Ninth Level Ireland

“Calls have been made for Ulster University to seek an apology from Lord Hall over the Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales. UU awarded the former BBC director-general an honorary degree in 2018. Lord Hall was director of news and current affairs when Diana’s headline-making interview with Martin Bashir was screened in 1995 …” (more)

[Maureen Coleman, Belfast Telegraph, 22 May]

“Queen’s University has failed to confirm whether it will rescind Liam Neeson’s honorary doctorate after he was reportedly removed from its latest prospectus for new students …” (more)

[Victoria Leonard, Belfast Telegraph, 27 March]

“A terminally ill Irish woman who won the biggest financial settlement for medical negligence ever in the Netherlands after a hospital lost her test results leaving her with incurable cancer is to be conferred with an honorary degree at UCC next Monday …” (more)

[Olivia Kelleher, Irish Examiner, 7 December]

“Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) at Queen’s University Belfast for her exceptional public service in the US and globally, and for her contribution to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 10 October]

“A protest is planned against Hillary Clinton’s visit to Belfast next week. The former US Secretary of State will be presented with an honorary degree from Queen’s University on Wednesday. She will be recognised for her ‘exceptional public service in the USA and globally’, and her ‘outstanding’ contribution to peace and reconciliation here …” (more)

[Adrian Rutherford, Belfast Telegraph, 4 October]

“Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to be awarded an Honorary Degree from Queen’s University of Belfast. She will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) for her ‘exceptional public service in the USA and globally’, and for her ‘outstanding’ contribution to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland …” (more)

[Belfast Telegraph, 27 September]

“I’m about to make up a number here, but just work with me. Across the world in 2017, some 200,000 people were awarded honorary doctorates. A significant proportion these awards were handed to eminent academics, often at or near retirement, whose work was of real intellectual significance and produced wider benefits. Some were awarded to prominent people who showed their support for higher education activities and values. Some … – well some, you just don’t know why they got them …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 10 September]

“On Monday, a strange tweet, remembering the awarding of an honorary degree to the widely criticised Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was posted from Trinity’s Twitter account. Predictably, the ensuing confusion and criticism forced Trinity to swiftly delete the tweet. The tweet, which lauded her as ‘one of the most renowned women democrats in the world’, was part of the College’s #OnThisDay series on social media. Yet it only served to highlight something that students and staff may have otherwise wanted to forget …” (more)

[University Times, 24 June]

“Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered an impassioned speech about the merits of democracy during a special visit to Dublin. She was being recognised with an Honorary Doctorate at Trinity College Dublin and spoke to a crowd at the university’s Edmund Burke Theatre …” (more)

[Caitlin McBride, Independent, 22 June]

“Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Workers’ Party TCD are organising protests against Hillary Clinton’s visit to Trinity next Friday. Both groups oppose Clinton’s visit, during which Trinity will award her an honorary degree …” (more)

[Lauren Boland, Trinity News, 15 June]

“The honorary degree Trinity awarded to former director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan in 2000 is under review. Colgan has been the subject of a series of allegations relating to bullying and abuse of power …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 12 November]

“Former US President Bill Clinton will be conferred with an honorary doctorate at Dublin City University this morning for his contribution to peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 17 October]

“Ulster University has said it has no plans to strip the de facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi of a 2009 honorary degree, despite weeks of international condemnation on her handling of the Rohingya crisis. Last week it was reported that Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar were still flooding towards the border with Bangladesh, despite government assurances it was preventing the mass exodus …” (more)

[Allan Preston, Belfast Telegraph, 9 October]

“The founding president of the University of Limerick is sending his honorary doctorate in the post back to the National University of Ireland, after failing to receive a formal response. Dr Edward Walsh said that he was ‘surprised’ that he has not received a reply in writing from the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland (NUI), Dr Maurice Manning, after he wrote to him nearly a fortnight ago …” (more)

[Gareth Morgan, Independent, 11 August]

“The founding president of the University of Limerick this week confirmed he will send the honorary doctorate back in the post to the National University of Ireland, after failing to receive a formal response from them. Dr Edward Walsh said he was ‘surprised’ that he has not received a reply in writing from the Chancellor of the NUI, Dr Maurice Manning …” (more)

[Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 10 August]

“The founding president of the University of Limerick has been told that he can send the robes and parchment he received for his honorary doctorate back in the post, if he wishes …” (more)

[Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 10 August]

“The founding president of the University of Limerick said he has been ‘inundated’ with letters of support since he announced his intention to hand back his honorary doctorate in protest over former Taoiseach Brian Cowen receiving the same honour. Dr Edward Walsh said that the honorary doctorate bestowed upon Mr Cowen, which has attracted widespread public criticism, was a ‘monumental faux pas’ …” (more)

[Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 1 August]

“The founding president of the University of Limerick Professor Edward Walsh is handing back the honorary doctorate awarded to him by the NUI because he objects to former Taoiseach Brian Cowen receiving the honour …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 1 August]

“Sir, – I agree it does not look good giving Brian Cowen an honorary doctorate after he was so closely associated with the national disaster of the financial crash in 2008. It would be the same as a British university honouring Tony Blair after the Iraq debacle or David Cameron after he called the EU referendum of 2016 …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 1 August]

“Sir, – Missing from your opinion debate (Letters, July 28th and 29th) is the question of how and why NUI awards honorary doctorates in the first place. Chancellors of NUI have been political persons serving lengthy terms: the incumbent Maurice Manning, his predecessor Garret FitzGerald …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 31 July]