3000+ set to cross The Quad this week | Audrey Ellard Walsh

     Autumn conferring ceremonies begin this week and take place until Wednesday the 31st of October. Over 3000 UCC students are expected to don their gowns and cross the Quad over the week and a half of graduations.

     Conferring ceremonies take place daily excluding Friday the 26th and Monday the 29th due to the Jazz Weekend. Ceremonies will take place in the Devere Hall with following  receptions in the Aula Maxima. Graduands are asked to gather in the reception area of Áras na Mac Léinn / Students’ Centre 30 minutes before the start-time of each ceremony for the roll call of graduands.

     Each graduand had been sent two tickets for guests to the graduation ceremony and three for the following reception (one for the graduate) Graduands should ask their guests to take their seats in Devere Hall 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. While graduands will not need tickets to enter the Student Centre, guests will need to provide theirs to security in Devere Hall.

     On each graduation day an Ecumenical Graduation Liturgy of Blessing will be held in the Honan Chapel at 11.00am for 15 minutes.  This is optional but all graduands are welcome to attend with guests if they so wish. Gowns and caps, which graduands should have booked online by this stage, can be collected in the Northern Junior Laboratory in the Windle Building.

     Upon graduation, each graduate is eligable to join the UCC Graduate’s Association and register to vote in the NUI Constituency for Seanad elections.  More information regarding this is available on http://www.ucc.ie/en/current/conferrings/ConferringDayInformation/

     The Students’ Union have organised graduation balls for each night of the Autumn Conferrings.  They take place in the Rochestown Park Hotel from 10pm -2am and tickets are €15. The ticket price includes a pre-dance reception with complimentary cocktail and canapés plus a coach to and from the ball. Tickets can be reserved by emailing Vincent O’Brien at v.obrien@ucc.ie and can be collected and paid for at the Students’ Union Box Office in the Student Centre.  More information is available on collegeroad.ie.

     Notable UCC Graduates include Actress Fiona Shaw, Journalist and TV Presenter Brendan O’Connor and Comedian Des Bishop.