The Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience held its inaugural Thanksgiving Ceremony in 2012 The ceremony was celebration to honour all anatomical donors since 1849, and was held in the Honan Chapel, University College Cork. In attendance were donor’s friends and family along with staff from the School of Medicine, postgraduate and undergraduate students from Medicine, Dentistry, Clinical Therapies and Neuroscience.Since then the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience has held a thanksgiving ceremony biannually in recognition of the continued generosity of donors and their families. Scroll down to see details from 2018, 2016, 2014 and 2012 Thanksgiving ceremonies.

Photo from left; a student passes the flame to staff member Ms Miriam Dorgan, Senior Executive Assistant, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience.

2018 Ceremony: Monday 19th February 2018

The Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience hosted its fourth Thanksgiving Service in memory of the people who donated their bodies for medical research. An important date in the Calender of the College of Medicine & Health at UCC, the Thanksgiving Service was held in the Honan Chapel UCC on Monday February 19th 2018. The service is a non-denominational celebration of the lives of all donors and especially of those donors who were part of the donation programme in the past two years.

^{Professor Helen Whelton Professor Stephen Cusack and Professor John Cryan addressing the attendees}

Donor families, friends, staff and students were welcomed to the celebration by Professor Helen Whelton Head of College of Medicine and Health, Professor Stephen Cusack, Dean of Medicine and Professor of Emergency Medicine and Professor John Cryan Head of Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience. 

Professor John Cryan thanked the families on behalf of the University, "We are very grateful to those who are generous enough to donate their bodies for medical science and education. Such bequests are essential to our proper functioning within the Medical and other Health Science schools. The body donors’ selfless and public-spirited actions benefit the education of approximately 600 students each year. I am delighted to say, representatives of our students that have benefited from this generosity will take an active part in the Service and acknowledge the gift they have been given by their “first patients”".

 "We are very grateful to those who are generous enough to donate their bodies for medical science and education." Professor John Cryan

 ^{UCC Choir conducted by Dr Eva McMullan-Glossop performing Amazing Grace by John Field}

^{Mr Paul Kiely, Consultant Orthopaedic & Spinal Surgeon, Fr Gerard Dunne, Head Chaplain UCC Chapliancy, Dr Siobhain O'Mahony Lecturer and Principal Investigator Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience invited speakers at the Thanksgiving Service.}

 ^{Students from the School of Medicine reading and remembering donors' lives and the benefit of the body donation programme to the study of anatomy.}

^{Student musicians from the School of Medicine UCC from top left: Miracle Grace Tullao Ong & Sarah Amanda Folk Wen Hui,  Guitar: Jerusha John with Mr Michael Cronin orator. Soloist on piano Ciara Cullinane, Direct Entry Medicine 1 and Quercus Music Scholar in UCC, Memorial candles, Violin duo Genevieve Walsh & Sean Seltzer Graduate Entry Medicine 1}

^{Technical staff members from the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience FLAME laboratory and organisers of the Thanksgiving Service. (Left to right) Ms Carrie O'Flynn, Dr Sue Grenham, Mr Michael Cronin and Ms Deirdre Kelleher.}

Concluding the service, a closing message' was delivered by Fr Gerard Dunne and 'A Blessing' by Jay Althouse was performed by the UCC Choir conducted by Dr. Eva McMullan-Glossop and accompanied by organist Mr Padraig Wallace.

After the service family, friends, students and staff retired to a reception in the Staff Common Room North Wing.

In addition to the many staff members and family members who helped organise and took part in this event we wish to thank the following students who also contributed; _{Aoife Ni Ghoilin, Ciara Cullinane, Direct Entry Medicine 1 and Quercus Music Scholar in UCC, Dr. Elias Abdullah, MSc student Anatomy, Genevieve Walsh, Graduate Entry Medicine, Harsha Daswani, Direct Entry Medicine 1, Jerusha John, Direct Entry Medicine 1, Leona Singleton, MSc Student Anatomy, Miracle Grace Tullao Ong, Molly O’Mahony Direct Entry Medicine 1, Patricia O’Flynn, Neuroscience 4, Roisin McDonnell, Sarah Amanda Folk Wen Hui, Direct Entry Medicine 1, Sean Emerson, Direct Entry Medicine 1, Sean Seltzer Graduate Entry Medicine 1, Stephanie Shea, Graduate Entry Medicine 1, Walaa Albazroon, Neuroscience 4, Yolande Scoleri, Grad Entry Medicine 1, Ziana Dala, Dentistry 2.}

2014 Thanksgiving Ceremony Wednesday 12th March 2014.

The second Thanksgiving Ceremony hosted by the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience in association with the School of Medicine, took place on Wednesday 12th March 2014.

Professor John F. Cryan Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience welcomed and thanked the attendees saying, "We are very grateful to those who are generous enough to donate their bodies for medical science and education. Such bequests are essential to our proper functioning within the Medical and other Health Science schools. The body donors’ selfless and public-spirited actions benefit the education of approximately 600 students each year. I am delighted to say, representatives of our students that have benefited from this generosity will take an active part in the Service and acknowledge the gift they have been given by their “first patients”".

"We are very grateful to those who are generous enough to donate their bodies for medical science and education." Prof John F Cryan

This biennial ceremony to remember and celebrate the generosity of Anatomical Donors and their families took place in the Honan chapel. It was a celebration of donors lives expressed through readings music and poetry, read and performed by staff and students.  Fr David Barrins UCC Chaplain, and Rev Ted Ardis Dean's Vicar at St Finbarr's Cathedral also contributed to the ceremony.

Music was performed by Amy Edwards Murphy, bagpipes, 1st year Direct Entry Medicine, Gregory Campbell, viola, 1st year Graduate Entry Medicine. Stephen Galvin, vocals and guitar, 1st year Graduate Entry Medicine.

Readings and poetry were read by, Jamie Brennan, 1st year Direct Entry Medicine, Madeline Edwards, 1st year Graduate Entry Medicine, Samuel Hunter, Nikhil Jacobs and Jake Murphy, 2nd year Direct Entry Medicine,   KC Kenney, Áine Peoples and Kayla Rumack, 2nd year Graduate Entry Medicine and Dr. André Toulouse, Lecturer Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience.

Memorial candles were lit by Miriam Dorgan, UCC Donor Programme, Caroline Clifford, 1st year Direct Entry Medicine and Mary Fok Seng, Donor family member.

Inaugural Thanksgiving Service 2012

Thanksgiving Service

In March 2012 the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience held its Inaugural Thanksgiving Service in honour of Anatomical Donors since 1849, in the Honan Chapel, University College Cork. (see press release)

In attendance were Donor’s friends and family along with staff from the School of Medicine, post graduate and undergraduate students from Medicine, Dentistry, Clinical Therapies and Neuroscience.

Professor John F. Cryan Department of  Anatomy and Neuroscience welcomed and thanked the attendees saying, "We are very grateful to those who are generous enough to donate their bodies for medical science and education. Such bequests are essential to our proper functioning within the Medical and other Health Science schools. The body donors’ selfless and public-spirited actions benefit the education of approximately 600 students each year. I am delighted to say, representatives of our students that have benefited from this generosity will take an active part in the Service and acknowledge the gift they have been given by their “first patients”".

Ceremony Participants

Welcome music:  piano solo: Cillian Lineen  first year Medicine
Opening message: Br Richard Hendrick,OFM Cap. Head Chaplain at UCC Chaplaincy
Welcome address: Professor John F Cryan, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience

Readers: 

• Jonathon Hagel, second year graduate entry Medicine,
• Laura Reaney second year Medicine,
• Dennis Hopkinson first year graduate entry Medicine,
• Fahima Rosli first year medicine (AUCMS Malaysian Twinning Programme),
• Aisling Doyle first year graduate entry medicine,
• Lena Mary Houlihan third year Medicine and Surgical Society representative,
• Meenakshy Ajith first year Dentistry,
• Samim Loftus fouth year Neuroscience,
• Mayokun Taiwo second year Medicine

Musicians:

• Violin solo Salut d’Amour – Elgar: Sho Tanaka, second year graduate entry Medicine
• Adiemus:  Karl Jenkins
• Vocals:  UCC Choral Society
• Traditional Group: Planxty Ballinrothar: Eanna O’Corragain first year Medicine, Oisin O’Corragain third year Medicine, Fiachra O’Corragain

Orator:

• Ms Mags Arnold,  Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience.

Lighting of Memorial Candles:

• Second year Medical Student  John Holland,
• Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience Staff: Ms Miriam Dorgan & Ms Deirdre Kelleher,
• Donor Family Member: Mrs Rita Corkery

Closing message:   Rev. John Ardis, Church of Ireland Chaplain.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Br. Richard Hendricks and Revered John Ardis and all the staff of the chaplaincy for providing access to The Honan Chapel and for their support in arranging this service. A warm thank you to all the students from Medicine, Dentistry, Clinical Therapies and Neuroscience, for their enthusiasm and collaboration throughout the preparations. To all our performers and readers. To the staff of the Anatomy FLAME Laboratory and Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience for their encouragement in this project.

And a special thanks to our anatomical donors and their families to whom the Thanksgiving Service is dedicated. The Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience deeply appreciates the enormity and selflessness of the sacrifices that the donors have made in the past and are continuing to make to our donor programme. The department remains forever grateful and indebted to these wonderful individuals and their families.

Videos: The Thanksgiving Ceremony was recorded by the Audio Visual Centre UCC .

‌Inaugural Thanksgiving Ceremony 2012: Photo Gallery

Press Release