Twelve new members were elected to the Royal Irish Academy yesterday, including two physicists and three historians. Election to the Academy, Acadamh Rioga na hEireann, is a recognition of high academic distinction.
The new members are physicists Prof Kenneth Bell (QUB) and Prof Werner Blau (TCD), and historians Prof David Fitzpatrick (TCD), Dr Raymond Gillespie (NUI Maynooth) and Prof Seymour Phillips (UCD). Other academics honoured are Prof Rick Caldicott (UCD), Prof William Coffey (TCD), Prof John Davenport (UCC), Prof Paul Engel (UCD), Prof Donnan Hastings (QUB), Prof James Mays (UCD) and Prof Julian Ross, (UL).