ATU Connemara Newsletter 2022-2023

About ATU Connemara

ATU is a multi-campus technological university in the west and northwest of Ireland that delivers a rich combination of academic and research excellence, quality of life and opportunity The ATU School of Design and Creative Arts at ATU Connemara campus located in Letterfrack, Co Galway, one of the eight ATU campuses Regarded both nationally and internationally as a leading provider of third-level courses in furniture design, making and technology and teacher education (Design Graphics and Construction), it is positively unique The campus is home to over 240 students studying four different degree courses and apprenticeship training in its state-of-the-art workshop facilities with the most advanced machinery and computer technology

DepartmentofFurnitureDesignandTechnology.

TheConnemaracampushaslinkstomajorfurnituredesignandmanufacturingcompanies aroundtheglobe,allowingstudentstoavailofworkplacementopportunitieswithleadersin furnituredesignandmanufacturing Theseprogrammesaredynamicandresponsivetothe needsofindustry,societyandtotheongoingdevelopmentoftheIrisheconomy Graduates arerecognisedfortheirinnovative,creativeandresponsiveapproachtoprojects They frequentlywin,andareshortlistedfor,nationalandinternationalawardswhichistestamentto theirskillsandabilities

IndustryprogrammesareofferedbothatLevel8(Hons)andLevel7

•BScFurnitureDesign,MakingandTechnology(1styearCommonEntry) (AU683/AU583)

•BScFurnitureDesignandManufacture(AU681)

•BScFurnitureMakingandArchitecturalWoodworking(AU682)

ApprenticeshipTraining

•WoodManufacturingandFinishingPhase4(SOLASCraftApprenticeship)

Department of Creative Education

Also,withintheATUSchoolofDesignandCreativeArtsistheDepartmentofCreative EducationwhichspanstwocampusesoftheATU-ConnemaraandGalwayCityWellpark Road.Bothcampusesarerenownedfortheircreativity,innovationandexcellenceindesign, woodtechnology,artandcreativemedia Thedepartmentofferstwoundergraduateinitial teachereducationprogrammeswhichareaccreditedbytheTeachingCouncil Education(Design,GraphicsandConstruction(AU680)

GraduatesofthisprogrammearequalifiedtoteachConstructionStudiesandDesignand CommunicationGraphics StudentscommencetheirprogrammeinATUConnemaraand movetoGalwayCityWellparkRoadcampusafteryear2tocompletetheirstudies

BachelorofEducation(Hons)inArtandDesign&CommunicationGraphics (AU620)

GraduatesofthisprogrammearequalifiedtoteachArtandDesignandCommunication Graphics(DCG)ThisprogrammeisofferedontheGalwayCityWellparkRdcampus

You can find out more about our programmes here in ATU Connemara and how to apply by visiting our website Scan the QR code here using your camera on a smart phone.

ATU Connemara is supported by Connemara West PLC A community and rural developemnt organisation based in Letterfrack

Welcome.....

WelcometotheATUConnemaraannualnewsletter,Issueno7

Thisnewslettercaptureseventsthathavetakenplaceduringthe academicyearof2022-2023 Thisyearwearedelightedtohave beenabletoproduceanotherpackednewsletter Youcanread aboutourcollaborations,exhibitions,studentawards,andplenty offunstufftoo

In September 2022, we welcomed just under 80 new fulltime students into first year, who took part in a two day welcome programme to help them to familiarise themselves with the campus,meettheirprojectlecturers,collectessentialtoolsand materialsandtomeettheStudentsUnionforsometeambuilding games Weweredelightedtoseeagoodnumberoffemaleand maturestudentsjoiningourConnemaracampusagainthisyearAt ATUConnemaraweareeagertopromoteamoreinclusiveand diverselearningenvironment,andwearefeelingpositiveabout the gender gap reducing on both the Industry and Teacher Educationprogrammes.Webelievethatagoodbalanceingender andagehelpstowardscreatingapositiveandengaginglearning environmentforthestudents

Over the year we have welcomed 62 apprentices who have successfullycompletedtheirPhase4inWoodManufacturingand Finishing Studentsalongwithapprenticeshavetravelledfromall regionsinIreland,alongwithafewinternationalstudents,another yearofnewfriendshipshavebeenformed Wewereparticularly delightedthisyeartohavebenefittedfromthesportingtalentsof ourstudentswhoformedtwoverystrongteamsinhurlingand GAAfootball

Wehavehadanothergreatyearoffantasticprojectsmadebythe students.Thishasallowedustoselectaveryhighcalibrerangeof furniture for our exhibitions Our annual end of year summer exhibitiontookplaceintheFarmleighGalleryinFarmleighHouse, PhoenixParkinDublin Weareveryhonouredtohavehadthe opportunitytoexposethegreatworkourstudentshavecreated atthisveryprestigiousvenue

Thankyoutoallofourstaffandstudentswhocontributetothe newsletterannually Manyofthephotosusedinthisnewsletter havebeenprovidedbystaffandstudents Ourlocalprofessional photographerisAoifeHerriotwhodoesalovelyjobofcapturing oureventsandfurniturepiecesmadebythestudents.

Wehopeyouenjoyreadingournewsandthatitgivesyouanidea ofwhatlifeislikeoncampusandtheopportunitiesinwhichour studentsareexposedtohereinATUConnemara

Shemeem OToole Creator, ATU Connemara annual newsletter

Collaboration

We value the importance of collaboration Collaborating with the community, industry, designers and makers allow our students to think outside the box Collaboration helps the student to explore their inner creativity and allows for an understanding of the need to share ideas to work with others enabling them to build on their own skills We benefit from the knowledge of those already working in the industry to help us to give further thought into further collaboration and research for the benefit of staff, students, and our community

ANAM a hAon agus a Dó: Creativity in the Landscape took place in October 2022 in collaboration with Peter Sheehan who is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in Industrial Design who worked closely with Design Lecturer Jeremy Madden and the Head of Department Paul Leamy This project followed on from the first ANAM residency that took place in March 2022

The theme of this project was established by visiting designer Peter Sheehan for the B Sc Furniture Design Making & Technology (1st year) design process module project. The theme was to connect with place; with its people, its history and its nature to develop creativity, design practice and values

ATU Lecturer Geraldine O'Brien, spent several weeks in advance of the workshop working with the students to engage with the landscape through sketching, observation and collecting materials The students spent a day in the bench rooms making maquettes and hand shaped components supported by their project’s lecturers Sean Garvey, Hugh Mullan and Technician Martin Kearney The students participated in an outdoor workshop at INTERFACE Inagh, an artist residency centre in the Inagh Valley, making stools and sapling sentinels in the landscape as part of the Interface Woodland Development project

Collaboration

As part of Peter’s ANAM journey, an installation titled ‘ANAM 2023 - Out of Place’ took place from June 29th to July 9th Design Lecturer Jeremy Madden worked closely with Peter to develop the installation, finding a quirky building right on the shoreline at Renvyle in Connemara - part of which was the old forge It is a building in three parts: the old forge representing the past, the central room the present, and the room facing out toward Inisturk, the future. Supporting the install of the project were students Anthony Gallas and Patrick Orr Isabel Robinson handmade an 'Anam book' and visitors book

ANAM crosses disciplines - it's about connecting with landscape, and people's lives in it It's art, craft, design, heritage, and everything in between This project explores the landscape, meeting & working with wonderful people, staff & students

@ATU Connemara; Paul Leamy & Jeremy Madden, Alannah Robins of Interface; Philip Kenny - ceramic pieces, Joachim Lydon & family; forge owner Michael Walsh; Anthony O’Toole - currach build; Linda Schirmer; Ewan Madden and others

"The building itself is a metaphor - the old part reconstructed with whatever was to hand, new bits of block work added on, repurposed windows and doors, never quite finished, a facade of authenticity, a heart of gold... it belongs, however. It gazes to the sea, to the islands, and to the metalled road and hillside

The installation will include artefacts by Joe Hogan, Lelia Ní Chathmhaoil and others in addition to my own, all alongside artefacts of everyday life in the area, the currach, the tools of the forge, the furniture, implements & utensils used in homes and on the land & sea in the not-so-distant past "

Peter Sheehan 2023

CollaboratingwiththeBrothersofCharityServices. Globalcitizenshipeducationisacoreelementofinitialteacher education Duringtheirprogrammes,studentsareintroducedtoa range of activities that help to broaden their perspective on education,learningandcommunityengagement Inthisproject, secondyearstudentsfromATUConnemaravisitedtheBrothers of Charity Services, Bhruach na Mara, Casla, Co Galway on Monday20thFebruary ATUstudentsinteractedwiththepeople supportedbytheBrothersofCharityinavarietyofactivitiessuch aspaintingandpapermachémaking,preparingraisedbedsinthe polytunnelsandaerobicexercises Thelonger-termaimofthe collaborationistomutuallylearnandfurtherenhanceinteraction andcommunicationbetweendifferingmembersofsociety The collaborationisalsoameansofdeliveringononeoftheATU strategicenablers,thatis,Diversity,Equality,andInclusion

Thanks to Claire, the staff and the people supported at the BrothersofCharity,Calsaforwelcomingthesecondyearstudents ofBScinEducation(Design,GraphicsandConstruction)from ATU Amostenjoyabledayofactivitieswherenewfriendships wereforged!

KevinMaye,LecturerATU

Erasmus+ Project HOPE.

ATU Connemara is one of nine partners from five European countries participating in the Erasmus+ project HOPE –Sustainable Modular Houses for People in Need All partners gathered to work and make steps to a better, more sustainable future! The aim of the project is to add new skills to a number of companies working in the building sector by providing them the resources about the most recent technologies and methods available

HOPE is a project dedicated to exploring and designing movable, sustainable homes for people in need To read more on the official website of HOPE please go to: https://www.hope-erasmusproject.eu/

Collaboration

ProSilva

Séan Garvey, lecturer in ATU Connemara is a committee member of Pro Silva, an organisation working towards transformingforests&forestculturesinachangingworld TheannualmeetingtookplaceinCo WicklowinJunethisyear where members of the international Pro Silva organisation assembledtoshareideasandcollaboratewithoneanotherto furthercloserto-natureforestmanagement Eachmemberof this forum identifies as dedicated carers of multipurpose forests TheyshareanintrinsicandcommonpieceofDNAand havetheirfingeronthepulsewhenitcomestoforestrymatters

“DuringthethreedaysinIreland,wecometogethertoshareour collectiveexperiences WewillshowcaseIreland’sexperience intransformingwoodlandsbypresentingpractices,research, education and policy developments in Continuous Cover Forestry Theconferencewillalsoserveasanopportunityto celebrateProSilvaIreland’sunique23-yearstoryanditsvalued relationshipwiththewiderProSilvacommunity.Theoverall aims of our gathering are to consolidate connections and a shared sense of direction and to further promote closer-tonatureforestmanagementsolutions”

LiamByrneChairperson,ProSilvaIreland

Eachdelegatereceivedacoaster,madeinATUConnemara using Irish grown alder along with some gifts that were presentedtopastchairs

WoodlandSymposiumFestival.

Western Forestry Co-op announced the return of the Woodland FestivalinSeptember2022

Contributing to this festival was Seán Garvey, lecturer in ATU Connemara who gave a talk on Wood Furniture Design and Technology and was joined by lecturer Marion McGarry at the stand showcasing some of the fabulous projects made by ATU Connemara Students A visit to the stand by Minister Pippa Hackettwaswellreceived

Made by Seán Garvey, Lecturer in ATU Connemara This gift is a hand sculpted wooden representation of a stone cairn

Each piece of wood selected for the gift carries its own story

They originate from Irish grown trees from various parts of the country The base is made of elm from Kylemore Abbey in Galway

The oak came from a 250-year-old tree which grew on the grounds of Árus an Uachtaráin in the Phoenix Park The juvenile ash came from a close-to-nature managed stand in County Limerick And finally, the ripple sycamore came from Westport House in Mayo

Choosing Irish-grown wood from sustainable sources was a deliberate decision The piece embodies the idea of close-tonature forest management and sustainable practices that ensure the preservation and regeneration of our natural resources

The woodland festival aims to foster a greater awareness of the benefits of trees and woodlands, to focus on woodland management and the amenity aspects of our woods as well as the use of wood in furniture, crafts and building The day included live woodland demonstrations in thinning, woodland improvement, sawmilling, timber tasks, wood chipping, beekeeping, chainsaw operators and carving, small scale timber extraction, bushcraft skills, woodland walks & talks, woodland games, information stands, wood products, food, crafts, family entertainment and much more There is something for everyone at the Woodland Festival 2022 Source; https://woodlandfestival ie/

Collaboration

Our Irish Chair reimagined: an ATU Connemara response.

In 2019, the National Museum of Ireland (Country Life) approachedATUwithaviewtoincludingstudents’designsintheir upcoming exhibition Our Irish Chair: Tradition Revisited The exhibition would showcase some of the beautiful antique Sligo/Tuamchairsinthemuseum’scollectionandtheideawas that students’ contemporary versions would be displayed alongsidethem.SecondyearstudentsoftheB.Sc.inFurniture DesignandManufactureprogrammeweregivenadetaileddesign briefandshownthemuseum’scollectionbeforecomingupwith their own contemporary Sligo/Tuam chair solutions for the modernIrishhome

Author and lecturer Dr Marion McGarry, from ATU Connemara, delivered an engaging talk at the NMI in Castlebar on Saturday, 4 March 2023, exploring the potential of the Sligo/Tuam chair design in a modern context

The talk showcased the design process and superb work of furniture design students from Atlantic Technological University, Connemara, who created contemporary designs using the Sligo Tuam chair as an inspiration A selection of these chairs were displayed at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life as part of the temporary exhibition Our Irish Chair: Tradition Revisited

Dr Marion McGarry has been a lecturer at Atlantic Technological University Connemara since 2004, and currently teaches the modules Furniture History and Design Elements She is the author of the books The Irish Cottage: History, Culture and Design and Irish Customs and Rituals: How our Ancestors Celebrated Life and the Seasons She is also the co-author with Dermot O’Donovan of the book See The Wood From The Trees

Source and credit: RTE Brainstorm

https://www rte ie/brainstorm/2023/0302/1359809-sligo-tuamchair-heritage-vernacular-traditional-furniture-ireland/

TransitionYearTasterdays

InMarch2023,wewelcomedoncampusagroupofstudentsfrom six different secondary schools. Along with local students from ClifdenCommunitySchool,wehadstudentswhohadtravelledfrom Oughterard,CoClare,Dublin,PortumnaandRosMuctotakepartina TransitionYeartasterweek

The students engaged in various activities They joined the ATU Connemarastaffandstudentsfortheannualnativetreeplantingin the Connemara National Park Participated in a 3D scanning and VirtualRealityworkshopandweregivenaDesignandSolidWorks tutorials,alldeliveredbyATUConnemaralecturers TheTYstudents werealsogivenatourtoseesomeoftheATUstudents’projects,and an insight into the sawmill and Kiln and how this resource complimentsthefacilitieshereinATUConnemara TheTYstudents successfullyfinishedofftheweekbycompletingtheirownproject–A ChessBoard

The taster week allows students who are initially interested in woodwork,anopportunitytospendsometimeonthecampustogive themanideaofwhatitislikeinathirdlevelInstitute TheTYTaster

Week is an annual event, booking early is advisable as there are limitedplaces,keepaneyeonourFaceBookpage

We are delighted again to have collaboratedwithDesignWestinthe deliveryofanexcitingandinnovative internationalsummerdesignschoolin the beautiful surroundings of ConnemarawhichtookplaceinJune 2023

Thetwoweeksummerschoolgavethe participantstheopportunitytowork withleadinginternationaldesigners fromrenownedstudiosacrossEurope

Collaboration

DublinCircularEconomyHotspot.

ATU Connemara Lecturers Jeremy Madden, Daniel McNamara andResearchstudentJohnHeweraremembersofthe‘Doing More with Less’ project and were delighted to be part of the DublinCircularEconomyHotspot Thiswasafour-dayeventthat takesplaceinadifferentcityeachyear The2023gatheringwas settoputDublinonthecirculareconomymapinternationally The DMLprojectwaspartofthetourtoshowexcellenceinthecircular economyinIreland ThiswasatouroftheOfficeofPublicWorks FurnitureDivisiontolearnmoreaboutthe'DoMorewithLess' project completed with CIRCULÉIRE member Farrell Furniture, AtlanticTechnologicalUniversityConnemara,andtheOfficeof PublicWorks

ThefurnituredivisionoftheOPWisaculturalandheritagehubfor Irish furniture through the ages acting as custodians and preservationists for state furniture in Ireland This was a truly uniqueopportunitytogetaninsightbehindthescenesofthe incredibleproductlifeextensionendeavoursundertakenbythe OPWincollaborationwithFarrellFurniture&ATUthroughDML

andbeyond

The'DoMorewithLess'projectwasaCIRCULÉIREInnovation Fundprojectthataimedtoseetheremanufacturingofclassic office furniture so it can be repaired, redesigned, and reused, encouragingacircularmodelandextendingthelifecycleofthe furniture. The project brings together representatives from government,academiaandIndustry

Youcanreaduponthisprojectthroughour"CircularSuccesses" casestudyserieshere:https://lnkdin/eBunS9E7

JeremyMadden,LecturerATU

CIRCULÉIREDoMorewithLess

TheDoMorewithLess(DML)Teampresentedandexhibitedinthe 1GQbuildinginDublin ThebuildinghousestheGovernmentoffices forArchitecture Theworkshownwasontheirprojectwhichsaw themtakebackfurnitureandre-manufactureit JeremyMadden,JohnHewerandDanielMcNamarawerepartofthe AtlanticTechnologicalUniversityConnemarateaminvolvedinthis project CIRCULÉIREfundedtheprocesswhichallowedOfficeof PublicWorks,FarrellFurnitureandATUConnemaraworkonthe ‘Crannac’rangeofofficefurnitureand‘ThePartners’rangeofdesks

Farrell Furniture were delighted to have received the Design Crafts Council of Ireland, Irish Business Award on behalf of the DML team in recognition of the project

Connemara Sea Week.

In October 2022, the Teacher Education students in collaboration with students in Youth Reach Letterfrack, worked together to make lanterns for the opening night of Connemara Sea Week, an annual event that celebrates the wonderful marine heritage of Connemara

We welcomed on campus, Doug Allan who is a freelance wildlife and documentary cameraman and photographer, best known for his work in polar regions and underwater The lighting of the lanterns along with the sounds of the drums created a magnificent atmosphere to mark the occasion

DoMorewithLess'team

Industry Visits

A group of 2nd year BSc in Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking students, and 4th year BSc in FurnitureWoodTechnologystudentsundertookanIndustry Touronthe1stand2ndofNovember2022 Overthetwo days,theygottovisitaselectionofthetopmanufacturersin SouthernandNorthernIreland

The first visit was to a leading manufacturer of bespoke fitted furniture, Western Postform Limited in Ballinasloe, Co Galway There, we were given a tour of their new 40,000 sq ft state-ofthe-art manufacturing facility, which is equipped with the latest design, management, and manufacturing technology The next stop was to O’Connors of Drumleck, Co Louth who specialise in the design and manufacture of bespoke high-end kitchens Here the students got to see how traditional cabinetmaking and stateof-the-art machinery and design innovation can be combined to produce the highest quality products ATU 3rd year student

Daniel Stratford, who was completing his industry placement in O’Connors, showed the students the kind of work he was involved with and shared the fantastic experience he was having there The last visit of the day was to Woodmarque in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, who are experts in high-performance door sets and specialist joinery for commercial and residential projects. A tour of their 100,000 sq ft workshop and engineering office was very interesting for the students Their research and development department stood out demonstrating their commitment to innovation and product development

A common theme was how the companies visited are embracing advancementsindigitaltechnologyandequipment,andareinvesting in their facilities, equipment, and employees All the companies encouragedthestudentstoconsiderapplyingtothemforemployment whentheygraduatefromtheirATUprogrammes Itwasclearthatare lots of career opportunities available in the sector with ATU Connemaragraduateshighlyvalued

ATU Connemara is very grateful for the incredible welcome we received and to the companies and their staff that gave up their valuabletimetosharetheirexpertiseandexperiences KateDunne,SeniorLecturerATUConnemara.

InJanuarythisyear,our3rdyearplacementstudentstookadayout from their placement companies to meet up, they visited some exceptional companies based in Dublin, arranged by Jeremy Madden,lecturer,andplacementsupervisorinATUConnemara Bespaceareahigh-endcompanywhodesignandcreatehighquality fitted kitchens, bedrooms & living spaces The workshop and machineryaretopclass,thevisitforthestudentsenabledthemto seethehighstandardappliedintheworkforceandtoseeatfirsthandhowstandardsappliedequatetohighstandardoutputs

On the second day of the tour, Specialist Joinery Fittings Limited located in Maghera welcomed the students to their manufacturing facility Here they saw first-hand how largescale projects are planned, manufactured, installed, and managed Of particular interest was to see how they are using lean principles to improve their efficiencies. The final visit was to O&S Doors in Dungannon, Co Tyrone The scale of the operation to mass produce doors across a 410,000 sq ft facility was breath-taking with collaborative robots recently introduced to support workers on the shop floor

ThesecondvisitwastoFlanaganFittings Wehavebeenbringing students here for many years For many of the students on placement,theyareworkingincompanieswhouseFlanaganfittings astheirsuppliergivingabetterunderstandingonthelinkswithinthe Industryitself

Industry Visits

In January 2023 a group of 4th year Furniture Design & Manufacture and Furniture & Wood Technology students along with Lecturing, Technician and admin staff from the ATU Connemara campus visited some exceptional companies in the North and East of Ireland The purpose of the trip was to give an insight to the students of the broad range of job opportunities within the industry, identifying suitable career paths, and to build on existing relationships with companies and to provide opportunities for students looking for companies for their yearlong Industry Placements

Company visits also provide an opportunity for students to relate to and support their learning in areas of Lean Operations, automation & control, project management, BIM and entrepreneurship by seeing at first-hand how this applies in practice in the workplace along with meeting the outcomes of the Higher Education 4.0 collaborative project in ATU.

"IwasimpressedwiththecompanySeatingMatters Thewaythat they have implemented Lean into every aspect of their work is incredible and really helps understand the theory of Lean when yougettoseeitworkingsowell SeatingMatterswasthemost relevanttomymodulesandreallyshowedtheeffectivenessthat Leancanhave.

There was a good range of companies visited The 'theme park' sideofTheDeluxeGroupwasverycool,toseethetechnologies MJM are using for scanning and designing the fit outs was also veryinteresting.

ThemostinspiringwasTheDeluxeGroup Theyhadanemployee speaktousthathadstartedwiththemonworkplacementandhad moveduptotheoffice,designingprojects Thisisasimilarpathto the one many of us are on, and the opportunities he has had accesstowasveryencouraging.Itwasalsoinspiringtoseethe lecturersspeakingtoformerstudentsthatarenowinseniorroles inthecompaniestheyareworkingin."

CillianOGallchoir–4thyrFWTstudent

The following day, our first visit was to The Deluxe Group in Portadown The Deluxe group provide premium design and manufacturing services to various sectors such as; Hospitality, Luxury residential, Workplace, Marine, Heritage and Culture, and Visitor Attractions

The presentation and tour of the facilities demonstrated the incredible opportunities for a range of diverse roles within the company for graduates of ATU Connemara, transferable skills in which our students graduate with and provide them with the competitiveness to allow them to apply for positions within companies like these

ThetripstartedwithavisittoSeatingMattersinLimavady,a company that prides itself and are world leaders in the implementationofLEAN TodaySeatingMattersstandsasan exampleofworldclassLeanthinkers,whospecialiseindesigning andmanufacturingseatingtoimproveandenhancethequalityof lifeofpatientsthroughclinicalexcellenceintheMedicalIndustry Seating Matters provided us with a tour showing us the extraordinary Lean processes that have been implemented throughouttheworkplace Thestudentswereabletoseeatfirst handthebenefitsofLeanintheindustryandrelatethistotheir learningintheirLeanmoduleaspartoftheirdegreeprogramme inATUConnemara

"I was happy with all the companies we visited, and I was satisfiedwithwhatIlearnedonthetrip

AjobopportunitythatreallyinterestedmeforwhenIGraduate was the role of a Practical Designer in MJM I really enjoy problemsolvingandIfeelIwouldenjoytheprocessofthejob fromstarttofinish InCollegeinmyFurnitureWoodTechnology programme, we have learned Programs such as AutoCAD & Inventoraswellasseveraldifferentprogramsthatwouldreally helpmethriveinthistypeofjob

Overall,Ireallyenjoyedthetripandwouldstronglyrecommend studentstogoontheseIndustryvisitsastheygiveyouanidea ofwhattheindustryisreallyliketoworkin"

TomDevereux-4thyrFWTstudent

Simply put, Lean is a method to reduce nonvalue added activities from a process so that we can add more value to our customer

Industry Visits

OurnextstopwasMJMMarineinNewrywherewewereagain warmlywelcomedMJMMarinehasover40years’ofWorldClass marine outfitting experience With in-house manufacturing facilities,MJMcanofferclientsacompleteprojectmanagement service with bespoke and turnkey outfitting and innovative solutions

Weweregivenapresentationonthefascinatingprojectsinwhich the company have embarked on and an introduction to the NavigateProgrammewhichisaprogramintroducedtoinductnew employees, recent graduates or students on yearlong industry placements.This,followedwithamasterclasspresentationonall thingsdesignledbyDesignManagerBrianWebstergivingusan insightintotheprocessesusedwithinthecompanyfromdesignto manufacture

We were then taken on a tour around their Newry HQ and providedwithaninsightintothebehind-the-scenesworkcarried outbytheemployeesofMJMandafulltouroftheproduction facilities

MJMhavebeenprolificgraduateandplacementemployersfor well over a decade It was really beneficial to learn about the NavigateProgrammeandwehopetoseemanymoregraduates availingoftheincredibleopportunitiesatMJMMarineandforour currentstudentstotakeuponthisopportunitytocarryouttheir yearlongIndustryPlacementintheyearstocome

Our final visit was to Farrell Furniture in Ardee ATU Connemara staff and students have a superb long-lasting relationship with Farrells, seeing graduates of ATU Connemara taking up employment in a variety of roles along with the support of the company taking on our students for their industry placements. Farrell Furniture with over 60 years’ experience, are one of the leading full-service furniture solutions partner for the contract residential and commercial office sectors, specialising in furniture projects, they plan, design, personalise, manufacture, and deliver at scale

We were greeted by one of our graduates Ryan McNally who gave a talk to our students on the opportunities within the company and talked of his own experience from graduating to starting out in employment Ryan brought the group on a tour of the offices and workshop and explained the processes in place during the manufacturing of the products being made

Farrell Furniture are a company who can provide such a rich learning environment during placements along with opportunities to work in a variety of departments within the company from design, production, sales and marketing, estimating to name a few

The unique range of companies we visited on our final year trip providedmewithagreatinsightintotherealisticworkingworldthatI willbeentering,outsideofthoseIhavepreviouslyworkedin,opening newopportunities

MJM Marine in Newry was the company that most impressed me It appears that they provide their employees with a diverse range of opportunities,withmanydifferentsectorscollaborating Inthefuture,I couldseemyselfworkingthere

I found it interesting to see lean manufacturing in practice after only readingaboutitpreviously Readingaboutaprocessisn'tthesameas seeingitinaction;thisalsomadememoreawarethatleanisamindset thatcanbethoughtthroughanddevelopedovertime

The culture in all the companies I've visited was fantastic; everyone waspositiveandfriendly Onethingthatstoodouttomewasthatno onewaswithholdingknowledge,andeachcompanywaseagertoshare theirexperiences

AnnMarieReilly–4thyearFDMstudent

Overall, the trip proved to be such a valuable experience for both the students and staff in providing an opportunity for students to see theories in real life, and to ask questions of the industry thus adding value to the Teaching and Learning strategies applied in ATU Industry Placements are an integral part of the Industry programmes in ATU Connemara and with the move to yearlong placements which commenced in September 2022 there is evermore the need to find and build relationships with companies who can offer a vast range of experience for the student, for their own personal development Companies themselves can also benefit from the knowledge the student is bringing with them which they have gained in their first two years in ATU Connemara it is a delight to have such great companies on board

ATU Connemara would like to thank the companies who gave up their valuable time to give presentations, provide tours and talks and in greeting us with refreshments, your time is greatly appreciated and extremely beneficial in the continuation of building relationships for the benefit of students and graduates

Industry Day

The Industry Placement team in ATU Connemara were delighted at the success in hosting an Industry Day event on campus in March 2023 All students registered on the industry programmes were invited to attend

The Industry day event provided the students with a chance to learn about the wide range of successful companies operating in the wood and interiors sector on the island of Ireland, it helped the 2nd year students in thinking about a suitable placement company for their year-long placement in 3rd year, and informed the 4th year students about the career options available to them on the completion of their level 8 degree in June 2023 This was a fantastic opportunity for students to introduce themselves to companies and identify potential placement companies and future employers

"It was great to hear from the different company’s’ representatives successively and in person, that gave us a much better idea of what type of work environment and what kind of mentality are in place. It was nice to have a direct comparison from one company to the others and be able to ask a question on the spot, it was interactive which helped to start a conversation "

The hybrid event consisted of 14 companies who presented either in person or online Each representative was asked to give an overview of their company and the placement and job opportunities that were available to our students, this was followed by a panel discussion where students were given the opportunity to ask questions

Presentations given were enlightening The value these companies see in our students was really motivating for both the staff and for the students themselves Students were able to get an idea of the processes and work involved in the different range of companies presenting here, with a mix of both small companies with a small workforce and larger companies with a bigger work force, something for everyone

"I learned a lot about the different aspects of the furniture making and cabinet making industry and what to expect when I leave after fourth year "

"I was already sure I wanted to go to Dunmore Joinery before the industry day but after talking to them and seeing their work and what they have to offer my mind was fully made up "

David Sheeran 2nd yr

"Overall, it was a great experience, beneficial in my opinion and helped a lot to understand what is out there and to feel more confident in approaching companies in the future."

Marie Haenel 2nd yr

Industry Day

We encouraged all students, staff and companies to network over lunch Students who had identified a company that they were interested in or had considered a company to complete their placement with and/or could see themselves working with, this was the perfect time to talk to them informally It was a delight to see the engagement taking place in the canteen

"the Industry Day was very beneficial to see the wide range of opportunities that await us students after graduation"

To support the 2nd and 4th year students in their professionalism, a workshop on writing CVs and an introduction to the professional network LinkedIn was facilitated by Fiona O’Donnell, from the ATU Careers office Each of our students were ambassadors for ATU Connemara on the day, they were professional and courteous in their conduct, and really did themselves and ATU Connemara proud.

"The Industry Day exceeded my expectations It was great to get an insight into each company, what they do, and how our placement might look Also, great to get a vibe from each place."

On behalf of the students, James, Paul, Shemeem, and Kate, to all the companies who presented, a huge thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend the Industry Open Day on Thursday 2nd March Events like this are inspirational and transformative for our students It was a great success due to your presence and engagement with the students.

"It helped me in my choice for placement and I discovered a company that really interested me and which I seriously consider for my placement next year"

Cillian Ó Gallchóir 4th yr

Brian O Connell 2nd yr

The Placement Team

Funded by the HE4 0, Shemeem OToole joined the Placement team in September 2022 to provide administration support to the new year-long placement model in ATU Connemara Having worked for ATU since 2015 and with IWIN (Irish Wood & Interiors Network) Shemeem has a good understanding of the important relationships and collaboration that is necessary between educational institutes and the relevant Industry, to benefit not only the companies in this industry but also the ATU Connemara students

James Corbett is a lecturer in Project Management, Computer Aided Design, Product Development, and Lean Manufacturing at the prestigious ATU Connemara Campus With a profound passion for education and a background in industry, he has been lecturing since 2014, imparting invaluable knowledge and expertise to the next generation of professionals.

Throughout his tenure at ATU Connemara, James has been instrumental in developing and overseeing the coordination of ATU Connemara’s Industry Placement program Leveraging his extensive connections with the furniture industry and his understanding of the industry landscape, he has successfully placed well over 300 students in over 100 prominent companies since 2014 This underscores his commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry, preparing students for real-world challenges, and enhancing their employability prospects

James strongly believes in the transformative power of Industry Placements for ATU Connemara students These experiential learning opportunities provide students with a practical understanding of their chosen fields, enabling them to apply theoretical concepts in real-world contexts James firmly believes by students immersing themselves in professional environments, they gain invaluable insights into industry best practices, develop critical problem-solving skills, and cultivate the essential attributes demanded by employers, such as adaptability, teamwork, and effective communication

With an unwavering dedication to his craft, James brings a wealth of industry experience and knowledge into the classroom, allowing him to share first-hand insights and best practices with his students His dynamic teaching style, combined with his ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensures that his lectures are engaging, thought-provoking, and highly relevant to the rapidly evolving furniture industry

James Corbett’s professional journey is defined by his unwavering commitment to academic excellence, industry integration, and student success Through his expertise in Project Management, Computer-Aided Design, Product Development, and Lean Manufacturing, he continues to encourage and educate students at ATU Connemara, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the competitive global furniture industry

Dr Kate Dunne is a senior lecturer at ATU Connemara Areas in which she lectures include operations management, lean manufacturing, applied science & testing, research methods & academic writing, postgraduate supervision skills, and professional development using ePortfolios Kate is the industry placement coordinator and an academic supervisor on the industry placement module While relatively new to the role of industry placement coordinator Kate has 20 years of experience supporting students during their placement as an academic supervisor This has allowed her to build up an excellent relationship with a large number of companies in the industry both nationally and internationally During that time, she has had the privilege of seeing first-hand how the students apply their programme learning in a commercial workshop and expand on it through work-based learning. Kate comments ‘I never tire of seeing the transformation the students undergo during their time on placement becoming professional, confident, and developing practical and problem-solving skills The experience prepares them for a fulfilling career in the furniture and wood product industry where they can contribute to the advancement of the industry’ Kate has helped develop and maintain this mutually beneficial collaboration between ATU Connemara, the students, and placement companies

Academic Supervisors

Students are appointed an academic supervisor who meet with the students and company at the beginning of their placement. Supervisors agree a workplan and are a point of regular contact via journals and feedback throughout the year providing essential support for the students Thank you to this years supervisors

Marion McGarry | Davin Larkin | Jeremy Madden | Daniel McNamara | Paul Leamy | James Corbett and Kate Dunne.

Industry Placement

Students on the Furniture Design and Manufacture & Furniture MakingandArchitecturalWoodworkingprogrammestaketheiryear threeasworkbased

This Industry Placement is an accredited period of professional practice-based learning involving a partnership between the host company, student and ATU Connemara Students who undertake IndustryPlacementspendtheirthirdyearinacompanywithinthe furniture and wood manufacturing industry in Ireland or overseas workingfourdaysaweekwithonedayallocatedtostudy Industry Placementalsooffersarichopportunityforlearningandcollaboration betweenhostcompaniesandahighereducationinstitution Placementplansaresubmittedbylearnersatthebeginningofeach academicterm.ThepurposeoftheplacementplanistocreateahighlevelsetofgoalsfortheLearner Thefirstplacementplanfocuseson gainingexperienceinthecompanyandbecomingcompetentinthe safesetupandoperationofwoodworkingmachinery,powertools, andhandtools TheLearnerwillaimtoreachastagewheretheyare an effective member of the company and contributing to the company’s day to day operations Learners identify areas of productionwheretheywishtogainexperienceanddeveloptheir learningandskills

We have selected students from a broad range of placement companies to give an overview of their experience within their placementcompaniesthisyear

“Alloftheworkcarriedoutinthiscompanyisbespokework,and alotofthesmalldetailingandcurvedworkisdonetraditionally byhand Iplantohoneinonthiselementofhandtoolsand traditionalcrafts ThesearedefinitelythetypesofskillsIwould liketouseinfuturejobs Certainskillssuchasshapingcurved workwithspokeshavesortheuseofothertraditionaljointing methodsiswhatIplantoenhanceinmyownskillset Iwantto achievethebasicsinwoodturningandgraspsomeinformation insteambendingandmaybehelpinbendingpiecesbytheend ofTerm1”

Atthebeginningoftheplacementterm,Keith’saimwastogetto astageinthecompanywherehewouldbegivenadrawingand betrustedtogoandmakeitbyhimself

“Thismightstartwithsimplesmall-scaleprojectsthatareeasier totakeonbymyself,butitwouldstillgivemethechancetobuild upthetrustbetweenmyselfandthebossandprovingmyability tocompetentlymakeapieceoffurniturealone.”

“Iwasgivenplanstofigureoutandworkon Iwasgladtohave thisopportunityearlyintheplacementasitgavemeagoodbase toimprovefrom Atthetimeitwasquitedaunting,butitgaveme theopportunitytoprovemyselffromanearlystage Intermone eachofthesemilestonesweresomethingI'dsetouttotryanddo andI'mdelightedthatIwasabletopushmyselfintoaposition whereIwasallowedtoprovetheseskills”

Keithexpressedthathewouldalsoliketotryandgainsome experience in both the wood turning and steam bending elements of this company Both skills are techniques he had personallynevercomeacrossbeforeandwaskeentogiveeach of them a try Other areas of interest for Keith within the companywastotrycarvingaproject,topracticeCADskillsby doingsomedesigninganddrawingonthecomputerforaproject andtotrythefumingprocess,fromsettingupthetent,topouring therightamountofammoniaintothecontainer,tolastlyleavingit in for enough time and making sure it's all fully prepared beforehand

"During my placement I was really lucky to work so closely with every aspect of the products, from the design room, right down to applying the finish and packaging the furniture I got to apply my skills of operating machinery and using hand tools to improve in my craft I was able to use a lot of the skills I'd learnt in my first two years in college, and I was happy to take on new tips from my experienced co-workers too "

Alan’sworktodatestraddlestheboundariesofcontemporary craft, sculpture and architecture and has been exhibited both nationallyandinternationally.Alancurrentlyworksfromhisstudio in County Laois, imagining and creating one of a kind and speculativepieceforbothpublicandprivateclients https;//wwwalanmeredithie/

Keith has a personal interest in fine wood crafts and wood turning, this is an area in which he would like to find work in when he graduates During his placement he was inspired by this company to be in the role of a designer maker

Keith Roberts is a Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking student who carried out his placement with Alan Meredith Studio, in Co Laois Ireland

Students Placement Experience

Daniel Stratford is a Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking student who carried out his placement with O’Connors of Drummleck, in Co Louth, Ireland.

Meticulously Crafting The Finest Irish Furniture For Over 25 Years Situated in County Louth, O’Connors of Drumleck seamlessly blends generations of the traditional art of cabinetmaking with the latest in design and manufacturing innovation Investing in industry-leading, state-of-the-art machinery,theultimateindesignautonomymeldswithflawless craftsmanship to produce spectacular design of outstanding calibreeverytime.LocatedinDrumleck,O’Connorscomprises 30,000sq ft ofdesignstudiospace,manufacturingworkshop andstunningshowroom,showcasingexamplesoftheirdiverse designportfolio Anunrivalledlevelofqualityandluxury,each schemeaone-offcommission https://oconnorsofdrumleckie/

Lastyears’learningincollegecertainlyhelpedmeinmyplacement My knowledge of veneering panels and trimming them served me well as I was able to complete the work with no questions or other problems The one project we made last year in the Joinery and Panel Processing module was the CNC Cabinet, which gave me a huge advantage in working in this company, from knowing about CNCmanufactureandthepartsofthecabinetandsystem32,etc This meant that I knew what other workers were talking about and wasabletoworkandcommunicatewiththem

Looking back over the term, I feel as that I have not only met my own expectations but exceeded them The amount of knowledge I had access to and the amount of experience that I got was phenomenal during those few months and taught me way more than I had ever expected I am without a doubt looking forwards to the latter part of placement and am excited to see what new learningexperienceswillcomemyway

O'Connors of Drumleck is one of the leading kitchen manufacturing companies in the country housing some of the leading technologies from CNC routers to beamsaws, spindle mouldersandassemblylines Asaresultofmyplacementherein O’Connors,IhaveenhancedtheskillsthatIalreadyhad,suchas machiningandhandtoolskills Bytheendofmysecondyearin ATUConnemara,LetterfrackIwasfairlynewtoCNCtechnologies andcomputerisedmachines,andwithinthefirstfewmonthsout on placement I had improved on these skills and learnt an abundance more on machines, such as CNC routers, edgebanders, beamsaws, dowellers and various other computerisedmachines

DuringmyplacementIincreasedmyknowledgeonthe5head moulder in changing and setting up the cutter-blocks and adjusting the machine to create the required profile I also increasedmyknowledgeoftheCNCwhenengravingandcutting thedrawersidesandfronts TheuseoftheCNClastyearinthe Joinery and Panel Processing module and Projects 2 module helped here, as the machines software in O'Connors is nearly identicaltothecollegemachine O'ConnorsalsouseWoodWOP aswedointhecollege,sofiguringoutandrememberinghowto usethemachinecamebackveryquickly

Inadditiontodevelopingmyskillswithmachinery,Igainedmore experienceattheworkbenchandcompletedavastarrayoftasks intheworkshop,veneeringpanels,makingcabinetfaceframes, gluing up shaker style doors, the complete start to finish manufactureof20dovetaildrawers,trimmingmacassarebony veneerforakitchenandworkingoncurveddoorsanddrawers

IhavenoregretsaboutmydecisioninchoosingO’Connorsformy placement Mymaingoalwhenchoosingaplacementwastoget somewherethatwaskindofoutoftheordinaryandsomethingthat wasbrandnewtome Kitchenswasalwaystheideaforplacement andO'ConnorsseemedtotickalltheboxesIdon'tthinkthatI'dhave learnt as much in other smaller companies and not have experiencedthequantityoftechnologyandmachinerythatisin O'Connors Idon'tthinktherehasbeenadaywhereIhaven'tlearnt somethingthere

Inthefuture,Icanseemyselfworkingsomewhereinthekitchen manufacturingorbespokefurnituresideoftheindustry Ifeelthat workinghereinO'ConnorsofDrumleckformy3rdyearcollege placement will, without a doubt help me achieve the kitchen manufacturing goal and also help significantly in the bespoke furnituresideofthings

Daniel at the WorldSkills National Final in 2022

Students Placement Experience

David Murnane is a Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking student who carried out his placement with the company Nine Yards in Dublin, Ireland

Nineyards are a unique collection of designers, producers, story-tellers and makers with a passion for creating the incredible Whether brand led activations, events or interior fitouts, we create connection through experience https;//nineyards ie/

When I began my placement, I was allocated a mentor in the workshop who I shadowed while working through a whole project until it was complete Now, more often than not, while I am still paired with someone, they will usually give me a set of drawings or instructions and leave me to work away on my own On completion it is checked by the supervisor to make sure no mistakes were made

ArolethatinterestsmeforwhenIgraduatewouldbetheWorkshop Manager Thisroleinterestsmebecauseofthenegotiationaspects ofthejob Theyneedtogivetheclientsmostofwhattheyaskfor, whilekeepingtheprojectsrealisticandfeasibleforthesizeofthe workshop Ithinkthisbalancingactwouldbeveryinterestingand keeptheday-to-dayjobvaried Theworkshopmanageroversees everything related to the workshop, from the CNC team to the cabinetmakers,aswellasmeetingwithclientsanddesignersto discusswhichprojectsarefeasibleandtogivethemtimeframesfor everything,andevenhiringnewstaffandapprenticeswhentheyare needed

Ithinkmyindustryplacementcanhelpmefindworkinthisarea,as mycompanyispartofthatindustry Ihaveenjoyednearlyevery secondoftheprojectsthatIhaveworkedonsofarandlookforward tolearningmoreaboutwhatitisliketoworkforthecompanyinthe longterm

My main objective for this year was to gain a strong understandingofwhatitisliketoworkinthissector Unlike manyofthefriendsIhavemadeinLetterfrack,Icamestraight intothiscoursefromsixthyear,whereasmanyofthemtooka yearouttoworkorarematurestudentswithentirecareers behindthem Asaresult,Ihavesometimesfeltoutofmydepth or confused when they are talking about their experiences, becauseIcannotrelatetothem Alreadyinmyfewweeksof placementIfoundthatIwasnotoutofmydepthandnowIwish topushonfromthistothepointwhereIamexcellinginallmy duties

My aim was to have some experience working in the CNC manufacturingteam,asIreallyenjoyedtheCADpartsofthe course Thistwo-manteamisvitaltomyplacementcompanyas they can produce so many complex parts with incredible accuracy One of the CNC operators is a past student of Letterfrack,soIfeltwewereabletocommunicateeasily,andhe gave me specific insights into what life can be like after graduating

TheotherrolethatIwantedtopursueinmyplacementwasto gainexperienceintheCAD/CNCroleofthebusiness.Ihavea verygoodunderstandingoftheCADprocessesalreadydueto the modules in my course, and the fact that my placement companyusethesamesoftware'swehavebeenexposedtoin LetterfrackTheareaofCNCoperationfascinatesmeasthereis almostlimitlesspossibilitiesonceyouunderstandhowitworks, anditisbecomingabiggerandbiggerpartoftheindustrywith everypassingyear

Working for Nineyards will be a huge help to improving my employmentprospects,astheyareatopbrandintheirfield,and havemultiplecontractswithhugeclientssuchasGoogle,Pernod Ricard(parentcompanyofJameson,Absolut,Beefeater,etc),and Finsa.BeingabletoputawholeyearofplacementonmyCV,aswell ashopefullyagoodreferencewillgoalongwayinanypotential interviews

Where would I most like to work in the future? I'm not fully decided on this yet, but I know that I want it to be somewhere in the construction woodworking industry, I really enjoy large scale projects that I have now experienced due to my placement here

Image source;https://nineyards ie/permanent/

Students Placement Experience

Ricarda Bolle is a Furniture Design and Manufacture student who carried out her placement in Mark Lohan Kitchens in Roscommon, Ireland

AtMarkLohanKitchenswebelievethatthekitchenisthetrue heartofyourhome Wehavebeeninbusinessforover25years honingtheartoftheperfectkitchen Webeginwithyou,your desires,yourneeds,yourdreams AtMarkLohanKitchenswe standoverallourwork Thishasbeenourapproachandiswhy weareinbusinessforover25years

https://wwwmlkie/

ThroughoutmyplacementyearatMarkLohanKitchens,Ihave beenabletoapplythetheoreticalknowledgeIgainedinmyfirst andsecondyearatLetterfracktotheworkplace Ihavebeen able to bring my understanding of health and safety in the workshop,Excelforjobcosting,andbasicprinciplesofgood designtothedrawingoffice

One of my goals during my placement was to gain a basic understandingofallstagesofproductionThishasallowedmeto puttheminrelationtotheprocessesthatIamdirectlyinvolvedin Inowunderstandtheimpactofmakingamistakeandwhoand whatwouldbeaffectedbyit,includingdeadlinesandbudgets.I amalsobetteratspottingpotentialmistakesthatcouldlandon mydesk,andIknowwhototalktoinordertorectifythem

Ihavemadegreatprogressinmyunderstandingofdesigning, purchasing,andcreatingplansfortheworkshop.Iamenjoying thisworkandIamstillcuriousandaskingasmanyquestionsasI can to understand how everything connects to the overall process

MarkLohanKitchensisintheprocessofimplementinganERP system,whichcombinesdifferentprocesseswithinthecompany andaimstoimprovecommunicationchannels Throughoutthat processIwasinvolvedingatheringinformationontheinventory and was very interested to learn more about efficient communicationstrategieswithinthecompany

Duringmyfirstterm,Iwasabletoidentifyareaswhereoperations couldbeimprovedandworkonsolutionswherefeasible Iwas abletocreatealabellingsystemforthestoragethatisveryeasy tounderstandandcolor-coded TheotherbigprojectwhereI wasabletogivevaluableinputwasthesystemfordoorcodes Althoughthiswasmorechallengingduetothehighvolumeof productsthecodingsystemhadtoaccommodate,Iwasableto createasystemthatwillworkfornowandhelpustotestand implementthenewsoftware

Throughout my placement, I have been able to practice and improvemyskillsineffectivelyusingExcelandAutoCAD Ihave also been able to learn a new CAD software called ArtiCAD, drawingfrommyexperienceswithvariousCADpackages Ihave discoveredthattherearemanycareeroptionsformeinthisfield, beyondsimplydesigningandmanufacturingfurniture Eventhe jobofpurchasingordersissomethingthatIhadnotconsidered beforestartingmyplacement Iwaseagertogaininsightinas manyareasaspossiblebyworkingalongsidedifferentpeoplein differentdepartmentsHavingabasicunderstandingofallareasis invaluablebecausetheyarealllinkedinsomeway. Thisiswhatkeepstheworkshoprunningandallowsallareasof productiontoworksmoothlytogether

ComingclosertotheendofmyplacementyearIcannowsaythat Iwasabletocontributetotheevolutionofthecompanyand becameaproductivememberoftheteam Overall,Iamhappy withtheprogressIhavemadesofarandwiththethingsIhave learned

Thisplacementhasgivenmeanopportunitytoexploreanareaof thefurnitureindustrythatIhadneverconsideredbefore.Ihave alwaysbeenagoodteamworkerandenjoyworkingandsolving problems alongside other people Being a visual learner, I appreciate good design and find it easy to picture product solutions Furthermore, I enjoy manual work and creating somethingwithmyhands ThesearesomeofthereasonswhyI chosetostudyacourseinthisfield

Students Placement Experience

Oran Blackwell is a Furniture Design and Manufacture student who carried out his placement with Quiver, who are based in Dublin, Ireland

At Quiver, our 1500 square meter facility houses every service under one roof, giving us direct control over all aspects of a project We make for television, entertainment, government, corporate, theatre, artists, and architects We make your ideas, your designs and your concepts come to life At Quiver, we make https://quiver ie/

Quinten Eacrett is a Furniture Design and Manufacture student who carried out his placement with Benchmark who are in Gloucestershire in the UK

Benchmark UK is a leading construction project and commercial management consultancy, delivering first-class services across a wide range of industry sectors

https://benchmarkuk com/

Duringmyplacement,myaimwastoachieveahighlevelof competencyprimarilyinthepracticalsideofoperations Iwas abletogainexposuretoCommercialInteriorFitouts,Timber Frame and Structural Joinery techniques, methodologies, products/materialsandterminologies Iwantedtoacquireas muchknowledgeinthisareaaspossiblesothatIwillbeableto confidentlyworkinanyrelatedjob,andtofurtherincreasemy skillsandabilities

MyplanforTerm2wastofocusmoreontheTechnologyside of operations, but depending on how my practical skills developed during the first term, and should opportunity presentitself,thenIwouldalsoliketobegingainingexposure to both 2D and 3D Design Communication, CAD and CAM/CNCwork,Draughting,andResourcePlanning Iwouldliketocomeoutofplacementawell-roundedindividual whoisfullycompetentinboththepracticalandtechnological side of operations, who is fully comfortable, confident, and competentinalargevarietyofrolesbothintheworkshop,onsiteandintheoffice IfeellikeIamwellonthewaytobeing confidentandcompetent,butIstillhavealottolearnand experiencetobegained

Someofmyinitialshort-termgoalsIsetouttoachieveinthefirst semester included getting used to the work environment. This included getting used to the humour and general day to day interactionswithfellowmakersandworkers Asthiswasmyfirst exposuretothisindustry,Ididn’tknowwhattoexpect Alongwith thisIwantedtogetagoodideaoftheworkloadandpaceIwouldbe expectedtoworkatandundertakewhiledoingthisintherealworld onceIgraduate.

Duringthefirstsemesteronplacement,myhopewastogreatly improve my general competency in making This includes my confidencewhileusingmachines,settingupmachinesfordifferent manufacturingprocessesandapplyingdifferentcutterheadsorsaw bladesdependingonthetaskahead

Bytheendofmyplacement,Ihopemyskillsasaproblemsolverand furnituremakerhaveprogressedtothepointwhere,management andseniormembersoftheworkshopareabletorelyonmyabilityto workonjobs Ialsowishtobefullytrainedintheworkshopandbe capableofwritingupprogrammestorunontheCNCmachines Iwasfortunatetogetalotofexperienceinmetalworking,askillI thinkisquiteuniquetohaveasafurnituremakerandsomethingI wishtoexpanduponmore,bylearningskillsinthemetalshopsuch ascolouringmetal,finishingmetals,machiningmetalsandwelding differentkindsofmetals Iwasalsoabletoincreasemyskillsinthe woodworkshopinareassuchasfitting,scribingandbeingableto understandjobsheets

Lookingbackonthefirstterm,Iamvery happywithhowmyconfidenceonusing machineryhasincreasedgreatly,Iamno longernervoususinganymachinesinthe company

TheroleIaspiredtomostinthecompany wastobethecompany’smainfitterand installer Aftergainingaround10-15years ofexperienceIwouldliketogooutonmy ownandopenupmyownworkshop.

Students Placement Experience

Neil Hodges is a Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking student who carried out his placement with Goldmark Group in Wellington, New Zealand

MarkholmConstructionwasfoundedin1954,withitsGoldmark division operating since 1979 Goldmark Group has a long historyintheshopfittingindustryWehavebeenworkingclosely withsomeofourclientsforover25years Wecaterforshop and office fit out needs for businesses and their branches throughoutNewZealand https://wwwgoldmarkgroupconz/

DuringmyPlacementinTerm1,myaimwastoachieveaneven greaterknowledgeofthemachineryIwasusingsuchastable saws,surfacer,thicknesser,beamsaw,edge-bander,routers, etc Iwouldliketobesufficientintheworkshoptonothaveto ask for a helping hand when setting up machinery such as settinguptheedge-banderwithdifferentedgetapeandvarious widthsofsheetmaterialetc

Iwaslookingforwardtoprogressingmymakingskillsasmuchas possible,thatwasprobablymyhighestpriorityIwouldliketodo moresiteworksuchasfitting,goinginatthestartofajoband measuringup,thisissomethingI'veneverdone,Iwasreally lookingforwardtobeingabletogointoanemptyroom,meet thecustomerandmeasure,design,build,andfitawholekitchen (forexample)frombeginningtoend

MyaimwastogainexperiencetodevelopmyCADandCAM skills,especiallytheCAMsideofittofurtherunderstandand enhance my CNC knowledge and skills CNC are incredible machinesthatreallyallowyoutopushlimitswhenitcomesto designaswellasmanufacturing Iunderstandthattheuseof CNCmachinesisbecomingamoreandmorevitalparttoour industryyearbyyear

IthinkGoldmark,myplacementcompany,havehelpedmeto achievemydreamsTheyareaverybusyfit-outcompanywith plentyofbusinessgoingon,Ilearnedalotaboutworkingwith sheet material, and making kitchen cabinets out of sheet material,whichisprobablyoneofthemostsuccessfulpartsof thisindustry Ienjoyedobservingwhattheyaredoingwellbut alsomostimportantlywhattheycoulddobetter,whichisall greatknowledgeandexperiencetobeabletocarryintothe futurewithme!

Iwasgiventheopportunitytoworkinthedrawingofficewith thedesignteam,thisallowedmetoworkonmy2Dand3D designcommunicationstoenablemetobringdrawingsinto CNCfiles,whichhelpedmyCAMknowledge

My future ambitions are to have my own bespoke furniture manufacturing and designing company I have so many ideas and dreams for products in my head that I would love to be able to bring to real life one day and doing it using my own business and workshop would be my dream

Tosupportthestudentsintheirwork-basedlearning,ATU ConnemarahavechosenthePebblePadLearningJourney platform to scaffold and capture the students off-campus learningjourneywhilstonIndustryPlacement

ThePebblePadLearningPlatformusesdigitalworkbooksto provide a structure for students to reflect on the diverse learningexperienceswhilstonIndustryPlacement Thisalso helpsstudentsmakesenseoftheirworkplaceenvironment, relatetheorytopracticeandrecogniseboththeirpersonal andprofessionaldevelopment

Benefits of Industry Placement

Benefits to students

Advancing skills previously learnt

Developing new skills

Putting theory into practice

Awareness of workplace culture

Appreciation of the rapidly changing world of work

Develop a range of personal and interactive attributes

Enhanced employment prospects

Developing career strategies and building up a network of contacts

In some cases, living and working through another culture

Benefits to employers

Giving potential recruits a trial without obligation and targeting 'highflyer' recruits

Developing links with ATU for research and training

Attain extra workers

Staff development opportunities for employees who mentor students

Setting up new projects and completion of specific tasks

Developing a pool of potential recruits

An injection of new ideas

Benefits to ATU

Establish links with a wide range of employers

Using Industry contact to ensure curriculum is up-to-date

Opportunity for students to see their subject area in practice

Satisfaction of seeing students developing and maturing

Enhancement of student skills

Employers may participate in Higher Education course development and activities.

Industry Partners

Visitors and Workshops

We further developed our industry links again this year, welcoming several guest speakers These guest speakers made a huge impact on students learning experiences, making the connection between materials covered in lectures and application in industry The talks rendered key insights and perspectives, bringing the modules to life They were inspiring and encouraged students to consider the path their own career might take moving forward

SISK

John Sisk & Son building contractors gave a fascinating presentation on their award-winning Center Parcs, Longford Forest project to students on 20th March 2023. Centre Parcs is a resort for families that includes apartments, restaurants, shops, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and an Aqua Sauna spa James Moloney, James Walsh, and Louise Kelly provided an overview of how they applied project management, lean practices, supply chain management, Building Innovation Management (BIM), sustainability, and innovative manufacturing methods and materials such as Glulam to design, and deliver the project on time and on budget This case study was an excellent example and provided a lot of learning for the students which can be applied to the furniture and wood products industry

ATU Connemara is very appreciative to James, James, and Louise for taking time out to travel to Letterfrack to present to the students

Entrepreneurship

ConorCoyne,CEOofKylemoreAbbeycameontocampusin March2023togiveatalktosomeofourstudentsonBusiness andEntrepreneurship.

HailingfromConnemara,ConorstudiedinbothNUIGandTrinity College and has worked across industries including utilities, finance,professionalservicesandhospitality Havingspentthe first15yearsofhiscareerinDublin,Conormovedhome,westin early2019andhasfocussedondrivinginnovation,enterprise andsustainabilityinhisroleasCEOofKylemoreAbbey Conor hasdoneafantasticjobinovercomingtheinternalandexternal challengesfacedbyKylemoreabbeyandhasattractedthebest small/mediumbusinessawardfromtheChamberofCommerce

lastyear

Thetalkwasofgreatbenefittothestudentswhowereableto relate this to their Business and Entrepreneurship module, highlightingthekeypointstoconsiderwhenpromotingyourself orabusinessandthinkingaboutimportantfactorstoconsider whenimplementingyourmarketingstrategy

EPA talk.

Niamh O’Carroll from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave an extremely interesting and informative presentation on the work of the EPA to 2nd year students in March 2023 as part of their Applied Science and Testing module Her presentation looked at the history and role of the EPA, environmental regulations, and how the licencing process operates A number of case studies shared by Niamh including an Irish window and door manufacturer, and a timber processing operation illustrated how companies in the Irish furniture and wood products industry are adhering to the environmental regulations and have EPA licences A good discussion followed with lots of excellent questions from the students for Niamh

ATU Connemara is very thankful to Niamh for taking time out to travel to Letterfrack to present to the students

ConorClarkeofDesignFactoryandDesignWest

InFebruary2023ConorClarke,founderofDesignFactoryDublin andtheDesignWestInternationalSummerSchoolConnemara, visitedthecampustogiveatalktostudentsandstaffofATU Connemara

Conor was a founder of one of Ireland’s first graphic design studios in the 1980s and gave an entertaining account of his extensiveexperienceinthedesignindustry.DesignFactoryisa leading independent design company, and provides strategic thinkingonbrands,products,servicesandculture In2017Conor foundedtheDesignWestInternationalSummerSchoollocated hereonourATUConnemaracampus,wherefortwoweeksinthe summerparticipantshaveanopportunitytoworkwithleading nationalandinternationaldesigners.

His talk in February focused on the designer and client engagement,andtheimportantrolethatbrandingandmarketing playinthedesignprofessionofalldisciplines

SusanRogers,DesignLecturer,ATUConnemara

Siskpresentation-JamesMaloney KateDunne JamesCorbett andJamesWalsh

Visitors and Workshops

Smartphone photography Workshop.

In October 2022, a Smartphone & Tablet Photography Skills workshop delivered by photographer Brian Cregan was organised by Design Lecturer Geraldine O’Brien The workshop enabled staff and students to look at the functions within our smartphones to enhance photos. Students are required to photograph their projects for their portfolios, this workshop has added to the quality of the photos that the students are uploading to their profiles

WorkshopwithMarkAndreas–ArtistandSculptor. In March 2023, our first-year industry programme students wereprivilegedtoworkwithMarkAndreaswhoisanArtistand Sculptor in collaboration with the Interface Inagh residency program Markisco-directorof'Videokaffe,internationalnew mediaartcollectivebasedinNorthAmericaandEurope. His sculpture is best described as kinetic and environmentally reactive "Myworkisexploringtheforcesofcraft, time,biology,technologyandhuman connectionsMuchoftheseforces includingthosethatwerecognized butneverquitefullywitness Ibuild handcraftedsculpturesimplementing theskillsIhavehonedthroughyearsof workingasaboatbuilder,carpenterand designer"MarkAndreas2023 (reactivesculpturecom) http://wwwreactivesculpturecom/

Marquetry Masterclass

A Marquetry masterclass was delivered to all first-year students in October 2022 by John Hewer John is a Research student in ATU Connemara who specialises in marquetry First year students complete 4 projects over the year, one being a dovetail box with marquetry elements This requires design, fine cutting, placing, and finishing skills using veneers

The students spent one day in Bluebell Woods Forest in Letterfrack along with Mark making sculptures from discarded wood which were designed to balance without fixing with nails They also enjoyed finding new ways of experiencing textures using a blindfold to identify trees they have encountered This exercise Mark described as seeing through your hands The students using found and discarded materials to explore structures and textures as part of their Design Elements project with Geraldine O’ Brien

John’s marquetry plaque exhibited at the end of year exhibition ‘Aura’ in 2018 and is currently exhibiting at the exhibition in Farmleigh house in Dublin until August this year

image:'Hanginginbalance'

Pictured here is a marquetry plaque made by John in his final year major project in 2018 Based on ‘The Meeting on the Turret Stairs’, which is a watercolour painting of 1864 by Frederic William Burton, now in the National Gallery of Ireland

Green Campus

ATUCampusSustainabilityHub.

Earlierthisyear,DrMarkKelly,HeadofGalway-MayoATUCentre forSustainabilityinformedusthatATUisnowamemberofthe Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education(AASHE) AASHEisanon-profit501(c)(3)membership organization that empowers higher education staff, faculty, administrators,andstudentstobeeffectivechangeagentsand drivers of sustainability innovation Staff and students in ATU ConnemarawillhaveaccesstotheCampusSustainabilityHub, whichisanonlineresourcelibrarythatprovidesaccesstonearly 15,000valuableresourcesforcampussustainabilitypractitioners, enablingAASHEmemberstoshareandlearnaboutallaspectsof sustainabilityinhighereducation

ATUisalsoamemberoftheAllianceforSustainabilityLeadership inEducation(EAUC),whichisanon-profit,member-basedcharity runbymembersformembers

Ireland’s sixth Climate Action Week ran from 10th -16th October 2022 It is all about starting a climate conversation with people in your life who might not know much about climate change, or fully understand it, or know what to do about it, yet! During the week, to raise the awareness amongst our community of students and staff, the library hosted a film night showing the film ‘2040’ a thoughtprovoking watch!

Native Woodland

On a typical Connemara day, it rained, blew a gale and then the sun came out, four seasons in a day is quite common at this time of the year Prepared for the weather students and staff made their way up to the Native Woodland in the Connemara National Park to take part in the annual tree planting event We were joined by members of the community along with our TY students who were with us for the week Over 300 native trees were planted on the day, some maintenance work was also carried out with the existing trees to protect and encourage further growth

ATU Connemara have in the past received two Green Campus flags from An Taisce for its work on tackling environmental challenges and for embedding principles of sustainability within its programmes This is reflected in student learning and workshop practices related to waste minimisation, ethical procurement, ecodesign, community engagement and efficient processes

In recent years, an Irish Hardwood Research Centre has been established where students can participate in the management and nurturing of native woodlands and the processing and drying of Irish-grown timber

Lecturer Seán Garvey is an active member of the Green Campus committee who delivers on the first-year students projects module along with the Materials and Sustainability module which introduces the student to source, quality and essential knowledge on the processing and manufacturing of these different materials to apply into their projects Kevin Gyves also teaches on this module and both Kevin and Seán co-ordinate the annual tree planting which takes place in the native woodland each year

Students’ plant native trees and learn about the maintenance and care needed to the infant trees to ensure a good healthy forest is being developed This in-depth knowledge contributes to the students overall learning from seed to furniture

Green Campus

Planting Oak Seeds – The Graduate Tree.

Our annual oak seed planting took place in February 1st year students planted oak seeds to learn about the life cycle, conditions, and maintenance of this beautiful tree When the students graduate, they are given an oak sapling to take with them to plant

Beach Clean

Thank you to the Further Education Centre Letterfrack and Jeremy Madden for the Beach Clean in April 2023 that took place in Letterfrack A gathering of pupils from Letterfrack National School, staff and students from Youthreach, GRETB, Forum and ATU Connemara joined together to gather the washed-up rubbish that had collected on the shoreline, plenty of bags were filled with fishing nets, plastic bottles, cans, crisp packets and much more

The annual community litter pick also took place in April 2023 Again joined by members of the community, we scoped the grounds around Letterfrack and filled plenty of bags with rubbish, the village is now looking beautiful A big thank you to the Letterfrack Tidy Towns committee who are the drivers behind these annual clean ups, so important to keep the village clean, especially as there are over 300,000 visitors who pass through this village annually

PiroandJohncarefullypackingthesaplngsthatwillbegiventostudentsatgraduaton

Oaksaplings readyforrepanting

studentsplantingtheoakseeds

So here we are at the end of another academic year I want to say a big thank you to all the students and staff of ATU Connemara who made the library a vibrant, warm, and inviting place to be this year A hearty congratulations to all students who pull out all the stops and managed to get their final projects done on time.

The library in ATU Connemara, has always prided itself on being more than just a quiet study space, but also a space to inspire creativity and collaboration. This academic year, during the busy bench room and machine hall classes, the library became a classroom and design space for several CAs during their introduction and final project presentations I want to thank Davin Larkin, and Dr Kate Dunne for thinking outside the lecture theatre and bringing such inspiration to our library space

LunchtimeTalkbySculptorJohnColl

InAprilofthisyear,wehadthepleasureandhonourofhosting theaward-winningsculptorJohnCollduringoneofourwell attended lunchtime talks John delighted the attendees by bringing examples of some of his pieces Everyone had the opportunitytoseethefineworkanddetailofJohn’ssculptures andaskquestionsattheend AbigthankyoutoJohnforgiving ofhistimesogenerously.

AboutJohnColl

Afteraninitialcareerasamarinebiologist,JohnCollturnedto hispassionformakingsculpturefull-timeinthe90’sandhas since become one of Ireland's most prominent figurative sculptors Hehassculptedmanyworksofnationalimportance including monuments to the poet Patrick Kavanagh and the writerBrendanBehanontheDublincanals

Recent works include the newly installed statue of musician LukeKellyonDublin’sSouthKingStreet,a35metrebronze andstainlesssteelsculptureentitled"Ceilliuradh"inUniversityof Galwayanda45metremonumenttotheGalwayfootballer EndaColleraninMoylough,CoGalway

CurrachPast,CurrachFuture

In November 2022, we were delighted to welcome author, historianandcurrachbuilder,ClaidhbhÓGibne,toConnemara LibraryforalunchtimetalktitledCurrachPast,CurrachFuture Claidhbh,authorofTheBoyneCurrach,sharedhispassionfor these traditional Irish boats and the ancient craft of currach building with ATU staff, students and the local community Claidhbhcontinuestodelightandinspireourstudentsandstaff withhismusicaltalents,historicalnarrative,boatbuildingskillsand storytelling

AboutClaidhbhÓGibne

ClaidhbhÓGibneisanartistandcurrach-makerwhosestudioand homearelocatedamongtheremnantsofcountlessmonumentsin the Brú na Bόinne World Heritage Park The Boyne Currach Centre (https://www.newgrange.com/boyne-curragh.htm) openedin1997,istheculminationofhislife’swork,anditishere thatClaidhbhhasproduceddifferentprototypesofseacurrachs, madefromtannedcowhidesandhazelbaskets Heiscurrently workingona34ftcraftofastyleandsturdinessthatcouldhave broughtsomeoftheearliestsettlerstoIrelandandtransported thegiantstonestobuildthegreatpassagetombatNewgrange, whichoverlooksClaidhbh’shomeandworkshopatDonore,Co Meath ATU Connemara Library was delighted that Claidhbh spoketoourstaffandstudentsabouthispassioninNovember

Suzanne Rushe, Librarian ATU Connemara

(ULYSSESSLEEPS;JAMESJOYCEcastbronzewithastainlesssteelframe JohnColl

Lecturers in our library with their books Anthony Clare pictured here with his WorldSkillsIE Carpentry book and Tom Sheppard with his Junior and Leaving Cert Tech Graphics @FolensEducation and Marion McGarry with the See the Wood From the Trees book co authored with Dr Dermot O' Donovan who unfortunately missed the photo shoot!

Storytime: Children learning about the importance of Bees.

On Wednesday, the 19th of October 2022, Letterfrack Public Library and ATU Connemara, had the pleasure of hosting Dolores Keaveney, storyteller, author and illustrator of Dee the Bee Dolores shared her love of all thing’s bee related with a group of our local First class, Senior and High babies, and their teachers Dolores wowed the children with her puppetry, tales of Dee the Bee and the importance of bees like Dee and insects to the future of our planet

The children were completely engaged, asking questions, and getting involved throughout. The session concluded with all the children getting down on the ground with their pencils and crayons and creating an amazing bee friendly flower banner to take back to their classrooms All the little people and adults had a wonderful day.

© www doloreskeaveney com

One of the new additions to the library, our Whisper Room, had great usage this year Our Whisper Room was used by both staff and students for alone study time, one-to-one meetings, group study and of course, online blended learning Tuesday was our busiest day overall but there was not much between them. 12 noon to 3pm, our busiest hours

Onceagain,IwasdelightedtogetinvolvedinourannualGreen CampusSpringCleanwhichtakesplaceinAprileachyear The sunshoneforourgroup,whomanagedtocollectalotofrubbish fromaroundthecampusgroundsandvillage Welldonetoallthe volunteersinvolvedUntil2024!

With all that activity, we will all look forward to the quieter summer months to work on a few projects I look forward to welcoming our returning students in September and a whole bunch of new students to keep me busy

Suzanne

Rushe, ATU Connemara Librarian

Pick up a copy of the 'SEE THE WOOD FROM THE TREES from the ATU Connemara Library

Research

JohnHewer,ResearchStudentATUConnemara.

Title:ARoadmaptotheIntroductionofCircularFurnitureDesign

Principles for an Irish Technological University- A Case Study Analysis

This research looks into what design considerations must be accounted for in order to successfully design furniture for the circulareconomybyinterviewinganumberoffurnituredesigners andproducerswhoareactivelyinvolvedinproducingfurniturefor thecirculareconomy Thisinformationistobeusedtodevelopa roadmapfortheintroductionofcirculardesignpracticeintohigher educationatanIrishTechnologicalUniversity

John Hewer and Lecturer Jeremy Madden have both been involvedinaresearchprojectoverthelasttwoyearsonCircular Economy.

Title:'DoMoreWithLess'

This research was conducted by ATU Connemara, Farrell FurnitureandtheOPWandfundedbyCIRCULÉIREtoassessthe circular potential of two examples of Irish-made furniture The projectaimedtoreproducelostproductiondocumentationand assess the financial and environmental feasibility, of remanufacturing a series of chairs and workstations under a circulareconomycycleofproductreuseovermultiplelives By comparingtheenvironmentalandfinancialcostsofusingacircular businessmodel,versusatraditionalone,theprojectprovedthe viabilityofsimilarfurnitureproducersadoptingacircularbusiness model

The work completed as part of this project was winner of the Irish Business Design Challenge, 2023, in the medium enterprise category, run by the Design and Crafts Council Ireland

AICUR(All-IrelandConferenceofUndergraduate Research

FinalyearBSc inFurnitureWoodTechnology(FWT)andBSc in Furniture Design and Manufacturing (FDM) students presented theirMajorProjectmoduleresearchatthe10thAnnualAICUR(AllIrelandConferenceofUndergraduateResearch)onThursday,April 13th2023ThisannualconferenceisorganisedbytheUniversityof LimericktogiveundergraduatestudentsfromHigherEducation Institutions (HEIs) the opportunity to experience submitting an abstractandpresentingtheirfindingsataresearchconferenceto their peers and academics. The book of abstracts, along with recordingsofthepresentationsfortheconferencemaybefoundat the following link: https://wwwulie/ctl/students/all-irelandconference-of-undergraduate-research-aicur/aicur-2023

ESAIEducation(StudiesAssociationIreland)

Conference Theme: Education, Change and Democratic Societies: New imperatives and creative responses This conferencewelcomesbroadinterpretation,interrogation,anda diverserangeofresponses

Presenting at the conference in March 2023 was research studentintheDepartmentofCreativeEducation,MariaMoore andSeniorLecturerontheEducationprogramme,PaulineLogue MariaMoorepresentedanEarlyCareerResearcherPaper,level9 researchintheareaofactionresearchininitialteachereducation onbehalfoftheresearchteam:MariaMoore,DermotO’Donovan andPaulineLogueintheDepartmentofCreativeEducation ThisresearchwasfundedbyaRISE scholarship,fromATU (ResearchEndowmentStrategicScholarship)

Title: An Exploration of the Role of Professional RelationshipbuildingandCollaborationinSupportingPre-serviceTeachersto EngageinActionResearchwhileonSchoolPlacement.

Pauline Logue presented a 'concise on-demand video presentation'onbehalfoftheATUresearchprojectteam:Pauline Logue,RóisínNash,MicheálWalsh,MichaelFaneyandDearcánÓ Donnghaile

Theresearchislevel9researchintheareaofMarineRenewable Energy Education An ATU RISE Project facilitated by the ResearchOffice,DepartmentofCreativeEducationandtheATU Marine&FreshwaterResearchCentre,Galway Stakeholders:ATU,BlueWiseMarine,MarineInstitute,Údarásna Gaeltachta, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Coláiste ChroíMhuireganSmal,Spiddal,CoGalway

Title:DeepLearning:TheDevelopmentofCross-disciplinaryPostprimary Educational Resources to Promote Marine Renewable EnergyandSustainabilityEducation

Neil O’Donoghue, FDM, presented on The Exploration of Sewn Linoleum and its Application in Furniture Products in Response to the European Commission Proposal ‘Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation’

The title of research conducted by Alex O’Connor’s, FWT, was To Design an Easy-to-Assemble Barn Owl Nesting Box Suitable for the Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme

Ann Marie Reilly, FDM, presented her research findings entitled To Develop a Handbook to Standardise Client Engagements for Furniture Designers and Makers During the Product Development Process in the Irish Furniture Industry.

The title of Barbara Doran’s presentation was To Design an Environmentally Conscious Product Using the Stone Waste Generated in an Irish Furniture Manufacturing Company Environmental Scheme

LtoR:Nei ODonoghue AlexOConnor AnnMarieReillyandBarbaraDoran

Environ23Conference

The33rdIrishEnvironmentalResearchersColloquium(Environ 2023), organised by ATU and the Environmental Sciences AssociationofIreland(ESAI)washostedon3rdto5thApril 2023inDonegal

JohnHewer,ResearchStudentinATUConnemaraandSenior Lecturer Pauline Logue presented at the Environ 23 conferenceinApril

JohnHewer

PresentationTitle:EuropeanFurnitureProductDesigninthe Circular Economy: What are the Circular Design Considerations?

Thispresentationexplainedtheprocessofconductingpartof themastersresearch;conductingaliteraturereviewofcircular design,usingtheresultsasthemeansofselectinginterview participants,carryingoutinterviews,andfinallyconductinga thematicanalysis.Theresearchfindingshighlightthatcurrent productdesignnormspractisedwithinthefurnitureindustry lendthemselvestothelinearmodelratherthanthecircular model There are, however, isolated examples that demonstratethatcircularpracticescanbeviableratherthan simplybeingatheoreticalideal Asetofdesignconsiderations emergefromtheresearch Thereisaneedtocreateacircular furniture design model that supports the implementation of thesecirculardesignconsiderationsintheEuropeanfurniture industry

PaulineLogue

Titleofpaper:Eco-ingtheCurriculum:APilotStudyofoneIrish Transition Year Programme Centred on Global Citizenship EducationandSustainabilityEducation

HEAd: International Conference on higher EducationAdvances(HEAd’23)

TheSchoolofDesignandCreativeArtswaswellrepresentedat the 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’23), which took place in Valencia Spain between19-22ndJune2023

ClareGilsenanpresentedherMasterofArts(MA)inTeaching andLearning(T&L)research

Title:ReflectivePracticeePortfolios:Adigitalteachingtoolto enhance third year BA Culinary and Gastronomic Science students’professionallearningexperiences

Herpaperwasco-authoredbyheracademicsupervisorMarie English

KateDunnepresentedresearchcarriedoutbyherselfandher colleagueJamesCorbettattheNationalCentreforExcellence inFurnitureDesignandTechnology

Title: Setting Learners for Success: A Universal Design for Learning(UDL)ApproachtoIndustryPlacementAssessment

Pauline Logue presented the findings of a research project entitledDeepLearning:AStudyonMarineRenewableEnergy and Sustainability Education in an Irish Context which was conductedintheDepartmentofCreativeEducation

Theteamwhoconductedtheresearchandco-authoredthe conferencepaperincludedRoisinNash,MichaelWalsh,Michael Faney,DearcánÓDonnghaile

Lastly,MariaMoore,whorecentlycompletedhermaster’sby researchintheDepartmentofCreativeEducation,presented herresearchwithapresentationentitled MindtheGap:FactorsWhichInhibitSupportingTeachersto EngageinActionResearchWhileonSchoolPlacement. Her paper was co-authored by her academic supervisors DermotO’DonovanandPaulineLogue

L to R: Marie English, Clare Gilsenan, Kate Dunne, Pauline Logue, Maria Moore

Research

ATU Connemara launches European Partnership Project

ATU Connemara have recently been awarded lead partner of an exciting new two-year Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership Project called WOODCircle. The project aims to develop skills for the Circular Economy and Sustainability, targeted at students and younger workers (aged between 18 and 34 years) in the European woodworking sector The consortium involves organisations from four other European countries and builds upon the success of another recently completed project called WOODigital, that has been awarded “Best Practice” title by the French National Agency The members of WOODCircle are:

Atlantic Technological University, Ireland;

Federazione Italiana Delle Industrie Del Legno Del Sughero Del Mobilee Dell' Arredamento Associazione and Consorzio Del Mobile Scpa, Italy;

Ambit – Living Spaces Cluster, Spain

Fabunio - Association of Hungarian Furniture and Woodworking Industries, Hungary;

Interprofessionnelle Auvergne Rhone Alpes, France

TransnationalmeetinginLetterfrack

Thefirstface-to-facetransnationalmeetingoftheErasmus+ project WOODCircle took place on the 23rd-24th of May PartnerstravelledfromSpain(AMBIT),France(IPRA),Hungary (Fabunio)andItaly(FLA,COSMOB)totheConnemaracampus ofAtlanticTechnologicalUniversity,whoisthecoordinatorof the project The project is a continuation of the Erasmus+ projectWOODigital,thatrecentlyearnedthe“Bestpractice” award

Themaintopicsofdiscussionincludedthefinalisationofthe professional profile, dissemination activities, the structure of thedigitalplatformthatwillhosttheonlinetrainingmaterials andthecontentandstructureofthecurriculum

Asforeseenintheprojectproposal,thetrainingcourse,thatwill focus on transitioning to circular economy will include 4 Learningunits:

•OverviewoftheCircularEconomyforFurnitureCompanies

•Sustainablematerials

•Circulardesign

•Resources,manufacturing,andwaste

AnimportantpartofErasmus+projectsistheculturalexchange andlearningaboutdifferentEuropeancultures Thismeeting provided a unique opportunity for the participants to learn aboutIrishculture,whilediscoveringtheregionofConnemara, includingKylemoreAbbey,KillaryFjord,Glassilaunbeachand theConnemaraNationalPark

WOODCircle is responding to the twin transition of the woodworking industry, ensuring that those employed in the sector are capable of solving both environmental and technical issues The project is aligned with the aspirations of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, embedding ethical processes and principles of sustainability within industry, e g , waste elimination, design-for-life, eco-materials, etc

The WOODCircle team will develop a learning portal where students can study these topics and assess their learning through their interaction with informative and engaging presentations, case studies and video content The course will be multilingual, translated in 5 European languages and will be freely accessible. As part of the development and testing of the training materials, experts and students will be invited to undertake blended and physical mobilities across different European countries, where they will visit factories, universities, and research and vocational training centres This also allows participants to expand their international networks and cultural awareness and learn from best European practice within the woodwork industry

WOODCircle is led in ATU by Dr Dermot O’Donovan and researcher Piroska Kocsis and supported by the Irish national agency Léargas and funded by the European Commission For

www woodcircle net; www woodigial eu

Department of Creative Education

Creativity in the Classroom conference 2023

The ATU Creativity in the Classroom Conference took place on Thursday 16th February in the Connacht Hotel in Galway city The event is one of the highlights of the academic year in the ATU Department of Creative Education, providing a rich insight into the journey of the emerging profession for students in the early years of the programme The conference was opened and addressed by Kevin Maye, the programme chair of the BSc in Education (Design, Graphics and Construction)

This event started out several years ago, when colleague, Dr Pauline Logue, senior lecturer in ATU, recognised the value in having a forum where 4th year students could share insights and innovations from their school placement experiences We were delighted to be present again this year to continue to provide a forum for the students to showcase their innovative pedagogical practice

The content of this year’s presentations differed somewhat from previous years in that we tasked students to present a short summary of the Practitioner Research Projects they undertook during school placement

The Department of Creative Education spans two campuses of the ATU – Connemara and Galway City Wellpark Road Both campuses are renowned for their creativity, innovation and excellence in design, wood technology, art and creative media The department offers two undergraduate initial teacher education programmes which are accredited by the Teaching Council The department is part of the School of Design and Creative Arts

In addition to the 4th year presentations, we were joined by two guest speakers. Maria Moore is an experienced teacher of Art and was seconded to the Visual Art team in JCT to support the implementation of the Junior Cycle reform Maria’s keynote speech specifically addressed Practitioner Research in school placement

Guest speaker Liam Murphy is the senior examinations and assessment manager at the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and currently working with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), SEC and T4 Liam’s keynote address; Action and Reaction

The department were delighted to see present on the day and working in tandem, colleagues and students from the two initial teacher education programmes in the Department of Creative Education; BSc (Hons) in Education (Design Graphics and Construction) and Batchelor of Education in Art, Design and Communication Graphics

“I believe we are uniquely placed to make a very positive contribution to the post-primary sector, particularly in respect of creative and innovative practices” Kevin Maye, Chair BSc hons in Education

GuestspeakersLiamMurphyandMariaMoorepcturedwithHeadofdepartmentDrDermot ODonovanandLecturer,ProgrammeChairKevinMaye

Department of Creative Education

TechnoTeachersConference

TheTechnoTeachersAssociation(TTA)NationalConference washeldinColáisteChiaráin,Athlone,onthe15th&16thof October 2022 ATU Connemara attended both days with a varietyofcontributionsfromstaffmembers

JohnHewer,ResearchstudentinATUConnemaragavetwo presentationsattheConference abouttechniquesforcutting marquetrywithascalpel Thetalkaimedtoshowhowsimple techniquescouldbeusedtocreatequalitymarquetrypieces while accounting for the skill levels of secondary school students

CelebratingDiwaliinATUGalway:

StudentTeachersLeadtheWay -Incorporatingdiversityintothe programme InOctober2022,theinauguralATUGalway(Dublin Rd.)interculturalDiwalicelebrationwaspresentedtoapacked audienceinTheatre1000 TheATUpresidentDrOrlaFlynnand the Head of Department of Creative Education, Dr Dermot O’Donovan,gaveaddressesattheevent

Each year the TTA organise a mixture of trade stands, informative seminars, presentations, project displays, exhibits and craft skill demonstrations In addition, the TTA distribute resources to its membership and with the kind permission of the State Examinations Commission (SEC), examination exemplars were showcased

Several ATU Connemara student teachers attended the conference where they could engage in a variety of continuous professional development (CPD) workshops The student teachers were also exposed to the TTA branch structures where they could gain further experiences and expertise at a local level

ATU Connemara look forward to continuing our support and contributions for the TTA National Conference and the National Student Awards

John McGuinness, Lecturer ATU Connemara

The Diwali celebration was spearheaded by staff members Surbhi Guatam and Dr Pauline Logue The award year student teachers on the BSc in Education (Design, Graphics and Construction) programme prepared and facilitated this creative experience as part of their Professional Studies module, which was facilitated by Kevin Maye and Pauline Logue, the event was a live assessment for the students Their roles and responsibilities included, hosting and hospitality, decorating the venue, communicating with the Students Union, Health and Safety risk assessment, catering, marketing, social media outputs, capturing the preparatory process and event via images and video, and participating in a Bollywood dance! Module facilitators were enormously proud of the commitment, professionalism and hard work of the students involved The Diwali 'Festival of Lights' 2022 provided us with a wonderful opportunity for intercultural celebration, setting the seed for the celebration of Indian culture in ATU Galway Dr Dermot O'Donovan shared with us the ATU Féile-Rangeela project, an intercultural education project with education partners in both Ireland and Chennai, India, a colourful day that we very much hope to continue with

Dr Pauline Logue, Senior Lecturer in Education

DrDermotO'Donovan Dr NiallSeery(TUS)&StephenOBrien(TTAChair)

Department of Creative Education

About School Placement.

ATU has built up a proud reputation for excellence in the provision of initial teacher education (ITE), providing graduates with the appropriate knowledge, skills and creativity to positively contribute to the delivery and development of post-primary education ATU School Placement (SP) forms a central pillar of ITE, and students undertake SP during each year of their degree programme SP is designed to be scaffolded, and commensurate with students’ attainment of relevant subject pedagogical content knowledge SP is seen as a collaborative process between ATU and the host school

Placement this year felt different to second year placement! I felt like I was a member of staff and was treated like I had full authority, but I was still able to ask for help and advice

I was generally confident on the subject matter to be taught but that meant I could not explain anything in simple terms As a habit, I like to connect one topic into another at any given opportunity I believed that this helps students to understand all the context of the topic, and therefore they remember it better

I would really encourage you to follow Universal Design Language (UDL) principles when teaching If you can explain something in multiple ways (without adding too much information) then it is probably more appropriate for the students

Matilda Anderson 3rd year

I was quite apprehensive at first, however, as the time approached to do the week of observation, I felt motivated and excited I am going to be a teacher, and this was my first step Upon arriving for my first day, I couldn’t have felt more welcomed by the principal and the staff The anxiousness I felt had dissipated and I felt much more relaxed The principal and the staff ensured me that they were there to help with whatever I needed

After completing my week of observation, I felt sad that it was over, however, completely exhilarated to keep pushing on with my course and doing my best to see my vision come to life, standing at the top of a classroom in front of my students, teaching the subjects I care so much about As a result, I am delighted to be returning in 2024 to teach for school placement 2.

My advice for the incoming first years, go in with an open mind and explore other subjects Don’t just stick to your core subjects Speak with your cooperating teachers, ask for their input and opinions, they will see that you’re interested & eager to know more, and just enjoy the experience!

Joshua Copeland 1st year

This year was slightly different as there was more responsibility on me as I wasn’t just observing now, I was responsible for my own class and their education on graphics I know this sounds scary, but I loved going into the school to teach because I was able to build a relationship with my students and it was so nice to see them grow as individuals and see their skills improving

My advice to next years' 2nd year students is to stay focused, have fun learning and gain as much knowledge from the teachers around you and keep building towards becoming a great educator

Emma Gallagher 2nd year

I felt significantly more self-assured during my fourth-year school placement This positive shift was likely attributable to several factors Primarily, my increased proficiency in creating lesson plans and resources, which I had gained during my third-year placement, contributed to my confidence boost Additionally, having undergone tutor visits during my third year placement, reassured me that tutors were available not only to evaluate but also to support with the process

I enjoyed the whole school environment I also found it very rewarding to apply some active teaching strategies in the classroom which I learned in college and see the students engage and develop during my time on placement

Thomas Quirke 4th year

There were several noticeable differences for me this year, but one of the most significant was the way my cooperating teachers treated me As a fourth-year student, I felt that they had placed a greater amount of trust in my abilities, which was very reassuring

The most rewarding aspect of this year's placement was the connections I formed with the teachers in the staff room. While building relationships with students is certainly essential, I believe that relationships with colleagues are equally valuable As a student teacher, it can be challenging to establish these connections and feel a sense of belonging beyond the classroom activities

It's crucial to recognize that teaching encompasses more than just teaching in the classroom

It's essential to acknowledge that as a student teacher, you don't have all the answers, and that's perfectly okay. Don't hesitate to seek help when you need it Asking for assistance is a sign of strength and demonstrates a willingness to learn and grow Remember, you are not expected to know everything, and seeking guidance from experienced teacher is an excellent way to improve your skills and knowledge

Christopher Roche 4th year

Equality,DiversityandInclusion.

Atlantic Technological University is committed to embedding equality,diversityandinclusion(EDI)acrosseverythingwedo Thisensureswecanallworkandlearninanenvironmentdefined bydignityandrespect,wherediversityiscelebratedandeveryone istreatedfairlyregardlessofgender,age,race,disability,ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, civil status, family status, membership of the travelling community or socio-economic status

Eachyear,anInclusionCalendarisissuedandthereareanumber ofeventstakingplaceacrossthecampusesinATUamixofonline and in person events, students are invited to attend, heavily promotedbytheStudentsUnion Workshopandinformationsessionsaredeliveredthroughoutthe year,staffinATUConnemararegularlyattendthesesessionsto keepthemselvesinformedandupdatedonallinformationaround EDI

SAFEtalk.

In October this year, as part of the implementation of the National Student Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Framework, staff and members of the community here in Connemara were invited to an on-campus safeTALK training sessions (Suicide Alertness for Everyone) You can expect to leave safeTALK with practical knowledge of how to identify someone at risk and link them to life-saving resources

The Atlantic University Rainbow Alliance (AURA) is the newly formed LGBTQIA+ staff network of the Atlantic Technological University, with university-wide representation Established in April 2022, AURA will support LGBTQIA+ Staff members and allies

The designated Ally Champion for ATU Connemara is Shemeem OToole who can be contacted by email shemeem otoole@atu ie

International Men's day | International Woman’s Day

In November we celebrated with all our male colleagues on campus with tea/coffee and treats, and again in March to celebrate International Woman’s Day we turned our external campus lights to purple and enjoyed lots of tea coffee and of course CAKE! It is important to acknowledge and appreciate the work and commitment of all our colleagues here in Letterfrack and just so you know, every day is a cake day

Unconscious Bias workshops

Workshops are delivered to all students in their first year of study in ATU Connemara We value the importance of this topic and its relevance to every person in society Workshops are also delivered to staff on an annual basis

This workshop, 'Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace', will introduce concepts of equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging

It will build awareness of diversity and individual biases and how they affect our interactions Biases, in this respect, relate to our unintentional people preferences This workshop will:

Identify what Unconscious Bias is and recognise how we can be affected by Unconscious Bias

Explain how we can manage our own Unconscious Bias

Identify steps to raise awareness and manage Unconscious Bias in our classroom and beyond

ATU Connemara staff and students welcomed the ATU Galway-Mayo Student Services team who visited us at regular intervals throughout the year Providing support face to face to students in need is a welcomed resource for our campus Pictured here with our Head of Departments and the ATU President Orla Flynn

Students Union

ATU’s Students’ Union is a democratic organisation run by students for students It is the students’ voice within the Institute and a national level.

In addition to assisting students in areas such as grants, timetables, exams, lectures, personal issues, it is also responsible for managing extra-curricular activities that enhance the student experience - such as clubs & societies, entertainment, and other social activities, as well as assisting with student accommodation queries

Student quote

"The clubs and societies in Letterfrack provide us with an avenue to make new friends and experience our beautiful surroundings in Connemara Coming together through our shared interests affords us time to grow and learn through experiential learning. Clubs like surfing, climbing, hillwalking and rowing the currachs are all very weather dependant but we learn to adapt We climb indoors, under the stairs or if we can’t row the currachs, we build one instead Clubs and societies are an integral part of the student experience and should be encouraged and funded to allow for the community driven experience to happen "

Domhnall, 2nd year FDM student

CircusSociety-Jugglingextravaganza.

Onthe1stand2ndofOctober2022,thethirdLetterfrackJuggling conventionwasheld,aftera20-yearhiatus Intotal29students andjugglersfromaroundIrelandtookpartinthiscelebrationof Circus TherewaspracticespaceinEllisHall,wherewelearned variousCircusskillsfromeachotherinarelaxedandinformalway, aswellasplayinggamesandhavingthecraic

'OnSaturdaynightwehada"Renegade"showinMolly's,whichisa sortofopenmicforjugglerstodoweird,interestingandsillystuff onstage

OnSunday,thestudentsandlocalsgotatasteoftheconvention intheformofafreefirejugglingcomedyshow,performedby Brian TheconventionendedalltoosoononSundayafternoon, aftertheCircusgames,withthetraditional'tossup' twodayswastooshortforthisevent,buteveryoneleftsmiling andaskingaboutthenextone' BrianOConnell,2ndyrFurnitureDesignandManufactureStudent

Photographer:StephenMcGinley

Following the convention, interested students travelled in Galway City to see a Contemporary Circus Show, it was enlightening and opened their eyes to the skills needed to perform at this level

Students Union

Wood Carving and Currachs.

Claidhbh Ó Gibne joined the team here in Letterfrack in September 2022 Claidhbh quickly got involved with the campus and shared his love of wood carving and currach building with the students and helped them to set up a new society 'Carving and Currachs' Claidhbh is a seasoned Wood Carver, pictured here teaching some of students in their first class A great turn out and a lot of energy in the room

Infectious. Claidhbh Ó Gibne

After working at ATU Connemara in Letterfrack, for a few months, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the number of individuals who came together, to share the skills and talents they had picked up in different walks of life along the way Their jovial personalities could be regularly heard echoing down through the long hallways of the college late into the evenings, as they attempted to juggle skittles or learn to mountain climb on the underbellies of the ironclad staircases, and when done and dusted, they sat around playing board games, making new plans A whole generation of people, from every nook and cranny, on the move, with an energy that can only be described as infectious Their busy schedules always seemed to be in a higher gear than my tractor had been fitted with, but I took the plunge and offered up whatever bits and pieces I still had remaining in the raddled old backpack

The Currach group met regularly to build their boat, and on fine evenings they would meet at the shoreline just a stones throw from the campus in Letterfrack to go out on the water

Intrigued with currachs past for most of my life as a way of navigating Ireland's ancient history through the ages, I had in recent years began to love and appreciate the larger picture of currach making from around the country and afar And so, with a few leftover currachs, from a generation whose lives had grown too full to manage them any longer, I was only thrilled to see a newer and more able generation take to the boats like ducks to water It was a pebble thrown from the shore by Dómhnail as we spoke ‘as Gaeilge’ one evening faoin bpleann chun na currachaí a chuir ar snámh sa chuan i Letterfrack (about putting some currachs out in the bay of Letterfrack for the crack) But little did we realise that such a small pebble thrown could create the waves for the new currach group to ride on into the future We have great plans to start rowing in the very first week of the next semester, and to have some fun before the scheduled assignments kick in We take our hats off to them, for their selfless good nature and comradery, long may it last The aging boats will once again be worked on over the summer months, with the help of those students who have found work locally in the area But meanwhile, we have an old wooden drontheim to fix up for sailing Currachs abú!!!

Students Union

FIRST FIRST YEARS YEARS

TEAM TEAM GAMES GAMES

IT'SCHRISTMAS IT'SCHRISTMAS

Board Games

The Board Games society is one of our more popular societies Students met regularly in the evenings and at weekends to play a variety of unique and interesting board games Run by one of our 2nd year students Brian O'Connell who is a whizz at these games and was always there to explain the rules All students are welcome and encouraged to take part This is a great way to relax, meet new friends and take a break from study

At the start of every academic year, Technician, Danny Collins and John McGuiness put out a call to recruit students who are interested in playing hurling and football for the college

Playing GAA sports for the college, creates an opportunity to meet like minded students, who can go on to become friends for life It has been a great year for our teams, plenty of games were played with one of the sports making it to the final, succeeding in bringing the Fergal Maher Cup back to Connemara

ATU Connemara Hurling season 2022/2023

LeagueGames

ATUConnemaraparticipatedintheleaguecompetitionbefore ChristmasCoachDannyCollinswashappywiththeoutcomeofthe twogamesplayedinOctober.

Venue:TheDomeattheConnachtCentreofExcellence

ATUConnemaravATUSligo(20/10/22)Finalscore:4-14to12pts

ATUConnemaravTUSMidlands(25/10/22)Finalscore:26ptsto19

TheChampionship.

ATUConnemaraparticipatedintheFergalMaherCupwhichisthe 3rddivisionoftheHigherEducationHurlingChampionship. Inourfirstgame,wewereupagainstATUSligo Unfortunately,we cameoutthewrongsideofa3-20to3-14resultinagamethatwas playedatchampionshippace Wedidnotgettheresultwewanted butagaincoachDannywashappywiththeperformanceandthe attitudeoftheplayers

Venue:TheDomeattheConnachtCentreofExcellence

ATUConnemaravATUSligo(31/1/2023)Finalscore:3-14to3-20

Thefollowingday,afterourdefeatagainstATUSligowetravelledto BallybofeytoplayATULetterkennyWeprevailedonascorelineof1-14 to8points ThiswinwasimportantasitkeptusaliveintheFergal MaherCup

The players bodies and minds were tired after having played the previous night on an all-weather pitch in a game with a real championship pace to it Not one player looked for excuses about havingtotraveltoBallybofey Theyputtheachesandpainsincurred fromthepreviousnightsgame,tothebackoftheirminds,turnedup, performed and got over the line with a depleted squad That emphasizedonethingthatissoimportantinanyteam–character

Venue:MacCumhaillPark,Ballybofey

ATUConnemaravATULetterkenny(1/2/2023)Finalscore:1-14to8 pts

OurrewardforgettingoverthelineinBallybofeywasaquarterfinal againstthecurrentFergalMaherChampions,ateamwehavehad manybattleswithovertheyearsandtheteamthatknockedusout atthesemi-finalstagelastyear,MarinoInstituteofEducation

The game was played under lights in Ballinasloe We had our strongestteamavailableonthedayWeprevailedonascorelineof 1-14to12pointsinahard-foughtgameagainstgoodoppositionon awetandwindynightinDugganparkinBallinasloe

OnreflectionofATUConnemaraperformanceinthisgame,Ifelt we turned a corner The longer the game went on, we were growing into the game and getting stronger The players were gettingmatchfitnessintotheirlegs,theirhurlingandconfidence wasimprovinginregardtotheirtouch,strikingandfindingeach otherwithprocessioninspace

Icouldseethebondandtogethernessbeginningtobuildbetween theplayerswhichisacornerstoneofanyteaminvolvedinany teamsportthatwanttoachievesomething.

Venue:DugganParkBallinasloe

ATUConnemaravMarinoInstituteofEducation(8/2/2023)Final score:1-14to12points

FitzgibbonWeekendFergalMaherCupSEMIFINAL

The2023FitzgibbonweekendwasbeingheldintheSETUSports ArenainWaterfordfor2023.

ATUConnemaraweredrawnagainstastrongStMarysBelfast teaminthesemi-final Weledatthebreakby4-6to2-5afteran excellentfirsthalfperformance

StMarysweretoogoodateamanddulycamebackatusinthe second half and brought the score back to within 4 points WatchinginfromthelineIcouldseeStMaryswerecertainlyinthe ascendancy with the momentum of the game building in their favour but with fresh legs coming in from the bench, some positionalswitchesandtheplayersonthefieldstandingupand takingontheresponsibilitywegotsomevitalscoreshaltingSt Marysmomentum,wepulledawayagainwinningonafinalscore of6-12to3-16thusensuringourpassagetothefinaloftheFergal Maher Cup 2023 where we would face the Royal College of SurgeonswhogotoverthelineagainstATUSligointheother semi-final

Venue:SETUSportsArena,Waterford

ATUConnemaravStMarysBelfast(18/2/23)Finalscore:6-12to 3-16

Sports report by Danny Collins

Fergal Maher Cup FINAL

On a beautiful day down in the SETU Sports Arena in Waterford on the 19th of February 2023, the team produced a perfect performance, dominated the game from the first whistle to the last and ran out convincing winners on a score line of 5-19 to 1-12 to be crowned Fergal Maher Champions for 2023

Venue: SETU Sports Arena, Waterford

ATU Connemara v Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) (19/2/23) Final score: 5-19 to 1-12

Strangers gathered on the Letterfrack Community field on the 12th of October 2022 Lifelong friends with a special bond of winning a Higher Education All Ireland Medal together left the field in the SETU Sports Arena in Waterford on the 19th of February 2023

The ATU Connemara hurling team were crowned All Ireland Fergal Maher Cup Champions for 2023 Upon reflection of the journey, possibly getting beaten by ATU Sligo in our first game was a blessing in disguise It gave us that extra game against Marino in the quarter final, it handed us the opportunity to play week on week, momentum was built with each game, training was kept short and sharp to keep us fresh going into games There was an incremental improvement in performance with each game, and culminated in a brilliant performance in the final

On the day of the final there was a great atmosphere created by the players in the dressing room and in the warm-up before the game Watching them taking ownership and leading was so satisfying to see I don’t think any of the players could have envisioned the journey they were to embark on and the special memories they were about to create when they gathered for their first training session on the 12th October 2022. Danny Collins (Technician), ATU Connemara Hurling Coach.

"Itgavemegreatpleasuretosharethewonderfulnews,andto extendheartfeltcongratulations,totheATUConnemaraHurling TeamontheirexceptionalperformanceintheFergalMaherCup, AllIrelandHurlingFinalinSETUinWaterford Ourteamwere commanding from the start and were victorious in the Final againsttheRoyalCollegeofSurgeonsonascorelineof5-17to110

The team has proven itself to be among the very best I congratulateeachmemberofthepanel,aswellasthecoaching staffofDannyCollinsandSeanGarveyfortheirhardworkand dedicationYourtriumphisareflectionoftheimmenseeffortthat wentintoyourpreparation,andyouhavetrulyearnedyourplace inATUConnemarahistoryasAll-Irelandchampionsfor2023"

PaulLeamy,HeadofDepartment,ATUConnemara

ThankyoutotheATUStudentsunionwhofinanciallysupported thestudentswithtravelandaccommodationexpensesandto theLetterfrackCountryStorewhoverykindlysponsoredthe teamkit

Coaches Danny Collins and Sean Garvey

ATUConnemaraFootball2022-2023

ThefirstroundofthefootballchampionshipbeganwhenATU Connemara played TUD (Blanchardstown campus) in late January ATU Connemara had a convincing win with a final scoreof3:22to1:12attheConnachtCentreofExcellence.

Inroundtwo,ATUConnemaraplayedMonaghanInstitute With severalplayersmissingbecauseofinjuries,ATUConnemara wonwellintheendwithascorelineof2:14to1:12 Inaround robinformat,thiswinmathematicallysecuredaplaceintheAllIrelandfinal

TheCornComhairleÁrdoideachaisfinalwasplayedinPadraig Pearces GAA, Roscommon on the 23rd of February ATU ConnemaraplayedTheLawSchool(Dublin)underlightsona wetevening.Havingscored5:36inthechampionshippriorto thefinal,ATUConnemarawerehopefulofanotherwin Alow scoringgameduetotheconditionsandacontroversialpenalty decisionagainstATUConnemaraenabledtheLawSchoolto wintheAll-Irelandfinalbyasinglepoint(1:6to0:8) Aheroic effort from the entire football panel was achieved that will enable a strong starting position for next year’s league and championship AspecialmentionofthankstothecaptainJamie Hession (Garrymore GAA) and vice-captain Michael Collins (Tuam Stars) for their leadership and commitment to the footballteaminATUConnemara

Gym

A new fitness suite in Letterfrack opened its doors to the community in January 2023 The Diamond Hill Community Centre in Letterfrack is a new building with large team changing facilities which compliment the existing outdoor sports playing field and pitches, the outdoor gym and the floodlit astro pitch Diamond Hill Community Sports Centre offers classes to all ages with great discounts offered to our students which are financially supported by the Students Union

Follow the Facebook page to keep up to date on special offers, new classes, activities, mental health workshops, nutrition and more

https://diamondhillcommunitycentre ie/

Staff Retirement

Finian Sheridan has been a lecturer with GMIT | ATU for 30 years. This is indicative of Finian’s commitment to his job, Finian is a keen sportsman and each year he helped coach the GAA football team, contributing to teams reaching the finals over the years We celebrated Finian’s retirement and said farewell to him in September We wish him many happy years in retirement and thank him for his dedication over the years

Remembrance Tree

In September 2022 we welcomed 4 guests from Higashikawa, Hokkaido Japan

Mr Sasaki, Mr Sukiyama both from the Education department who are very interested in furniture making was joined by Prof James Cavanagh and a translator to take a tour of the campus They were interested in seeing the facilities and how the programmes are delivered here in Letterfrack which opened up conversations on future collaborations

St Brigid’s Day crosses

It’s not only the students that are crafty and good with their hands here in Letterfrack, the staff also put their hand at crafts, with rushes brought in from Co Clare, staff made crosses to mark St Brigid’s day during their lunch break Never miss an opportunity to put hands to good work.

In recent years we were saddened to have heard of the passing of three students, Dave Nolan, Harold Valionis and Brian Tierney who were students here in ATU Connemara between 2018-2022 Harold Valionis, Brian Tierney and Dave Nolan were all well known in the college and in the local community. We offer our heartfelt condolences to their family and friends and may they rest in peace In May, on a beautiful sunny day, staff, students, and members of the community gathered in the village of Letterfrack to remember these students along with others, Jarlath Ryan and Morris O’Sullivan who have passed away over the years To mark this occasion a remembrance tree was planted We were joined by the ATU Galway Mayo chaplain Ronan Sharpley who said a few comforting words Kevin Gyves, technician in ATU Connemara had prepared a lovely speech, remembering each of these students in their own unique way

In June 2023, we welcomed a group of visitors from Hong Kong The group of 1st year Architecture students spent one week on the ATU Connemara campus During their time here they worked on a brief titled the ‘Islands Project’ - A workshop that took place between two islands – Hong Kong and the Republic of Ireland Nine thousand miles apart, culturally distinct, and seemingly unconnected, these two communities are bound together by invisible networks of supply and demand

The workshop was led and delivered by Donn Holohan, Associate Professor in the University of Hong Kong Architecture faculty with the help of Jeremy Madden and 4th year students Matthew Shakespeare, Ann Marie Reilly and Barbara Doran

An installation installed at the end of the week-long workshop

Graduation

Congratulations to all our ATU Connemara #ClassOf2022 who graduated on the 18th of November in Letterfrack We're delighted to welcome you into the Atlantic Technological University Alumni Community We wish you all well in your future careers and look forward to seeing you when you visit us again in Connemara

ATU Academic Excellence Awards celebrates those students who have truly excelled in their academic work Two ATU Connemara students receiving this award in the School of Design and Creative arts was Aaron Blackburn on the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Education (Design, Graphics and construction) and Luke O'Connor on the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in furniture Design and Manufacture

Friday 18th November 2022 was not only a very special day for the graduates but it was also a special day for ATU Connemara Today was the first of the ATU Galway-Mayo Graduation ceremonies to be held this year in the newly formed ATU The first graduate receiving his certificate, pictured here on the left is Frederic Beasley who graduated on the Furniture Design and Manufacture programme

Today was a public affirmation and celebration of your personal achievement on the completion of your course A true testament to your dedication, hard work and sacrifices Congratulations again to you all, to your families and to those who have supported you throughout your studies

Title;

Colin Marren graduated with a Degree of Master of Science (by Research) Thesis

Exploitation of the Working Properties and Utilisation of Small-Diameter Irish-Grown Alder (Alnus Glutinosa)

HeadofDepartment DermotO'Donovan ATU President,OrlaFlynn,GraduateAaronBlackburn andBilyBennett ATUregstrar

HeadofDepartment PaulLeamy Graduate LukeOConnor,ATUPresident,OrlaFynn, andBillyBennett ATURegistrar

Awards and Competitions

Worldskills Ireland.

In September 2022, one of the biggest showcases taking place in Ireland this year was the Worldskills Ireland Live that not only focuses on skills, apprenticeship, and career opportunities available to young people, it also allows visitors see these skills in action through 30 individual national skill competition finals taking place across a wide and diverse range of disciplines.

ATU Connemara students competed in two national finalsCabinetmaking and Carpentry

Cabinetmaking

Keith Roberts (FMAW3)

Daniel Stratford (FMAW3)

Alexander O’Connor (FWT4)

Elliot Treacy (FMAW3)

Carpentry

Matilda Anderson (B Ed 3)

Matthew Shakespeare (FDM4)

Well done to all students who competed It is a great achievement to make it to these competitions, the dedication, commitment and expert guidance from the staff here in ATU Connemara makes this all possible for our students Supporting the students this year were lecturers Anthony Clare, Daniel McNamara and Sean Treacy.

WoodAwardsIreland2022.

The Wood Awards is an annual event organised by Forest IndustriesIreland SupportedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture, FoodandtheMarine,EnterpriseIreland,TheRoyalInstituteofthe ArchitectsofIreland,RotaryIreland,SocietyofIrishForestersand Design&CraftsCouncilofIreland

ATUConnemarastudentDanielStratfordandrecentgraduate MaighreadBussmannweretwoofseventhird-levelwooddesign, researchandfurnitureprojectsthatwereshortlistedintheRIAI Irish Wood awards 2022 On the night of the awards held in March2023,weweredelightedwiththefantasticresulttosee ourstudentsandgraduatespickingupcommendationsatthese awards

Future Makers.

Congratulations to Furniture Design and Manufacture student Bettina Keuhnel who won a Design and Crafts Council Ireland, Future Makers student Travel and Training Support Award with her 2nd year chair project https://www futuremakers ie/2022 -winners

Highly commended was Luke O’Connor for his research titled; ‘A guide to estimate the carbon footprint of furniture using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

(Supported by Project Supervisor; Finian Sheridan, lecturers Des Kelly, Kate Dunne, John Hewer and Technicians Kevin Gyves and Martin Kearney)

PicturedherearethewinnersoftheCarpentrycategoryin2021

ATUConnemarastudent,Matthew Shakespeare andJasonOSheafromDFEi Inthecentre,ATULecturerandWorldSkllsCarpentry ChiefExamner

Daniel Stratford was commended for his Rocking Chair (Sam Maloof rocking chair made from salted beech ) (Supporting Lecturers; Susan Rogers and Jeremy Madden)

Maighread Bussman was commended for her Rocking Chair (Supporting Lecturers; Susan Rogers and Jeremy Madden)

Awards and Competitions

ConorFarrellAwardforExcellenceinDesign2022/23.

TheATUConnemaraConorFarrellAwardforExcellenceinDesign recognises the single most outstanding designer across all programmesandyearsdeliveredatATUConnemara

Inits4thyear,weareproudandhonouredtobeabletocontinue withourlongrelationshipwithFarrellsandtohonourthememoryof ConorFarrell Therecipientofthisawardembodiesthespiritand characterofLetterfrackandthelegacyofConorFarrell

ThewinneroftheawardthisyeargoestoNeilO’Donoghue,4thyear FurnitureDesignandManufacturestudentwithhisprojecttitled: ‘Podium’

Podiumisaset of fully recyclable end tables, designed in response to the EU Legislation in progress ‘Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation’ (ESPR) Designed utilising ecodesign principles, Podium consists of three materials, assembled without the use of adhesives, allowing the ease of separationattheproductsendoflife Twoof the materials are biodegradable; linoleum and cotton,withtheotherbeingfully recyclable;glass

Neildemonstratedanelevatedlevelofattentiontodetailofdesign, commitment to task and programme and was a student who establishedgoodcharacteramongstaff,peersandpublic,coherent with the embodied spirit of the ATU Connemara Conor Farrell Award

Welldonetoallwhoenteredthecompetitionandcongratulationsto Neil.

James&MaryEllisAwardforExcellenceinMaking WearedelightedtoannouncethatMatthewShakespearehas beenselectedastheATUConnemaraJamesandMaryEllis Award for Excellence in Making recipient for the 2022/23 AcademicYearThiswasbasedonbeingselectedasthemaker ofthesinglemostoutstandingpieceacrossallprogrammesand yearsdeliveredatATUConnemaraaswellasembodyingthe spiritofLetterfrackandtheLegacyofJamesandMaryEllis MatthewisnowlinkedfirmlywiththelegacyofATUConnemara, withhisnamebeingaffixedtotheJamesandMaryEllisAward Plaqueforasecondtime

The2023FurnitureDesignPrizeforanATUConnemaraFurniture Design and Manufacture graduate is a follow-up to the collaborationonthe2021/2022RobinDayFurnitureProject

WearedelightedtoannouncethatNeilODonoghueisthewinner andrecipientofthisaward Thisisanincredibleachievementfor Neil

"ItisanhonourtobetherecipientoftheRobinandLucienneDay Foundation Prize for Furniture at The Atlantic Technological UniversityConnemara Tohavemydesignrecognisedbysuchan acclaimedfoundationisaveryproudmomentforme Accolades suchasthis,supportingtheworkIamdoingisveryencouragingasI pursueaMastersinDesignInnovationlaterthisyear The£500 prizemoneywillbeusedtofurthermyresearchinthisareaandto explorefurtheriterationsofmydesign"NeilO'Donoghue2023

Youcanreadmoreonthefoundationbyvisitingtheirwebsite

robinandluciennedayfoundation org

Threefurtherstudents;JosephMcGuireYear4(DanishSúgán Chair),IsabelRobinsonYear1(Dovetailbox),andEoinDalton Year 1 (Dovetail box) had their pieces noted as ‘Highly Commended’bythejudgingpanel Theirworkwasconsidered of extremely high quality and indeed matched the judging criteriaverystrongly

Congratulations to the winner and all highly commended students Wehopethefantasticworkproducedthisyearwill furtherencourageallstudentsintheirownmakingexcellence

Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation Furniture Prize 2023

Matthew’s winning table titled L’Art du Trait

Awards and Competitions

Flanagan Fittings Bursary

Flanagan Fittings have been exemplary supporters of ATU Connemara students over the years We are extremely grateful of this support providing us with opportunities for collaboration We would like to acknowledge our sincere thanks again this year on the announcement of this year’s bursary award

Dana Beier was awarded the Flanagan Fittings Bursary for achieving the highest GPA in 3rd year, Dana completed year 4 on the Furniture Design and Manufacture programme here in ATU Connemara

Joyces’ Craft Shop Design & Make Award

The winner of the inaugural Joyce’s Craft Shop Design & Make Award was announced at the opening of the end of year, 4th year student exhibition on Wednesday the 10th of May 2023. Matthew Sexton was the deserving recipient of the award and was presented with a cheque for €1000 kindly sponsored by Mark Joyce Matthew’s chair was inspired by the intersecting joints of construction scaffolding fixtures and demonstrated an innovative approach to the design brief which was created by lecturer Jeremy Madden

Exhibition - Museum

OurIrishChair

InOctober2022,staffandstudentsofATUConnemarawere delightedtoattendthelaunchofthenewchairs,designedby ATU Students at the National Museum of Country Life, Castlebar Ireland’spremierculturalinstitutionandhometothe greatestcollectionofIrishheritage,culture,andhistory

Inspired by the traditional Sligo/Tuam design & part of the superbAncientIrishChairexhibition,aprojectwhichbeganin 2019,inwhichsecondyearstudentsoftheFurnitureDesign and Manufacture programme, undertook a live project in collaborationwiththeNationalMuseumofIreland-CountryLife andtheOfficeofPublicWorks Thebrief,toreimagineachair knownastheSligoChairorTuamChair,basedonexamplesin theNationalCollection,andtoconsideritsplaceinthehomeof the2020s Aselectionofthesechairswerechosentogoon display as part of the temporary exhibition Our Irish Chair: TraditionRevisited.

Thisexhibitionwasondisplayuntilthesummerof2023

Youcanviewthegalleryofallpiecesexhibited https://wwwmuseumie/en-IE/CollectionsResearch/Collection/Our-Irish-Chair-GMIT-Letterfrack-project

Imagecredit:KarenCox

Vincent Lam

Neil O’Donoghue

Seán Ryan

Ricarda Bolle

Micheal Kilcoyne

Imagecredit:KarenCox

Exhibition - Museum

Daniel Long

Craig Brock

Ann Marie Reilly

Barbara Doran

Matthew Shakespeare

Matthew Sexton

Darragh Hickey

Joseph McGuire

Dana Beier

Darragh Murphy

Exhibition - Farmleigh House

TreestoTreasures–FarmleighExhibiton

Trees to Treasures is an exhibition showcasing excellence and innovation in furniture design, manufacture, technology and educationbystudents,staffandgraduatesoftheNationalCentre forExcellenceinFurnitureDesign&Technology,SchoolofDesign &CreativeArts,AtlanticTechnologicalUniversity–basedatthe ATUConnemaracampus

Theexhibitionfocusesontransitioningoftrees,oneoftheearth’s best renewable and sustainable resources, into beautiful and treasuredcreations Itexploresgrowth,energy,imagination,skill andcreativemomentumofstudentsandgraduates Influenceis drawnfromnumeroussources,itembracesexperience,aesthetics, functionalityandtheexceptionalnaturalbeautyofthecampus’s locationonthewesterncoastofIreland

TreestoTreasuresisanexhibitiondesignedtodemonstratethe roleofcreativityandeducationinachievingindividualandcollective potential

ThisexhibitionispresentedbytheNationalCentreforExcellencein FurnitureDesign&Technology,SchoolofDesign&CreativeArts, AtlanticTechnologicalUniversity,andtheOfficeofPublicWorks, FarmleighGallery

Source:https://www.farmleigh.ie/events/trees-to-treasures/

The exhibition was open from 19 May to 27 August at Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park You can read the full ATU article here at https://www.atu.ie/news/from-trees-to-treasures-exhibitionshowcases-irelands-expertise-in-furniture-making

ATU were delighted to welcome Rosemary Steen, Chief Executive Officer of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland to the official opening of the Trees to Treasures exhibition in May 2023

Theexhibitionfeaturesover50itemsoffurnituremadebytheATU Connemara students and graduates. Some items were group projects,manywereindividualpieces,ATUConnemaraaredelighted to have been able to select pieces made by the students representingalltheyeargroups LecturersAnthonyClareandDaniel McNamara led out on the curation of the exhibition; and worked closelywiththeOPWFarmleighGallerymanager,AngelaCassidy

Honoured to have been invited onto the RTE Ray Darcey show in May to promote the exhibition Image: 1st year student Isabel Robinson, 4th year student Neil O'Donoghue with Ray Darcy and Head of Department Paul Leamy

Photographer credit: OPW Mark Steadman & Mark Duggan

Exhibition - Recess

OutoftheWoods-FinalYearstudents,endofyear exhibition.

An exhibition of furniture designed and made by students studyinginATUConnemara,SchoolofDesign&CreativeArts.

Anexhibitionoffurnituredesignedbyfinalyearstudentsofthe BSc(Hons)inFurnitureDesignandManufactureprogrammewas showcased in the gallery space of Joyce’s Craft Shop Recess, Connemara ThewinneroftheinauguralJoyce’sCraftShopDesign & Make Award was announced at the opening reception on Wednesdaythe10thofMay.MatthewSextonwasthedeserving recipientoftheawardandwaspresentedwithachequefor€1000 kindlysponsoredbyMarkJoyce Matthew’schairwasinspiredby the intersecting joints of construction scaffolding fixtures and demonstratedaninnovativeapproachtothedesignbriefwhich wascreatedbylecturerJeremyMadden

Joyce’sCraftShopandtheJoycefamilyhavebeencentraltoIrish craft and design since the 1960s The gallery space at Recess showcasestheworkofleadingIrishmakers,wheretheemphasis hasalwaysbeenondesignandqualityinmakingThisyearseesthe first Joyce’s Craft Shop Design & Make Award, an acknowledgement of their commitment to supporting high standardsinIrishdesignandcraftsmanship,andinparticular,their supportofthenextgenerationofIrishdesigners

DetailsofthestudentsandtheirworkcanbeviewedonInstagram @out of the woods 2023