Mayo's Dr. Jerry Cowley to receive honorary degree

THE University of Galway has announced that Dr. Jerry Cowley is to be among the recipients of honorary degrees at the 2022 winter conferring ceremonies.

Celebrations take place from November 23 to 29, and four honorary degree awardees will join more than 3,600 students graduating over the five days.

The four people to be conferred with honorary degrees are Margaretta D’Arcy, activist, actress, playwright and writer, and member of Aosdána; Lelia Doolan, film director, producer and writer, who has worked in Mayo; Dr. Jerry Cowley, medical doctor, barrister, and public representative; and Ronan Scully, humanitarian, volunteer and charity fundraiser, and a well-known figure in the west for his work with Self-Help Africa.

The university will also celebrate two of the honorary degree recipients from 2021 who were unable to be previously conferred due to the challenges arising from the pandemic - Máirtín O’Connor, renowned traditional musician and composer, and Mary O’Malley, award-winning poet and member of Aosdána.

Mulranny-based Dr. Cowley is a former Rehab Person of the Year and Mayo Person of the Year, and has been a strong advocate of providing local rural services to retain local populations.