a presidential encounter - National University of Ireland, Galway

PROFILE
AN ALUMNUS IN...
Man of many hats
Former Irish rugby captain Ciaran
FitzGerald has received an Alumni
Award for his contribution to
national sport – but sport is just
one of the many talents of this
driven individual, writes Pierce
O’Reilly
He has sipped champagne and eaten the prawn
sandwiches; he has wined and dined with
some of Ireland’s best-known entrepreneurs;
yet this down-to-earth Galway native would
swap the celebrity life for one last chance to pull
on his worn boots again and tear out onto the
hallowed turf of Croke Park for one last rugby
international. Ciaran FitzGerald or ‘Fitzy’ is still
chomping at the bit for Irish rugby.
“I came from a GAA background really. I
was born in the heart of hurling country in
Loughrea, Co Galway and, as they say around
my home town, I had a hurley in one hand
and bottle in the other from birth. I only got
interested in rugby when I went to secondary
school at St Joseph’s College in Garbally. The
rugby coach there, Bishop John Kirby, put me in
at hooker one day and the rest is history as they
say,” he says.
Looking in from the outside now, FitzGerald
has only one regret. “I never got to play rugby in
Croke Park and that was always a dream of mine.
I played minor hurling for Galway there in 1970
against Cork in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling
Final and I will never forget the experience. I
lined out at full forward that day and looking
back now on my own rugby career it would have
also been nice leading an Irish rugby team out in
front of 82,000 screaming fans.”
When the stocky student arrived in NUI Galway
to study a BComm in the early seventies he was
keen to continue his sporting career and was
snapped up by the rugby fraternity before his
hurling prowess was recognised.
“While my mother was keen on the books and
pushing my career forward all I wanted was
sport. I loved all sports. I was a keen boxer,
hurler and rugby player. To be honest, my
mother wasn’t that keen on the boxing so when
I focused on rugby it was a much happier house
for all,” he tells Cois Coiribe.
FitzGerald, who is now an integral part of RTÉ
Sport’s rugby coverage, is still a keen sports fan
and can be seen on most Saturday afternoons
at Donnybrook or Blackrock, watching and
encouraging underage future rugby stars. On
Sundays, he often heads to Croke Park to keep
up with his other main sporting passion - GAA.
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Born on 4 June 1952, FitzGerald captained
Ireland to the Triple Crown in 1983 and 1985 and
the Lions on their losing tour to New Zealand in
1983. An inspirational leader, he will be forever
remembered for spurring on his exhausted
team mates in the dying minutes of the 1985
match against England with the immortal words
“Come on lads, where’s your f***ing pride!”
He has fond memories of his days at NUI
Galway. “We were one of the first groups of
cadets to enter the college and there was great
excitement around the campus when we
arrived in full uniform, white gloves and all
the other paraphernalia. Because the cadet
accommodation wasn’t in place back then, we
stayed in a hotel with full board for the first two
years. The first year we stayed in Flannery’s
Hotel and the second year we were put up in
Ryan’s Hotel, so my college experience was a
little different to most,” he observes.
After his graduation, FitzGerald went to play
senior rugby for St Mary’s College in Dublin
where his career on and off the field blossomed.
In total, he won 22 competitive and three
friendly caps for Ireland. He scored once – a try
against Wales – in 1980. He went on to coach
the Irish national rugby team for three years.
Playing in the amateur era, FitzGerald stayed in
the army and at one point was aide-de-camp to
the President, Dr Patrick Hillery.
As one who has always led from the front,
FitzGerald, unsurprisingly, believes that
leadership is a vital but sometimes underrated
virtue. “I would encourage all colleges to focus
on leadership skills more and develop the
individual personalities of students. In the
present climate, students need to be brave,
courageous and recognise opportunities when
they arise. Sport gives you that ethos and
opportunity and it must be recognised more
in all of college life,” he urges.
He is also a strong believer in
preparation and planning. “The best
bit of advice I ever got was ‘proper
people, proper planning and the
passage of time’ will solve all
problems. I would add ‘patience
and perseverance’ to that list
also,” says FitzGerald, who has
put this advice into practice
as the founder and managing
director of Visualise, one of
the country’s leading ambient
advertising companies.
“I faced many challenges on the
field of play and it is a similar
situation now in the business
sector. Things are tough
economically at present but we must stay focused
and keep our eye on our goal,” he adds.
FitzGerald is married to Ann and they have
three children – Ciara, Niamh and Brian – all of
whom are big into sport.
“I always encouraged my kids to get involved
in sport,” he says. “They are all mad rugby and
GAA supporters and they attend Croke Park for
all the big games.”
FitzGerald was recently honoured with a NUI
Galway Alumni Award for his contribution to
sport on the national stage. “I was honoured and
delighted to accept this prestigious award and it
means a lot to me to be recognised by my former
college,” he comments.
Pierce O’Reilly BA 1995, HDipA 1996 is a journalist and
broadcaster and CEO of his own multimedia production
company, Maigh Eo Media (www.mayomedia.ie), based in
Co Mayo
China is home to a large group of
NUI Galway graduates and many
of them regularly meet as part of
the Beijing Alumni Group, writes
Betty Liao MEngSc 1998
There are over 100 Chinese graduates of NUI
Galway working in China, 60 of them in Beijing.
That’s why the University officially launched the
NUI Galway Beijing Alumni Group in Beijing in
November 2007.
Most of us spent several years in Galway. We
remember Galway as a quiet and friendly place
and at the same time a lively and energetic
university city. For us, Galway happened at a
crucial stage in our lives. It was a big turning
point in our careers. We got basic education
at home in China and modern education in
Galway.
We have a lovely name in Chinese – “turtle”
– which means “overseas returnees”. Most
employers think the “turtles” from Galway have
solid, specialised knowledge and very good
English.
Postcard
from
Beijing
Betty Liao with her husband Professor Yu Ming PhD 2000, Chair of the Beijing Alumni Group, and JB Terrins, Director of Alumni Relations
As China’s economy has grown, living
standards are on the upswing and we are the
happy turtles who hold a certain cachet in
society. We believe in both contributing to our
country and serving our parents, which is the
traditional culture of the Chinese. We hold on
to certain values – love of country and family,
hard work, respect for the old, holding together
in times of crisis, honesty and credibility – yet
we also gained the knowledge and skills to
drive industry forward and be at the forefront
of innovation. We have also benefited from the
Chinese government’s policies to attract more
“turtles”. Compared with Chinese graduates
working abroad, we feel a great sense of
accomplishment and happiness. There are no
obstacles whatsoever in communicating with
our bosses or our clients, whether in Chinese or
in English. We are under pressure, but we also
have more opportunities.
It is quite cheap to live in Beijing. Most of us
are well off, with good housing, fine jobs and
private cars. But Irish elements are somehow
still in our life – such as eating out, going to the
gym, socialising, playing tennis or squash and
travelling abroad.
“
”
When you drink the water,
think of its source
We all know that the opportunities were
original given to us by our University. There is
a Chinese proverb that says, “When you drink
the water, think of its source.” It means “Never
forget where one’s happiness comes from”.
Establishing a Beijing Alumni Group will help
bridge the distance between the alma mater
and its alumni in China. Apart from hosting
various events to enrich the lives of the Chinabased
graduates, we can promote the University
by facilitating academic, cultural, business and
educational exchange and cooperation with the
research, educational, cultural, business and
other institutions in China.
With the fast-growing alumni network in China,
we look forward to an even brighter future.
Betty Liao is Secretary of the Beijing Alumni Group
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