Professor Tadhg O'Mullane Award for Academic Excellence

18 Jun 2021

Congratulations to Conor O'Callaghan on receiving the inaugural Professor Tadhg O'Mullane Award for Academic Excellence 2020/21.

This new student prize has been established to honour the memory of the late Professor Tadhg O'Mullane, by his family. Third year BSc Microbiology student Conor O'Callaghan achieved the highest mark in the Third Science BSc Microbiology examinations during the academic year 2020/21 and will be the first student to receive this prize and be named on the perpetual plaque.

The school is delighted to honour the memory and accomplishments of its dear friend and former colleague Professor O’Mullane with this award. We look forward to holding an in-person launch to unveil the Professor Tadhg O'Mullane commemorative plaque (text below) when Public Health guidelines allow.

Picture: Tadhg and Eileen (nee Barry) O'Mullane on their wedding day, 24th June 1945. They were married at the Honan Chapel UCC.

PROFESSOR TADHG O'MULLANE (21 February 1919 – 14 April 2000) was appointed to UCC in June 1961 as Professor of Dairy and Food Microbiology. He retired on the 21st February 1984 and held the title of Professor Emeritus.

Tadhg graduated with a BSc (Dairying) at UCC in 1942 and went on to complete an MSc (Dairying) degree in 1943 specialising in Bacteriology, under the supervision of Professor Michael Grimes. For the next 18 years he worked with the Irish Sugar Company in Thurles, Co Tipperary as Chief Chemist. He also undertook industrial research on sugar production and waste utilisation.

Returning to UCC in 1961 as Professor of Dairy and Food Microbiology and Head of Department of Dairy and Food Microbiology (now the School of Microbiology) until his retirement in 1984, he brought a shrewd business approach to UCC and became the driving force behind the development and diversification of the Faculty of Dairy Science; he was involved in, or was responsible for, many of the developments during the next 20 years. One of the most important of these was the establishment of a BSc Degree programme in Microbiology, initially as a General and later at an Honours level which has become the flagship degree for the School of Microbiology

He lectured in the area of dairy and food microbiology throughout his time at UCC and became Dean of the Faculty of Dairy Science in 1967, a post he held until 1976. He forged many links with US universities in the 60s and 70s, at a time when it was quite innovative to do so, and his dedication and devotion to UCC contributed magnificently to the development of what are now the thriving disciplines of Food Science, Nutrition and Microbiology in UCC. Always a keen sportsman, he played in goal for the UCC football team, winning a Sigerson medal in 1943.

Ceapadh an tOLLAMH TADHG O'MULLANE (21 Feabhra 1919 – 14 Aibreán 2000) in COC i mí an Mheithimh 1961 mar Ollamh le Déiríocht agus le Micribhitheolaíocht Bia. D’éirigh sé as ar an 21 Feabhra 1984 agus lean mar Ollamh Emeritus.

Bronnadh céim BSc (Déiríocht) ar Thadhg in COC sa bhliain 1942 agus chuaigh sé i mbun MSc (Déiríocht) sa bhliain 1943 faoi stiúir an Ollaimh Michael Grimes ina ndearna sé obair shainiúil ar an mBaictéareolaíocht. Ar feadh 18 mbliana ina dhiaidh sin d’oibrigh sé le Comhlacht Siúcra na hÉireann i nDurlas, Co. Thiobraid Árann agus é ina Phríomh-Cheimiceoir ann. Anuas air sin, thug sé faoi thaighde tionsclaíoch ar tháirgeadh an tsiúcra agus ar úsáid dramhaíola.

D’fhill sé ar COC sa bhliain 1961 mar Ollamh le Déiríocht agus le Micribhitheolaíocht Bia agus mar Cheann na Roinne Déiríochta agus Micribhitheolaíochta Bia (Scoil na Micribhitheolaíochta anois) go dtí go ndeachaigh sé ar scor sa bhliain 1984. Ba chliste an cur chuige gnó a thóg sé leis go COC mar a ndearna sé forbairt agus éagsúlú Dhámh na hEolaíochta Déiríochta a chur chun cinn. Bhí sé i gceannas ar mhórchuid forbairtí ar feadh fiche bliain ina dhiaidh sin nó bhí baint aige leo. Ar cheann de na forbairtí ba thábhachtaí seo tá clár céime BSc sa Mhicribhitheolaíocht a bhunaigh sé ag leibhéal Ginearálta i dtosach agus ag leibhéal Onóracha ina dhiaidh sin. Céim cheannródaíoch is ea í seo do Scoil na Micribhitheolaíochta.

Bhíodh sé ag léachtóireacht i réimse na déiríochta agus na micribhitheolaíochta bia le linn a thréimse in COC agus rinneadh Déan de ar Dhámh na hEolaíochta Déiríochta sa bhliain 1967, post a raibh aige go dtí 1976. Chruthaigh sé cuid mhaith nasc le hollscoileanna i Meiriceá sna 60í agus sna 70í, rud a bhí úrnua ag an am. Chuir a thiomantas agus a dhúthracht i leith COC go mór le forbairt dhisciplíní beomhara na hEolaíochta Bia, an Chothaithe agus na Micribhitheolaíochta in COC. Duine spórtúil ab ea é leis agus é mar chúl báire d’fhoireann pheile COC. Bhuaigh sé bonn Sigerson sa bhliain 1943.