Mary Immaculate College (MIC) was delighted to welcome back close to 200 graduates to the College on Saturday 5 October for its annual Alumni Reunion.
Graduates from 12 class years from as recent as 2014 and as far back as 1959 were among those who returned to the College to meet old friends, reminisce about their studies, view old archive materials and tour the MIC Limerick campus—much changed since they graduated in most cases.
According to Professor Niamh Hourigan, Acting President of MIC: “We were delighted to welcome back graduates from no less than seven decades for the event. The effort people made to come along just demonstrates the power and value of connection to MIC over generations and the people who made it special for these alumni, which are mainly their classmates and friends of course”.
While outlining the many developments at MIC in her address, Prof. Hourigan reflected on the fact that it is the 125th anniversary year of the College this year, which has been “inspiring generations” for over a century:
“There was a lot of vision and foresight at play the founders [the then Bishop of Limerick and the Sisters of Mercy order] brought Mary Immaculate College into being. It was founded on the principle that education was essential to quality of life and that every person is entitled to this. We continue in that vein today, aiming to provide an environment where all have freedom and opportunity to achieve their full potential. Our alumni embody that ethos. If you can, for a moment, imagine the influence and impact of the many thousands of MIC alumni over the years, spread across Ireland and the globe. That is an amazing history and legacy which you are all a part of.”
The Alumni Reunion 2024 saw particularly strong interest from the classes of 1969, 1974 and 1989. The 1974 cohort included many members of MIC’s first hurling team and MIC’s Fitzgibbon Cup 2024 winning manager, Jamie Wall and team captain, Colin O’Brien, attended the event to meet the men who sowed the seeds of the sport in MIC all those years ago—under the watchful eye of PE lecturer, coach and Gaelic Games stalwart, the late Noreen Lynch.
Current MIC students were on hand to entertain the crowd with live music and to guide attendees around the campus, as well as speak about study and life as a student of MIC today.
Kathleen Flavin, Class of 1969, commented: “It is brilliant to be back here. There are a lot of changes, but still I can see the places where all our memories were formed” and Carmel Humphreys, Class of 1989, said: “We had a wonderful catch up after 35 years. It was a special day.”
Brian Howley, Class of 1974, on MIC’s first hurling team quipped: “We didn't have a field. We didn't have dressing rooms. We hardly had hurleys and we certainly didn't have hurlers, but it was great fun.”
Watch a video about Alumni Reunion 2024 below
There were three attendees who graduated 65 years ago—Bridie Cannon, Mary Kenny and Margaret Clancy (Class of 1959). The event was also a family affair for four Bachelor of Education graduates; Limerick mother and daughter, Marie Rigney (Class of 1974) and Orla Murray (Class of 2004) as well as two sisters from Kerry—Eileen Magann (Class of 1989), Principal of Boheeshil NS, Glencar and Claire Doyle (Class of 1994), Principal of Firies NS, Killarney.
This year's event celebrated the graduating classes of 2019, 2014, 2009, 2004, 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979, 1974, 1969, 1964, 1959, 1954 and 1944. See a selection of class group photos below.
MIC’s Alumni Reunion takes place every year and invites graduates to return to the campus every five years after their graduation. For further information on MIC’s Alumni and planned Alumni events please see our website or sign up to MIC’s Alumni newsletter.
