GMIT launches Golden Jubilee (1972-2022) programme of events and projects

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Press Office
Press Release
Golden Jubilee

Range of events will be open to the public, including commemorations, conferences, and exhibitions

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) has officially launched a programme of events and series of projects to celebrate and commemorate its Golden Jubilee 1972–2022. This major initiative will run throughout 2022–2023, to remember and reflect upon fifty years of technological higher education in the west of Ireland.

On Monday 18 September 1972, the first cohort of students commenced their studies at the then Regional Technological College (RTC), Galway. From the mid-1980s onwards, RTC Galway expanded its presence in the region by offering courses in Mountbellew, Letterfrack, Castlebar, and Cluain Mhuire. In January 1998, the college’s name was changed to Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT).

On 1 April 2022, GMIT will be amalgamating with IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT (LYIT) to become Atlantic Technological University (ATU). As GMIT reimagines its future as part of ATU, it is also conscious of its heritage.

The GMIT Golden Jubilee 1972–2022 Commemoration Committee is chaired by Dr Mark McCarthy, Senior Lecturer and Programme Chair in Heritage Studies. Dr McCarthy says: “At this liminal moment in our evolution, we look forward to welcoming one and all as we embark on a journey of remembrance, reflection, and reimagination, in celebration of fifty years and counting.”

The Golden Jubilee commemoration is centred around five programme strands, namely: Ceremonial; Public History & Heritage; Cultural & Technological Innovation; Alumni & Community Engagement; and Sustainable Futures.

Many events are scheduled to take place throughout 2022–2023, including:

  • Conferences, book launches, and exhibitions
  • The release of a cover of Bill Withers’ song, “Lean on Me” (from 1972) by the Virtual Choir
  • An official opening ceremony on 19 September 2022
  • A monthly public lecture series hosted by each of the six schools – featuring current and retired staff, students, alumni, and public figures
  • A lunch for retired staff
  • A commemorative dinner at the Galway Bay Hotel
  • Student and graduate bursaries
  • An inter-faith service
  • A re-enactment of the opening of RTC Galway
  • The dedication of a room in the memory of Eddie Fox – who founded the college’s Archaeological, Historical & Folklore Society in 1977

Key Golden Jubilee projects include the following:

  • A commemorative logo created by second-year Design student, Svana Dís Hafsteinsdóttir
  • A new memorial to deceased staff and students – planned as part of the construction of the new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) building
  • An exhibition on “Celebrating Fifty Years of Technological Higher Education in the West of Ireland, 1972–2022” – with storyboards and displays of archival and artefactual heritages
  • An oral history project
  • Commemorative artwork
  • An alumni registration and linking application created by fourth-year BSc in Software Development students
  • A showcase of “50 Faces in 50 Years”
  • A video on “Impact” – highlighting the human stories behind the college’s impacts, from the local to the global
  • A Green Spaces/Biodiversity Trial
  • A Student Sustainability/Green Ambassador initiative

Welcoming the Golden Jubilee programme, Dr Orla Flynn, President of GMIT, says: “As GMIT embarks on the next exciting phase of its development, it is entirely appropriate that we take time to reflect on the 50 years that we have been in existence. Throughout that time we have made an enormous contribution to the cultural, economic, and social fabric of the western region and beyond, through the activities of our staff, students, and graduates. On behalf of our GMIT community I welcome and look forward to your participation at our various public events throughout our Jubilee year.”

Colin Kearney, President of GMIT Students’ Union, says: “With the exciting times ahead for GMIT in its new partnership, it’s just as important to look back on all the successes of the past. Reaching the 50-year milestone is a momentous achievement, having turned out 50 years’ worth of graduates who all in their own way have gone on to enhance the community they now work in. GMIT has every right to be proud of the strong and positive student representatives they have elected in the last 50 years.”

For further information on the Golden Jubilee, please visit: www.gmit.ie/50

ENDS

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway.
0879618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie   www.gmit.ie/news  www.cualliance.ie

[Photos by Aengus McMahon. No repro fee)