Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 16.26.00

From left: (Back row) Rory O Neill, Tomas (Tomi) Reichental, Trinity Provost Dr Patrick Prendergast, Fr Peter McVerry, (Front row. from left) Senator David Norris, University Chancellor Mary Robinson and Graca Machel.

 

RTÉ reports:

Gay rights activist Rory O’Neill, also known as Panti Bliss, has received an honorary degree from Trinity College Dublin this afternoon.

Mr O’Neill received the doctorate from the university, along with fellow campaigner Senator David Norris.

Other notable recipients honoured today included the Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental., Nelson Mandela’s widow and politician Graca Machel as well as campaigner for the homeless, Fr Peter McVerry.

How many honorary degrees does a man need?

*stares quizzically toward Norris*

Panti Bliss among honorary degrees awarded at TCD (RTE)

Honorary degrees (Trinity College Dublin)

Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

Sponsored Link

43 thoughts on “Six Degrees

  1. Marian

    Didn’t realise Trinity College (no less) were in charge of New Ireland’s honours system.

    Still, you might as well spread what’s left of Trinity’s past while people still think it’s of value/relevance.

    In fairness, they do have fabulous! gowns.

    1. some old queen

      When the (original) Metro was being planned, the shortest route was under Trinity. Objections were raised as Trinity did not have enough stable foundations to withhold the big drill underneath and therefore fall into a big hole. The engineers from UCD felt this was a reasonable compromise.

      Don’t you just love tribalism?

  2. Hashtag McMór

    With the exception of Tomi and Fr McVerry, the rest aren’t worth a toss. Just to prove how worthless this farce of honorary degrees has become. Panti Bliss? Are you pooin’ me?

    I am surprised Mairia Cahill didn’t get one.

    Von Prondzynski of DCU was right.

    As for Robinson – A Tony Blair money machine of our own.

      1. Hashtag McMór

        SHouldn’t you be out canvassing for @Labour now or are you afraid to miss the start of the Late Late Toy Show? This honorary degree stuff is a joke. Trinity’s academic credibility is falling as fast as Labour’s political cred. Go figure, you loser.

        1. Annie

          LOL – something tells me Hashtag whathisface (and of course it is a he) is in no position to call others losers.

          1. Hashtag McMór

            “of course it is a he'”? Wrong. Your genderfluidphobia is so typical of the Basic B*tch D6 set.

          2. sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq

            Please, please, carry on…

            I’m loving it.
            I hate it when you lot are pretending to get on with each other.

            This is where it’s at.

            More, more, more…

          3. Annie

            “for someone that throws around the word misogynist like confetti, thats quite the ironic statement”.

            Lol – I suspect there are a lot of Annies or Annes around here. Not me mate.

          4. Annie

            “Basic B*tch D6 set”

            No dear, a Basic B as you eloquently and not-at-all predictably put it, refers to someone who thinks as you do, that being a professional internet troll is actually a worthwhile enterprise.

    1. Nice Anne (Dammit)

      Too boorish and bland to even rise to.
      Did a lot of your school reports say “Must try harder”

  3. mauriac

    if you get an Oxbridge degree they give you a masters as a bonus a few years after you leave just for not dying…

    1. AlisonT

      Trinity will do that too. Also, if you work for them for 10 years – in the shop, cleaning, IT etc. you get a masters after 10 years. It undermines the value of study.

    1. Nice Anne (Dammit)

      No it doesn’t. The fact it has “honorary” in the title is the dead giveaway that they are not the same as a real degree……

    2. Annie

      “Makes a mockery of those who work for years to earn real ones”. No it doesn’t. The difficult part is getting into and financing one’s university years. The degree is decidedly the easy part. Two-a-penny now but a necessary step for gainful employment.

      I applaud each of these individuals as deserving of their honorary degrees – they haven’t been sitting on their arse all their lives waiting for things to happen, now have they?

      On your bike.

  4. Tszami Dat is the New Trolling

    Woeful. Shambolic right-onism a lá Baçik. Any wonder TCD has dismal academic cred. The third-level equivalent of the Late Late Show Toy Show.

      1. Hashtag McMór

        The only one who needs to try harder around here is you. Are you really prepared to make first year sociology and politics in TCD the best two years of your life? Plank away. You’re on 7% and going down.

  5. notlucas

    Not all learning and contributions to society are in the form of written theses. I would say that they have all done enough to significantly improve society. Not always the case with honouraries but in this case.

  6. Jake38

    A beauty contest. All have done good things (including Ms Bliss) but I’m not sure how such worthy civic activities tie in with an academic degree. The issue here is Trinity, not the recipients. The university has become focussed on re-branding, enrolling foreign students, the student “experience”, gender issues, “equality” to the point of farce, LGBT “issues” etc, etc, to the detriment of its academic performance and standing. Its sad to watch.

  7. Lilly

    Panti?!! For parading around in a dress… is there an age requirement for that? I could supply them with a few candidates.

      1. Lilly

        Haha! I’ve been accused of lots of things in my life but YD, that’s a first. Thanks for the laugh :)

    1. Nice Anne (Dammit)

      Nice bit of overt sexism there. What do you do for an encore rob sweets off kids or kick kittens? Bet you would not say this to Rory o’Neill’s face.

  8. rotide

    I’m assuming the multitude of folks talking about trinity’s “academic credibility ” are either students who didn’t get the points for the place or UCD lecturers. it’s the only explanation for why they think anyone cares at all

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie