• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

IRISH FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NUMBER 37 SPRING 2015 NEWSLETTER IFAA PRESIDENT MEETS WITH TAIWAN FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION By Sarah Ingle On a recent trip to Asia I was privileged to be hosted as guest of honour at a reception in the Fulbright Taiwan offices in Taipei on 3 April 2015. At the invitation of Dr Hans Tung, Secretary General of the Taiwan Fulbright Alumni Association (TFAA), I met with the Executive Director of Fulbright Taiwan, William Vocke, along with other TFAA Board members and Fulbright alumni. In his opening remarks, Will spoke very warmly of IFAA President Emeritus Paul Donnelly and the role he played during his time in Taipei on a Taiwan Fellowship in developing Sarah Ingle, IFAA President, with Hans Tung, Secretary General TFAA, and other the relationships between Taiwan and TFAA Board members including Will Vocke, Executive Director Fulbright Taiwan; Ireland. We were then shown a very Nicole Lee, Director General, Ministry of Education; Bert Lim, President World Economy Society; Yuyuan Tsai, Professor Donghua University, and Joe Eaton, interesting video of the life of Paul Fulbright alumnus and Associate Professor, Department of History, National Chiu. In the video, Chiu, the former Chengchi University Chairman of SinoPac Bank shared how his Fulbright experience in Ohio Hans, Will, and other members of the synergies. A later roundtable State University 1968–69 was a very Board, and how I hoped that the discussion continued this theme and solid foundation for his future career IFAA and the TFAA could continue several ideas were suggested, some of and a key success factor in his to build on the alliances and which I hope can be acted upon in the contribution to the development of relationships already forged. I also coming years. It was a wonderful Taiwan’s monetary and foreign outlined the recent and ongoing opportunity to meet with Hans and exchange markets. activities of the IFAA, in particular his colleagues in Taipei, which I really I then addressed the audience, the success of the annual Scholars’ enjoyed, and I hope it might be including in my talk how honoured I Dinner, and suggested a few ways in possible for IFAA to host a similar was to have been invited to meet with which IFAA and TFAA could develop event in Ireland in the future. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT By Sarah Ingle It is with mixed emotions that I write sorry to be leaving the post, having Vice-President and President this message to all IFAA members worked in four roles on the IFAA respectively. I joined the IFAA Board and the wider Fulbright community, Board since 2008 as Ordinary at the request of President Emeritus my last as IFAA President. I am very Member, Membership Secretary, Thérèse Fahy, having been suggested PAGE 1 IRISH FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NUMBER 37 SPRING 2015 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT By Sarah Ingle as a potential candidate by former since the Autumn, beginning with our MainStage event in Liberty Hall, IFAA Treasurer, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, annual Thanksgiving Dinner that Dublin, supported by the sponsorship a then DCU colleague. took place in November in the of the IFAA, Fulbright Commission, I have really enjoyed my time as an beautiful Glucksman Gallery, on the and the US Embassy. The IFAA was IFAA officer and it has been a UCC Campus in Cork City. In privileged to be a part of this privilege to work on behalf of the February a wonderful visit was wonderful evening and many thanks membership with the other Board organised by Board member Gráinne are due to Anne for making it happen. members, in collaboration and Cuffe to the Chester Beatty Library, Our final event of the year will be the consultation with the Fulbright followed in March by the IFAA Annual General Meeting to be held on Commission, the US Embassy, and annual visit to the National Concert 8 May in DIT Aungier Street. I hope further afield. However, it is now an Hall. The latter had an important that many of you will be able to come appropriate time to pass on the mantle Fulbright perspective about which along to review the recent activities, to a new President, Jimmy O’Brien you can read more in this issue. look to the future and welcome Jimmy Moran, who I know will do an In April a very special IFAA event as IFAA’s new President. excellent job and will bring his own took place, brainchild of Treasurer Go raibh maith agaibh go léir as ideas, skills, and perspectives to the Anne Cleary. Anne is a huge fan of bhúr dtacaíocht le seacht mbliana role. Jimmy will also be ably the Moth movement which promotes anuas. Ba mhór an phribhléid agus an supported by a committed, willing and the genre of true storytelling in the onóir a bhí ann dom a bheith ag obair hardworking Board with individual US and Europe. Through her sterling thar ceann an IFAA. Guím gach rath strengths and contributions to offer. work and tenacity over many months, ar an gcumann agus ar an mballraíocht The IFAA has had a busy time the US Moth hosted a sell-out ar fad san am atá romhainn. IFAA NATIONAL CONCERT HALL OUTING 2015 By Sarah Ingle A small group of members and friends Martin Johnson. In Frank’s own a “we calm the mighty forces, we wrap up attended the IFAA annual outing to words: all” last movement. the National Concert Hall on 13 As long as I can remember, I always wanted Frank’s work was suitably acclaimed March 2015. The National Symphony to compose a concerto for cello and orchestra, by the audience and he took his place Orchestra, under conductor Kenneth but I lacked the courage and the means till on the stage with the conductor, Montgomery, presented a wonderful I had written my violin concerto (premiered soloist, and orchestra, to rapturous programme which began with by Alan Smale with the N.S.O. under applause. All in all, it was a very Mendelssohn’s overture to A Christopher Warren-Green in 2012). As enjoyable evening, culminating in Midsummer Night’s Dream. This was soon as that work was born, I felt I was free. drinks and convivial chat afterwards followed by Beethoven’s exquisite And my soloist, Martin Johnson, then said with the IFAA party. orchestral love song to nature, the a mighty thing to me: “Frank, the cello must Pastoral Symphony, which for me was soar. Let it soar. Let it sing.” So I did. With a highlight on the night. The final item its four movements and over half an hour on the programme had particular duration the cello concerto is longer, bigger. significance for the Fulbright It hovers between Dvorak and Lutoslawski community, featuring the world – of course. It has to. As in both its mighty premiere of Irish Fulbright alumnus predecessors, the solo instrument here must Frank Corcoran’s Cello Concerto, a sing in its bass and chalumeau and tenor work that ‘sings and soars’ with and contralto and dizzyingly high soprano powerful emotions for both the register, right through the introductory first Sarah Ingle with IFAA member Claire orchestra and soloist. This concerto movement, the cantabilissimo slow Gubbins and husband Eamon Collins was composed for principal cellist movement, a wild screaming scherzo and at the National Concert Hall PAGE 2 IRISH FULBRIGHT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NUMBER 37 SPRING 2015 FULBRIGHT ALUMNA GETS SECOND CHANCE TO FULFILL DREAM By Anne Driscoll Many Fulbrighters consider their nephew of Harry Gleeson who was scholarship a once-in-a-lifetime opp- wrongfully convicted and hanged in ortunity but, through a fortuitous set 1941 at Mountjoy Prison and is to of circumstances, mine became a receive a presidential posthumous twice-in-a-lifetime chance. Actually, pardon, is a Hollywood director who that does not even closely reflect the has wanted to do a film about Harry lightning-strike quality of my second with his friend Liam Neeson for two time around in Dublin. decades. Now he wants to do a film I arrived on September 3, 2013 for about Harry Gleeson overlaid by the my Fulbright year to work with the story of the Irish Innocence Project’s Irish Innocence Project at Griffith work to expunge his conviction. The College Dublin, as a journalist hoping History Press is also interested in to teach the law students (working on having me write a book with a similar cases of claimed wrongful convictions) structure of the two overlapping how to investigate and interview, to stories. Liam Neeson is committed to better progress their cases. It was a the film project and both Neeson and fantastic year during which the Miller are expected to come to project grew from a dozen law conference and film festival on the 26- students from Griffith College, 27th June 2015. Anne Driscoll Trinity, and Dublin City University, An international delegation that to 21 caseworkers including three includes world-renowned human rights of conference speakers, films, Q&As journalism students – becoming only lawyers, LA directors, VIP delegates, with actors and directors and first- the second project of 68 innocence celebrity journalists, exonerees, and ever awards that shouldn’t be projects worldwide to have both law students, will be part of the first Irish missed,” said David Langwallner, a and journalism students working Innocence Project International former Fulbright candidate and collaboratively to overturn wrongful Conference and the Wrongful founding director of the Irish convictions. Griffith invited me to Conviction Film Festival on 26-27 Innocence Project at Griffith College, return in the fall of 2014 to continue June 2015 at Griffith College Dublin.

Load more

  16

Copy Link