UCD ISSUE 13, 2008 CONNECTIONS THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN ALUMNI KING OF COMEDY Myles Dungan & Gerry Stembridge on Dermot Morgan MR MIDAS Barry Maloney – the investor instinct WEST-END GIRL Aoife Mulholland on life on the London stage PLUS: DICTIONARY OF IRISH BIOGRAPHY * RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS * MAPPING THE WEATHER * CLASS NOTES AIB/UCD Visa Affinity Credit Card 36 52 30 WELCOME TO UCD 3.9% APR CONTENTS CONNECTIONS FUTURE VISION 04 VIEW FROM ABROAD 36 This is my first year at UCD and so my first Interview with President Hugh Brady Marie O’Riordan, editor of the ‘glossy UCD Connections. It was a great pleasure by Conall Ó Móráin with brains’, Marie Claire, talks to Ann to discover the sheer breadth of talent O’Dea about a life in fashion publishing among our alumni network and schools. COVER STORY 06 This year we interview Tony-award From being too shy to audition for VIEW FROM WITHIN 38 winning playwright Professor Frank DramSoc to the West End stage, Dr Regina Uí Chollatain has just we talk to Aoife Mulholland completed the first major critical McGuinness; Myles Dungan and Gerry analysis of Irish language journalism. Stembridge reminisce on the comic legacy ECONOMIST’S EYE 10 She talks to Danielle Barron Leading economist Colm McCarthy on of Dermot Morgan; we chat to management leader Barry Maloney and the prospect of an orderly slowdown HISTORY 40 James McGuire and James Quinn on economist Colm McCarthy. Marie YEAR IN REVIEW 12 the mammoth task of creating Ireland’s O’Riordan tells us about life at the UK’s A round-up of the year’s highlights first Dictionary of Irish Biography leading fashion glossy, and Micheál Ó YEAR TO COME 17 Muircheartaigh talks GAA and the Irish s!02ONPURCHASESAND CENTENARY language. We do hope you’ll enjoy A look ahead at the upcoming year CELEBRATIONS 44 BALANCETRANSFERSFORMONTHS Maurice Manning on 100 years of reading their thoughts. TOMORROW’S WORLD 18 the National University of Ireland Remember to register with UCD’s A round-up of UCD’s leading-edge research online community at PERSPECTIVES 46 www.alumniconnections.com/ucd to be in DEVELOPMENT 20 Peter Lynch, UCD Professor of with a chance to win an iPod Touch. UCD’s new VP for Development on the Meteorology, talks to Claire campaign to bring UCD into the O’Connell about weather This is your magazine, and we 21st century and beyond predictions welcome all feedback to [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you. ARTS VIEW 22 SOCIETY 48 &ORAN!)"5#$6ISA!FFINITY Myles Dungan reminisces with Gerry Stembridge on Dermot A new book by Professor Aidan Aíne Gibbons Morgan’s comedy legacy P. Moran takes a practical look at the Vice-President, Development #REDIT#ARDAPPLICATIONFORM subject of sports psychology. He talks to Louise Holden DROPINTOTHE5#$BRANCH CULTURE 26 Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh talks to Eugene ORCALL McGee about growing up in Kerry, Gaelic SPORTSFILE 50 In the compilation of this publication, every football and the Irish language Michael Scully speaks to our great care is taken to ensure accuracy. Any errors or Olympics hope Joanne Cuddihy; omissions should be brought to the attention Morgan McElligott on the famous 52 of the UCD Development & Alumni Relations CULTÚR 28 1948 Olympics rowing team Office. However, UCD does not accept any Labhraíonn Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh liability to any person for loss or damage le Eugene McGee faoina óige i gCiarraí, arising from anything contained in this faoin bpeil agus an Ghaeilge COMPETITIONS 56&57 publication or for any error or omission in it, Win fantastic prizes with our even if such loss or damage is caused by the negligence of UCD or its servants and agents. LITERATURE 30 Crossword & Sudoku competitions Deirdre Mulrooney talks to Tony-award Editorial Board: Aíne Gibbons, Eilis O’Brien, winning playwright and UCD Professor of ALUMNI FUND 58 Yvonne O’Dowd, Sinéad Dolan, Rose Cotter Creative Writing, Frank McGuinness Encouraging excellence, supporting Editors: Ann O’Dea (BA ’90, MA ’92), our students Grainne Rothery (BA ’86), Linda Gillett (BA ’94) EARLSFORT TERRACE 33 Publishers: Whitespace Publishing for UCD Bidding a fond farewell to the Terrace UCD ALUMNI 60 All feedback or enquiries welcome to: Chapter News page 60 Development & Alumni Relations Office BUSINESS VIEW 34 Graduate Associations page 62 UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4 Barry Maloney talks about investing in such Reunions page 66 Tel: 353 1 7161447 * Special introductory rate of 3.9% APR fixed on purchases and balance transfers will apply to the accounts of new AIB/UCD Visa Affinity goldmines as eBay and Bebo Class Notes page 68 Email: [email protected] Credit Card holders only, for the first 12 months from the date the account is opened. At the end of those 12 months, the APR reverts back to the respective purchase and balance transfer standard variable rate applicable to the product at that time. Terms and conditions apply. Credit facilities are subject to repayment capacity and financial status and are not available to persons under 18 UCD CONNECTIONS PAGE THREE years of age. Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Financial Regulator. CLOSE-UP CLOSE-UP LOVED it while I did it but I will definitely not be Global Irish Institute returning to medicine.” That’s what Dr Hugh Brady Another of Dr Brady’s priorities is developing UCD as the global told me when I asked him what he would do when centre for Irish studies, covering all areas of Ireland and the Irish. his term of office as UCD President comes to a And this is not aimed at just the five million plus people on this mandatory end in 2013. This is quite surprising, as he island but at the 75 million around the world who consider was once recognised as a world expert on biomedical themselves in some way as being Irish. Dr Brady sees a role for research‘I into diabetes and kidney disease. Did he keep up to date the university in bringing together the obvious areas of with the latest research in the area? “No.” Did he even sneak a language, literature and music and also in marrying these with peek at the latest issue of The Lancet? “No.” But he did concede law and the social sciences to enable Irish people to give back to that he may have discussed medicine with his wife, who is also a the world from our experiences over the centuries in areas such nephrologist, but can’t remember when. “It was a long time as emigration, integration and conflict resolution. ago.” And despite my best questioning, I couldn’t find out where It seems Dr Brady may have tapped into a rich seam that people he was heading or what he was going to do next. “I have six want to be part of, as evidenced by the numbers who turned up years left — until then I’m focused on UCD and nothing else.” to the US-Ireland Forum, held in New York last November. Some Since he took over as UCD President, there has been what can 200 people were expected but in fact 700 turned up, all keen to only be described as a revolution in how the university does its discuss the idea of an international centre of excellence dedicated business, both among the academic staff and also in the way to the study of Ireland and its diaspora. The centre will be based students can learn. And of course, it didn’t all run smoothly, as in the new Gateway Complex at Belfield, yet another of the the letters page of The Irish Times testifies. Teaching structures projects that will totally transform the campus when it is were radically changed and this ruffled more than a few completed by its target date of 2013. feathers. But Dr Brady is pleased with progress so far, “We, and by we I mean the UCD community, have achieved in three years World Forum what most universities would have taken 20 years to do.” The In November 2008 UCD will host the World Forum to further UCD president Dr Hugh Brady talks to purpose of the changes is to ensure that UCD continues to be develop the concept behind the Global Irish Institute. It will be Conall Ó Móráin about his ongoing the pre-eminent university in the State, albeit the context and held in O’Reilly Hall, and Dr Brady is hoping to have over 1,000 challenges are new. Over the past 150 years, UCD has produced delegates attend. “I want this to be a truly global affair, with plans for UCD, including a new initiative generations of nation builders. The challenge now is to retain people coming not just from the US, Canada and the UK, but also UCD’s distinctively Irish character while producing global minds from Australia and South America — anywhere where we Irish on the study of Ireland and its diaspora – a new breed of UCD graduate with a global perspective. have landed. At least half of the events will focus on public There has been a major new emphasis on research across all engagement with the diaspora concept.” disciplines in the university. UCD now has 6,000 postgraduate When you take a stroll through the campus, the scale of the students and the number of PhD students has doubled to 1,500. physical transformation at UCD is already staggering — and The academic staff itself has seen some major changes, with there’s more to come. As well as all of the student residences almost 80% of new hires coming from overseas, many of them which have been built, the UCD Bowl sports ground has just Europeans returning from stints in US universities, all bringing opened and planning for the university’s first 50-metre pool and new knowledge and approaches with them.