate greater interest in T1D as an area for investment. "Dan's deep strategic experience and leadership within life sciences, together with his proven ability to foster alignment across a wide range of stakeholders, will be an important addition to the Fund as we advance this next chapter," said Elizabeth Mily, CEO of the T1D Fund. "This position is critical to our mission of accelerating therapeutic innovation in the T1D space by deepening our relationships with private and public investors, pharma, and biotech companies. We will continue to engage on all these fronts by leveraging our unique insights gained from relationships with our portfolio companies, Breakthrough T1D, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the broader T1D community." McNamara brings over 15 years of experience driving corporate strategy, operations, and business development efforts. Most recently, as Vice President of Enterprise Governance and Strategy & Business Development Operations at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), he helped lead over $100B in M&A and business development activity. He also led company initiatives supporting the execution of high-value transactions, accelerating cross-functional execution, and better aligning capital allocation priorities. His experience shaping corporate strategy, leading organizational transformation, convening complex networks of cross-sector stakeholders, and executing high-value deals positions him as a unique fit for this new role. "I'm honored to join the T1D Fund at such a pivotal time in the journey toward a cure," said McNamara. "The Fund's unique and dynamic model that combines deep disease area insight, strong capital partnerships, and mission alignment with Breakthrough T1D offers an unparalleled platform to catalyze breakthroughs. I look forward to working closely with the investment team, our scientific partners, and the T1D community to help unlock therapies and change the trajectory of this disease." In his new role, McNamara will lead the Fund's industry engagement and spearhead initiatives to advance the T1D ecosystem. He will position the Fund as the central hub of T1D innovation by synthesizing information on the innovation landscape, surfacing emerging scientific opportunities, and fostering collaboration across investors, industry leaders, academic partners, as well as Wall Street sell-side analysts and bankers. By continuing to be both a critical capital provider and thought partner, the Fund aims to encourage innovators to prioritize T1D in their pipelines and advance transformational treatment, prevention and cures for T1D. The Fund is ideally positioned to lean in further to provide deeper support to accelerate research and development in the space, becoming a key catalyst to increase overall interest and investment in T1D. About the T1D Fund: A Breakthrough T1D Venture, LLC The T1D Fund is an impact investment fund accelerating life-changing solutions to treat, prevent, and ultimately cure type 1 diabetes (T1D). Launched in December 2016, the Fund is the first scaled, mission-driven venture impact fund established to catalyze the development of T1D cure-oriented therapies through equity investments. The Fund works in partnership with venture capital, biopharmaceutical companies, and foundations to bridge critical gaps in the early-stage commercial development ecosystem. Its strategy is closely aligned with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust - two of the leading global organizations committed to supporting T1D science and innovation. Learn more at Follow the T1D Fund on LinkedIn. Media Contact: Lia 540-303-0180 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The T1D Fund Sign in to access your portfolio
