McAleese’s daughter steals limelight with TCD honour

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese’s daughter, Emma, stole the limelight from her mother when she claimed a top academic accolade at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) yesterday.

The 27-year-old dental science student was one of 83 undergraduates named as Trinity College scholars.

Her proud parents, the President and her husband, Martin McAleese, shared in Emma’s jubilation as the list of names was announced by the college provost Dr John Hegarty as part of Trinity Monday celebrations.

She is in her second year of the five-year degree programme, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her dentist father. The young student recently got engaged to Micheal O’Connell, son of Kerry Gaelic football legend Mick O’Connell.

The title of scholar is awarded to students who get highest marks in a special exam held in their discipline in March each year, and entitles recipients to certain perks, including free evening meals in the common room and a college room free of charge. The accolade was even more enviable up to the mid-1990s as it meant successful students were exempted from tuition fees, although non-EU students who become scholars still qualify for a significant reduction in fees.

Also announced yesterday were 21 new fellows and three honorary fellowships, including one for broadcaster John Bowman.

The 67-year-old, who will end his 21-year run as presenter of RTÉ’s Questions and Answers current affairs television programme this year, is also a writer and historian, and already holds a doctorate in political science from TCD.