Three outstanding University of Limerick graduates received high honours at an awards ceremony last Saturday night.

It brings to 50 the total number of graduates honoured by UL Alumni – fitting, in the 50th anniversary of the founding of the University.

The 15th annual UL Alumni Awards Gala Dinner was held in the Castletroy Park Hotel this Saturday night, the first time the event has been held since 2019 due to the pandemic.

The annual awards, hosted by UL Alumni, celebrates the achievements of outstanding graduates.

The 2022 award recipients are IBEC President and Coillte CEO Imelda Hurley, Colonel Colm Doyle (retired) of the Irish Defence Forces and former United Nations Chief of Staff at the Military Division at the Department of Peacekeeping Operation, and Linda Ledger, CEO of St Munchin’s Community Centre.

During the ceremony, there was a moment’s applause to remember UL alumna Dr Vicky Phelan, previous Alumni Award recipient Mr Peter Real, whose family were in attendance and all the staff, students and alumni who had passed since the last gathering.

UL President Professor Kerstin Mey said: “The poignancy of our appreciation for those people should be seen through the prism of respect for all, as the people within our community - students and staff alike - is what we consider to be our greatest strength.

“We are immensely proud of our graduates. The achievements of our alumni, of which there are over 118,000, can be seen and witnessed all over the world and that treasury of talent that we have shared far and wide, reflects enormously well on us. This magnificent cohort of talented individuals – mavens in their own fields, are the embodiment of the story we want to tell at University of Limerick.The Alumni Awards programme is designed to recognise graduates who have made an outstanding contribution in particular fields. Our first ever UL Alumni Awards ceremony was hosted by in 2006 and to-date, we have honoured the work and lives of 47 graduates.

Over 200 guests attended the event which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland with event partners Analog Devices, Cantor Fitzgerald, Ingenium and Stryker Ireland.

The MC was UL alumna, broadcaster and presenter Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh.

2022 Award Recipients:

Ms Imelda Hurley – BBS 1994 - Outstanding Contribution/Business

Col Colm Doyle – MA International Studies 1994 - Outstanding Contribution/Humanitarian

Ms Linda Ledger – Dip Project Management 2012 - Outstanding Contribution/Society

Click here to view a slideshow of images from the 2022 UL Alumni Awards or watch a highlight video from the evening below.