Judge Geoffrey Shannon

Previously the government’s special rapporteur on child protection from 2006 to 2019, he was appointed as a Circuit Court judge in 2023.

He was educated at what was then NUI Galway and University College Dublin and qualified as a solicitor in 1996, becoming a senior counsel in 2020.

Judge Shannon will be presented with the alumni award for law, public policy and society, sponsored by law firm RDJ, at a gala awards night on 23 May 2025.

The awards celebrate outstanding individuals among the University of Galway’s 133,000 alumni, recognising their remarkable accomplishments across various fields on a local, national and international level.  

Professor Peter McHugh, interim president of the University of Galway, said: “It is a privilege to honour the accomplishments of these eight remarkable individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields at home and abroad.

“Each one of them are making a great impact in their own way and I hope their achievements serve as an inspiration to our current students and our graduates.

“I look forward to welcoming them back to their alma mater in May.”

Professor Becky Whay, interim deputy president and registrar at the University of Galway, said: “Our alumni awards and our awards night on campus are a wonderful opportunity to recognise University of Galway graduates and to inspire our current students by showcasing some of the many different ways their predecessors have made a positive mark on the world.

“This year’s winners join an impressive roll call of 113 people from all walks of life who we have had the pleasure of helping to educate and, importantly, the pleasure of recognising and celebrating for their outstanding achievements since the awards began in the year 2000.”