Latest news with #UCD
Extra.ie
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Academic Deirdre Heenan in frame for FF Áras bid
Fianna Fáil backbenchers believe Northern university professor Deirdre Heenan 'ticks a lot of Mary McAleese boxes' as she edges closer to becoming the party's presidential candidate. The party is seeking to emulate its success in the 1997 presidential election when Ms McAleese, a Belfast lawyer and academic, won the election after getting the backing of FF. spoke with several Fianna Fáil sources yesterday, with broad support for Ms Heenan despite some concern raised about 'lack of name recognition'. Professor Deirdre Heenan. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland Several of the party sources contacted by this newspaper said that they first came across Ms Heenan when she spoke at a party event in UCD to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. 'I wasn't surprised to hear her name as she ticks a lot of Mary McAleese boxes. She was very impressive when she spoke at the Good Friday event and would fit the mould of what Micheál [Martin] would want,' they said. At the event, Ms Heenan, a professor of social policy, was on stage alongside former Fianna Fáil leader and taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former minister Martin Mansergh, as well as Mr Martin. Professor Deirdre Heenan and Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2013. Pic: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin. 'She was very impressive, and really challenging about the Good Friday Agreement. She spoke about how too many people sit back and applaud the GFA, when, in her view, it is not yet complete, and that we can't afford to rest on our laurels. She was the most impressive speaker that day,' the source said. A separate party source who also attended the UCD event said her selection would be a 'fresh approach' and she had the benefit of 'not having built up a lot of enemies in the political system as she hasn't been part of it'. In 2012, Ms Heenan was appointed by President Michael D Higgins to his Council of State. The Council of State advises the President when they are considering referring a bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality, refusing to dissolve the Dáil on the advice from the Taoiseach or declaring a state of emergency. The sources said that presidential elections cost a lot of money and that they don't offer much return to the party. 'If you introduce a candidate, like Deirdre, from the six counties and use it not only as to put someone forward for the presidency but to also lead the conversation about what a United Ireland looks like, that could be worthwhile.' Ms Heenan is from Annaclone in Co. Down, educated at Banbridge Academy and Ulster University and lives in Derry with her husband and three sons. She did not reply to a request for comment last night.
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Noel McGrath savours fourth All-Ireland with son in his arms as Tipperary legend reflects on epic 17-season journey
HIS second child is due in October, yet Tipperary's Noel McGrath continues to outrun Father Time. A senior debutant with In 2019, McGrath landed his third All-Ireland SHC medal. Advertisement 2 Noel McGrath and his son celebrate with the Liam MacCarthy cup on Sunday 2 Tipp saw off Cork in Sunday's decider at Croke Park in Dublin Tipp failed to win a Championship game last season, which caused his chances of adding a fourth to appear slim. But, accompanied by his two-year-old son Sam, McGrath made his way back up the steps of the Hogan Stand again on Sunday after the He said: 'I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd be able to bring him to Croke Park. To win an All-Ireland with him is unreal. 'That will be something that I'll remember forever and that I have forever. Advertisement read more on gaa 'In time, I suppose he'll see all the pictures from it, he won't remember it but he'll have the memories and all those pictures. It's special for me to be able to do that with him.' McGrath became an All-Ireland winner for the first time when Tipperary foiled Kilkenny's five-in-a-row bid in 2010. He also bagged his second All-Star award on the spin. Not bad for a teenager. Speaking at the Grand Hotel in Malahide on the morning after the Premier were crowned champions for the 29th time, the Loughmore-Castleiney stalwart said: 'I was 19 in 2010, just starting college in UCD. 'I suppose it's a long way from college in UCD, it's a different story. But it's great and I love it. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling 'And to be able to have my son there yesterday was probably one of the greatest things I could have done and I lifted the Liam MacCarthy with him in my arms.' On a day when his younger brother John played a starring role by firing 2-2, McGrath came off the bench and put the icing on the sweet victory by hitting the Premier County's last point. Liam Cahill speaks to RTE after Tipperary GAA win All-Ireland final He reflected: 'To get on the field and to get involved was unreal. To be able to get that score at the end was a great feeling. It was just nice to be part of it. As I said after the semi-final, it never gets old. 'As long as you're able to do it and to have days like this, it would keep anyone in good form and looking to do it again. It's great, it's unreal, it's unbelievable.' Advertisement After regrouping following a woeful 2024 season, Tipperary also had to atone for a pair of heavy defeats to Cork in this year's Munster SHC and National League final. With that in mind, Sunday's may have been the most satisfying win to date. McGrath said: 'It's hard to know. I'll sit down in a couple of weeks and think it out. Right now it is, because it's in the moment and it's such a great feeling. 'Who knows which is the best one? It's hard to decide which is the best or how one is better than the other. Advertisement 'They're all great. They all have their own different stories and their own different meanings. Yesterday was no different.' McGrath has now been on the go at senior inter-county level for 17 seasons. According to him, if the mind is willing, the body will follow. He explained: 'With the way the thing has gone nowadays with S&C, if you're willing to put in the work, you'll get your body right. "It's the head more than anything. You have to be willing to get yourself up and go training every week. Advertisement That's probably the hardest part — if you're able to do that and if you're mentally able to do it. 'Because physically, with the way everything has gone, people are keeping themselves fit going to the gym, even if you're not playing sport. 'But mentally, I've been really, really enjoying it. I never really had that evening where you're dragging yourself out to training. You'd be looking forward to it and that for me is the part that really keeps you going, that you're not feeling it as a drag. 'I enjoyed every minute of it. And when you have an ending like this, it's hard not to enjoy it as well.' Advertisement The crucial win in Ennis that effectively ended Clare's reign as All-Ireland champions was the only game that McGrath started in this victorious campaign. But on his role as an impact sub, he said: 'Everyone wants to play and I'm no different. "I'd love to be starting. But there are 38 lads on our panel that would love to start and you have to trust the management that what they're deciding is the right thing for the team. "I go in training and burst myself every night to be trying to get on that 15. And if you're not on it, you want to be one of the ones that come on. Advertisement 'I'm no different to anyone else and when I'm 50 years of age, I'll still want to play. 'That's just the nature of it. You just accept that the management make their decisions and that's what you have to go with.' ROLE CALL On Tipp's roll of honour, McGrath has now overtaken many of his contemporaries who were key contributors to his county's success of 2019. Greats such as Séamus Callanan and Pádraic Maher signed off as three-time All-Ireland winners. Advertisement McGrath said: 'There's no point in saying I didn't know that if we won yesterday, getting to four I'd say was the first time since 1965 or '71 that someone has done it. 'I live hurling and I know a lot about the history of Tipperary so I would have been aware of that and now that's happened, it's a great feeling and I'm delighted to be one with four. 'There are a lot of lads with three, a few with two and more with their first now so to be in that category is unreal.'
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'One of the greatest things I could have done' Noel McGrath on landmark win
There are now only 12 Tipperary hurlers ahead of Noel McGrath on the county's list of All-Ireland medalists. Winning his fourth last Sunday moved him one clear of his contemporaries, Brendan Maher, Seamus Callanan, Patrick Maher, Padraic Maher, all of whom have retired since the previous All-Ireland in 2019. The 34-year-old is the first from the county to win a fourth medal since Mick Burns, Sean McLoughlin and John McKenna achieved it in 1965 and, of the 12 that have won more, only Donie Nealon and Tony Wall (five each) are still with us. John Doyle leads the way with eight followed by his namesake Jimmy on six, and then there is a cluster on five. 'I didn't know that, that there was only 12 lads but it's a nice honour,' says McGrath. 'There's no point in saying that I didn't know that if we won, getting to four I'd say was the first time since '65 or '71 that someone has done it. 'I live hurling and I know a lot about the history of Tipperary so I would have been aware of that and now that's happened, sure it's a great feeling and I'm delighted to be one with four, there's a lot of lads with three and a few with two and more with their first so to be in that category is unreal.' McGrath will sit down in a few weeks to sift through this latest success and weigh it up against the others, but the fact that he was able to share the moment with his son, Sam, who turned two last March gives this one a head start. He and his wife, Aisling, are expecting a second child in October. 'I was 19 in 2010, yeah, just starting college in UCD and I suppose it's a long ways from college in UCD. It's a different story but it's great and I love it and to be able to have my son there was probably one of the greatest things I could have done and I lifted the Liam MacCarthy with him in my arms. 'I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd be able to bring him to Croke Park. To win an All-Ireland with him is unreal. That will be something that I will remember forever and that I have forever. 'I suppose he'll see all the pictures from it, he won't remember it, but he'll have them memories and all those pictures. It's special for me to be able to do that with him.' Tipperary's Noel McGrath celebrates with his son Sam. (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) With Tipperary falling well off the pace after the 2019 All-Ireland, a fourth medal seemed a long way off for McGrath, particularly after last year's wipeout, and he has repeatedly flirted with retirement. 'Over the last number of years, at the end of every year, you do think about it. When you're feeling good about it and when you're enjoying it, it's hard to step away, because when you're gone, you're gone. You're not going to come back at my age. So I'm delighted I have been able to contribute over the last number of years and especially to be able to be part of it this year. 'Who knows into the future? There's no point in me saying here now what I know I'm going to do. I'd love to stay playing forever but I know that can't happen. We'll see in time. I'll go back to the club and see how that goes over the next few months.' His role was different this year as he was largely used as an impact sub, though it's not something that he resigned himself to. 'Everyone wants to play and I'm no different. I'd love to be starting out there but there's 38 lads in our panel that would love to start and you have to trust the management, that what they're deciding to do is the right thing for the team. 'I go in training and burst myself every night to try and be on that 15 and if you're not on it, you want to be one of the ones coming on so I'm no different than anyone else. When I'm 50 years of age I'll still want to play, that's just the nature of it. You just accept that the management make the decision and that's what you have to go with.' If McGrath gets to five medals, only the two Doyles would sit ahead of him on Tipp's roll of honour. How about it next year then? 'We'll see, we'll see, I'd love it but we'll have to wait and see what happens. I'd love to be able to give it a go and have a rattle off it next year again but, as I said, we'll go back to the club over the next few months and we'll battle it out against each other there and see what happens.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
The Irish Sun
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘I'm a nerd', says Rosanna Davison as she takes on impressive new project and admits she ‘could have been a doctor'
ROSANNA Davison is the glam queen we've all followed for years – but now the Irish model is proving she's got brains to spare. The former Miss World recently added to her ever-growing CV as she knuckled down to secure a bachelor's degree in a science course. Advertisement 2 Rosanna Davison is studying to complete a science course 2 Rosanna posted snaps of herself studying for the degree on Instagram Taking to family got up. The mum-of-three posted a snap of her laptop screen showing she was doing a deep dive into a research article. The essay on the screen was titled 'Effect of erinacine A-enriched Hericium erinaceus supplementation on cognition: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study'. The 41-year-old captioned the snap: "Anyone else get up before their family to savour the peace and quiet? Bliss. Advertisement READ MORE IN ROSANNA DAVISON "It's also the only time I have at weekends to get any study done for my BSc degree - working on a Mycotherapy case study at the moment, which has been very interesting." The star previously admitted that her career could have gone in a whole other direction. She told "I did a degree in UCD in sociology and history of art, and following that, I was offered a PhD scholarship in sociological research from UCD. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity "If I had accepted it, I would be Dr Davison by now! I was flattered to have been offered it, but it wasn't the career direction I wanted to take." Rosanna also graduated from Middlesex University in Rosanna Davison shares 'beautiful' snaps from sun-soaked family holiday At the time, the model shared smiling snaps of herself proudly posing outside the university. The beauty queen donned a navy cap and gown and held her printed degree with pride. Advertisement She wrote: "Science & Technology Class of 2019! Very proud day graduating from my Master of Science degree in Personalised Nutrition." Hopefully fans will get to see the star in another cap and gown soon as she takes on her latest project - there's no stopping her!
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
Exclusive: Tony Holohan preparing bid for Presidency
Professor Tony Holohan is preparing to launch a bid to become the next President of Ireland, can exclusively reveal. Sources close to the former chief medical officer told that 'plans are in progress' for him to announce his candidacy. Contacted this weekend, Dr Holohan was coy about a potential run for Áras an Uachtaráin. 'I can neither confirm nor deny if your information is correct or incorrect,' he said in response to reports of his preparing a bid. Pressed further, Dr Holohan said: 'I won't be saying anything at the minute,' adding that he was currently attending meetings in the UN buildings in Brussels. Tony Holohan. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/ Dr Holohan became chief medical officer in 2008 and came to prominence during the pandemic. He stepped down in 2022. A lifelong civil servant, he appears to be acquainting himself with the inner workings of political life, with sources saying he is in 'diplomatic training'. 'If you look at his Instagram he has been posting some images outside the UN with the Irish flag, very strategically, fluttering in the background,' said one source. 'He is laying the groundwork at the minute,' they continued. 'He is familiarising himself with international diplomatic relations in places like the UN parliament and he is also upping his socialmedia game considerably.' Tony Holohan. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos Asked about his presence at the UN and the strategically posed social-media image, Dr Holohan laughed, saying, 'I'm just over here for meetings.' Since stepping down as CMO, he has taken up several other posts, most recently in April last year when he was awarded an adjunct professorship at Trinity College. He also became adjunct professor at UCD in 2022, and in February last year he became director of UCD's Centre for One Health, aimed at advancing research into global health challenges. The news comes two years after he was embroiled in a scandal over a plan to appoint him to Trinity on secondment, at the expense of the taxpayer. In June of this year, Dr Holohan married Ciara Cronin, a mindfulness-based psychotherapist. Tony Holohan and Ciara Cronin on their wedding day. Pic: Mike Mulcaire They began a relationship in 2023 – two-and-a-half years after the death of his first wife, Dr Emer Feely. The couple had been married for more than 20 years, until Emer died of multiple myeloma in 2021. It is not clear who will back him in his bid for the Presidency but he has a cordial relationship with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Fianna Fail has not clarified if it will run a candidate and is to make a decision in the early autumn. As of yet there are only two declared candidates for the election later this year. This week MEP and EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness was announced as Fine Gael's official nominee, after former GAA president Seán Kelly dropped out. She is expected to be ratified by the party in September. Mairead McGuinness. Pic: Isopix/REX/Shutterstock This week she said: 'I'm conscious of the opportunity and challenge ahead, given the very important constitutional role of the President, and the esteem in which the office is held by the people. Subject to my candidacy being ratified by the party in early September, I very much look forward to setting out my vision.' Independent TD Catherine Connolly also announced her bid for the Presidency this week, with the backing of the Social Democrats and People Before Profit. Catherine Connolly. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos The Labour Party is also expected to come on board with its support. Ms Connolly said she does not regret backing conspiracy theorist Gemma O'Doherty's Presidential bid in 2018, saying her 'judgment call was right at the time'. Ms Doherty's campaign was beset by controversy when she suggested the State had colluded in Veronica Guerin's murder. Asked if she regretted the nomination, Ms Connolly said: 'My judgment call was right at the time. Do I regret what's happened in relation to her? Absolutely.' Meanwhile Sinn Féin has still to decide if it will put forward its own nominee or support an umbrella left-wing candidate. Since party leader Mary Lou McDonald refused last week to rule herself out of the contest, speculation about her possible candidacy has grown.
