University of Galway has announced the appointment of Des Ryan as the new Director of Sport and Physical Wellbeing.  As Director of Sport and Physical Wellbeing Mr Ryan will play the lead role in the strategic management of sport and physical wellbeing in the University, including the development of infrastructure, facilities and participation for all sport activity.   President of University of Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “We are delighted to have someone with such a breadth of experience as Des Ryan to lead the development of sports and physical wellbeing at the University. From premier league soccer, to inter-provincial and world rugby, to gaelic games, and expertise in sports science, Des Ryan will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight to the University. We are conscious of the relationship between academic performance, health and wellbeing, and we often look to our values of excellence, respect and openness when we think about the importance of sport and physical activity. I look forward to working with Des Ryan and colleagues in Spórt to ensure the broadening of opportunities and achievements of our students.”  Congratulating Des Ryan on his appointment, University of Galway’s Dean of Students, Professor Ciara Meehan, said: "We are very pleased to have someone with Des Ryan’s experience and background to lead and develop our reputation as a leading third level institution for sport. As an established sports manager Des Ryan combines a passion for sport and a commitment to inclusion and diversity with a promise to support our elite athletes and promote the health and wellbeing of all our students and staff. We look forward to ensuring that our strengths and successes in sport will continue to grow and prosper."  Speaking of his appointment, Des Ryan said: “I am delighted to be joining the University of Galway. I look forward to working with the whole student and staff community to develop a dual-aspirational plan to help increase the physical wellbeing of everyone in our University community and, secondly, to help people in the sporting community to be their best. I will work with all the students, staff and volunteers to help University of Galway be a healthy environment where everyone feels they belong and an environment where they can improve their physical wellbeing and sporting potential.  “I would love to speak to any graduates or people from the wider community who would be interested in volunteering or supporting the University Sporting and Physical Activity projects.”     Originally from Aughrim in Co. Galway, Mr Ryan is a leading youth coach and performance manager in sport and a world-renowned practitioner and speaker in the field of youth athletic development.   Prior to joining the University, he worked for Setanta College as Director of Coaching and Athletic Development; Arsenal Football Club Academy as Head of Sport Medicine and Athletic Development; Head of Strength and Conditioning at Connacht Rugby; and Strength and Conditioning Coach and Fitness Education Manager within the IRFU.  Over the years Des Ryan has presented at the UKSCA – the UK's Professional Body for Strength and Conditioning, the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) conferences, as well as many other conferences around the world. He also has worked as a consultant to World Rugby, Brentford FC and the National Cricket academy in India. Des works closely with the Gaelic Games community as a member of the Sports Science Working Group and also the Coaching Advisory Working Group.    Des Ryan has a Masters in Strength and Conditioning and is also an Accredited Strength and Conditioning coach with the UKSCA. He also has achieved the High Performance Sports Accreditation from the British Association of Sports and Exercise Science and is a chartered scientist.    University of Galway is home to 40 active sports clubs, which are student-led and organised, with more than 6,000 students participating in sport and physical activity at the University.  Ends

University of Galway students and the local business community have joined forces for the IdeasLab Hack powered by Liberty IT, with the aim of creating solutions to support and promote the city’s sustainable infrastructure growth.   A hackathon is an event which challenges participants to create an idea to solve or provide solutions to a problem. The real-time event gave the students the opportunity to collaborate, experiment, learn and problem solve under the guidance of employees from Liberty IT.   Participants heard from representatives from the local business community on the importance for Galway’s infrastructure to continue to develop sustainably to meet the demands of industry and our people. The students then worked in five multi-disciplinary teams to design and develop solutions to support and promote sustainable infrastructure growth.   Liberty IT employees supported the students to give them a sense of solving a ‘real world’ company problem to help develop their learning and to better understand their approach to planning, problem solving and technology.   The participants were given a Participant Resource Pack in advance of the event and were judged on a range of criteria including problem understanding, innovation, technology choices and presentation.   Students Ethan O’Brien, Ankit Akash, Amandeep Manchanda and Shambhavy Avasthi were announced winners for their solution of a smart meter designed to monitor and analyse the energy consumption patterns within households to provide insightful data on a home's overall energy efficiency.   Darren Muldoon, Liberty IT’s Galway Site Lead said: “We were delighted to hold the first IdeasLab Hack powered by Liberty IT in our PorterShed hub to bring together the local business community and students with the aim of developing skills and showing how you can use tech for good to help with. It was great to have students from different backgrounds take part - not everyone had experience in coding or engineering but were interested in design thinking, solutioning, conversation and having fun!   “Hackathons are an excellent vehicle for our students to gain further valuable insight into industry needs as well as expanding their practical skills and it was a great chance for our teams to work directly with the students to create an event where they could connect with industry in a fun way to solve a real business.”   Dr Natalie Walsh, Director of Entrepreneurial Development at University of Galway, said: “At the core of sustainable growth is an understanding of how to create innovative, data-informed responses to our community’s most pressing challenges. In response to that, University of Galway’s IdeasLab hope today’s event, in partnership with Liberty IT, will mark the beginning of an enduring legacy of cooperation between industry, academia and community to bring about progressive, empathetic and actionable change for Galway.”   Ends

Shannon College of Hotel Management has established a School Advisory Board, aimed at providing independent external guidance to the Head of School and School Executive Board, and actively supporting the delivery of the School’s mission and strategy. Comprised of esteemed regional, national, and international members from diverse fields and sectors, the School Advisory Board brings a wealth of experience and expertise to support the holistic development of students and the advancement of the hospitality industry. Chairing the Advisory Board is Gerald Lawless, former CEO of Jumeirah Group and former Chair of the World Travel and Tourism Council. The Board includes prominent industry leaders such as Frankie Whelehan, Managing Director of the Chesway Group; Mary Considine, CEO Shannon Group; John Brennan, Owner Dromquinna Manor; Professor Tom Garavan, Professor of Leadership Practice in CUBS, UCC; Quinn Pu, Hotel Manager, Mandrian Oriental, Shanghai; Gillian Horan, Owner, The Pudding; John Clendennen, MD of Giltraps Pub, Townhouse and Glamping, and President of the Vintners Association; Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, Fitzgerald’s Woodland House Hotel and Chairperson Irish Tourism Industry Confederation; Paul Carty, Tourism Consultant and Former MD of Guiness Storehouse; and Niamh O’Neil,: International Business Development Manager for the O'Donoghue Ring Collection. Mr. Lawless expressed his honour at leading the Advisory Board, highlighting the strong track record of Shannon College of Hotel Management in shaping successful careers in the hospitality industry. He emphasized the Board's commitment to providing guidance and mentorship to the future leaders of the industry: "Shannon College of Hotel Management has been the foundation of so many successful careers in the Hotel industry. It has the proud record of having a 100% employment at graduation for its students since the founding of the college by Brendan O'Regan in 1951. I am deeply honoured to have been asked to chair the newly formed Advisory Board. The members of the Board greatly reflect the strength of the industry in Ireland and overseas. We look forward to our engagement with the College and to assisting Head of School Adrian Sylver and his colleagues with advice on the future strategy and direction of Shannon College of Hotel Management. Finally, we all recognise our responsibility to the students of the college where we can offer advice and mentorship to the future leaders of this great industry." Head of Shannon College of Hotel Management, Adrian Sylver said: "We are thrilled to have such a distinguished group of industry experts on board to support our mission of providing a world-class education in business and hotel management.” Ends