BREANDÁN Ó HANNAIDH

Award Year: 2002

Course: Engineering, Microwave Electronics

Activities: GAA; GAA Supporters Society; Academic Council; Governing Authority; An Cumann Gaelach; Teach na Gaeilge Device Modelling & Occupation: Characterisation, Process Development, Analog Devices, Ireland

During my undergraduate years as an Engineering student, I endured long hours: travel commuting from home; lectures and assignments; Sigerson and Dublin Championship football; Intercounty football Wicklow and with my own club, Bray Emmets. To this end most of my undergraduate years were well balanced, well defined, but rigorously timetabled, which didn’t provide for much exposure to other elements of University life. This all changed when studying for my PhD.

Gone were the lecture timetables, the assignments, the exams, and I moved on-campus. Yes, there was plenty of research and study - if not more - but this was conducted at various times of my own will allowing me more interaction with University life. Football still played a major role of course.

By chance, I was allocated accommodation with three Students’ Union political hacks. They quickly realised that postgraduate positions within the Union and University politics were usually left empty, or at least uncontested, which meant getting me involved (on their side) was an easy way to muster additional support in any vote should the time or necessity arrive. And so it was that I began to interact with groups outside my previous undergraduate spheres – left and right wing political hacks, Students’ Union aficionados, club and society organisers, sponsors, academia, RAs (resident assistants), and more sports organisations.

And through my newfound acquaintances I walked into the old Student Bar one evening, saw a friend talking to four women, walked straight over, and was introduced to my future wife.

Being a Gael, I also got involved in the Irish scene. I had heard of a new scheme, the Scéim Chónaithe, or Teach na Gaeilge. I applied (unusual for a postgrad at the time) and was deemed perhaps a risky acceptable and so was granted an opportunity to participate in a fantastic new venture. This would shape so many more activities and chances to meet with other students from all around Ireland.

These experiences have clearly shaped my life. I’ve emigrated and worked abroad, immigrated back and now married with three kids, speak Irish at home, working in the Electronics Industry, and still playing football. My experience in UCD will influence my life for many years to come.

Le linn mo thréimhse mhic léinn Innealtóireachta, chaith mé tamall fada ag taisteal ón mbaile, ag freastal ar léachtanna agus tascanna, maraon le bheith ag imirt peile dona chomórtaisí Sigerson, Craobh Átha Chliath, Idir Chontae agus Club ‘sagainne Bray Emmets i gCill Mhantáin. Dá bharr seo, bhí mo shaol fochéime céillí go leor ach leagtha amach sa chaoi nár lig dom mórán ama a chaitheamh in eachtraí eile Ollscoile. D’aithrigh sé sin go léir le linn mo thaighde iarchéime PhD i Leictreonachas Ard-mhinicíochta.

Bhí deireadh curtha leis na léachtanna, na tascanna, na scrúdaithe, agus fuair mé lóistín ar champas. Bhí neart taighde fós, gan dabht, ach ag uaireannta an lae a d’oirfeadh domsa. Thug an athrú seo seans dom bheith níos rannpháirtí in saol na hOllscoile. Agus bhí baint mór ag an bpeil leis gan dabht.

Mar a tharla sé, fuair mé lóistín le triúir a raibh dúil mór acu in Aontas na Mac Léinn. D’aithin siad cumhacht vótála suíochán an mhic léinn iarchéime neamhiomaithe i bpolaitíocht na hOllscoile agus thug siad futhú mé a mhealladh. Agus ba é sin tús leis an idirgníomaíocht le grupanna nua an lae – tráchtairí polaiticiúla, saineolaithe an Aontais Mhic Léinne, eagraithe clubanna agus cumainn, RAs, agus tuilleadh eagraíochtaí spóirt.

Is tríd mo chomhluadar nua sin a bhuail mé le mo bhean chéile oíche amháin, tar éis dom buaileadh isteach don sean Teach Tabhairne na Mac Léinn, agus cara liom a fheiceáil ag caint le scata ban.

Chuala mé faoin Scéim Chónaithe, nó Teach na Gaeilge, agus sheol mé iarratas isteach. Bronnadh áit dom mar mhac léinn iarchéime agus thug sé seans iontach dom buaileadh le daoine eile ó gach áit agus oidhreacht den tír. Chuaigh sé go léir i bhfeidhm go mór orm i mo shaol.

D’eisimircigh mé chun oibre, d’inimircigh mé ar ais. Tá post leictreonachas agam agus mé fós ag imirt peile. Tá mé anois pósta, le triúir pháiste iontacha atá á dtógadh againn trí mheáin na Gaeilge. Is léir go raibh baint mór ag mo shaol i UCD ar mo shaol ó shin amach.

DARREN O’BEIRNE

Award Year: 1997

Course: Chemical Engineering

Activities: Photographic Society; University Observer; College Tribune

Which matters most, the photograph or the memory? A photograph possesses the power to catalyse, immortalize, or even manipulate a memory. For me personally, it just so happens that my memories and photographs for much of the 90s consist predominantly of UCD images. Looking back now, which do I hold dearest?

Before I attempt to answer this, let us first fast forward to present day UCD life. Today, thanks to the ubiquitous phone, photography has proliferated to the proletariat. Undoubtedly at this very moment, many photos are being shared in realtime, while simultaneously many more images are casually shunted into a vast digital abyss where an enormous repository of campus life is accumulating, biding its time for later resurrection. This wasn’t always so.

Occupation: Project Manager @ Alkermer (pharmaceutical company)

In my time working for the college newspapers, clubs, and societies, I snapped several rolls of film a week. That’s thirty-six images per film roll, times three, per week. This would have been considered a large number of photographs. I would cycle from Belfield to the Earlsfort Terrace darkroom, develop and print the images, then return to meet the deadline with the paper. Photography was effort. Taking photos was either expensive or time consuming. Sharing a photo was effort. Sharing a photo was rare.

Looking back, did I squander my time couriering film and photos? What was gained by the PhotoSoc team teaching hundreds of fellow-students a soon-to-be redundant darkroom skill? What really stayed are the memories: UCD scoring against Liverpool in Lansdowne; the Fashion Show glamour; crashing the Arts Ball; young Glen Hansard exciting the mosh pit in the Bar; Dermot Morgan in Theatre L; cycling from town with fresh prints having requested to “hold the front page”; Mary McAleese presenting her manifesto; the peace process politicians; schoolboys Ash supporting Ronnie Drew and The Dubliners in a tent; the lifelong friends and connections made; the adventures we all shared and maybe contributing just a little bit to the campus fabric.

For me the memories and photography remain inseparable. However, the key to great memo ries and photographs is the exact same: occasion ally stop, turn around, observe the mundane, breathe it in, capture the moment...