PRESIDENT Mary Robinson will today officially open UCC's new student centre, Aras na Mac Leinn.
The centre, built with student money raised through a voluntary increase in capitation payments, includes a multi-function hall, a bar, exhibition area, travel agency, shop, meeting rooms and a radio station.
The rooms all have names resonant of places of learning from Irish history, including Lios Mor and Sceilig. A sculpture by Conor Fallon of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and An Bradan Feasa is located on the exterior of the building.
The new centre is to be named after Jim Devere, an 83-year-old Irish American hardware and sporting-goods millionaire, who last week made the UCC people very happy indeed by giving the university a gift of $ 3 million. Devere's father, Leo Dever (sic), emigrated to the US from Cobb and his mother Elizabeth's parents came from Cork; he was anxious to make some return to his father's homeland.
The gift is a boost to UCC's fundraising. The university's development office recently completed a £10.5 million fundraising campaign and will soon embark on a campaign to raise £100 million.
