Martin Ryan Institute
The Martin Ryan Institute was one of the most significant examples of university philanthropy in Ireland, following a significant donation by the late Dr Tony Ryan, founder of Guinness Peat Aviation and Ryanair, in the name of his father, Martin Ryan.
Dr Tony Ryan was a commercially astute business leader as well as a visionary philanthropist, and the Ryan Institute for Environmental, Energy and Marine Research (formerly the Martin Ryan Building) could not have been established without his farsightedness in supporting marine research.
The Ryan Institute focuses on four thematic research areas, namely Marine & Coastal, Energy & Climate Change, Agriculture & BioEconomy, and Environment & Health. The Ryan Institute is comprised of 12 Research Centres/Clusters spanning these four thematic research areas. At present, the Ryan Institute is University of Galway's largest research institute comprised of 89 Research Groups and 12 Research Centres/Clusters that are responsible for over 500 funded research projects.