Remarks by Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the Research Ireland St Patrick’s Day Medal Awards 2025

Ambassador Byrne Nason, Dr Panchanathan, Professor Kearney, Michael (Dowling), Dr Seoighe, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen;

Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this special occasion – the inaugural Research Ireland St Patrick’s Day Medal ceremony.

I say inaugural medal ceremony, but, of course, for the last decade the St Patrick’s Day Medal has been awarded by your predecessor Science Foundation Ireland.

In essence, this morning’s gathering is a natural evolution of that long-standing ceremony and reflects the establishment last August of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland – Ireland’s new competitive research and innovation funding agency.

This saw the amalgamation of Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council.

I believe that we – and the full spectrum of research – will benefit from this move. As the saying goes, “Giorraíonn beirt bóthar” (“two shorten the road”) – in other words, the journey is made easier by having company. 

The formation of Research Ireland fundamentally resets the competitive public funding landscape of research in Ireland.

Ireland now has an opportunity to build a more effective and cohesive national research and innovation system that underpins a strong, sustainable and resilient economy and society.   

Research Ireland will help deliver enhanced coordination of research funding, an intensification of interdisciplinary research, and a more vibrant research base. This will showcase Ireland’s global reputation as a research and innovation leader across all disciplines.

As a Government we are striving to partner, we are striving to lead, and we are striving to position Ireland as an interconnected, knowledge-driven society that values both STEM advancements and the cultural and ethical insights offered by the arts, humanities and social sciences.

On a similar note of partnership on journeys, I want to take a moment to highlight the very special relationship that we have had for the past 20 years with the United States National Science Foundation.

Today marks a significant step forward in formalising and enhancing that partnership with the NSF, and I’m delighted that we are here today with Director, Dr Panchanathan, to officially record that.

The United States and Ireland have a long standing and deep collaboration built on a shared ambition to advance research, development and innovation.

This bilateral agreement will strengthen the research links between the two countries and align commercial and academic priorities. It will also encourage deeper engagement from industry in basic and applied research.

I wish every success to both agencies as this fruitful partnership evolves.

To Prof Richard Kearney – winner of the Academic Medal, and to Michael Dowling – winner of the Industry Medal, congratulations on your awards, and on your respective successes to date.

And thank you for your tremendous contribution to research in, and between, the United States and Ireland.

It is your respective visions, commitment and resulting actions that have had a ripple effect of binding our two countries together in such natural and profound ways.

Richard – your wide and varied contributions across culture, the arts, history, politics and so much more have been rightly lauded internationally by diverse audiences.

To be able to count the late, great, Seamus Heaney among those to have personally admired your energy and vision, is an enormous distinction.

And may I add, it is always a particular pleasure for me to be awarding a medal to a fellow Cork man.

Michael – your contribution in the healthcare arena has been deep and far-reaching: from your support of education and training for entrepreneurs, researchers and health service professionals to the numbers you employ and, not least, the numbers of patients who have benefitted.

I know you are a proud Limerick man, but you did study in Cork, so I won’t hold that against you!

In conclusion, I am delighted, on behalf of the Government of Ireland and Research Ireland, to be able to present the Research Ireland St Patrick’s Day Medal to Richard (for Academia) and Michael (for Industry).

Ireland’s connections with the United States span all aspects of our lives – social, academic, arts, culture, enterprise, governmental and beyond – our traditions are intertwined.

As Taoiseach, it is my earnest wish and my goal that this relationship continues to blossom in the years ahead.

Thank you, Michael; thank you, Richard – a very proud day for you, your families, friends and colleagues who have been part of your journey.

Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.

ENDS