Professor Dearbhal Donnelly

Silvics

Wondering if any members took organic chemistry in UCD in the 80s? We had Dearbhal Donnelly, somewhat intimidating, but fair. The lecture theatre seats were numbered and like many others I used to sit so that she could not read the number as she liked to question people by calling out their seat numbers.
Wondering where she is now...retired I suppose.

dubred

I think you mean Professor Dervla Donnelly, as far as I remember she retired around 91/92.

Silvics

That's right-upon seeing that spelling I flashed back to an exam room with a white paper and her name on top with that of Peter Start. Wow that's a long time to be retired! Thanks.

dubred

I was in third year at the time and her course was shared with Mike Casey.

As with many academics, retirement doesn't mean the end of their career, she had a number of PhD candidates who had yet to finish and I saw her many times in the building afterwards (I did a PhD in Chemistry and still work in UCD), she was also heavily involved in the RDS at the time (President, I think).

It is a few years since I have seen her, but as far as I am aware she is still with us. There is a photo of her on this page from 2009 http://www.witsireland.com/index-1.htm

[Jackass]

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.