President Connolly appoints UCD Professor Emerita Kathleen Lynch to Council of State
1 April 2026
UCD (opens in a new window)Professor Emerita Kathleen Lynch is among seven people newly appointed to the Council of State by President Catherine Connolly.
Members of the Council of State play a key role in advising the President on various matters.
Professor Emerita Lynch is a sociologist and was Professor of Equality Studies at UCD, where she also held a Senior Lectureship in Education.
She is described by the Áras as someone who has “devoted her life to advancing equality and social justice through research, education and activism”.
Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, former UCD Professor of Accounting and Dean of the UCD College of Business, was also appointed to the Council of State.
Ó hÓgartaigh is a former President of the University of Galway, and also served as Chairperson of Universities Ireland, encouraging cooperation between the universities on the island.
The five other appointees are Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Linda Ervin, Colin Harvey, Donncha O’Connell and Conor O’Mahony.
“May I thank each of the nominees who have agreed to serve as a member of the Council of State,” said President Connolly in a statement.
“These seven members bring a unique expertise and range of experience to the Council of State which will be of immense value in considering the matters which may arise over the course of my term of office. I look forward to receiving their advice and support over the next seven years.”
Professor Emerita Lynch played a leading role in establishing the UCD Equality Studies Centre and the UCD School of Social Justice (now part of the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice).
Her work at UCD involved developing and establishing and teaching graduate, undergraduate and outreach programmes in Equality Studies and Social Justice over 30 years. She was awarded the UCD Medal for Pioneering Change in 2018.
She has authored over 300 academic articles, and a number of books on all types of equality and social justice issues, with a strong focus on education.
A current Executive Member of the Global Forum for Rehumanizing Education, Professor Emerita Lynch also served as a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) from 2020-2025.
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
