PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has lead tributes to a well-respected Limerick college president who has announced that he is to retire.
It was announced last week that Professor Eugene Wall, president of Mary Immaculate College (MIC), is to retire in November after seven years at the helm.
This newspaper reported that Limerick man Professor Dermot Nestor has been named as Prof Wall’s successor to sit in MIC’s highest office.
At a special event to mark Prof Wall’s retirement held in MIC this past week, a letter written by Michael D Higgins was presented to Prof Wall, who President Higgins said made “remarkable contributions” to academic life in Limerick and across Ireland.
President Higgins, a Limerick man himself, wrote that Prof Wall’s “tenure at Mary Immaculate College has been marked by your deep commitment to academic excellence, the development of innovative educational programmes, and the fostering of an inclusive and supportive environment for students and staff alike, remarkable contributions to the college and to the broader academic community in Ireland”.
“As you embark on this well-deserved retirement, I hope that you take pride in the legacy you leave behind, one of dedication, innovation, inclusivity, one that has left a profound impact on education in Ireland. Your vision and leadership have set a high standard for your successors and will no doubt continue to inspire future generations of educators and students,” President Higgins wrote.
Congratulatory messages were also passed on to Prof Wall by Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and Minister for Education Norma Foley, as well as other colleagues across the Irish educational sector.
Paying tribute to Prof Wall, Taoiseach Simon Harris wrote that “the impact of your successful leadership as President of MIC since
2018, and as an educator in the higher education sector for many more years leaves such a lasting legacy”.
“I feel very fortunate to have worked alongside you during my tenure as Ireland’s first Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Your willingness to engage, your innovative vision, your dedication to your students and your colleagues was clear always,” the Taoiseach added.
Caherdavin native Professor Dermot Nestor is to take over from Prof Wall in November, from his current position in Sydney, Australia.
