Cunningham Medal: UCD historian Professor Mary E. Daly awarded Royal Irish Academy’s highest honour
18 March 2026
University College Dublin historian Professor Mary E. Daly has been awarded the Cunningham Medal, the Royal Irish Academy’s highest honour, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to scholarship and research in Ireland.
One of Ireland’s leading experts on the development of modern Ireland, Professor Daly has played a major role in shaping understanding of the country’s social and economic development over the last two centuries.
Her scholarship pioneered the use of official and state archives, helping to establish new approaches in Irish social history that have influenced generations of researchers.
Accepting the award, Professor Daly said it was “a great honour to receive the Cunningham Medal from the RIA, an institution that has long played a central role in supporting scholarship in Ireland”.
“Having had the privilege to serve the Academy in a number of roles over the years, including as President, this recognition is especially meaningful to me.
“Alongside my work with the RIA, my years at University College Dublin provided a stimulating environment for research and teaching, and I have been fortunate to work with outstanding colleagues and students throughout my career, who share an interest in understanding Ireland’s past.”
First awarded in 1796, the Cunningham Medal is presented every three years to a scholar whose research excellence and commitment to advancing knowledge reflects the RIA’s mission to promote and support scholarship in the sciences, humanities and social sciences across Ireland and internationally.
Previous recipients include Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney and UCD Professor Dervilla Donnelly, the first woman awarded the Cunningham medal.
President RIA, Professor Pat Guiry (left) with Professor Mary E Daly MRIA, winner of the Royal Irish Academy Cunningham Medal 2026, and proposer Professor David Dickson Credit : Johnny Bambury
‘Professor Daly’s scholarship has transformed the study of modern Irish history and deepened our understanding of the social and economic forces that shaped the Irish state,” said outgoing RIA President and (opens in a new window)UCD Professor Pat Guiry, who presented the medal at the Academy’s Stated General Meeting.
“Alongside her academic achievements, she has given extraordinary service to the RIA and to the wider research community in Ireland. It was a privilege for the Academy to recognise her remarkable contribution with the Cunningham Medal.”
An internationally recognised historian, Professor Daly's research broadened the account of Irish history and the formation of the State by examining them from the perspectives of industrialisation, urbanisation, demography, women’s history, family history and the history of childhood.
Her pioneering 1984 book 'Dublin - The deposed capital: A social and economic history 1860–1914”, was the first major work on the urban history of nineteenth century Ireland and the first to use the state records from the Chief Secretary’s Office as a source for social and economic history.
In addition to her academic work, Professor Daly has made a significant contribution to the development of humanities research.
She played a key role in establishing the UCD Humanities Institute and the UCD Centre for the History of Medicine, while also securing major research funding to support the discipline. She served for seven years as Principal of UCD College of Arts and Celtic Studies.
She has also made substantial contributions to public life and academic leadership, having served as the first female President of the Royal Irish Academy from 2014 to 2017 and has advised on archives, public history and national commemorations.
In 2021, she was presented with the Royal Irish Academy's Gold Medal, considered among the highest scholarly accolades in Ireland, and, at the time, was the eighth UCD academic to receive the honour since its inception in 2005.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
