UCC becomes the only Irish university to offer breast cancer screening training

6 Nov 2025

Announcing our new UCC/BreastCheck postgraduate mammography programme!

• UCC partners with BreastCheck - Ireland’s national breast screening programme
• Radiographers historically required training oversees for breast cancer screening training
• Partnership will establish a new Mammography Pathway as part of the PgC/PgD/MSc in Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences (MIRS)

Radiographers will be able to receive specialist breast cancer screening training from an Irish university for the first time in a decade, following a new partnership between University College Cork and BreastCheck - Ireland’s national breast screening programme.

Despite breast cancer being one of the most common cancers among women in Ireland, historically radiographers working in the field of breast cancer screening received training in the United Kingdom due to a lack of local mammography courses. 

With approximately one in seven women in Ireland being diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, the new partnership seeks to provide a sustainable training solution that will facilitate breast cancer imaging and diagnosis nationally.

We are delighted to announce that academics from the Discipline of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy at University College Cork have teamed up with colleagues from BreastCheck and are launching a dedicated Mammography Pathway as part of the PgC/PgD/MSc in Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences (MIRS).

Courses in Mammography are now available at University College Cork from this month, and are available to both EU and non-EU applicants. A recently signed Memorandum of Agreement, between UCC and BreastCheck, identifies key areas where both parties will support the development of breast imaging across Ireland.

As part of preparatory programme planning colleagues from BreastCheck provided guidance regarding adhering to national standards for breast cancer screening and have also facilitated access to clinical training facilities for successful applicants.

A training day for mammography mentors took place in BreastCheck Eccles Street, Dublin ahead of the launch of the postgraduate mammography programme at UCC, as part of the MSc in Medical Imaging and Radiation Science (MIRS). This programme is supported by BreastCheck Ireland, who we have worked in partnership in the development of a programme which meets the needs of the profession. UCC deliver the academic modules in the programme while BreastCheck provide placement opportunities to contribute to the training of these students, offering an invaluable opportunity to engage with the breast screening service in Ireland.

Dr Andrew England, MIRS Programme Director said “We are excited about our new collaboration with BreastCheck and the forthcoming Mammography Pathway. I am also grateful to my colleagues Dr Clare Rainey and Dr Noelle Clerkin in developing this Pathway. I am also grateful to Kerry Lombard and Lorna Wynne from BreastCheck for their generous support with this initiative. Our partnership will provide a base within Ireland to develop world-leading accessible breast imaging training.”

Kerry Lombard, National Radiography Service Manager, said “BreastCheck values operational excellence and patient centred care, so we are delighted to collaborate with UCC in providing high quality training that meets international standards for breast screening. We look forward to working with Dr Clare Rainey and Dr Noelle Clerkin and developing our expertise in mammography to meet the needs of Irish women.”

Interested parties in the MIRS Mammography Pathway at UCC should contact mirt@ucc.ie or Dr Clare Rainey Clare Rainey, UCC Mammography pathway coordinator at Clare.Rainey@ucc.ie for further information.