Mayo journalist awarded honorary doctorates by Dublin City University

A Mayo man has been awarded the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) from Dublin City University.

It is the highest award that the University can bestow.

Ballina native Declan Walsh is a journalist and chief Africa correspondent for The New York Times. He joined the NYT in 2011, having previously worked for The Guardian, spending seven years there covering Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He began his journalism career at The Business Post. He studied at University College Dublin and Dublin City University.

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Reading from his citation, Dr Dawn Wheatley said: In an era of news avoidance, compassion fatigue, and concerns around the contamination of our information landscape, certain things stand powerful in their enduring importance: truth, evidence, accurate reporting and engaging storytelling matter more than ever. Voices matter. Capturing the human experience has always been a priority in Declan’s reporting.

“For almost 30 years, Declan has mapped the contours of life, suffering, power struggles and injustice in many of the world’s most turbulent political and social landscapes. He has showcased the highest standards of international journalism, demonstrating a professional and personal commitment to capturing voices, stories and realities that may otherwise go untold.”

Speaking before his ceremony, Declan Walsh said: "Returning to DCU for this honour feels like coming full circle. It was here that I learned the craft and purpose of journalism - skills and values that shaped every stage of career. I’m immensely grateful to the university for this recognition.”

Earlier this year in May, Walsh was awarded the Pulitzer prize for his civil war reporting in Sudan.

Dublin City University also conferred the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on artist Mick O’Dea, and entrepreneur and broadcaster Áine Kerr.

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The awards were presented as part of the University’s Autumn Graduations in The Helix on DCU’s Glasnevin campus.

From Ennis, Co Clare, Mick O'Dea is a painter and sculptor. A past President of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), he is a member of Aosdána, he studied at the National College of Art and Design.

Reading from his citation, Dr Mary Shine Thompson said: “O’Dea’s signature style privileges eye-witness precision and authenticity. He marvels at the surface of things, at their sheer physicality. ‘If you are diligent enough at the surface,’ he believes, ‘something of what lies beneath might reveal itself.’ His keen eye for proportion and selective detail insist that we see into the life of things.

“His skilled, collaborative art-making and focus on students epitomise DCU’s values. His mature artistic judgement obliges us to reevaluate national identity, collective memory and power.”

Speaking before his ceremony, Mick O’Dea said: "Dublin City University is renowned worldwide for its innovation and dynamism. To be awarded an honorary doctorate by such a distinguished institution is both a humbling and exhilarating honour. My sincere thanks to DCU-it's a privilege to accept.’'

And, from Monaghan, Áine Kerr is an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, educator, and civic leader. Co-founder and COO of Kinzen, she has previously led global journalism partnerships at Facebook, was Managing Director at Storyful and as a journalist with The Irish Times, Irish Independent and Irish Examiner.

Áine currently serves as chair of Rethink Ireland, Gaisce, and The Shona Project. She studied at Dublin City University and University College Cork.

Reading from her citation, Ronan Cunningham said: “Áine Kerr has forged a career at the intersection of truth, technology, and social purpose. Her success is rooted in a powerful blend of focus, resilience, and courage.

Áine's core philosophy is that everything needs to start and end with your why, your purpose, to have a stubborn vision for change and for impact that can sustain you through uncertainty and the challenges life throws at you.

She shows what it means to be a DCU graduate in a world where we increasingly search for meaning and purpose, and that while our futures may be unscripted, we do not have to surrender our authorship of them.”

Speaking before her ceremony, Áine Kerr said: “I am incredibly humbled and honoured to receive this Honorary Doctorate on behalf of brilliant start-ups like Storyful and Kinzen, organisations such as Gaisce, Rethink Ireland and the Shona Project, and on behalf of my family and friends who’ve supported me throughout this Squiggly Career.

I’m especially proud to receive this honour from Dublin City University as a two-time graduate but also as someone who has long-admired the university’s Access programme and how it has provided pathways to thousands of young people from underrepresented groups. I hope to be able to do some good in the world around me and carry the legacy and values of DCU with me.”

Speaking about the honorees, Prof Dáire Keogh, President of Dublin City University said: “The University is proud to bestow its highest honour on these three exceptional individuals. In their respective fields, and in our wider society, Áine, Declan and Mick have made a positive impact that echoes the DCU mission ‘to transform lives and societies’.”

“They are now among a select group of inspiring people to have been awarded the Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) at Dublin City University.”

Mick O’Dea, Declan Walsh and Áine Kerr join noted figures from politics, sport, literature and industry in receiving this award from DCU, including Enda Kenny, Moya Brennan, Paula Meehan, Seamus Mallon, David Trimble, President Bill Clinton, Joe Schmidt and Sonia O’Sullivan.