Former 'Irish Times' editor to take up UL journalism role

FORMER EDITOR of The Irish Times Geraldine Kennedy has been appointed adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Limerick along with Sunday Times columnist Justine McCarthy.

The three-year posts will begin in September and are unpaid.

The two women will work with journalism students on investigative journalism projects and newspaper production and will give masterclasses in journalism.

They will also be required to give occasional lectures and one-to-one guidance to students on editorial matters and career development while on campus.

They will sit on the university’s editorial advisory board, and will advise on curriculum development of the BA in Journalism and New Media programme, and the postgraduate MA in Journalism.

They may also conduct their own research if they wish.

Ms Kennedy retired as editor of The Irish Times in June last year after a 40-year career in journalism.

She holds five honorary doctorates from Irish universities and was awarded with an honorary doctorate by the University of Limerick earlier this year.

Ms McCarthy is a columnist and investigative journalist with the Sunday Times.

She is the author of books including Mary McAleese: The Outsider, and Deep Deception: Scandals in Irish Swimming.

Head of journalism at the university Tom Felle said the appointments were a tremendous boost to journalism education at the university.

“Journalism students will be working alongside two of the most important women in Irish journalism,” he said.

“Anyone considering a career in journalism will now have the opportunity to be trained by some of the best journalists in the country at the University of Limerick.”

University president Prof Don Barry said the appointments were unique in Ireland, and demonstrated the university’s strong commitment to journalism education.

“These appointments further cement the position of the journalism programmes at the University of Limerick as being at the cutting edge of journalism education in this country,” he said.