Inside NCIThe magazine for friends of National College of Irelandwww.ncirl.ie

News Features Interviews

Insight Debate SeriesAlumni News

Graduation 2009New Captain for NCI

February 2010Issue 4

President’sWWeellccoommeeThere is no point in having a great product that no-oneknows about. At NCI we believe we have a great product– student care and student success are at the heart ofwhat we do. We open doors to third-level education,doors that are still closed to far too many Irish people.There is no link whatsoever between social class and potential academic achievement. Ability is evenly distributed across the postal districts in Dublin andacross Ireland. At NCI it’s our job to encourage studentsof all ages to come back into education and to achievetheir potential. We also believe that education shouldprepare students for the real world – combining concepts, vocational skills and business ethics in a powerful cocktail.

Over the past 3 years, I’ve had the opportunity to be partof this great organisation. NCI changed my own life whenI was here as a student in the early 1980s. I hope we’vemanaged to stay true to the founding Jesuit values whichmade it such a powerful place to study then. I’ve metsome brilliant people while I’ve been here and ‘InsideNCI’ is our way of communicating a flavour of what we do.

To all staff, students and supporters of the College, I saygoodbye at the end of my own stint. I know that Dr. PhillipMatthews will take the College on to the next level of performance when he takes up the reins. Thank you forall the personal support. While education is a seriousbusiness, I hope we’ve also had a bit of fun along theway. The journey has been great.

Best wishes,

Dr Paul MooneyPresident

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to the fourth editionof Inside NCI, your regularround-up of news, views andevents from across NationalCollege of Ireland.

It’s a time of change here at NCIas we say goodbye to presidentPaul Mooney, who has madesuch a significant contributionto the College. He’ll be sorelymissed, but we’re pleased towelcome his successor, Dr.Phillip Matthews, and are excitedabout working with him.

We’ve also made a few changesto the look and feel of thepublication and to help us makeit even better, drop us a line withyour feedback to inside@ncirl.ieor write to:

Emma HendersonNational College of IrelandMayor SquareIFSC, Dublin 1.

The next issue will be out inMay 2010, but keep an eye onncirl.ie for news and eventshappening between now andthen.

You can also follow us onTwitter (http://twitter.com/ncirl)o r be come a f an o f ourFacebook page.

Special thanks as always to thecontributors to this publication:

EditorEmma Henderson

EditorialCorrie AdamsSinead BheilbighEmily BarryBeatrice CantalejoRegina DunneEmma Henderson

DesignGrainne McElroy

PhotographyBonnie CullenEmma FryFennell PhotographyPatrick O’LearyDeryck Tormey

NCI: 01 4498 500www.ncirl.ie

Paul Mooney withformer snookerworld championKen Doherty

In this issue

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NCI Noticeboard

New Captain for NCI

For these are jolly good fellowsConferring of 3 new honorary fellowships

Graduation 09 in pictures

Hot off the pressLatest releases from NCI

Foundation News

Alumni Interview: Darren Kelly

Insight Debate Series

Student SliceA slice of life at NCI

Home is where the heart isLaunch of new home visiting programme

Disability Support Service

Legends in your Lunchtime

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Cover Image:

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Calom Technologies, based in the NationalCollege of Ireland Business IncubationCentre, was recently proclaimed the winnerin the Dublin Emerging Company Categoryof th is year ’s Seedcorn Competition.

The business competition, the biggest on theisland of Ireland, is run by cross-borderbusiness development organisationIntertrade Ireland. The aim is to stimulatenew start-up activity, accelerate commercialdevelopment and create more opportunitiesfor private equity investment.

Adrian Skehill, CEO of Calom Technologiesand lecturer in Software Engineering andDistributed Systems at National College ofIreland, said: "Winning the Dublin RegionalFinal of the Seedcorn Competition has givenus a great boost; not just the cash prize butalso the feedback and input from someof Ireland's leading business people hasbeen invaluable". Calom Technologiesdevelops software that integrates internetmedia content, live TV streams and socialnetworks and delivers this using an onlinewebsi te opt imised for te lev is ions(http://ipic.tv).

Citi Foundation recently gifted €13,580 tofund a unique workforce developmentprogramme at the college.

The Progressions programme has beenspecially designed by NCI and industryexperts, the Institute of Bankers, IrishFunds Industry Association and the IrishBanking Federation to place 300 peopleinto sustainable jobs in financial servicesand related sectors over the next threeyears.

State Street Foundation, Ace Europe,Axis, CPL, Invesco, Pioneer Investmentsand Transamerica Reinsurance havegenerously supported this innovativeinitiative. The programme is supported byFÁS and the Department of Social &Family Affairs.

Left to Right: Paul Mooney with Citigroup IrelandCEO Aidan Brady and HR Director Cecelia Ronan.

Seeds of Success

Adrian Skehill and David Conde of CalomTechnologies show off iPic TV.

Citi Foundation Gift

NCI President Paul Mooney commented: “Citi has worked in partnership with the College to create lifechanging opportunities for ‘second chance’ students. Their commitment to every aspect of thisprogramme has been incredible.”

The programme focuses on communication skills in the workplace, business administration skills,specific skills in either funds administration/retail banking and includes work experience within thefinancial services industry. Graduates will receive a FETAC major award at level 5, in FinancialServices.

This software is customised for telecommunicationscompanies and internet service providers who wishto deliver a richer entertainment experience to theircustomers.

NCI’s Business Incubation Centre is home to 14innovative start-up companies working in the areasof finance, business and technology.

See www.ncirl.ie/bic for more.

2 MinuteInterview

Premises SupervisorHarry Gough

1. A commonmisperception of me is...I’m calm and easygoing.Some people have even saidthat, when they met me forthe first time, they thought Iwas the owner of the College.I must have had my bestclothes on that day.

2. I`m good at...…looking out for studentsand staff.

3. I`m not-so-good at...…saying no.

4. The ideal night out is...…a night in with a few drinksand some food.

5. The last book I read was……King of the World:Muhammed Ali and the Riseof an American Hero .

6. The last cd I listened towas……The 3 Tenors.

7. My favourite part of my jobis……looking at the happy facesof the students and theirfamilies when they graduate.

8. It frustrates me when……people judge a book by itscover

9. A phrase I use far too oftenis......”No problem”.

10. In a nutshell, myphilosophy is……What goes around comesaround so live for today:nobody knows what’saround that corner.

NNCCII NNoottiicceebbooaarrdd

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NCI’s Governing Body has announced the appointment of Dr. Phillip Matthews as the new College President, succeeding Dr. Paul Mooneywho departs at the end of February.

Dr. Matthews joins NCI from the UCD Michael SmurfitSchool of Business, where he was Director of ExecutiveEducation. A PhD Graduate of Queen’s UniversityBelfast, Dr. Matthews has a wealth of industry experience from senior management roles in the pharmaceutical and consulting industries.

Denis O’Brien, Chairman of the NCI Governing Body,welcomed his appointment by saying:

“Phillip will bring tremendous energy, determination andskill to the National College of Ireland. NCI has beena champion of inclusive access and second chance learning and Phillip will continue this tradition of providing high quality educational, professional andwork related learning opportunities.

In the present economic climate, the number of peoplelooking to upgrade and re-engineer their skills has increased substantially and Phillip will lead NCI in meeting this demand.

Together with the faculty and executive team, he will ensure that NCI continues to provide a vibrant learningenvironment to some 5,000 full and part-time students.”

A former Irish rugby captain, Dr. Matthews was a member of the TripleCrown winning-team in 1985 and still commentates for the BBC.

He said: "I am delighted and very proud to be joining National Collegeof Ireland. I am excited at the prospect of working with everyone at the College and within its community towards furthering NCI's distinctivemission of widening participation in higher education. "

Mr. O’Brien also paid tribute to Dr. Mooney, saying:

“Paul did a great job of consolidating NCI and has cemented its positionin the heart of the IFSC as a provider of high quality education to all.His unflagging efforts have paid dividends and he hands over to Phillipa sound academic institution on which to build and expand.

I would like to thank Paul on behalf of myself and the entire GoverningBody for his considerable contribution to National College of Ireland.”

Dr. Mooney is returning to a management consulting role having successfully led the college through a period of restructuring and strategic change.

Phillip will bring tremendousenergy, determination and skillto the National College of Ireland.

Denis O’Brien, Chairman of the NCI Governing Body

I am excited at the prospect ofworking with everyone atthe College and within its community towards furtheringNCI's distinctive mission ofwidening participation in highereducation.

Dr. Phillip Matthews

Seeds of Success

Dr. Matthews will take up his post from March.

New Captain For NCI

In November, National College of Ireland conferred the distinction of an honorary fellowship on formersnooker world champion Ken Doherty, CEO andfounder of the Healy Group, Maurice Healy and formerNCI Director, Father John Brady, S.J.

The fellowships were awarded as part of the College’sgraduation ceremonies in the RDS, and continue NCI’slong tradition of honouring those who have attained distinction in the arts, literature, business, sports or civiclife, and who have rendered exceptional community service.

Ken Doherty was honoured as an outstanding ambassador for his sport and his country. He holds aunique place in snooker history, being the only player everto have won both the Amateur and Professional WorldChampionships.

Mr. Billy Attley, who delivered the citation, said: “Ken is oneof the most popular and respected sporting figures of ourtime, renowned not only for his considerable skill andsportsmanship but also for his warmth and professional,courteous manner.”

Ken’s status as a national sporting hero was cementedwhen he beat Stephen Hendry 18-12 to win the 1997Snooker World Championship.

Mr. Attley continued: “As the first player from the Republicof Ireland to take the title, Ken joined an elite group of nomore than 22 players in the history of professional snooker,worldwide.

More than 250,000 fans lined the streets of Dublin to giveKen a hero’s welcome when he brought the trophy home.And as if that welcome wasn’t enough, a further 60,000cheered him on at Old Trafford, when he paraded the trophy on the ground of his favourite football team - Manchester United.”

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For these are

Maurice Healy, pictured above with his family,was honoured for his outstanding contribution toimproving the quality of life in Ireland.

A successful and respected leader in the businessworld – as evidenced by his recent presidency of IBEC, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation – Mr. Healy is also an inspiring leaderin the area of social entrepreneurship.

Mr. Eddie Sullivan, who delivered his citation, said:“Maurice has worked hard to reposition the businesscommunity’s thinking in relation to their contributionto social change, and has been a strong advocate of the involvement of Irish business with social deprivation issues, particularly those geared at addressing inequities around education which is soclose to the mission of NCI.”

Mr. Sullivan also quoted Maurice’s good friend,Paddy McGuinness: 'Maurice is gregarious in spirit,with time, energy and enthusiasm for everyone.

He would swim across a river to help someone andhas extraordinary ability to get under the bonnet andfind a solution that works. Perhaps his key quality isthat he still remains excited by things'.

Maurice is gregarious in spirit, withtime, energy and enthusiasm foreveryone.

Paddy McGuinness

Jolly good fellows

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Father John Brady, S.J. was honoured for his immense contributionto developing NCI as an institution and in bringing it forward to its present position.

He joined the organisation in 1970, when it was known as the NationalCollege of Industrial Relations and located in Ranelagh. He remained amember of staff for thirty years, serving as Director of the College for tenyears from 1972.

Dr. Tony White of the Milltown Institute delivered the citation for Fr. Brady,stating: “John Brady was a moderniser. During his time as Director, thecollege made the transition from being primarily a college of adult education to becoming a mainline third-level college. The College hadopened as the Catholic Workers College in 1951, and it developed fromthe skills and contacts of a small and remarkable group of Jesuits in the1950s and 1960s.”

He continued: “Asked what characterised John Brady, one of those whoworked with him in the early years of the College suggested that he wassomebody who offered calm leadership to very strong individuals.

He is indeed a calm, gentle and courteous man, a widely - read man andsomeone with a great interest in music. You are liable to bump into himregularly at the National Concert Hall. Nevertheless behind that gentleexterior there was the passion, the determination, the steel and the visionthat tend to be marks of successful leaders of complex institutions likethis College.”

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On November 19th and 20th, NCI hosted its Annual Graduation Ceremonies in the august surroundings of the Concert Hall in the RDS.

More than 1000 students were conferred over thecourse of the two days with a range of awardsfrom certificates to degrees, postgraduate degrees and diplomas.

Speaking at the event NCI President, Dr. PaulMooney congratulated the recent graduates ontheir achievements and on behalf of everyone atNCI wished them every success in their futurelives and careers.

Graduation 2009

Calling the ceremony “a red letter day to remember andtreasure”, Dr. Mooney made thepoint that graduating is but onestep on a student’s “journey togreatness”.

He urged students to keep intouch by joining the college’sA l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n athttp://alumni.ncirl.ie.

in Pictures

Sean Byrne with guide dog Daisy.Sean was conferred with a Diplomain First Line Management.

Jerry F lynn f rom Dun Laoghai re and Emma Morrissey-Murphy, from Skerries, brave the weather tograduate from the Progressions programme at NationalCollege of Ireland.

Aoife O' Grady from Ballinsloe,Rachel Byrne, from Glasnevin andTreasure Europa, from Clondalkin,who were all conferred with a BA inAccounting and HRM.

Michael Kiernan, winner of the President's Award, who graduated witha BA (Hons) in Accounting and Human Resource Management.

Marie Norton, from Ashbourne, Co. Meath,with her husband Steven Ronan and sonJack, age 2. Marie was conferred with a BAin HRM.

Stephanie Thompson, fromMountmellick, Co. Laois whowas conferred with a Diplomain First Line Management from the National College of Ireland.

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Accidental Leadership, the latest release from outgoing NCI President, Dr. PaulMooney, was published in December by The Liffey Press.

Broadcaster Joe Duffy officially launched the book, which challenges some basicpreconceptions about leaders and argues that ‘very few managers possess thefull leadership toolkit’.

Engagingly written with warmth and humour, AccidentalLeadership tackles the intriguing topic of leadership in aforthright and enjoyable manner.

It charts Dr. Mooney’s extraordinary career as an earlyschool leaver who progressed from apprentice butcher tothe President of National College of Ireland (NCI).

The book also presents a powerful leadership model developed from his personal experiences and a diverse career in Ireland and internationally spanningmore than 30 years.

As a practitioner who has ‘walked the talk’, the book presents practitioner insights and is delivered in the engaging style of a master storyteller.

Dr. Mooney is the author of eight previous books,including management fable Desperate Executives,Keeping Your Best Staff: The Human Resources Challenge in a Competitive Environment and Developingthe High Performance Organisation.

NCI computing lecturer Dr. Eugene O'Loughlin launchedhis first book, 'An Introduction to Business Systems Analysis', in February.

The book was formally launched by Mark Ryan, ManagingDirector of Accenture Ireland, to an audience of noted academics and industry experts along with other distinguished guests.

The book outlines problem-solving techniques and strategies for business professionals such as business analysts, project managers, systems analysts and consultants.

Dr. O’Loughlin said: "The launch of ‘An Introduction to Business Systems Analysis’ provides Business Analysts,and those engaged in business analysis activities, with anintroductory text that provides guidance on key activities

such as gathering and analysing requirements. The many techniques and strategies described in detailin the book will equip practitioners with the key skills necessary for their problem solving efforts."

Phil Chambers, head of the Business Analysts Association of Ireland welcomed the launch of the book bysaying: 'At a time when the role of the business analyst is so important to organisations, and the need forfully qualified Business Analysts so critical to that role, this book is perfectly timed to help achieve that objective.”

‘An Introduction to Business Systems Analysis’ is available from the Norma Smurfit Library at National College of Ireland, the Liffey Press and Amazon.com. All proceeds will be donated to the National College of Ireland Foundation.

Eugene’s blog can be found at http://eoloughlin.blogspot.com

Hot off the press

L-R Joe Duffy, Norma Smurfit and Paul Mooney

Dr. Eugene O'Loughlin with Mark Ryan,MD of Accenture Ireland.

Paul with wife Linda, daughter Nicole and son Cillian.

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What was your first job?Fisheries Biologist

Who would your three all-time dinner guests be? Charles Darwin; Billy Connolly; David Bellamy

What would you do with three wishes?I would take my children to wherever they wanted togo to;I would go to wherever I wanted to go to;For however long I want to!

Where would you wish to go?I would take the Tour d’Afrique, a 11884km, 4 monthcycling journey from Cairo to Cape Town.

Who is the person you most admire?Bjørn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist.

What is the best decision you ever made?To work hard.

If you could make one change to Irish society, whatwould it be?I would abolish the Proportional Representation system of voting.

How important is Higher Education to the futureprosperity of Ireland?The beginning, the middle and the end!

If you were an Taoiseach for a day what onechange would you make to ease our current economic difficulties globally?I would align Ireland with the competitiveness ofemerging nations.

As a member of the NCI Foundation Board, whatattracted you to National College of Ireland?I admire NCI’s inclusiveness and second chance offerings. I also wanted to assist NCI in securing HEAstatus and in tackling funding challenges.

What makes NCI so special?NCI is down to earth and realistic.

IInn PPrrooffiillee::Barney WhelanDirector of Communicationsand Corporate Affairs and NCIFoundation Board Member

FoundationThe NCI Foundation aims to establish Ireland’s first third-level centrefor the study of corporate responsibility and sustainability in 2010.The Centre will act as an independent intellectual incubator to help business leaders find practical ways to integrate their discretionarybusiness practices with a social role and address critical social issues.

The Centre will also serve as a laboratory in which stakeholders engage with each other through lively and mutually beneficial exchanges that enhance their own effectiveness and raise the levelof corporate responsibility activity in Ireland.

“It is timely that the National College of Ireland Centre for the Studyof Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability will launch in 2010 asIreland’s only third-level academic centre exclusively dedicated to thehighest standards of intellectual inquiry, scholarly research andrigorous stakeholder engagement in the field of corporate responsibility, citizenship and sustainability,” says Professor JimmyHill of the NCI Business School.

Many business leaders want to do more to help improve society andthe lives of their staff and their customers. Doing well and doing goodare natural and complementary objectives. Corporate responsibility isno longer an obligation and more and more companies are engagingwith stakeholders and supporting social issues that also meet theircore business objectives. “Accenture is committed to the communities in which we operate and fully support our employees energy, enthusiasm and passion to make a difference in the lives of others. We believe our support of NCI Foundation around its establishment of Ireland’s first third-level centrefor the study of corporate responsibility and sustainability, along withour wider investments across our local community are achievingoutcomes that make a real impact in society”, Carmel Halpin, Corporate Citizenship Lead, Accenture.

Companies in Ireland, and around the world, are finding their corporate citizenship activities not only solve intractable socialproblems, but also help increase sales, develop new products, improve relationships with customers and strengthen corporate values – NCI’s Centre will help to promote these ideals in Ireland.

National College of Ireland

AccentureAmmadoAn PostBTJacob Fruitfield Food GroupJohnson & JohnsonSarah Newman

In partnership with:

In association with:Nurture DevelopmentSocial Capital Ireland

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5. The last book I read was…War and Peace, nah it was Wicked- the life and times of the WickedWitch of the West - Brilliant

6. The last cd I listened to was…Florence and the Machine - Lungs

7. My favourite part of my jobis… doing reports and graphs, Ican't get enough of graphs

What course did you takeat National College of Ireland?I initially enrolled on the HigherCertificate in Business Studies and graduated in 2004. I thenmoved into the BA (Honours) in Accounting and HRM, accounting stream, and graduated in 2006.

Do you have any abiding memories of the College orthe course?I have very fond memories of NCI with excellent lecturerswho get to know the students and work with them to developtheir potential, especially Desmond Gibney who lectured mefor two years on the fundamental financial subjects. Also,the state of the art facilities in the college and the friendshipsI made during my time there.

What makes the National College of Ireland different?The smaller friendlier environment offered by the college withthe development of one to one relationships with the lecturers, and the student culture within the college.

Tell us about your professional journey. I started working in a small practice in Naas developing abasic understanding of auditing, accounts preparation andtaxation. From there I moved to OSK were I undertook myChartered Accountant qualification and three and a half yeartraining period.

What motivated you to become an auditor?I have always had an interest in general business issues andwanted to develop my commercial awareness in an environment were I could gain exposure to a large numberof industries.

What are the main challenges you have encountered sofar?The major challenge to date for me has been the work, socialand study balance especially attending lectures two nightsduring the week and two weekends a month.

What is it like to be in the top 10 newly-qualified Chartered Accountants in 2009 for the Republic and theNorth?When I got the result I was shocked because they are the typeof exams that no one knows how they did. After the results setin I was delighted and got great acknowledgement from my professional peers. I get recognised all round the office.

Who have been your biggest influences, both personally and professionally?On a personal level my family has been a huge influence always believing that I could do well. On a professional level mymentors in OSK who have always supported me through mystudies. At a more aspirational level Dermot Desmondinfluences me as to what any one of us can do with our life.

What role can education play to overcome these recessionary times?Education is key to our recovery. In order to attract investmentinto our country we need to offer something special and this iswere education fits in. Education will allow us to become aknowledge based country and attract the higher paid specialised positions.

What do you most like doing when you’re not working?I am involved in the OSK social committee and arrange a number of events from table quiz’s to sporting events. I alsoenjoy travelling when I have the time.

If you could start again, what would you do differently?There is nothing really I would do differently. When I left schoolI was unsure of what I really wanted to do, I just knew I had aninterest in business. As a result I took the general businesscertificate to see what I liked and that’s when I established myenjoyment for accountancy.

Something that made you smile recently…I recently finished my three and a half years training contract and as such I am fully qualified.

Alumni Interview: Darren Kelly

NCI graduate Darren Kelly featured in the top 10 newly-qualified Chartered Accountants in 2009, out of almost 2000 candidates fromthe Republic and the North. He graduated from the BA (Hons)in Accounting & HRM in 2006.

CPA Merit Award

Congratulations to Nadine Dalywho was awarded the prestigious Annual Merit Awardfrom the Institute of CertifiedPublic Accountants in Ireland(CPA). Nadine is currently training with accountancy firmBaker Tilly Ryan Glennon.

Last Chance to Win €1000

Join the NCI Alumni networknow and keep in touch withfriends, network with otherAlumni, access the exclusiveCareer Centre and much more.Those who register before the28th of February 2010 will enterthe chance to win €1000 cashprize. Don’t miss your chance!

Join the NCI Alumni network at http://alumni.ncirl.ie

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Patti Thompson

in association with

A new event series designed to elevate and enliven public discussion on the burning issues of the day has beenlaunched by National College of Ireland, The Irish Times and Newstalk 106-108 fm.

The Insight Debate Series held its inaugural debate in October with the motion: This house believes that thescales of justice are tilted in favour of the criminal.

Barrister Paul Anthony McDermott, former Minister for Justice Nora Owen, and Ger Philpott from Advocates forVictims of Homicide (AdVic) proposed the motion.

They were opposed by Senator Ivana Bacik, theReid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology andPenology at Trinity College Dublin, Dr. MauriceManning, President of the Irish Human Rights Commission, and Fr. Peter McVerry SJ.

Chairman Eamon Keane, host of Lunchtime onNewstalk 106-108fm, presided over the debate.

The series continued in November when an expert panel of politicians, activists, economistsand academics debated the motion: This house believes that globalisation puts profits before people.

The motion was proposed by Cllr. Richard BoydBarrett of the People Before Profit Alliance, Dr.Colin Coulter from the Sociology Department ofNUI Maynooth and Dr. Andy Storey from theSchool of Politics & International Relations atUCD.

Professor Jimmy Hill, Dean of the School of Business at NCI and economists Moore McDowell and Dermot O’Leary (GoodbodyStockbrokers) opposed the motion.

Broadcaster Karen Coleman, host of The WideAngle on Newstalk 106-108 fm, chaired theevent. After an extremely tight vote, the motioncarried.

Next Debate on April 15thAll debates are free, open to the public and followed by a complimentary drinks reception.

Book now at www.ncirl.ie for the next event on April 15th, when a panel of excellent speakers will debate the motion: This house believes that Ireland cannot afford a bloated and inefficient public sector.

Proposing the motion will be Colm McCarthy, Chair of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes (more commonly known as An Bord Snip Nua), Mark Fielding, Chief Executive of theIrish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME), and entrepreneur Gavin Duffy, from RTE’s Dragons’Den.

Arguing against the motion will be Ruairi Quinn TD, Blair Horan, General Secretary, CPSU and Jack O’Connor, General President of SIPTU.

Places are limited so reserve your seat now to avoid disappointment.

"Talk is central to everything wedo at Newstalk 106-108 fm andcertainly an opportunity to be associated with such topical debates is fantastic for ourbrand."

Michael Markey, Marketing Director of Newstalk 106-108 fm

L-R: Moore McDowell, Karen Coleman and Dr. Andy Storey

Left - Right:Nora OwenGer PhilpottPaul Anthony McDermottEamon KeaneMaunce ManningFr Peter McVerryIvana Bacik

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AA SSlliiccee ooff LLiiffee aatt NNCCII......The NCI Men’s Soccer team this year entered Division 1 and 2 teams into the College & Universities Football League (CUFL) and CollegeFAI (CFAI) Cup competitions.

Under the management of their Club President,Colum O’Kane, the team has per formed exceptionally well during the season and to progressat this level is new territory for soccer in the College.The Club recently approached the Excel Dry Cleaners, IFSC and received sponsorship from themanager towards new team tracksuits as they continue to provide a service to all NCI sporting clubs.

Paul Daly, manager of Excel Dry Cleaners, said: "As a member of the Docklands Business Forum we are always encouraging local support for local business. Sowhen the opportunity arose to support the NCI football team we were delighted. The staff, students and lecturers use our service so it was nice to do something in return as a thankyou. We wish them even greater success next season."

The Division 1 team finished second in the CUFL and qualified for the quarterfinal draw in which they won a tough away match 2-1 against Galway/Mayo IT.

Student Slice

An exciting new programme is being launched that will promote and encourage exercise and healthier lifestyles for NCI students. Students canchoose from a range of physical activities designed for all abilities and structured to suit students’ academic timetables. The programme is agreat opportunity to get fit in a fun environment and make new friendsalong the way.

The Active @ College Challenge is a 6 week stress buster programme intended to improve students’ fitness by tracking their physicalprogress through pre and post programme fitness tests.

It provides opportunities through participation in fitness classes andother sport and recreation pursuits such as rock climbing, yoga andswimming.

Active @ College Challenge

Room 413, The 4th FloorNCI IFSC CampusMayor St, Dublin 1

NCI’s Early Learning Initiative is working with children in 2nd,3rd and 4th class to develop their literacy, numeracy and general knowledge skills through a series of inter-school challenges. The project also aims to increase and facilitateparental involvement in children’s learning.

The first challenge was a Scrabble tournament for 2nd classwhich was held on February 10th. Five schools took part and NCI provided eachwith Scrabble sets in advance, for classroom practice. Parents were also invitedinto the classrooms to play the game with their children.

The Scrabble Challenge was a great success with prizes given to the top scoringplayers in each game. All participating children also received a small prize.

If you are a full-time fee paying international student thereis a simple way for you to earn €1,000 at National Collegeof Ireland

For more Informationplease visit:The InternationalOffice

Recommend a friend to National College of Ireland

Attention All NCI International Students!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EARN €1,000 OR MORE?

The NCI men’s soccer team with Paul Daly, Excel Dry Cleaners

Above: 2nd class pupils enjoying the ELI Scrabble Challenge

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Academic Excellence AwardsN C I c e l e b r a t e d t h e o u t s t a n ding achievements of its student body at the Academic Excellence Ceremony, held inthe college Atrium.

Eight students were presented with certificates in recognition of their academic achievements. In the School ofBusiness, certificates were presented toBernadette Hogan, Highest AchievingFirst Year Student; Kieran Hanley, Highest Achieving Second Year Student;Ke Sheng, Highest Achieving Third Year Student, and Susan Scanlon, who waspresented with a Special AchievementAward.

In the School of Computing, awards were made to Colin Greene, Highest Achieving First Year Student; Darren O’Neill, Highest Achieving Second Year Student; Guillermo Beiro Ferreira, HighestAchieving Third Year Student, and James Flanagan, who was presented with a Special AchievementAward.

The NCI Business IncubationCentre is home to Open Plain,a workplace analytics softwarecompany which was set up in2006 by technologists Jon Mulligan and Damien O’Brien,with the support of EnterpriseIreland and AIB’s Seed CapitalFund.

Open Plain is the only Irishprovider of workplace analyticssoftware. It allows organisationsto track and analyse employeeproductivity and computerusage, identifying inefficientwork practices and businessesprocesses.

Since their foundation in 2006,Open Plain has gone fromstrength to strength. Theyachieved a major double in2008 by winning two significantbus i n e s s a w a r d s : t h e p r e s t i g i o u s D o c k l a n d s Innovation Park Award and theInterTrade Ireland Seedcornenterprise award. In betweencollecting these two accoladesthey raised €1m investmentfrom Enterprise Ireland, AIB’sSeed Capital Fund and privateBES investors.

Open Plain recently launchedtheir latest cutting edge product, LicenseMetrics, inSeptember 2009. LicenseMetrics can cut softwarelicensing bills for companies byup to 25% by identifying whatsoftware and functionality is, orisn’t being used.

Biz Bites

Room 413, The 4th FloorNCI IFSC CampusMayor St, Dublin 1

Sports Scholarships In November, four annual sports scholarships were presented to first year students to promote and

foster sporting talent at NCI. The scholarships have supported these talented athletes in their development.

Lavina Cormack is the current World Association of Kickboxing Organisations No. 2 and 2009 European Champion fighting in the 70kg semi contact discipline. Sincereceiving a sports scholarship she has won two Club fightsand marginally lost the final of the four nation's team event.

Peter Geraghty currently plays for the Bohemians FC andcompetes in the U'18s DDSL as either striker or attackingmidfielder. Since receiving a sports scholarship he is the topscorer with 8 goals from 10 matches and the Club are currently 2nd in theLeague. Peter alsois playing for the NCISoccer Club first division team whoreached the semis ofthe College Leagueand narrowly losttheir quarters of thePlate Cup match.

Michael Noone currently plays forthe Seapoint RugbyFC and competes inthe Leinster SeniorLeague Division 1Ain the no. 8 position.Since receiving asports scholarshiphe has played the semis of the Leinster Cup and the Club iscurrently top of the League. He is also currently being targeted by player’s agents to trial for Leicester.

Andrew Shore currently plays for the Davidstown/Courtnacuddy Club in the centre forward or centre back position. Since receiving a sports scholarship he has beentraining in the off season for both U21 and Senior Wexfordpanels. Andrew is also playing for the NCI Hurling and GAAClubs in both Colleges League and Championship competitions.

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International students enjoying theChinese New Year festivities at theCol lege in February. ScholarsRestaurant prepared a Chinese buffetfeast for the occasion.

Above: 2nd class pupils enjoying the ELI Scrabble Challenge

14

In February the Early Learning Initiative at NCI launched afree community programme that has been proven to lowerschool dropout rates.

The Parent Child Home Programme (PCHP) is anestablished American home-visiting model with over fortyyears of rigorous research to demonstrate its success. It hasbeen adapted for local delivery by the ELI team.

The programme is aimed at families with children aged between eighteen months and four years old. Through intensive home visiting, families are strengthened and children are prepared for academic success.

Beth Fagan, who co-ordinates the programme at NCI, said:“NCI is delighted to introduce the Parent Child Home Programme to Ireland. It was founded in America to reducethe high-school dropout rate and more than 40 years of international research has proven its enduring effectivenessin this critical area.

The PCHP approach is to engage parents when their childrenare very young and to help them prepare their children to besucessful at school. It works by increasing language andliteracy skills, enhancing development in the child and bystrengthening the parent-child relationship.

Ultimately, the programme leads to greater numbers completing secondary school as the children’s early success is carried on throughout their educational journey.”

Trained home visitors, all from the local community, demonstratehow to use children’s books and toys to cultivate language andliteracy skills and promote school readiness.

The books and toys are gifts: over the course of the programme, a library of children’s toys will be acquired by participating families, along with a large collection of educational toys.

NCI’s Early Learning Initiative has been piloting the programmefor two years. In May 2009 formal accreditation was granted bythe National Office of the Parent Child Home Programme, based in New York.

NCI is now operating the only certified Parent Child Home Programme in Europe. It is entirely free for families to take part, butinitially, the programme is available only to families within the Dublin Docklands area.

Currently forty six families are enrolled on the PCHP programme at NCI. See www.ncirl.ie/eli for more.

Home is where the heart is

Programme co-ordinator Beth Fagan, front right, with NCI'sHome Visitors.

Three year old Jamie Higgins took some time out at the launch to catch up on his reading.

The St. Lawrence O'Toole's CBS Choir performed a selection of Hans Christian Anderson songs at the event.

15

Since O2 moved its headquarters to Dublin’s Docklands area in 2005 a key priority for thebusiness has been to integrate itself into the local community through a range of differentinitiatives. Among these have been an ongoing partnership with St. Andrew’s Resource Centreon Pearse Street including the creation of an annual awards scheme for young people; and thefostering of a relationshipbetween O2 and the NationalCollege of Ireland (NCI) inthe IFSC.

Earlier this year O2 teamedup with NCI when it’s CEO,Danuta Gray, participated inNCI’s “Legends in YourLunchtime” series of events.Most recently O2 has agreedto sponsor the role of NCI’sStudent Support Officer,which includes the DisabilitySuppor t Serv ice. O2’s support will enable the NCI toprov ide academic and personal support, on an intensive one-to-one basis tostudents with disabilities.Embracing diversity has always been at the heart of O2's business, as highlighted by itsinvolvement with the Ability Awards since their inception in 2005. The O2 Ability Awards acknowledge and reward businesses for best practice in the inclusion of people with disabilities,both as employees and as customers.

For more information about O2’s community initiatives, please log on to http://cr2008.o2online.ie/.

Sponsors Disability Support Service in National College of Ireland

Brian McGillivary isa second year computing studentat National Collegeof Ireland. He haswon an NCI SportsScholarship two years running and recently represented Ireland in Soccerat the Special Olympics.

How are you enjoying college life?I really enjoy college life! The social lifeis great but as I’m big into sports I don’tgo out a lot during the week due to training. In terms of my course, itdoesn’t matter how big the classes are,if you have a problem you can talk tothe lecturers about anything. They arevery friendly and approachable. NCIwas my first choice and I’m glad I madeit.

Were you nervous about coming tocollege?When I started here at the college I wasa little bit nervous. I didn’t have anyfriends coming to the college with mebut once I got to know people it wasgreat.

Can you tell me a little bit aboutyour disability?I have Cerebral Palsy, a condition affecting body movements and muscleco-ordination. Certain movements Ihave are stiff; I mainly have problemswith my left arm and left leg. I am veryopen about my disability but when itcomes to girls I wouldn’t be as open asI would be with the lads!

What supports have you received incollege?From the very first day I received plentyof support from the college. I met withthe O2 Student Support Officer,Stephen Kennedy and he told meeverything there is to know about thecollege and the course I was doing. Ireceived a specialised laptop and extraprinting facilities to help with my coursework. NCI Disability Support also assists me with exam preparation, academic writing and note-taking.

How important is a Disability Support Service in a college?I think a Disability Support Service ishugely important in a college. There area lot more people in third level education with a disability than peoplerealise. They can be nervous and shyabout their disability and the supportservice is an ideal way of getting toknow about the college and what assistance you can receive. I believethat a Disability Support Service like theone in NCI is very beneficial. A personwith a disability feels different already,this helps them feel less different and tofit in easier.

What is your role in NCI?Essentially, my role is to oversee the academicand personal support services for all students.A key part of the position is coordinatingsupport for students with disabilities. All services are guided by an overarching missionthat encourages excellence, celebrates differences, supports success and fosters involvement’.

What changes have you observed since joining NCI?Since the Disability Support Service was set up5 years ago, there has been a 1,300% increasein the number of students with disabilities studying at NCI. Students with disabilities nowaccount for 7% of the full-time student body, 3%higher than the national average. The mostexciting development in recent years is thenews that O2 have agreed to support the Disability Support Service at NCI. With O2’ssupport we can continue the great work we’redoing.

What challenges do students with disabilities face in third level?College is a big step up from second leveland can be very daunting for students withdisabilities, especially those with high support needs. Students are expected towork independently and the volume ofwork is heavier and the pace is faster.

What service does NCI provide to students with disabilities?Every student has different needs depending on their disability. We assess astudent's needs upon starting and coordinate academic and personal supports to help them navigate their waythrough the College. This can range fromassistive technology and learning supportto note-takers, additional tuition and examaccommodations.

Why is the O2 deal so important toNCI's students?A challenge for all third level institutions isto ensure that support is mainstreamedwherever possible and that students withdisabilities have an equitable learning experience. Support from O2 will help usdeliver on this vision, progressing a moreinclusive environment for students withdisabilities.

Student

Profile:

Stephen Kennedy is the O2 StudentSupport Officer at National Collegeof Ireland.

Left to right: Stephen Kennedy, O2 Student Support Officer, Dr PaulMooney, NCI President and Jude Lynch, Chief Operating Officer O2 Ireland

Quick Q A

Eoin McDevitt, presenter of Newstalk's Off The Ball,with Paul McGrath in January

StudentSpotlight

in partnership withLegends in Your

LLuunncchhttiimmee

Chris Cowley, Metro Herald editor, shows Paul McGrath a few tricks.

Claire Byrne with Maeve Donovan, MDof The Irish Times.

NCI President Paul Mooney with BarnardosCEO, Fergus Finlay.

Lunchtime's Eamon Keanewith Haven founder, LeslieBuckley.

NCI, Metro Herald and Newstalk106-108 fm continue to bring you arange of fascinating speakers fromacross the fields of business, sport,charity and politics.

Legends In Your Lunchtime, the award-winning publicevent series, lifts the lid on how great modern leadersthink, and what has made them the people they are today.

This is your chance to get up close and personal as yourfavourite Newstalk 106-108 fm presenters chat live to ourinfluential and inspiring special guests.

Recent speakers include Leslie Buckley, business consultant and founder of Haven; Irish Times MD, MaeveDonovan; Barnardos, CEO Fergus Finlay; CEO of DaftMedia, Eamonn Fallon; Republic of Ireland soccer legend, Paul McGrath, and Dragons’ Den judge and Insomnia CEO, Bobby Kerr.

Ben Dunne, Gerry Adams and GOAL’s Chief Executive,John O’Shea, are all coming up in the current series. Allevents take place from 1-2pm at NCI’s IFSC campus, arefree of charge and open to the public – details and onlinebooking are at www.ncirl.ie.

Eamonn Fallon, Daft Media CEO and one ofIreland's biggest internet entrepreneurs,opened up to Newstalk's Conor Brophy in November.

Ross McDonagh, Metro Herald, with Bobby Kerr and Claire Byrne, co-host of TheBreakfast Show on Newstalk 106-108 fm.

From 6.30am, Claire and Ivan cover the latest newsand developments on all of the important topicsensuring you are fully briefed for the day ahead.Business Editor, Conor Brophy brings you in-depthbusiness news from home and abroad. Breakfaststimulates comment, analysis, opinionand national debate as only anindependent national radio stationcould. A fresh approach, a differentangle, a better start to the day.Tune into 106-108 fm.

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