50th anniversary of entry of first students to Galway RTC

ATLANTIC Technological University (ATU) has officially commemorated the 50th anniversary of the entry of the first cohort of registered students to RTC Galway on September 18, 1972.

A ceremony held at ATU Galway City on Monday saw the ATU Galway-Mayo college kick off its year-long celebrations of 50 years of technological higher education in the west of Ireland.

The day’s event commenced with a lunchtime lecture by former GMIT registrar Bernard O’Hara, a native of Mayo, on Regional Technical College Galway/Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology: A History in the Context of Public Policy. Later, invited guests, staff, retired staff, students and graduates attended the official opening reception, with speakers including Dr. Mark McCarthy, chair of the golden jubilee commemoration committee, the Mayor of the City of Galway, Councillor Clodagh Higgins, Dr. Orla Flynn, ATU president, Councillor Michael (Moegie) Maher, cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, Colin Kearney, students’ union president, ATU Galway-Mayo, Áine Hickey, RTC Galway class of 1972, Brendan Holland, RTC Galway class of 1972, and past president of GMIT Marion Coy.

Dr. Gay Corr, who was appointed as the first principal of RTC Galway in 1972, took part in a flag-raising ceremony with Dr. Flynn and Mr. Kearney.

From humble beginnings in 1972, RTC Galway expanded its presence in the region in the 1980s and 1990s by offering courses in Mountbellew, Letterfrack, Castlebar and Cluain Mhuire. In January 1998, the college’s name changed to Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. In April of this year, GMIT amalgamated with IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT to become Atlantic Technological University.

Golden jubilee committee chairperson Dr. Mark McCarthy, senior lecturer and programme chair in heritage studies, said: “As we contemplate why memory of 1972 and the years that followed matters, it is important to reflect on the power of heritage to comprehend the present and shape the future. As we reimagine our future as part of ATU, it is only fitting that we also embark at this liminal moment on a journey of remembrance and reflection on the last fifty years of technological higher education.”

Said Dr. Orla Flynn, president of ATU: “Reflecting back on the values and attributes of the then Galway RTC, we can see how valuable was the role played by the institution over the last 50 years. Providing access to higher education was transformative for students across the region, and for society as a whole.

“Long may we continue to live up to the achievements of the last half century, in our new capacity as Atlantic Technological University.”

A range of jubilee events will be held throughout 2022 and '23. For further information, please visit https://www.gmit.ie/golden-jubilee.