History-making daughter and mum

Very few university students can lay claim to the unique experience of a local mother and daughter, whose universary studies, although many years apart, were linked in an unusual way.

When Newport's Emma Wright was conferred with a Bachelor of Laws (Law Plus) with Gaeilge, among more than 3,000 students being conferred at UL’s recent autumn graduation ceremonies she made both family and UL history.

Emma is daughter of record-holding marathon runner, Paula Wright and her husband, Patrick, but she is also one of the few UL graduates ever who can confidently say that their link with the university predates her birth.

Originally from Finland, mum, Paula, moved to Ireland in 2000 and chose to undertake the BA in Law and Accounting as a mature student.

Emma was born during the first year of her mum's studies and jokes about being familiar with the course since even before she was born.

While her mother may have laid the path before her, Emma has undoubtedly carved out her own route throughout her time at UL. It was her keen interest in languages combined with her curiosity for the law that led her to pursue Law Plus – initially with German and Gaeilge- and eventually, focusing on the latter.

“I wanted lots of strings to my bow, and Law Plus ended up being the perfect fit – between the legal side, which was new and exciting, and also, my languages,” explained Emma.

It proved an auspicious choice for Emma, who admits she “fell in love” with studying law and has taken full advantage of every opportunity to further her knowledge, both academically and professionally.

“I have had loads of opportunities open themselves up to me, primarily from being a UL student, and I have been so supported,” she said.

“I went over to the European institutions in second year; I had my co-operative placement at the start of third year with one of the leading law firms; I have been up in the Supreme Court on a few occasions for events. I have gotten exposure to all sides of legal practice and the profession”, she added.

While Emma admits to being “daunted” starting out in first year, she overcame any early nerves with the support and encouragement of her tutors and classmates – and by trusting in her own abilities.

She has proven an exceptional student throughout her time at UL, achieving top grades across multiple modules while also being heavily engaged with the campus community.

The UL Musical Theatre Society became a 'home' for Emma, where she could have fun and re-energise away from the law books, while she was also involved with the UL Law Society and counts her involvement with the Students’ Union as one of the most rewarding parts of her experience.

“I found that so empowering,” she said, “to be able to solve students’ problems on campus, and address some of the issues that students were facing and making life at UL more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.”

Through UL, Emma was able to fulfil her years-long dream of visiting the European Institutions in Luxembourg through her role as the University’s designated EU Career Ambassador. Tasked with making jobs in the EU more accessible for students on the ground in Ireland, Emma underwent training in Luxembourg to educate UL students on the various professional and career pathways open to them at the heart of European politics and law. The role was formative in accelerating Emma’s entry into the legal profession, alongside her eight-month co-operative placement at leading law firm Arthur Cox LLP.

Having just finished up an internship at accountancy firm EY Parthenon, and with her undergraduate degree under her belt, the future is bright for Emma. Such an impression was made during her co-op placement at Arthur Cox that she has been invited back to join as a trainee solicitor once her FE1 exams are complete.

As she gets ready to crack open the textbooks once more in preparation, Emma’s passion for law remains grounded in a “sense of justice and being able to contribute to something that will make meaningful change in our society”.

Meantime, her mum, Paula, continues to add to her history-making records as a marathon runner.

She is the first Tipperary person to complete 200 marathons including a 24 hour marathon and ten marathons in five days.

Earlier this year she surged to victory in the 40 Mile Ultra race at Tralee to become the first woman to record victories in all three races in the Tralee Triple Crown Series, following on from her wins in the 100k and the 50k in 2022.

Her achievements have been recognised by Marathon Club Ireland, which presented her with an award.

Now it is history-making mum and daughter on the record books.