FORMER PROGRESSIVE Democrats TD and senator Máirín Quill will receive an honorary degree the day polling takes place in the local elections.
Instead of checking on turn-outs at polling stations in Mayfield and Montenotte in Cork city’s North East ward on June 5th, Cllr Quill will receive a honorary degree at University College Cork in recognition of her contribution to the political and cultural life of her adopted city.
“It’ll be the first time in 30 years that my name won’t be on the ballot paper so that will be a wrench, but that will be more than offset by the offer of a honorary degree from University College Cork,” said Cllr Quill.
A native of Kilgarvan in Co Kerry, Cllr Quill, who came to Cork to taking up a teaching post, first ran in for public office in the 1977 general election for Fianna Fáil in Cork North Central constituency alongside her mentor, Jack Lynch, only to narrowly miss out on a seat.
Elected to Cork City Council in 1979 for the North East ward as a Fianna Fáil candidate, she retained the seat when she left Fianna Fáil to help establish the Progressive Democrats in 1985 and she was duly elected to the Dáil for the PDs in both 1987 and 1992.
Topping the poll in the last local elections to become alderman for the North East Ward, Cllr Quill’s one regret during her career in politics is that, due to the pact between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour, she never got to serve as lord mayor of Cork.
She will receive an honorary doctorate of laws from UCC for her contribution to the north side of Cork city both as a teacher and as a politician.
“I’m looking upon it with wonderment and, deep down, I’m immensely pleased – it’s great for my family and I think it’s something that will warm my bones in the years ahead.
Joining Cllr Quill in receiving honorary degrees from UCC on June 5th will be Ireland’s silver Olympic medallist and two times world cross-country champion gold medallist Sonia O’Sullivan from Cobh who will become an honorary doctor of arts.
Others to be honoured include co-founder of Concern Fr Jack Finucane, former American ambassador to Ireland Richard J Egan, health campaigner and innovator Dr Michael Boland and executive vice-president of Shanghai University Prof Zhou Zhe-Wei.