“UL President, Professor Don Barry has welcomed today’s announcement that the extension of the Glucksman Library is to be progressed with the selection of the preferred bidder for the Public Private Partnership to undertake this construction project …” (more)
[Limerick Post, 18 February]
“For such a modest, self-effacing figure, the UL president, Don Barry has generated a good deal of headlines this year. First, there was controversy about his ‘lavish’ and ‘extravagant’ €1 million home on the campus. Fine Gael leader, Edna Kenny, dived in suggesting the money might have been better spent on student services …” (more)
[Seán Flynn, Irish Times, 7 December]
“‘The path ahead is not certain’,” University of Limerick president Prof Don Barry told thousands of graduates during the conferring ceremonies this week. Armed with their degrees – like tens of thousands of others across the State seeking employment – the path they take, whether they realise it or not, is largely down to them alone, he said …” (more)
[Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 27 August]
“A controversial new residence built for a university president cost more than €2m but was financed totally through private funds, a report has revealed. Details of the construction costs of the luxury house for University of Limerick (UL) president Prof Don Barry were revealed following a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Education …” (more)
[Gordon Deegan and Fergus Black, Independent, 28 May]
“The cash-strapped University of Limerick (UL) has spent in excess of €1.1m for a mosaic and €16m on a pedestrian bridge over the Shannon. Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe is to receive a report into spending at the college in the coming days and is said to be deeply concerned about spending after revelations in the Sunday Independent about the €5m spending on two lavish new homes for the college president …” (more)
[Daniel McConnell, Independent, 7 February]
“‘Progressive’ and ‘exciting’ is how Labour city councillor Tom Shortt described the new president’s residence at the University of Limerick, which others have termed ‘lavish’ and ‘extravagant’ in the current economic climate. However, Cllr Shortt said just because this was a period of cutbacks, didn’t mean we should abandon visionary ideas …” (more)
[Anne Sheridan and Mike Dwane, Limerick Leader, 5 February]
“The head of Mary Immaculate College believes the University of Limerick has been unfairly criticised in some media reports on the construction of a multi-million residence for its president. Peadar Cremin, president of Mary Immaculate College and a member of UL’s Governing Authority, said UL had been phenomenally successful in its fundraising, and the generosity of their donor, Chuck Feeney, should be celebrated …” (more)
[Anne Sheridan and Mike Dwane, Limerick Leader, 3 February]
“A €6 million language centre, opened yesterday at the University of Limerick, is being aimed at attracting more students from abroad as well as helping undergraduates who plan to embark on business careers in the export market …” (more)
[Jimmy Woulfe, Irish Examiner, 2 February]
“Building a €1.1m residence for a college president in the current climate is like giving a €900,000 bonus to former FAS director Rody Molloy, Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly has said …” (more)
[Mike Dwane and Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 1 February]
“The president of the University of Limerick will avoid a 10 per cent pay cut by using his controversial new home on the college campus for university events. There was criticism of the university last week for spending €1.1 million on building a luxury five-bedroom home for its president, Professor Don Barry. But the house could have become a bigger headache for the president – and hit him in the pocket …” (more)
[Martha Kearns, Sunday Business Post, 31 January]
“The University of Limerick’s controversial building of a new multi-million euro house for its president Don Barry went ahead despite the college already owning a second ‘president’s house’ in Killaloe, Co Clare, the Sunday Independent can reveal. It has emerged that the new campus house, which Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe called ‘lavish’, will cost more than €3m, far higher than the original estimated figure of €1.5m, at a time when the college has accumulated debts of over €3m …” (more)
[Daniel McConnell, Sunday Independent, 31 January]
“The money for the €1.1m residence for the president of the University of Limerick (UL) was provided by the group backed by Irish-American billionaire Chuck Feeney. Atlantic Philanthropies has poured €1bn into education, health and other social projects in Ireland — two-thirds of it to third-level institutions …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly and others, Independent, 30 January]
“So, Batty O’Keeffe is commissioning a report on Don’s new gaff. No taxpayers cash was used. Proper plans were submitted. The HEA I’m assuming knew at some level what was happening. Someone probably told Batty at some stage what was going on, but he was too busy shafting students with threats of fees … Basically, its a cheap place in a prime location (free site), 5 beds for under €2million!! I’d like to know what Batty thinks is extravagance …” (more)
[constantg, Boards.ie, 29 January]
“The University of Limerick is coming under intense criticism from a number of political parties for building a ‘lavish’ and ‘extravagant’ residence for its president during a time of economic crisis …” (more)
[Limerick Leader, 29 January]
“Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe is to ask for a report into the construction of a €1.1 million residence for the University of Limerick President. The university, which is €3m in debt, has said that no taxpayers’ money was spent on the new home for Professor Don Barry, which was built with philanthropic donations …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 29 January]
