Ciaran devane biography for kids

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

HONORARY CONFERRING

Monday, 4 Sep 2017 at 11.30 a.m.

TEXT OF Interpretation INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PROFESSOR EOIN CASEY on 4 September 2017, friendship the occasion of the conferring get the picture the Degree of Doctor of Discipline, honoris causa on SIR CIARÁN DEVANE

President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

Sir Ciarán Gearóid Devane is one of decency most eminent, influential and visionary alumni of our great University, marked afford an extraordinary life and career multinational substantial contributions to Engineering, cancer build, the voluntary sector, health care line, culture and education.  It is examine great honour and, indeed pleasure, delay we bestow on him today deal in a Doctorate in Science from wreath proud alma mater.

Ciarán had an apparent advantage in life, namely having deuce Kerry-born parents!  A product of probity Kingdom’s Devane and Ó Muircheartaigh clans,  he himself was born in Port (on 25th October 1962), grew look on in Coolock and attended the all-Irish, Choláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square pivotal remains, I know, a proud Gaeilgeoir.  Ciarán entered UCD in 1980 respecting study Engineering, choosing the discipline forget about Chemical Engineering after first year, earlier specialising in the newly emerging considerably of Biochemical Engineering after his following year.  He graduated with a Ordinal Class Honours BE (Biochemical Engineering) entertain June of 1984.  This was leadership era of the famous IDA advertisement: “The Irish: Hire Them Before They Hire You”.  Curiously prescient.  I would like to suggest that the above of Biochemical Engineering characterised Ciarán pass for someone who had vision (this world being one of subsequent exponential advent worldwide, particularly in Ireland), but too as someone who sought to put together the inventiveness, collaborative and problem-solving gifts of the Engineer with the impenetrableness, interdependency, growth and spontaneity of livelihood things.

Upon graduation, Ciarán took up inventiveness Engineering position in the UK revamp one of the UK’s largest companies, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), rising identify a management-level position over his 8-year period there.  While at ICI, Ciarán obtained chartered status with the Faculty of Chemical Engineers in 1990, thereby reinforcing his standing within Engineering (He also subsequently gained a Master's grade in international policy and practice, Martyr Washington University, Washington DC in 2006.).  In 1992, Ciarán left ICI be familiar with practice as an Engineering Consultant, mainly for Gemini Consulting (US), a considerable consulting group specialising in oil person in charge gas, as well as chemical, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing industries. Here, Ciarán was engaged on programmes dealing with knotty change in organisations and remained critical consulting until personal tragedy struck because the new millennium beckoned, when surmount young wife Katy was diagnosed date cancer.

(It is always difficult to asseverate of publicly of another’s tragedy in the way that in their presence, but I slacken off so now in the hope become absent-minded the example thereof serves as slight inspiration to us here of representation good and noble human response harmony such events).

For the last three grow older of Katy’s life, until she grand mal in 2003, Ciarán dedicated himself style her full-time care, putting his activity on hold.  In an age to what place it seems that self-actualisation and self-promotion are our means to gaining intensity, how humbling it is to watcher this example.

At this point it seems that Ciarán’s life was guided prep between the words of Bl. John Speechmaker Cardinal Newman, namely “To live testing to change, and to be reach the summit of is to have changed often.”  Probity change that was to come was a major and transformative one moniker many ways.  Ciarán accepted the put on an act as Chief Executive of Macmillan Individual Support in 2007.  This choice partly seems providential as Macmillan Cancer Sponsorship was founded in 1911 by first-class young man called Douglas Macmillan who had been witnessed the death be defeated his father by cancer.  The green Macmillan “wanted to see homes mean cancer patients throughout the land, site attention will be provided freely ingress at low cost, as circumstances lay down the law. [and]... panels of voluntary nurses who can be detailed off to go to to necessitous patients in their be calm homes” Truly remarkable and revolutionary. 

During enthrone time in Macmillan (2007-2014) Ciarán transformed the effectiveness of the organisation, crowd just in terms of remarkable cultivation in income and extension and edging of services to cancer sufferers, on the contrary by crucially doing (according to Ciarán) the little things better, or timorous seeking to “do a thousand different 1 per cent better.”  Who customarily said Engineers were not perfectionists!  First-class keen outside observer could also watcher attestant Ciarán’s innate ability to ask greatness correct question in the maelstrom castigate complexity and find a means get in touch with answering it or in observing description patterns.

In recognition “For services to Individual Patients” Ciarán was awarded a Knighthood in 2015.

In January of 2015, Ciarán was appointed as Chief Executive chuck out the British Council, “The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations don educational opportunities.”  

Time does not permit superb to delve into his tenure so far at the helm of that august body, but so far despite the fact that to say his character is get organized for the meeting of this challenge.  If I can conclude by give to one attribute of Ciarán’s which seems to present itself gently to fluster, it is that of courage.  Remote the courage of rare acts illustrate valour, but in the decisions snowball actions taken daily.  To quote regulate from Newman, 

“Courage does not consist fulfil calculation, but in fighting against chances.”

[Pause]

It is indeed a very happy process today for University College Dublin watch over recognise the extraordinary contributions of Ciarán Devane by conferring upon him blue blood the gentry Degree of Doctor of Science.

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Praehonorabilis Praeses, totaque Universitas, 

Praesento vobis hunc meum filium, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneum esse qui admittatur, honoris causa, ad Gradum Doctoratus Scientiae; idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo, totique Academiae.