Ninth Level Ireland

“The University of Limerick (UL) spent almost €4,000 on bed linen for its now outgoing president’s multi-million house, the Irish Daily Mail has revealed. This news comes just months after Dr Fitzgerald, a University College Dublin (UCD) medical graduate, announced his intention to resign from his position as President of the university due to Covid-19 …” (more)

[Casey Conway, College Tribune, 16 September]

“The number of sexual assaults on students at the University of Limerick and other third-level institutions are being grossly under-reported, according to a recent survey. Outgoing president of UL, Dr Des Fitzgerald, has said that the Sexual Experiences Survey, carried out by the Union of Students in Galway, ‘in no way reflects the reality or the frequency of sexual assault …'” (more)

[Bernie English, Limerick Post, 21 July]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD, has today welcomed the appointment by the Board of the University of Limerick of Dr Kerstin Mey as Interim President of the university. Minister Harris said: ‘I am delighted to welcome the appointment of Dr Mey as interim president of the University of Limerick. This is a key strategic appointment in our higher education sector …'” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 9 July]

“The first ever woman president of an Irish university in the 400-plus years of higher education has been appointed at University of Limerick. Professor Kerstin Mey has been named as interim president of the university for the next 18 months. She will replace outgoing president Dr Des Fitzgerald, who announced his intention to retire in May …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 9 July]

“The President of the University of Limerick, Dr Des Fitzgerald has come under fire from some quarters for citing the impact of Covid-19 on his ability to serve the university, as the reason for stepping down from his post, just three years into his 10-year term …” (more)

[Aine Fitzgerald, Limerick Leader, 6 June]

“University of Limerick president Dr Des Fitzgerald is to step down from the role after just three years in charge because of personal health concerns related to Covid-19. A source within the university said the 67-year-old former heart surgeon was advised that the duties of being president, including meeting large groups of people, was ‘not the sensible thing to do’ and he risked serious illness if he contracted the virus …” (more)

[Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times, 26 May]

“University of Limerick President Dr Des Fitzgerald has announced his shock resignation, linking it to his ability to lead the university in the context of Covid-19. Dr Fitzgerald said the virus ‘would directly impact my ability to serve the university and limit my ability to fully engage once we get our community back onto the campus’ …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 26 May]

“Recruitment freezes are on the cards at universities as the sector braces for the financial impact of Covid-19 on higher education. With the pandemic expected to have a major financial impact on the sector, universities are working through the many implications of the shutdown for all aspects of their operations …” (more)

[Jess Casey and Áine Kenny, Irish Examiner, 28 April]

“The president of UL, Dr Des Fitzgerald says it is ‘very unlikely’ students and staff will ‘come back together physically as a community until some stage in the late summer’. And he says that it could be the autumn of 2020, ‘probably in late October’ when new students will enter University of Limerick …” (more)

[Limerick Leader, 22 April]

“The University of Limerick (UL) does not expect to admit new students until late October, but hopes to re-open for current students in September, its president has said. In an email sent to UL staff and students, seen by The University Times, Des Fitzgerald wrote that the university is ‘now very unlikely to come back together physically as a community until some stage in the late summer’ …” (more)

[Danielle Varley, University Times, 15 April]

“When University of Limerick president Dr Des Fitzgerald said in March that its grounds could be used for a field hospital, many thought he was being alarmist. However, the words of the cardiologist and former Professor of Molecular Medicine at UCD have come to pass …” (more)

[Donal O’Regan, Limerick Leader, 3 April]

“Trinity has set up a contact tracing centre in the Tangent area of the Business School, run by College volunteers trained by army cadets from the Irish defence forces. Volunteer staff from the College working in the centre will make calls to people who have tested positive to find out if there are others they may have infected …” (more)

[Ella Connolly, University Times, 31 March]

“University of Limerick (UL) President Des Fitzgerald has expressed his belief that the college will not reopen to students until mid-June, outlining that UL may host a field hospital on its campus if the health services are ‘overwhelmed’ by the demands of the coronavirus pandemic …” (more)

[Lauren Boland, Trinity News, 16 March]

“University of Limerick is likely to host a field hospital on its campus should health services become overwhelmed from the coronavirus pandemic over the coming weeks. UL president Prof Des Fitzgerald said he expects it will be at least mid-June before the college reopens to students and the campus may be need to assist health services in the meantime …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 16 March]

“Staff at University of Limerick are reportedly being subjected to ‘bullying and harassment’ under what has been described as ‘dictatorship’ management within the university. The university’s union, UL-Unite, also stated in its February newsletter that members have claimed bullying has ‘escalated to a very dangerous level’, and is affecting the mental health of some staff …” (more)

[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 7 March]

“University of Limerick president Dr Des Fitzgerald has told staff and students that the current accommodation situation in the university is ‘better than any other university in Ireland’ and has pledged that the university ‘will do more’ to address the issue. In an email issued earlier this Thursday, he said …” (more)

[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 27 February]

“Students camping out day and night in protest at proposed incoming rent hikes at accommodation owned by their university believe they will remain in their tents on-campus for at least another week …” (more)

[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 27 February]

“University of Limerick have defended their decision to double-up some single rooms of their on-campus accommodation. In a statement the university said that the decision was taken ‘in an attempt to meet unprecedented demand in the shortest possible timeframe amid a national housing crisis’ …” (more)

[Ciarán Sunderland and Vivienne Clarke, Irish Examiner, 25 February]

“The President of University of Limerick has called on political parties to ‘make third-level funding a national priority’ and accused the outgoing government of cutting supports to the sector. Addressing students at the start of UL’s Winter Conferring ceremonies, Dr Des Fitzgerald said: ‘Let’s be honest, our universities are good, but not good enough’…” (more)

[David Raleigh, Irish Examiner, 20 January]

“As the country prepares for a general election, University of Limerick President Dr Des Fitzgerald has said there is a need to ‘clearly hear from the political parties as to what will be done to make third level funding a national priority’ …” (more)

[Rebecca Laffan, Limerick Leader, 20 January]