January New University of Galway Library honours legacy of Dr Karen Guinee

University of Galway has announced its new Library is to be named in memory of Dr Karen Guinee, a medicine graduate.

 Dr Karen Guinee died in 2006, shortly after completing her studies at the University. She is remembered as a gifted and compassionate alumna who completed her education and training as a doctor with distinction.

 The announcement of the Dr Karen Guinee Library follows a significant philanthropic gift from the Michael Guinee Charitable Foundation, which is also supporting the establishment of a new scholarship for medical students in memory of Dr Guinee.

 University of Galway extends heartfelt gratitude to the Foundation and ongoing sympathies to the Guinee family, as Dr Karen Guinee’s legacy lives on with us.

 The Guinee family said: “We, the Guinee family, are so proud and honoured at the announcement of the naming of the Dr Karen Guinee Library at University of Galway.

 “Karen was tragically taken from us almost 20 years ago, a week away from her graduation as a doctor. Her death has left a void and placed an unspeakable trauma on us all as a family.

 “Karen was so terrifically bright, kind, loving and caring. We miss her everyday and her loss in this world is felt by everyone who knew her.

 “The Dr Karen Guinee Library will serve as a living tribute to Karen. For us as a family, it will give a deeper meaning to her absence.

 “During Karen’s six years studying medicine in University of Galway, the Library would have become a second home – one where she would have spent countless hours with friends, sharing knowledge and enriching herself with ideas and plans for her future career.

 “As a family, we hope that every student will carry Karen’s memory forward, in a beautiful state-of-the-art facility that Karen undoubtedly would have loved.

 “Karen’s life was cut short, but her legacy lives on.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Michael Guinee, Karen’s uncle and godfather, the Michael Guinee Charitable Foundation, and all those involved at University of Galway.

 “May there be comfort in knowing that someone so special will never be forgotten.”

 President of University of Galway, Professor David Burn, said: “On behalf of the University of Galway community and all those who will come to be part of that community in the future, I would like to pay tribute to the Guinee family, and the Michael Guinee Charitable Foundation.

 “We are honouring Dr Karen Guinee not because of the tragedy that occurred, but because of the life she lived. By naming the University of Galway Library after her, we acknowledge her aspirations, her compassion and her deep commitment to helping others. In doing so, we send a message about the safe, respectful and inclusive University we strive for and the type of community and society we work to uphold.

 “The Dr Karen Guinee Library is more than a building; it is a legacy. It will be a place of study and discovery, but also a place of resilience, and hope.”

           Dr Michael Guinee, Chairman of the Michael Guinee Charitable Foundation, said: “As the first person in her family to go to university, Karen carried with her the dreams and hopes of her family and the promise of her career as a doctor. Her passing was a profound loss to me as her godfather and to her family, friends, and the community she had already begun to serve with such care and dedication. By naming the new University of Galway Library in her name, it is my hope that we can honour her memory, and inspire future generations of students to a career of excellence, dedication and service.”

 Monica Crump, University of Galway Librarian, said: “The Dr Karen Guinee Library will stand as a place of learning and research, inspiration and innovation, collaboration and quiet reflection - a fitting tribute to a young woman whose life, though brief, was filled with purpose, warmth, and promise. It is an honour for us to be associated with that memory.”

 The Dr Karen Guinee Library at University of Galway is currently under construction in the centre of the Galway city campus and will be a central hub for learning, research, collaboration, and community. The landmark development overlooks the Corrib and is visible from the Newcastle Road area and the Quincentenary Bridge. A stand-out feature is that the ground floor will be open to the general public.

 The new building spans approximately 10,000m² and will range in height from 4-6 storeys, with 2,244 study spaces (an increase of up to 400 on the spaces currently on campus). It is designed to enable 21^st century learning and research by providing spaces for individual and collaborative work while a digital scholarship centre and an enhanced makerspace will support innovation, creativity and knowledge production. A “book-bot” will be installed, offering a high-density storage and retrieval system for the Library’s physical book collection. Expert staff will support students’ learning journey through a Helpdesk, Learning Success Hub and Assistive Technology area. A welcome zone, incorporating an event and exhibition area, will make the Dr Karen Guinee Library a place of community and engagement.

 The building of the Dr Karen Guinee Library at University of Galway is also supported by Government with a €15 million capital grant through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science under the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF) and the Higher Education Authority.

 Additional philanthropic support for the building of the Dr Karen Guinee Library has been generously provided by a group of lead alumni and other individual donors, and by corporate supporters including CBE and Anthony Ryan Ltd.

 Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

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