A 22-YEAR-OLD graduate from the University of Limerick has won the inaugural Irish Times best journalism project award.
Rowan Gallagher from Swinford, Co Mayo, won the award for a series of articles looking at the process asylum seekers and refugees go through in Ireland. The prize, a glass statuette commissioned by the university from Kemmy Stonecraft of Limerick, was presented at the conferring ceremony at the college yesterday.
The award is presented to the best-performing journalism graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in journalism and new media. This was the first batch of graduates of the programme, which started in 2008. Course director Tom Felle described Gallagher as one of the finest young men he has ever met.
“Rowan demonstrates all of the traits you would want in a journalist, [including] integrity and honesty. He has a nose for news and an absolute determination to seek out the truth,” Mr Felle said.
Mr Gallagher, who is working as a freelance journalist in Dublin, is confident of finding employment. “Current affairs is my area and I think if you are motivated and if you love what you do, then there are plenty of openings in journalism,” he said.
Eighteen students graduated and a number of them are already working in national media organisations, according to Mr Felle. “Four of our graduates have won national awards for journalism and many of them have secured employment with national media organisations,” he said.