Government

Department of Government - Student Awards

Every year, the Department of Government presents three awards, usually as part of the Philip Monahan Lecture.

• The first award is the Government Student of the Year, named after our former colleague Tom Whalen. This is presented to the student who achieved the top marks in the first year of the government degree. The most recent recipient is Darragh Mehigan. 
• The second award goes to the Government Graduate of the Year. This award reflects academic excellence but also a contribution by the student to University life. The most recent recipient is Tim McCarthy. 
• The third award is presented in honour of Patrick O’Sullivan, a first year student on our degree who died in tragic circumstances in March 2001. We hold an annual essay competition in honour of Patrick which combines politics and humour. The most recent recipient is Ian Mawe.

THOMAS WHALEN GOVERNMENT STUDENT OF THE YEAR

2000 : Holly Hardwicke
2001:  Elizabeth Harrington
2002 : Peter Ryan
2003 : Hannah Lane
2004 : Ann-Marie Tierney
2005 : Denis Twomey
2006 : Andrea Merrigan
2007:  Darragh Mehigan

2008:  Patrick Higgins

2009:  Tracey O'Rourke

2010:  John Kenny

GOVERNMENT GRADUATE OF THE YEAR

2003 : Holly Hardwicke
2004 : Elizabeth Harrington
2005 : Jeremiah O’Sullivan
2006 : Brenda Keating
2007:  Tim McCarthy

2008:  Mathew Ryan

2009:  Colm Diamond

2010:  Neepa Sodhi

PATRICK O’SULLIVAN ESSAY WRITING AWARD

2002 : Andrew O’Leary (Government, 4^th Year)
2003 : Donal Holohan (Government, 2^nd Year)
2004 : John O’Sullivan (Government, 2^nd Year)
2005 : John O’Sullivan (Government, 3^rd Year)
2006 : Cormac Cahill (Government, 2^nd Year)
2007:  Ian Mawe (Government, 2nd Year)

2008:  Niall Duggan (Post-Graduate)

2009:  Andrew Aherne (Government, 2nd Year)

2010:  Declan Keating (Government, 2nd Year)

ANNUAL PHILIP MONAHAN MEMORIAL LECTURE

1997    Professor Tom Garvin, Department of Politics, University College Dublin.

1998    Dr. John Hume, Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

1999    Francesco Rutelli, Mayor of Rome.

2000    John Dennehy, Secretary General, Department of Education and Science.

2002    Professor Robert Putnam, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University.

2003    Dr. Mary McAleese, President of Ireland.

2005    David Begg, General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

2006    David Norris, Seanad Éireann.

2007    Robert J. Faucher, Deputy US Ambassador.

2008    Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General to Irish Government.

2009    Ivana Bacik, Seanad Éireann.

2010    Charlie Bird, RTE.