In the News..

University of Galway’s Tax Clinic has been recognised with the Excellence in Education award at the prestigious Irish Accountancy Awards 2025. The win celebrates its outstanding contribution to tax education and social inclusion in Ireland. The Irish Accountancy Awards celebrate the most innovative individuals and organisations driving excellence across the accounting profession. The Excellence in Education award for the Tax Clinic at University of Galway’s J.E Cairnes School of Business and Economics recognises its commitment to delivering impactful learning opportunities while serving a vital social function. The University of Galway Tax Clinic provides free, confidential tax information and support to students and members of marginalised communities. Through this initiative, tax student volunteers, under the supervision of qualified tax professionals, help and educate individuals better understand and manage their tax affairs.   Emer Mulligan, Director of the Tax Clinic and Personal Professor of Taxation and Finance at University of Galway, said: “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of the Tax Clinic. Our tax students working in the clinic are getting an exceptional professional tax experience, whilst assisting marginalised citizens with their tax compliance and correspondence with the Revenue. I am confident our Tax Clinic is making a real difference, empowering our citizens in this critical aspect of fiscal citizenship. I look forward to further expansion of the tax clinic, building on this external recognition. I am grateful to our professional tax advisors who give their time and expertise to this initiative on a pro bono basis.” For more information on the University of Galway Tax Clinic visit https://www.universityofgalway.ie/taxclinic/.  Ends

Publication sets out actions for Ireland to achieve membership of BBMRI-ERIC – one of Europe’s largest research infrastructures A research team at University of Galway has led the development of a roadmap which charts the path for Ireland to join the European research infrastructure for biobanking and biomolecular resources. The new publication, A Roadmap Towards Ireland’s Membership of BBMRI-ERIC, was developed by a multidisciplinary team led by University of Galway on joining the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure - European Research Infrastructure Consortium. The roadmap reflects a growing national consensus that joining BBMRI-ERIC is essential for advancing health research and delivering long-term benefits for patients and society. BBMRI-ERIC facilitates access to nearly 500 biobanks across Europe, enabling collaborative, high-impact research. Biobanking enables the collection and storage of biological samples and health data from patients and volunteers for future research. It underpins the development of new diagnostics and treatments for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions and neurodegenerative disorders. In September 2024, the BioBANC Symposium III took place at University of Galway, involving stakeholders from academia, healthcare, patient advocacy and industry where strong support was expressed for Ireland to become a BBMRI-ERIC member. The symposium underlined the urgency of integrating biobanking into Ireland’s national healthcare system, to create a sustainable infrastructure for future health research and innovation. Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “This roadmap reflects the kind of leadership and collaboration that defines University of Galway’s role in national and European research. I want to thank our colleagues for driving this strategic vision forward - placing Ireland in a position to realise the full potential of biobanking for public good. Securing BBMRI-ERIC membership is a national opportunity. It requires collective commitment across government, healthcare, research and patient communities, and we strongly support a positive outcome for all involved.” Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of the Health Service Executive, said: "Biobanking is a critical research tool which helps us understand illness and the different ways in which people respond to illness. Collaboration with BBMRI-ERIC will enhance the power of biobanking through collaboration and pooling of knowledge.” Dr Sonja Khan, Head of Education at the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway, and Programme Director for the MSc Clinical Research at University of Galway said: “As biobanks continue to evolve, they are playing an increasingly critical role in advancing healthcare and addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. This evolution is bringing changes in the relationship between biobanks and the biological samples and data they are entrusted to preserve by patients and participants. The Irish biobanking community is advocating that these changes are best navigated in alignment with our European partners through membership of BBMRI-ERIC.” Dr Avril Kennan, chief executive of Health Research Charities Ireland, said: “If we are serious about delivering truly patient-centered care, then research must be embedded as a core function of our health and social care system. Patients want to contribute to improvements - not just for themselves, but for others. By building research into routine care, we can turn every patient interaction into an opportunity to learn, to improve, and to innovate. The policy direction is clear; now we need collective commitment across the system to make it happen.” BBMRI-ERIC is headquartered in Graz, Austria, providing a harmonised framework for data quality, ethical and legal compliance, and responsible access to biological materials -accelerating scientific discovery while ensuring public trust. The report emphasises that a national biobanking infrastructure will require dedicated infrastructure funding, legislative backing, and stronger public awareness. Key Recommendations from the Roadmap Join BBMRI-ERIC: Position Ireland as a full member of the European biobanking network. Integrate biobanking into the health system: Embed biobanking in national healthcare policies to support ongoing research. Secure infrastructure funding: Move beyond short-term grants to a sustainable funding model. Strengthen public and political understanding: Launch awareness campaigns to enhance trust and transparency. Create a national biobanking node: Coordinate efforts and standardise best practices across the country. A federated and coordinated national approach will be essential, aligning Ireland’s biobanking capabilities with international standards while allowing regional strengths to flourish. The roadmap outlines the need to establish a national node to support integration, governance, and stakeholder collaboration. Professor Jens K. Habermann, Director General of BBMRI-ERIC, said: “Ireland’s membership will unlock the potential of biobanking and biomolecular resources to inspire the best research for the benefit of patients, the public, and the planet.” Billy McCann, patient advocate and member of the National Biobanking Working Group, said: “When you’re going through illness, so much is out of your control. But choosing to contribute to a biobank gives that experience meaning. You’re not just giving samples - you’re giving future researchers a key to unlock answers we don’t have yet. It’s a deeply personal decision, but it’s also a powerful act of hope - for yourself, for your family, and for people you’ll never meet. You’re part of something bigger than your own diagnosis.” The report is available at https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.14089.1 Ends    

New research by University of Galway suggests that the great passage tombs of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site may have served as significant solar observatories - the backdrop to regional gatherings, religious festivals and monumental construction more than 5000 years ago.  The alignment of Newgrange to winter and summer solstice phenomena, Knowth to a ‘perceived’ autumnal equinox and Dowth to a winter solstice sunset, reveal a more complex so-called ‘cosmic calendar’ of Neolithic ritual events than had been previously recognised.  Further insight on the analysis can be read at The Brú na Bóinne Research Project - University of Galway  Built by Neolithic communities around 3,200 BC, the passage tomb at Newgrange is celebrated worldwide for the fact that its chamber, buried deep in the core of the mound, is illuminated annually by the rays of the rising sun at the winter solstice. It is ringed by 97 large kerbstones, some elaborately engraved with megalithic art.  Joe Fenwick, Archaeological Field Officer with the School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies at University of Galway, has offered new insights into the carvings found on entrance stone to Newgrange and Kerbstone 52 at the rear of the structure, which effectively bookend the tomb alignment, marking the winter sunrise and summer sunset solstices respectively.   His analysis further suggests that these carvings are not merely decorative, but had specific meaning and significance in relation to the solar phenomena of the shortest and longest days of the year.  Mr Fenwick explains: “It is well known that the passage tomb at the heart of Newgrange is aligned to sunrise at the winter solstice. However, the spiral artwork on the kerbstones mark both the winter solstice and the summer solstice. It would also suggest that Newgrange probably had annual gatherings to mark both the winter and summer solstices.”  The new analysis and observations of the megalithic art on the entrance stone to Newgrange have revealed a novel interpretation of its meaning and significance.   A vertical line at the centre of the stone marks the alignment of the tomb to the winter solstice.   The spirals to the left of the line wind clockwise inwards towards their centre, representing the shortening journeys of the sun across the sky, from the height of summer to the shortest day at the winter solstice.   The spirals to the right of this line, however, spiral clockwise outwards from the centre and so represent the lengthening of the solar journeys across the sky from the shorter winter days towards the summer solstice.  Mr Fenwick continued: “In short, it is an abstracted representation of the annular solar cycle centred on the winter solstice. This is the first time that the artwork has been interpreted in this way, and it changes how we view Newgrange and the people who built it. Newgrange could be thought of as a sophisticated solar observatory, as well as a cathedral for worship and ritual.”  These findings are presented in a chapter entitled "Unravelling the Spiral: Passage Tomb Alignment, Related Kerbstone Art, and Cycles of Monumental Construction at Brú na Bóinne", featured in the recently published book People, Prehistory, and the Past: Essays in Honour of John Waddell, (Four Courts Press, 2025).  The book is dedicated to Professor Waddell, the Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at University of Galway, and a highly respected figure in Irish and international archaeology. It brings together contributions from colleagues with ties to the University’s Discipline of Archaeology.   Edited by Michelle Comber and Kieran O’Conor, the book includes a range of significant new research spanning subjects from prehistoric landscapes, decorative goldwork and artefact distributions to medieval lordships, ogham inscription, and the remarkable contribution of some pioneering female archaeologists.  The book was officially launched at Claregalway Castle by University of Galway Interim Deputy President and Registrar, Professor Becky Whay, earlier this month and a copy was also presented to the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, at Áras an Uachtaráin (see: News, Events, Social Media & Spring Lunchtime Lecture Series - University of Galway).  Ends