Lecture hall named in Memory of The Honourable Ms Justice Mella Carroll
Monday 3 June

DCU President, Prof Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Deputy President of DCU, Prof Anne Scott, Head of the School of Nursing, Prof Chris Stevenson, and Una McCann, sister of The Honourable Ms Justice Mella Carroll

The School of Nursing celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and held a party on Thursday evening for all members of the School and staff from its partner institutions.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, the main lecture theatre, HG20, was officially named in memory of the late Chancellor, the Honourable Ms Justice Mella Carroll.

The event was attended by members of Mella Carroll’s family and included Una McCann (sister) and her husband Denis, Peter McCann (nephew), Christine Caroll (niece), Una Carroll (niece), Patrick (nephew) and his wife Helena. Pat Preston, Mella Carroll’s driver and assistant also attended.

DCU President, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, spoke warmly of Mella Carroll who had supported him in his early career by giving generously of her time. She was also the first female High Court judge in the State. “Through her five years as Chancellor of DCU, Mella showed good humour and courtesy. She also had a rare capacity to keep to the agenda and chaired all but one meeting, in spite of her illness”.

Professor Anne Scott, Deputy President of DCU and former Head of the School of Nursing, said that nursing in Ireland owed a huge debt to Mella Carroll. She chaired and produced the Report of the Commission on Nursing in Ireland, 1998, which didn’t pull any punches in terms of working conditions for nurses. It encouraged the profession to be independent and autonomous, and recommended that nursing be moved to the university sector. DCU now has one of the strongest nursing schools in the country, with a dynamic research programme.

Marie Keane, Director of Nursing at Beaumont Hospital, one of DCU’s partners in nursing education, said that Mella Carroll had vision. “She had wisdom and understanding and insight into the nursing and midwifery profession and recognised that nurses needed to be acknowledged and valued. She provided the framework by which nurses today have become lifelong learners”.