A Young Academy of Ireland to be set up - 27 new members of the Royal Irish Academy announced

The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) plans to establish a young academy for Ireland’s top young researchers in the sciences and humanities. The announcement was made at the launch of the RIA’s five-year Strategic Plan today (24th May).

The young academy will provide a forum for Ireland’s early to mid-career researchers and scholars so that their voices are heard within the Academy and by national and international policy makers. It will join an international network of 45 National Young Academies that exist world-wide.

Members of the young academy will be selected for their academic excellence and their commitment to public service. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Hon MRIA, who chaired the RIA Strategic Plan Committee said, ‘the initiative will create a more diverse Academy and a new advocate for Irish research and scholarship.’ The Academy will be developing plans for the Young Academy in the months ahead.

Professor Kennedy, President of the Royal Irish Academy, used the 2019 admittance day ceremony for 27 new Members of the Royal Irish Academy to make the announcement.

Welcoming these eminent scholars to the Academy Professor Kennedy said that ‘these individuals have made exceptional contributions in their fields of endeavour. We are delighted to recognise their achievements’.

The new Members of the Royal Irish Academy elected in 2019 are:

Sciences
Liam Barry (Dublin City University); Yvonne Buckley (Trinity College Dublin); Andrew Fowler (University of Limerick); Yuri Gunko (Trinity College Dublin); Alan Irvine (Trinity College Dublin); Paul Moynagh (Maynooth University); Valeria Nicolosi (Trinity College Dublin); Ivan Perry (University College Cork); Catherine Stanton (University College Cork); Michael Zaworotko (University of Limerick)

Humanities and Social Sciences
Alan Barrett (ESRI); Paolo Bartoloni (NUI Galway); Christine Casey (Trinity College Dublin); William Crawley (BBC); Diarmaid Ferriter (University College Dublin); Alison Forrestal (NUI Galway); Moyra Haslett (Queen’s University Belfast); Tom Lodge (University of Limerick); Kieran McEvoy (Queen’s University Belfast); Fearghal McGarry (Queen’s University Belfast); Dáithí O’Ceallaigh; Olivia O’Leary (RTE); Rowland Stout (University College Dublin); Isabel Torres (Queen’s University Belfast)

Honorary Members
Fionnuala Ní Aoláin (University of Minnesota); John O’Keefe (University College London) and Richard Sharpe (Oxford University)

There are 606 Members of the Royal Irish Academy (of whom 87 are Honorary or overseas Members) including: William C. Campbell, Nobel Laureate, Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Mary E Daly, historian and Commissioner, Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation; Brian MacCraith, physicist and President of Dublin City University; Frances Ruane, economist and Chair of the Abbey Theatre board; and Eavan Boland, poet;

Those elected are entitled to use the designation ‘MRIA’ after their name