Top accolade for novelist Donal
University of Limerick Alumni Awards
One of Ireland’s most celebrated contemporary writers, The Spinning Heart author Donal Ryan was honoured at the 2026 University of Limerick Alumni Awards in the Castletroy Park Hotel last Friday night.
Also receiving awards were diplomat Frances Collins, Martin Cotter, Chief Business Units Officer and President, EMEA, at Analog Devices (ADI), and investigative journalist Derek Bowler. The four join a distinguished group of alumni recognised since the awards programme began in 2006. They are drawn from UL’s global alumni of more than 140,000 graduates.
UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins said the awardees were “inspirational”.
“Tonight marks the 19th year of this prestigious programme, a tradition that has celebrated extraordinary graduates since 2006. Over that period, more than 60 alumni have been honoured, each reflecting the values, ambition and impact that define University of Limerick. Tonight, we add four more distinguished names to that remarkable list. These awards are about achievement, certainly. But they are also about inspiration. They remind our current students of what is possible. They demonstrate the enduring value of education. They highlight the difference that one individual can make in their community, profession, country and, in many cases, the wider world.”
Professor Kilcommins said each recipient “represents four very different paths, but they share a common foundation, a University of Limerick education and a commitment to excellence.
“What strikes me about each of the recipients is not simply their success, impressive though it is. It is their contribution.
“Through literature, diplomacy, technology, and journalism, they have all sought to make a meaningful difference. They have used their talents not solely for personal achievement, but to create value for others.
“That is the essence of what a university education should enable. We are celebrating four exceptional graduates, but we also celebrate the enduring relationship between a university and its alumni, a relationship that continues to grow stronger with every generation,” Professor Kilcommins added.
More than 200 guests attended the event, which was supported by lead sponsor Edwards and several event partners. The MC was UL alumna and broadcaster Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh.
Donal Ryan - Outstanding Achievement Alumni Award (Arts & Culture)
Donal Ryan is one of Ireland’s most celebrated contemporary writers. From Nenagh, his fiction is noted for its distinctive voices, compassion for its characters and exploration of community and contemporary Irish life. His work has been recognised with numerous national and international awards.
His debut novel, The Spinning Heart (2012), established him as a major new voice in Irish literature. It won the Guardian First Book Award and the European Union Prize for Literature, was longlisted for the Booker Prize, and was named Irish Book of the Decade in 2016. He was again longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2018 for From a Low and Quiet Sea, which later won the Prix Jean Monnet de Littérature Européenne.
His other acclaimed works include The Thing About December, the short story collection A Slanting of the Sun, All We Shall Know, Strange Flowers, The Queen of Dirt Island and Heart, Be at Peace. The latter won both Novel of the Year and overall Book of the Year at the 2024 Irish Book Awards, before receiving the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2025. His latest novel, Where Are The Kings, was published in August 2026 and topped the Irish bestseller charts.
Donal’s work has been translated into more than 20 languages and adapted for stage and screen. He has contributed to publications and broadcasters including The Irish Times, The Guardian/Observer, The Wall Street Journal, BBC and RTÉ.
Donal received a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from UL in 2005. He returned to the University in 2017 and is now Associate Professor of Creative Writing. He lives in Castletroy with his wife Anne Marie and their two children.