Mystery donor gives €5m to University of Limerick

A mystery Irish philanthropist has donated €5 million to the University of Limerick (UL) to develop its business school.

It is one of the largest gifts ever given by an Irish donor to a university here.

There is widespread speculation about who the benefactor may be, but the university has refused to disclose the donor's identity. UL did say in a statement, however, that the donor was "keen to honour" the former Labour TD and Mayor of Limerick, Mr Jim Kemmy.

The money will be used to develop a state-of-the-art building that will be named the Jim Kemmy Business School. It is planned to have the building opened for the start of the 2005/6 academic year.

The UL business faculty has more than 2,500 students and 75 staff engaged in undergraduate, postgraduate, executive, professional and post-experience education programmes.

The college president, Professor Roger GH Downer, said the "wonderful and very generous benefaction" was made through the University of Limerick Foundation.

This fundraising body has raised more than €90 million to assist the development of the university since it was established in 1989.

It has previously got large donations from Irish-American philanthropists including Mr Chuck Feeney and Mr Lewis Glucksman and his wife Mrs Loretta Brennan-Glucksman.