Danny O'Hare facts for kids

Daniel O'Hare, often called Danny O'Hare, was born in 1942 in Ireland. He is a smart academic and used to lead a university. He is best known for starting and becoming the first president of Dublin City University (DCU) in September 1989. This was one of two new universities created in Ireland at that time. He has also held many important public jobs and is a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Danny O'Hare is a chemist from Dundalk who specialized in studying materials using advanced methods.

Life Story

Growing Up

Danny O'Hare was born in County Louth and grew up in Dundalk. He went to the local Christian Brothers School until 1960.

His Studies and Early Jobs

O'Hare went to University College Galway (UCG), which is now NUI Galway. He earned a science degree in Chemistry and then a master's degree in Organic Chemistry. He worked as an assistant at UCG from 1964 to 1965. Later, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 1968. His research involved studying gases using a special light technique.

After that, O'Hare worked as a professor at Michigan State University in the USA. Then, he moved to the University of Southampton in the UK for a year to do more research.

Leading Colleges

In 1971, O'Hare became the first principal of a college called Regional Technical College in Letterkenny. This college is now known as Letterkenny Institute of Technology. He worked there until 1974. After that, he became the head of another college, Regional Technical College in Waterford, which is now Waterford Institute of Technology.

Starting Dublin City University

In 1977, O'Hare took on a big role as the director of a new institution that would become the National Institute of Higher Education (NIHE) in Dublin. He worked hard to plan and build the new campus. In 1989, he led the change for NIHE to become a full university, Dublin City University (DCU). This happened on the same day as the University of Limerick also became a university.

O'Hare and his team found money from many places, including from a kind person named Chuck Feeney. Both NIHE and DCU focused on mixing what students learned in class with what businesses needed. They had a special program called INTRA, which was a type of cooperative education. This meant students got to work in real companies as part of their studies.

O'Hare announced in November 1998 that he would leave his role as president in September 1999.

Helping Other Organizations

O'Hare has worked as an expert for important international groups like the World Bank and the OECD. These groups help countries with their economies and development.

Other Important Roles

O'Hare has led many important groups in Ireland. He chaired the group for all Irish university leaders. He also led a national group that helped adults learn through distance education, which DCU was very good at.

While at DCU, he was asked to lead a big project called Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. This project oversaw a huge investment to improve homes and build new community places in the Ballymun area of Dublin. From 1994, he also chaired the board of Beaumont Hospital.

In 1996, the government chose him to be the first chairperson of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. He helped set up this organization, hire staff, and define its goals to keep food safe for everyone. He also led groups that looked at future job skills and the role of science and information technology in Ireland. After leaving DCU, O'Hare also chaired the governing body of the Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy and a group for Dublin Airport.

He was a member of the Medical Council of Ireland from 2008 to 2018. There, he led a committee that looked into doctors' fitness to practice. He also served on the boards of several other organizations, including those related to education and business.

Exploration Station

O'Hare has strongly supported and now chairs the board of an exciting project called Exploration Station. This is an interactive science center for children that planned to open a new educational facility in 2020. It aims to make science fun and engaging for young people.

Awards and Recognition

O'Hare is a member of the Royal Irish Academy, which is a very respected group for top thinkers in Ireland. He was chosen for the Science division in 1999.

He has also received special honorary doctorates from several universities. These include the University of Dublin (1992), University of Ulster (1994), Queen's University, Belfast (1995), the National University of Ireland (1999), and DCU (2008).

Family Life

O'Hare is married to Sheelagh (from Galway), and they have four children: Michael, Nicholas, Domhnall, and Fiona.

See also

• Ed Walsh, who was the founding president of the other NIHE that also became a university in September 1989.