Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has honoured veteran journalist and broadcaster Michael Lally with an alumni award for decades of work in public service broadcasting.
The former Galway journalist received an award in Design, Education and Social Science, as part of the university’s 2026 Alumni Awards, which recognised nine outstanding graduates whose work reflects the impact of an ATU education across society.
Michael is a graduate of Regional Technical College Galway, a predecessor of ATU, and a distinguished journalist and broadcasting leader whose career has made a lasting contribution to public service broadcasting in Ireland.
He joined RTÉ in 1978 as a news reporter and went on to hold a number of senior editorial and correspondent roles, including Agriculture and Food Correspondent, Mid‑West Correspondent, Industry and Employment Correspondent, and South East Correspondent.
Michael’s work also involved major international reporting assignments, covering humanitarian crises in Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda.
In 1996, he joined the establishment executive of TG4 in Connemara, where he became the founding editor and producer of Nuacht TG4, playing a central role in the development of Irish language television news.
He later oversaw the relocation and integration of RTÉ’s Irish language news operations in Baile na hAbhann.In addition to his broadcasting career, Michael served as President of CIRCOM from 2008 to 2012, representing regional broadcasters across Europe.
Following his retirement from RTÉ, he returned to study at ATU, completing a Master of Arts in Creative Practice and a Master by Research, examining the relationship between public service journalism and democracy.
Reacting to the award, Michael Lally said, “I am humbled and a little overwhelmed by this award. All I ever set out to achieve was career satisfaction and enjoyment.”
“No one achieves these things alone, it’s always part of a team and working with good people. All those years ago, Galway RTC imbued me with a foundation of knowledge and confidence which has stood the test of time.”
“This is a very proud moment for my family and I, a day to celebrate and be grateful!”
The ATU Alumni Awards, now in their second year, celebrate graduates of ATU and its predecessor institutions whose achievements demonstrate leadership, service, creativity and a strong commitment to community and public life.
This year’s recipients include an author, entrepreneur, journalist, technologist, environmental advocate, business and hospitality leader, healthcare governance expert and sport inclusion champion, whose work spans local, national and international arenas.
The 2026 ATU Alumni Award recipients are:
- Caragh Maxwell, Sligo based writer and author – Emerging Alumnus Award
- Fergus Grimes from Meath, entrepreneur and founder of the popular Score Beo app – Emerging Alumnus Award
- Caroline Faulkner from Donegal Town, leadership and performance coach and former Fortune 50 executive – Alumni Award in Business
- Michael Vaughan, Lahinch hotelier and former President of the Irish Hotels Federation – Alumni Award in Business
- Joe Dunleavy, European CTO and global AI leader at Endava – Alumni Award in Engineering and Computing (Sligo graduate, now based in Letterkenny)
- Georgia MacMillan, environmental advocate and dark sky conservation specialist based in Mayo– Alumni Award in Design, Education and Social Science
- Michael Lally, Galway broadcaster and journalist – Alumni Award in Design, Education and Social Science
- Patrick Keady, former NHS director and healthcare governance leader – Alumni Award in Science and Health (from Caherlistrane, Galway)
- Sara McFadden, sport inclusion leader and partnerships coordinator at Vision Sports Ireland – President’s Alumni Award (Sligo graduate)
All recipients are graduates of ATU and its predecessor institutions.
