RCSI conferred 907 healthcare professionals in a ceremony that took place in the College’s St Stephen’s Green campus yesterday.

In surgery, the awards conferred included Fellowship and Memberships of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Diploma of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and Fellowship and Membership of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine.

Also awarded were Fellowship and Memberships of the Faculty of Dentistry, Fellowship and Memberships in General Dental Surgery and Diplomas in Primary Care Dentistry.

Addressing the candidates, RCSI President Professor Laura Viani said: “Congratulations to each of you on this wonderful celebration of your very significant achievements in postgraduate study. It marks the culmination of real dedicated effort, and I am delighted that we can come together today to celebrate this momentous occasion in person.”

The College also conferred three Honorary Fellowships on Professor Paul Brennan, Professor James M. Drake and Professor Patricia Joy Numann. Professor Ahmed Suleiman was also conferred with an Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Dentistry.

The Honorary Fellowship of RCSI is the highest distinction the College bestows, recognising outstanding achievement in surgery and in other areas.

The Honorary Fellows

Professor Paul Brennan, Consultant Radiologist, Bon Secours Hospital Dublin qualified from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as a member of the Class of 1981. As Ireland’s first full-time Interventional Neuroradiologist, Professor Brennan revolutionised the treatment of neurovascular disorders here.

In his citation, Professor Simon Cross, RCSI Council Member, described Professor Brennan as a leader, innovator and mentor and the “father” of modern interventional radiology treatments for patients with brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and ischaemic stroke in Ireland.

Professor James M. Drake, Surgeon in Chief, The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto obtained an MBBCh from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1979, and Neurosurgery Training at the University of Toronto in 1987. He has over 300 peer-reviewed publications and holds major grants from CIHR, NSERC and NIH.

The citation was read by Mr John Caird, RCSI Council Member, who applauded Professor Drake’s influence on paediatric neurosurgery, his contribution to the treatment of complex childhood disorders and his role as a mentor to other fellows at SickKids Toronto.

Professor Patricia Joy Numann, Lloyd S. Rogers Professor of Surgery Emeritus, completed surgical training at the State University of New York Upstate Medical Centre in 1970. She joined the faculty at her alma mater where she remained her entire academic career.

Delivering the citation, Ms Bridget Egan, RCSI Council Member, praised Professor Numann’s commitment to the education and training of surgeons worldwide, her dedication to the care of women with breast disease, and her exemplary support for gender equity.

Professor Ahmed Suleiman, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Khartoum has had a distinguished career with expertise in the study and management of oral cancer and precancerous lesions. He has established a renowned surgical unit at the Khartoum Teaching Dental Hospital for cancer management.

His citation praised his exceptional contributions to oral and maxillofacial surgery, his academic leadership, and his dedication to improving oral healthcare in Sudan.