The drawing room of the President’s quarters in the corner of the Aula Maxima is a serene place. Heavy curtains frame the windows, soft light pours across shelves of books, and there is the faint smell of fresh coffee, chocolate digestives, polished wood and old history.
Into this calm walks Prof. David Burn, the new President of the University of Galway. Lean as a whippet – a legacy of a lifetime of running – he moves quickly across the room, extending a hand with the sort of disarming politeness that instantly lowers barriers. He speaks with a soft North East of England accent, the vowels rounded with warmth, the cadence calm but purposeful.
We sit, and for the next forty-five minutes, we talk about football and running, about politics and housing, about alliances and research, about compassion for students struggling with mental health, and about his journey with the Irish language. What emerges is a portrait of a man who is both practical and optimistic – “glass half full,” as he calls himself – but also deeply attuned to the responsibilities of leadership in turbulent times.
First Impressions
“Congratulations, and welcome to Galway,” I begin. He smiles with gratitude.
“To be honest with you, Declan, I’m absolutely blown away,” he says, leaning forward slightly. “I’ve not been a sort of journeyman looking around for different jobs. With a wife from Ireland, I’ve been coming back and forth for 35, 36 years. I’d done the job in Newcastle for the best part of nine years, and I was at this branch point where I thought – am I going to retire? But I didn’t want to retire. I felt I had more to offer. I just had this desire to be a president of a university in Ireland. And then the Galway job came up. What a fabulous place.”
He pauses, eyes bright. “I remember coming here with Aileen’s mum, and I just loved the place. I went on record saying Galway was my favourite city in Ireland. When the job came up, I thought I’d be lucky to even make the shortlist. And one thing led to another, and here I am. I’ve been blown away by the kindness, the welcome, the quality of the staff, the quality of the campus, and how it meshes with the wider city. It’s wonderful.”
A Mills & Boon Beginning
Talk of Galway inevitably leads to his wife, Aileen. Her roots are in Newcastle West, County Limerick, and she has been away for over three decades. They met, he tells me, in the most unusual of circumstances.
“It was a Mills & Boon story,” he laughs. “We met over a lumbar puncture, of all things. Queen Square in London – I was a young neurologist, she was a theatre assistant. I can still remember the patient’s name, but I won’t give it. And there she was, assisting me. That was it. The rest is history.”
The anecdote is characteristic of Burn’s style: scientific precision tempered by warmth, anecdotal detail laced with humour.
Sunderland: A Lesson in Optimism
Football comes up quickly. Burn follows Sunderland, and he wears that allegiance like a badge of philosophical resilience.
“I must be glass half full,” he smiles. “You have to be, if you support Sunderland. The ups and downs, the heartbreaks, the near misses – it teaches you perspective. And perspective is essential in leadership.”
He talks about the emotional impact of football – the shared moments of joy and despair that bind communities – and sees parallels in university life. “A university, like a football club, has a community that stretches beyond the immediate. Alumni, staff, students, the city – all connected by identity and loyalty.”
Running the Distance
The lean frame is deceptive: Burn is a seasoned marathon runner, though he is modest about it.
“I wouldn’t claim any great athletic prowess now,” he admits, “but I’ve done nine or ten marathons, most of them in Ireland. Connemara twice, Dublin twice, Cork once. There’s something about the Irish marathon experience – the scenery, the camaraderie – that’s unforgettable.”
Running, he says, is both a discipline and a meditation. “It’s a very economical way, timewise, of staying fit. But more than that, it gives you clarity. You can run off a problem and come back with the solution.”
Will Galway’s students see him jogging the Salthill Promenade? He laughs. “You might. It’s less hilly here than Newcastle. That helps.”
Learning the Language
Few issues have been more publicly scrutinised in his appointment than the fact that he does not speak the Irish language. His voice grows more deliberate when I ask.
“It’s something I take very seriously. I absolutely understand the concerns some had that I didn’t have Irish. I respect those views. But it’s important to point out that the university changed the statutes in 2017, removing that requirement. That said, I’ve been learning Irish for over a year and a half – long before this job came up. I do daily practice. I’m not conversational yet, but I’m recognising more and more. I will do my level best not only to learn it but to promote it.”
For Burn, the symbolism matters. “The University of Galway has a unique bilingual status. By being on this journey myself, I hope I can highlight the importance of the Irish language not just within Ireland but to the wider world. I’d like people to see me trying, and maybe that will encourage them too.”
A Vision for Galway
We move to the question of his vision. Burn does not talk about sweeping change; rather, he speaks about building on firm foundations.
“One of the things that really drew me here was that the university already has a clear identity. The four pillars – culture and creativity, sustainability and green energy, transformative data and AI, and health innovation – that’s a powerful framework. Some universities struggle to define themselves. Galway doesn’t. My role is not to dismantle but to strengthen and promote.”
He sees a parallel with Newcastle. “They used to say we were shy bairns – good at things but not good at telling the wider world. I see a bit of that here. One of my jobs is to promote the excellence of the University of Galway internationally.”
Galway, the Region, and the Future
Burn is keenly aware of the university’s role in the city and the wider region.
“The EU classifies the north-west of Ireland as a ‘lagging region.’ That was a surprise to me, but it’s also familiar – the North East of England is economically poor, despite being rich in culture and community. And poor economies often mean poor health. So I see parallels. The university has to be part of changing that.”
Partnership is central to his approach. “I don’t see the university as an ivory tower. We’ve already had good conversations with ATU, the HSE, the City Council. If we’re going to advocate for investment in infrastructure and health, we need to be stronger together.”
The phrase he repeats is “porosity of boundaries” – the idea that people should move freely between academic, commercial, and cultural spaces. “That’s when innovation happens. Galway is already a global hub for medtech. But imagine extending that into ICT, AI, sustainability. The potential is enormous.”
Arts, Culture, and Galway’s DNA
The university’s role in Galway’s cultural life is something he speaks about with enthusiasm.
“I knew about the Druid Theatre connection, but to hear that the university gave Garry Hynes, Mick Lally and Marie Mullen their start – that’s extraordinary. That’s a legacy. And I think we need to continue that tradition, but also embrace new forms: immersive technologies, audiovisual work, collaborations across disciplines. Galway should be at the forefront of creativity.”
For him, this means not only welcoming the community in but also stepping out. “It’s not enough to expect people to come to us. We need to go to them. The arts, the festivals, the music – they’re all part of what makes Galway special. The university should be visible in that space.”
Politics, Partnerships, and Principles
Universities are not insulated from global politics. The question of links with Israel and Palestine arose on Burn’s very first day.
“I hadn’t even been in the office an hour and a half when I was presented with a letter by students, calling on us to end links with Israel. I accepted it personally, and I will be meeting with the signatories.
"The university has already made it clear: there will be no links with Israel going forward. We abhor all loss of life through conflict. Our role is to be conscious of who we partner with, and to act with integrity.”
Geopolitical instability, he says, is one of the great challenges facing higher education. “In the UK, international postgraduate numbers have dropped sharply, driven by immigration policies and wider tensions. That’s an existential threat. Ireland is less reliant, but we still have to be careful, to diversify, and to keep moving forward.”
Students First: Housing and Mental Health
Burn is clear-eyed about the challenges facing students. Housing is at the top of the list.
“I heard some heartbreaking stories from students in focus groups. It’s not something the university can solve alone – it’s a nationwide problem – but we are doing what we can.
"We’ve distributed 57,000 leaflets to households, urging them to rent rooms to students. We’ve doubled the number of student pad listings. We’ve expanded purpose-built student accommodation. The accommodation office is working flat out. But yes, it remains a real challenge.”
Then there is mental health. His tone grows sombre.
“Student mental health is a constant concern. In Newcastle, it was almost at pandemic levels. Initially, people thought it was just a Covid adjustment issue, but it hasn’t gone away.
"Some cases you can support, others are harder. What’s crucial is that we have resources, signposting, and compassion. I was very impressed with the ‘Galway Wheel’ model here – it allows students to self-assess the severity of their needs and access support accordingly. It’s about being there for them, about that duty of care.”
He speaks of a “paternalistic sense of responsibility” for every student. “It’s heartbreaking when students struggle. We can’t fix every problem, but we can be present, compassionate, and supportive.”
Culture, Music, and Relaxation
How does he switch off? “Music,” he says, with a grin.
“I play guitar badly, and I can find chords on a keyboard. My influences are eclectic – everything from David Bowie to classical electronic. Thanks to Aileen, I have a healthy love of Irish music. One of the best nights of my life was at Dolan’s in Limerick for the release of the Cranberries’ last album – cranberry-coloured vinyl and all. I’ve seen The Waterboys, Clannad, and others. Ireland punches way above its weight musically.”
Galway Living
In these first weeks, Burn is settling in. The university is helping him find somewhere to live. “You can’t commute this job,” he says. “You have to immerse yourself.”
He is already tasting the city. “I popped into Zhivago’s to get lost in the CDs – I remember doing that years ago with Aileen’s mum. I’ve met a lovely man in town who sells wine – I’ll definitely be back. Galway is welcoming, warm. It draws you in.”
He’s heard the old joke about Galway as the “graveyard of ambition.” He shakes his head. “I don’t believe that. I think Galway captures people because it’s wonderful. The challenge is to channel that energy into ambition for the region as well.”
Looking Ahead
As our conversation winds down, he reflects. “I’m surrounded by wonderful staff, wonderful students, and I feel incredibly lucky. My job is to give it everything – to promote Galway, to support our students, to foster research and creativity, and to ensure the university is part of the wider community. It’s a privilege, and I’ll do my absolute best.”
He smiles, that Sunderland supporter’s optimism shining through. “Glass half full.”
