Clare journalist, Fiona McGarry has received a teaching award from the National University of Galway.
On Friday, Fiona was named as the winner of the 2021 excellence in teaching and learning award in journalism and communication at NUIG.
Students in the discipline of journalism and communication voted for the award which recognises the lecturer who receives the overall highest marks in student evaluation of teaching scores annually. NUIG’s journalism programme was the top points course in Ireland in the CAO in 2021. The discipline has more than 200 first year students, and attracts applications from countries around the world to study on its programmes annually.
Fiona was awarded the top prize for her commitment to high quality teaching, focus on student learning and the delivery of an outstanding student experience.
An award-winning journalist and radio producer, Fiona lectures in radio journalism, podcasting and in media studies. She is a reporter with The Clare Champion having previously spent four years as producer of Clare FM’s current affairs show, Morning Focus.
From Castelbar in Co Mayo, Fiona now lives in Ruan. In 2012, she secured a funding award from the Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund to travel to Haiti to produce a four-part print feature series for the Connaught Telegraph, a one-hour documentary for Midwest Radio and a slide show for Mayo Today.ie. She won a Justice Media Award for a short radio series on the work of Bedford Row Project, which supports prisoners and families in the Mid-West.
She was closely involved in the development of JOE.ie and Her.ie while she was a senior producer on the Newstalk’s Lunchtime Show which was presented by Damien Kiberd, Brendan O’Brien and Karen Coleman.
McGarry has worked as a broadcast journalist and producer with Galway Bay FM, Midwest Radio and Radio Kerry. In her native county, Fiona was news editor of The Western People and editor of the Mayo Advertiser.
Head of Journalism and Communication Tom Felle said: “Fiona is an outstanding lecturer and this award recognises her commitment to our students. The last year and a half has been extremely difficult for students in schools and universities around the country, so the this award for Fiona is a testament to all the hard work she has put in to ensure students achieved their potential in very challenging circumstances”.
