THE FOUNDING father of the University of Limerick was among five people honoured at a conferring ceremony yesterday.
An honorary doctorate was conferred on Ed Walsh, the founding president of the University of Limerick, the first new university established in the history of the State. Dr Walsh is credited with significantly expanding the university with support from private philanthropic sources and pioneering a wide range of education innovations at the college.
He has served as founding chairman of the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, and also served as chairman of the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities and Shannon Development. He was among five individuals to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick, its highest honour.
An honorary doctorate was conferred on Frank Daly, chairman of the National Asset Management Agency, who was appointed chairman of the Revenue Commissioners in March 2002 for a four-year period.
Mr Daly was appointed chairman of the new Commission on Taxation in March 2008 when then minister for finance Brian Cowen cited his “wide-ranging senior public service management experience”.
Honorary doctorates were also conferred on well-known Irish entrepreneur Jerry Kennelly; Oliver Murphy, who established the Irish Wheelchair Association; and Anya Peterson Royce, a renowned academic in the area of anthropology of dance.