2024
Leading figures from film, sport and activism receive honorary degrees at UCC
Leading figures from film, sport and activism were awarded with honorary degrees by University College Cork (UCC) last night. Jeremy Irons, Adi Roche, Lord David Puttnam and Dominic Casey were all recognised for their achievements at a special ceremony in UCC’s Aula Maxima.
Speaking ahead of the event, UCC President Prof. John O'Halloran said:
“Jeremy, Adi, Dominic and David have all made outstanding contributions in their respective fields. We are delighted to honour them this evening in what will be a special ceremony. Our awardees are exemplars of what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and vision, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps."
‘Triple Crown of Acting”
One of the few actors ever to have achieved the ‘Triple Crown of Acting’ in the US, winning an Academy Award for film, an Emmy Award for television and a Tony Award for theatre, Jeremy Irons, received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from UCC. He has also won two Golden Globes. Jeremy Iron’s career in activism and charity work is almost as extensive as his acting, he is a former Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations and an outspoken campaigner on a number of issues. His Irish ancestry traces back to County Cork and he regularly supports the work of Skibbereen Heritage Centre located close to his Irish home in west Cork.
‘Humanitarian and change-maker’
Adi Roche was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by UCC. For almost 5 decades, Adi has been passionately campaigning for, and is publicly active in, issues relating to the environment, peace and social justice. Adi has an outstanding international reputation as a humanitarian, and as change-maker, committing her life to the advancement of the cause of peace and humanitarian causes internationally. Adi Roche is the founder and CEO of Chernobyl Children International which under her leadership has delivered medical and humanitarian aid to the people of Belarus, Ukraine, and Western Russia in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.
Three innocent victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, whose lives were transformed by Irish humanitarian efforts, travelled to Cork to support and honour Adi.
‘Inspiring future generations’
Lord David Puttnam also received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts in UCC this evening. David spent 30 years as an independent producer of award-winning films including The Mission, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone and Local Hero. Together these films have won 10 Oscars, 13 Golden Globes, 31 Baftas, 9 Emmys, 4 David di Donatellos and the Palme D’Or at Cannes. He is also an educator and an environmentalist. His company Atticus Education delivers interactive seminars on film, media and screen to students at universities all over the world. He retired from the House of Lords in 2021 were he had most recently been a member of on the UK’S Select Committee for the Environment and Climate Change, charged with exploring cross-Government action COP15 and progress on COP26.
Shaping Irish rowing into a powerhouse on the global stage
Dominic Casey, Ireland’s lightweight national rowing coach, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education by UCC for his lifelong dedication to coaching and recognition of his transformative impact on Irish sport. Dominic Casey has been instrumental in shaping Irish rowing into a powerhouse on the global stage. As the long-serving coach of Skibbereen Rowing Club and Ireland's high-performance lightweight rowing team, Casey has mentored athletes to achieve extraordinary success, including multiple World Championship titles and Olympic medals. Dominic Casey’s most notable achievements include coaching the legendary duo Paul and Gary O'Donovan to Ireland’s first-ever Olympic rowing medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, leading Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan to gold at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games, and coaching Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen to 8th place and 5th place finishes in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. Dominic also coached Margaret Cremen, a Sports Studies Student at UCC, to win a silver at the European Rowing Championships in 2024. Fintan McCarthy, Aoife Casey, and Margaret Cremen all attended the ceremony in UCC.