Máire Murphy on Reunions, Giving Back, and the UCC Connection

For Máire Murphy, some of the most memorable moments in her work happen when classmates walk back onto campus and, for a moment, the years seem to disappear.

As Alumni Relations Officer in UCC’s Advancement Office, Máire helps former students reconnect with the university and with one another, supporting around 40 reunion enquiries each year. From 10-year reunions to 40^th, 50^th, and 60^th anniversaries, no two reunions are quite the same.

“I really enjoy seeing former classmates reconnect after many years and hearing the stories and memories that come flooding back when they return to UCC,” she says.

One of her most memorable reunions was also one of the smallest. The Dairy Science Class of 1963 celebrated its 60th anniversary with just six former classmates attending. One alumnus had not seen any of the others since graduating six decades earlier.

“It was quite emotional to see them greet each other,” Máire recalls.

For her, moments like this capture what reunions are fundamentally about: friendship, shared memories, and a continuing connection with UCC. She notes as well that reunions provide an opportunity for alumni to reflect on their own student experience and give something back through Reunion Class Giving.

A Shared Gesture

Reunion Class Giving allows alumni to make a collective gift to UCC as part of their celebrations. The gifts can vary in size and purpose, but Máire emphasises that participation and the collective gesture are what matter most.

“I think there is something particularly special about giving as a class,” she says. “Rather than being an individual contribution, it becomes something they have done together to mark their shared connection with UCC.”

For some classes, the motivation is to repay the opportunities they were given as students. For others, it is about creating similar opportunities for the next generation. The BComm Class of 1985, to honour a classmate of theirs who had kept them connected by planning 40 years of reunions, chose to support Access UCC with a bursary that will support three students throughout their studies (pictured below). The Medicine Class of 2005 chose to support the UCC Alumni Fund, reflecting a desire to greenlight projects across campus that improve student life.

Other gifts have a deeply personal connection. The Electrical Engineering Class of 1985 chose to support Cancer Research @UCC in memory of a classmate who passed away from cancer in 2020.

Celebrating the Past, Investing in the Future

For Máire, what makes reunion giving particularly meaningful is that it connects past, present, and future:

“Reunion Class Giving is about giving something back to the University that was such an important part of their lives,” she says. “It is a way of saying, ‘We remember our time here, we value what UCC gave us, and we’d like to give something back.’”

After years of hearing alumni stories, Máire says it is the enduring strength of that connection that continues to surprise and inspire her. She recalls one alumnus who travelled from Bermuda to Ireland, through a hurricane, simply to attend his 40th anniversary reunion, and staying only for the weekend.

“You really have to value your classmates and your connection to UCC to go to those lengths,” she says.

Whether through a reunion, a shared memory, or a collective gift, Máire sees the same thread running through all these encounters: a connection that does not end at graduation but continues across generations.

To enquire about planning your own class Reunion and exploring a Reunion Class Gift, you can reach Máire at maire.murphy@ucc.ie