The Liam Swords Foundation - bursary for Irish Higher education students to study in Paris

Recipients 2015

Kevin Donovan is an architectural graduate of University College Dublin (UCD). Having studied languages and literature to masters level, he came to UCD as a mature student to UCD school of architecture. He graduated with first class honours. In his fourth year, his dissertation on the poetry and architecture of Michelangelo was awarded first prize in the RIBA President’s Medals, a competition which attracts entries from all British schools and many worldwide.

Since his graduation, Kevin has become involved in teaching in many areas of the UCD curriculum. Recently he was awarded one of two Centennial PhD scholarships by the School and is currently lecturing at DIT.

His work has already been presented at a number of conferences and always meets with acclaim. The interdisciplinary nature of the work is very significant, spanning literature, architecture and engineering in a very original and persuasive manner.

Kevin’s research on Francis Ponge and Jean Prouvé will necessitate spending a good deal of time in archives and buildings in Paris. He has opened up new avenues of research which are proving extremely rich - the work will propose new ways of thinking about the creative culture of post-war France, and as such will have a relevance far beyond its specific domain.

In the words of the Rev. Liam Swords

'the aim is to establish a grant for a student of talent from the Irish Higher education sector to pursue his/her studies/research/training for an academic year in Paris and to immerse themselves in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Candidates will be chosen from the widest possible groups, e.g., musicians, artists, sculptors, writers, scientists, engineers, scholars, craft-workers, theologians, architects, students of haute cuisine or haute couture, cinematographers etc.'