Bloomsday (16 June), synonymous with James Joyce and his novel Ulysses, is the most important honours day at University College Dublin (UCD), the alma mater of this great 20th century author.
Each year, on Bloomsday, UCD holds a special ceremony to confer the UCD Ulysses Medal and honorary doctorates on individuals who have, in the opinion of the university, achieved distinction in the field of academic scholarship, made significant impact on society and the University community, or achieved significant international accomplishment, as well as being a role model to students.
This year, the UCD Ulysses Medal was awarded to Professor Jürgen Habermas, probably the single most influential philosopher and social theorist in the world today.
The UCD Ulysses Medal is the highest honour that the university can bestow. It was inaugurated in 2005, as part of the university’s sesquicentennial celebrations, to highlight the ‘creative brilliance’ of UCD alumnus James Joyce. It is awarded to individuals whose work has made an outstanding global contribution.
On the same day, 16 June 2010, honorary degrees were conferred on Broadcaster and historian, John Bowman; Internationally acclaimed author, Colm Tóibín; NGO anti-hunger campaigner, Tom Arnold; Journalist and agriculture expert, Matt Dempsey; Medical researcher and physician, Martin Carey; Chemist, Tadhg Begley; French novelist, playwright and feminist theorist, Hélène Cixous; French medical scientist, Laurent Perret; Pioneering scientist, Raymond Dwek; and Philosopher, Thomas McCarthy.
Pictured left: Prof Frank McGuinness, UCD School of English, Drama & Film pictured with Irish Author,
Colm Tóibín,
who received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature on Bloomsday 2010.
Pictured right: Jürgen Habermas with the Ulysses Medal
Bloomsday 2009
On Bloomsday (16 June) 2009, UCD awarded the Ulysses Medal to Brian Friel, Ireland’s greatest living playwright.
Widely recognised as Ireland’s greatest living playwright, Brian Friel, aged 80 years, has been writing plays for the past 40 years. The plays that helped him to achieve critical acclaim and worldwide success include: Philadelphia, Here I Come (1964), Aristocrats (1979), Translations (1980) and Dancing at Lughnasa (1990).
At the ceremony, honorary doctorates were conferred on Jack Kyle, sportsman and surgeon; Hilary M Weston, business woman, public servant and philanthropist; John Joseph Collins, scholar in near-eastern apocalyptic writings; Kieran McGowan, public servant and industrial development leader; Dennis O’Driscoll, poet and critic; and Richard Lerner, scientific scholar and discovery researcher.
- For more on Bloomsday 2009 and to listen to the citations at the formal award ceremony visit UCD News