There is a Greek saying that a society becomes great when people plant trees, the shade of which they will never sit under. There have been many such people in Galway, and my hope is that there will be many more. Indeed, our society needs a constant flow of people whose unselfish actions make better the place they live and work.
Donagh O’Donoghue was one such man, and his passing this week has been met with sadness across the region. Donagh has been a long-standing advocate for the arts and innovation and played a key role over the decades in NUI Galway. He and his family provided generous philanthropic support in the establishment of the University’s O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, which was named in Donagh’s honour and officially opened in April 2017 by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.
Dr O’Donoghue began his association with the University after he completed both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degrees in the 1960s. Donagh combined his academic work with an active involvement in extra-curricular activities. He was a member of Comhairle Teachta na Mac-Léinn (the Students’ Representative Council, predecessor of the Students’ Union ), where fellow members included President Michael D. Higgins.
The pioneering O’Donoghue Centre includes a 120-seat theatre space with retractable tiered seating allowing for multifunctional use and accessibility. It also comprises of studio spaces, classrooms, and a workshop and rehearsal room that has had a transformative effect not only on the University’s students but on the vibrant cultural hinterland that surrounds the campus.
Dr Donagh O’Donoghue received an honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from NUI Galway in 2008 for his outstanding contribution as a prominent member of the Galway business community and a member of the University’s Governing Authority. Donagh O’Donoghue succeeded his father as Group Managing Director of Thomas McDonagh & Sons Ltd. in 1975 and grew the company significantly over a twenty-five year period. His catalogue of directorships includes Bord na Móna, Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and Galway Airport. He has also served as board member of IBEC, Galway Chamber of Commerce and Druid Theatre Company.
In each of these roles, he pushed up the bar of what Galway should be aiming for. In a week when Galway Chamber has launched its Why Galway campaign to attract 40 FDI companies to Galway, a mainstay of the portfolio they will present to interested companies will be a legacy bestowed by Donagh O’Donoghue. His keen interest in the arts enabled it to flourish to the point where the culture of creativity in Galway is echoed across arts, drama, technology and medtech, a juxtaposition of the finest things to which we can aspire as a city and a region.
President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said he was saddened to hear of Dr Donagh O’Donoghue’s passing and extended the univeristy’s deepest sympathies to Marcia and his family.
“His deep commitment over a long number of years and in so many ways to our university and his, and to the arts in Galway and its hinterland, has played an important role in Galway’s reputation as a groundswell for arts and culture. Openness is one of the University’s core values and thanks to the incredible generosity of Dr O’Donoghue, we today have a Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, right and rightly in the heart of our campus that has provided an open place of excellence in learning, rehearsal and performance for our students, and a wonderful venue that has hosted and staged many cultural and artistic events.
“We look forward to continuing to welcome the many stories that will be told, the careers that will be forged and the ideas that will be sparked in this wonderful building, thanks to the pioneering vision of Donagh O’Donoghue. Bhíodh sé féin agus m’athair ag treabhadh an ghoirt mar a bheadh laochra le chéile, mar shampla, in Aerphort na Gaillimhe agus ar an gCumann Tráchtála agus ba chairde agus comhghleacaithe riamh iad. Cuireann bás Donagh brón orainn ar son a chlainne, ar son a chathrach agus ar son chomhluadar na hollscoile i gcoitinne ach beidh cuimhne air i gcónaí ar an bhfód seo,” dúirt Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh in a tribute that highlighted his contriubution to this place we call home.
To the O’Donoghue family, our sympathies. We thank you for sharing him with Galway, and for enabling him to live on in every aspect of this city, for planting trees of civility that will blossom for generation after generation.
