Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Lads, it’s time to appoint a women head of University of Galway.

For 180 years, Galway’s prestigious university has had 13 presidents (14 including the current interim incumbent, Peter McHugh). All men.

All very qualified and no doubt deserving of the high-paying, high-powered position. But all male, nonetheless.

Seriously, since 1845, was there no woman who was qualified enough to be appointed to one of the most notable posts in Irish academia?

Chair of the university’s Governing Body, Máire Geoghegan Quinn, recently invited students, staff and alumni to complete a survey, offering feedback on who should be appointed its next President.

A trailblazer for women in politics, and first female Cabinet Minister in the State’s history when she was appointed Gaeltacht Minister in 1979, one suspects MGQ would personally be in favour of appointing a woman to replace Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh in the top job.

Obviously, it’s not her call. And of course, the university must appoint the best person for the job, regardless of gender.

But surely there are plenty of women candidates, willing and able to take over. And there would be a certain synergy in the new president becoming the first female to hold the position, while Máire Geoghegan Quinn was chair of Údarás na hOllscoile.

We won’t rehash the university’s chequered history on gender equality. Nor will we rake up the very high-profile instances of discrimination against staff because they were women – most notably Micheline Sheehy Skeffington.

The university has said it instigated change in the area of gender equality. But a 2023 report to its Governing Body confirmed its overall gender pay gap was 18.4%.

Progress in terms of promoting more women to higher positions, had only made a “marginal difference to the gap” between what men and women were paid at the university.

Údarás members noted that the lack of progress on gender was an issue across the whole of society, and “radical action would be required to eliminate the Gender Pay Gap”.

It’s actually not a very radical suggestion ahead of International Women’s Day in 2025, but appointing a woman president would be a start.

And while they’re at it, can they make sure she speaks Irish, too?

In 2016, the university dropped its long-standing requirement that its president must have fluency in our native tongue.

But even though it’s no longer compulsory, it should be one of the many considerations taken into account when appointing the president of a university that is so important to Gaeilge.

Pictured: Former Government Minister and EU Commissioner, Máire Geoghegan Quinn blazed a trail for women in politics. There would be a synergy if the University of Galway were to appoint its first female president during her tenure as Chair of the university’s governing body.