Over 1,600 students will graduate from across the five colleges at NUI Galway at the University’s winter conferring ceremonies which began today.
The graduation ceremonies will continue continue tomorrow and finish on Thursday.
In recognition of his public contribution and charity work, a Doctor of Laws degree was conferred on Jack McCann today.
Jack worked as a plastic surgeon at UGH from 1989 to 2010.
In 2005 he co-founded the charity Irish Friends of Albania and he travels to the balkan country twice a year with teams of medical volunteers to work in hospitals there.
Since 2002 he has operated on hundreds of children and adults to improve and correct hand deformities and burn injuries.
Jack also leads free annual microsurgical training workshops in Albania, training their surgeons to provide better outcomes for their patients.
He fundraises throughout the year, culminating in the annual Irish Friends of Albania Ball.
He is also a published author with four plays, short stories and two collections of poetry.
In recognition of their work in transforming the Galway International Arts Festival John Crumlish as CEO and Paul Fahy as Artistic Director and Producer will both be conferred with honorary Doctor of Arts degrees tomorrow, Wednesday, 22 November.
Galway International Arts Festival has become an event that has international significance, impact and reach; it has made an exceptional contribution to the culture, economy and intellectual life of Galway and Ireland; and it is leading the development of new forms of art in Ireland and globally.
Through the development of a major partnership with NUI Galway since 2012, new opportunities have been created for artists and producers to build successful and sustainable careers in the west of Ireland.
