The Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) will host its first ever outdoor graduation ceremony at TUS Gaelic Grounds this today and tomorrow (Tuesday/Wednesday).
During four ceremonies across two days 1,571 students will graduate from the Faculties of Engineering and the Built Environment; Limerick School of Art and Design; Applied Science and Technology and Faculty of Business and Humanities.
As many as 4,500 people will attend over the course of the graduations, with 1,200 students graduating in person, supported by family and friends, while a further 371 people will graduate virtually, with the historic ceremony streamed live on the TUS website, tus.ie.
The transformation of TUS Gaelic Grounds into the venue for the 2021 Conferring venue has taken weeks of preparation and teamwork between TUS and the GAA. Over five days, a special stage has been constructed and the Mackey Stand transformed into an open air arena.
President of TUS Professor Vincent Cunnane said the decision to move off campus for the first time to the TUS Gaelic Grounds was made to allow people gather together as safely as possible.
“We wanted to bring the graduands together again, and we were not afraid to create a new precedent in order to make that happen safely. This is a unique class which has had an unprecedented experience of higher education. No graduating class in the history of Irish Higher Education has seen more changes and more uncertainty. Indeed, no other class has had to make the transition in the latter part of their studies from on-campus college life to a virtual one, but these graduands did.
“The very fact that the TUS graduations are taking place in a unique location is the product of a partnership between TUS and a community-based organisation, the GAA, with creative and critical thinking and a lot of hard work bringing the graduations to life. This is our ethic made real.”
