Dundalk IT Students Union opposes any "external venue" for Graduation 2019

The Students Union President at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIt) has expressed his "opposition to any external venue" being used for this year's graduation and has called on the Institute to reverse its decision to move the ceremony to Dundalk Townhall.

DkIT yesterday announced a change  of venue for this year's graduation ceremony that takes place from October 30 to November 1.

The event, that took place every year prior to this at the DkIT campus on the Dublin Road, was set to take place at St Patrick's Cathedral but following protests from the Students Union (SU) and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), the Institute announced yesterday evening that venue has now changed to the Townhall in Dundalk. 

Representatives for Fr Mark O'Hagan of St Patrick's Cathedral said to the Democrat yesterday that, while initially open to the idea of hosting the graduation at the church, that after listening to feedback and understanding the consensus view, they had decided that the church would not be playing a part in hosting the ceremony.

The Students Union's President Glenn McCourt expressed his "disappointment at the DkIT President’s unilateral decision to move the venue of the pinnacle event of the college calendar to another external venue instead of taking the graduation home to DkIT where it belongs" and called on the Institute to reverse the decision.

He added: “The main issue we have is the damage to the fabric of the DkIT community," said Mr McCourt, "over many years the main value of Graduation has been the opportunity of students from all backgrounds alongside their Parents, Family and Friends to meet staff in a place where their education took place.

"The Townhall is not the venue where our education has taken place. We need to make it clear to Mr Mulvey that the decision to move graduation to an external venue was not, is not, supported by the DkIT community.

"The issue is not with which external venue, its our opposition to any external venue. We want to bring Graduation home to where it belongs - DkIT."

The SU President called on the Institute's President to reverse the decision "immediately and allow Our 2019 Graduation go ahead in its normal venue Our College, Our Campus, Our DkIT."