Professor Colm Ó’Moráin’s Festschrift
Cornerstones in Gastroenterology
Professor Colm Ó’Moráin’s Festschrift was held on Saturday the 18th of June at the Royal College of Physician’s of Ireland. Professor John Hegarty, Provost of TCD gave the opening address to an audience of almost two hundred including, family, friends and colleagues from Ireland and abroad who had all gathered to celebrate Colm’s outstanding contribution to Irish Medicine and to Gastroenterology.
The symposium, Cornerstones in Gastroenterology, covered three of Colm’s major research fields, Helicobacter pylori infection, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer Prevention. There were presentations from local colleagues; Dr Niall Breslin, Professor Humphrey O’Connor, Dr Barbara Ryan and Dr Deirdre McNamara, who gave an overview of Colm’s life and career and outlined his significant national and international contributions to each area. In addition international world renowned leaders; Professor Tony Axon (Leeds, UK), Professor Peter Malfertheiner (Magdeburg, Germany), Professor Reinhold Stokbrügger (Ferrera, Italy), Professor Derek Jewell (Oxford, UK), Professor Ernst Kuipers (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Professor Jean Faivre, (Burgundy, France) all gave up to date reviews on each topic. The symposium was highly informative and enjoyed by all.
At the closing ceremony Colm was presented with the inaugural Ó’Moráin Research Medal by Mairead Shields, Chairperson of The Meath Foundation and Professor Ian Graham of the Adelaide Society. Both Societies having jointly sponsored the creation of an NCHD research award at The Adelaide and Meath Hospital in his honour.
Later that evening a Gala Dinner was held in the dining hall, Trinity College, hosted by Colm and his wife Marcelle. The guests were treated to a sumptuous meal and his Colleagues Professor Dermot Kelleher, Head of School and Vice Provost for Medical Affairs, Professor Kevin Conlon, Professor of Surgery at AMNCH and Mr John O’Connell acting CEO of AMNCH spoke of Colm’s wonderful commitment to teaching, research and his patients.
In all, the symposium and dinner were enjoyable and fitting occasions to mark over a quarter of a century of Colm’s outstanding work and I wish him all the best in the future.
Dr Deirdre McNamara,
Senior Lecturer in Medicine & Consultant Gastroenterologist,
Trinity College Dublin & AMNCH
