ATLANTIC Technological University (ATU) was proud to recognise Pat McArt, renowned journalist, author, and former Editor of the Derry Journal, as one of the recipients of its inaugural ATU Alumni Awards.
Pat McArt received the Alumni Award in Design, Education and Humanities, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Irish journalism and public life. With a career spanning over three decades, McArt is best known for his impactful editorial leadership at the Derry Journal, where his work shaped public conversation during some of the most pivotal moments in Northern Ireland’s recent history.
Receiving his award at the conferring ceremony in Letterkenny with his wife Rósie, Pat McArt said: “I’m absolutely honoured to receive this ATU Alumni Award. It means a lot to me. We were the first cohort of students to arrive here in 1971. And seeing this as the first year of the ATU Alumni Award, it closes the circle as far as I’m concerned brilliantly. For those graduating today, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. The standard of education being provided here is absolutely first class.”
The 2025 Alumni Awards marked the launch of a new ATU tradition, celebrating graduates who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and positive impact in their professions and communities.
Pat McArt is one of seven distinguished alumni recognised at the 2025 ATU Alumni Awards, which celebrated graduates who have demonstrated determination, ambition, and impact across a wide range of sectors. Other recipients included leaders in, business, engineering, sport, and health sciences.
The awards are presented during ATU’s Spring Conferring Ceremonies, held across its campuses on Tuesday, April 29 (ATU Donegal), Wednesday, April 30 (ATU Sligo), and Thursday, May 1 (ATU Galway Mayo). The ceremonies brought together students, staff, families, and friends to celebrate those who graduated and the achievements of ATU’s most inspiring alumni.
ATU President, Dr Orla Flynn, commented: “This first-of-its-kind celebration marked a major milestone in ATU’s growing alumni engagement, highlighting the university’s commitment to recognising graduates who make meaningful contributions in Ireland and around the world.”
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