University honours Enya
Grammy-winning singer Enya is to be honoured by NUI Galway today.
The Co Donegal-born artist is one of six people from the worlds of business, philanthropy, justice, music and the arts to receive honorary doctorates.
The others are international businessman Niall Fitzgerald, philanthropist Bill Walsh, trad music expert Nicholas Carolan, composer Dr Jane O’Leary and South African Chief Justice Pius Langa.
A former member of the family group Clannad, Enya has won four Grammys and was also nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her work on The Lord of the Rings films.
Mr Walsh is a long-time supporter and director of The American Ireland Fund while Mr Fitzgerald is chair of the Reuters media group. Mr Langa is the first African Chief Justice of South Africa. Mr Carolan established the Irish Traditional Music Archive while Dr O’Leary is founding member of Aosdana and founder and current chair of Music for Galway.
“While this university has had many outstanding honorary graduates in its history, those being honoured this year form a particularly distinguished group,” said NUI Galway president Dr Iognaid O Muircheartaigh.
“Their contributions in many spheres – business, the arts, music, philanthropy, justice – have been outstanding, and NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to recognise these exceptional individuals.”
The honorary conferring will take place in the presence of the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland and former Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald.
