COLM MAGUIRE

Award Year: 2002

Course: Commerce

Activities: Commence Day; University Observer

Occupation: Working in the software and insurance industry in Ireland

The earliest memory of my UCD time begins with the ‘Welcome Freshers’ Breakfast’ where I made my first of many lifelong college friends. I remember that during that first month in UCD as a Commerce undergraduate, I had the crazy notion of wanting to at least say “hello” to everyone in the class (of about 300 people). I calculated that I would need to sit beside one person per day to meet this goal before graduation - I reached 20 before I stopped! Luckily for me, this 20th (and last person) became a lifetime friend ever since (take a bow, Mel Casey).

I probably should not commit this to paper, but a smile comes to my face as I recall the spring afternoon when I was ceremoniously thrown in the lake (as promised) by my friends and campaign team upon losing the Students’ Union election for Entertainments Officer. (Note to self – UCD just wasn’t ready for my ‘naked with a strategically placed pint of Guinness’ poster campaign, however I understand that some friends’ mothers were delighted to use surplus posters as fridge pin-ups. Many lessons have been learned since and some even applied.)

The year of receiving the President’s Award, I was the Chairperson of Commerce Day and Assistant Editor of the University Observer, with joint-responsibility for publishing the Student’s Union newspaper every other week.

What both activities had in common were 2 fantastic teams of dedicated and enthusiastic people working, volunteering, and learning together. For our efforts, both Commerce Day and the Observer won a number of College, national, and international awards.

Since then, many people from both teams have gone on to very successful careers in Irish and international business, finance, and media in what appears to be a common theme across all faculties and classes of UCD.

I don’t get to visit Belfield often nowadays, but when I do, I take great pleasure in walking along the concourse, past the Lake (of course!) and through the corridors of the old Arts building to the sights and sounds of eager students, and the echoes of those long graduated.

I have no idea who nominated me for the President’s Award, and this anonymity is part of what makes UCD and the President’s Awards so wonderful, where those you don’t know can and do affect you in positive ways. Indeed many of the random interactions and events we encountered in UCD have woven together the fabric of many of our lives in unseen ways that have made us all who we are now. I am very proud to have been a student of this wonderful university and grateful to this day for all the unforgettable memories, friendship, and connections it has given me.