THE Supreme Court judge, Mrs Justice Susan Denham, has been admitted as one of the five Pro Chancellors of Trinity College Dublin. Dr Robert Willis and Dr Louden Ryan, were also admitted as pro chancellors at a special ceremony yesterday.
Mrs Justice Denham spoke of her family links to the university. Her parents are both TCD graduates - her father, Douglas Gageby, is the former Editor of The Irish Times. Her grandfather, Sean Lester, received an honorary Doctorate of Law shortly before returning as the last Secretary General of the league of Nations.
She spoke of TCD's record in promoting women and said that it had led the way in awarding degrees to women. "Trinity has an honourable position in the social revolution that has swept up women this century," she said.
Mrs Justice Denham said one third of her graduating class had been from Northern Ireland. It was regrettable that this level had not been maintained, but she emphasised this was still an important link.
However, TCD was not only a national institution, she said. It had a special place on the international stage, earned by its high academic standard. This aspect of the college could be seen in many areas and was reflected in the fact that its students this year came from 63 countries.