The former Queen’s student and Ulster Rugby captain, who has made a significant impact on the Irish sporting world, will be honoured for his exceptional career achievements, including leading Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. Henderson’s accolades include the Six Nations Championship, Grand Slam and Triple Crown victories, cementing his place as one of Ireland's most celebrated athletes.

Speaking about receiving his Honorary Degree, Iain said:

“I am deeply honoured and profoundly grateful to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast. This prestigious recognition is not only for myself but extends to my colleagues, coaches, fellow players, friends and family who have inspired and supported me throughout my career.

“I am truly humbled to be acknowledged by such an esteemed institution known for its academic excellence and rich history. I would like to sincerely thank the University for this incredible honour.”

Also being recognised is former The Irish News Editor Noel Doran, who is being awarded his Doctorate for services to journalism. Noel is the former longest-serving daily newspaper editor in Ireland and the UK, having been at the helm of The Irish News for 25 years until April 2024 where he worked after starting off his career in weekly newspapers, The Belfast Telegraph and later Downtown Radio / Cool FM.

Noel was appointed Editor in 1999, shortly after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Under his tenure, Noel was credited for widening the cross-community readership for the paper. Noel is widely regarded as one of the stand-out journalists from that era alongside the late Ken Reid (UTV), Stephen Grimason (BBC) and Tommie Gorman (RTÉ).

Speaking at his graduation ceremony, Noel said:

“I am hugely grateful to Queen's University for this award, which I view as recognition of the role played by journalism in general and The Irish News in particular across our society over many years.

“I am particularly conscious that we have lost major figures including my friends Ken Reid, Stephen Grimason and Tommie Gorman in recent months and they are very much in my thoughts at this time.”

Ellvena Graham OBE, Chair of Tourism NI and Catalyst, will receive an Honorary Doctorate for her leadership in business and commerce. With a wealth of experience spanning energy, banking, agri-food, and higher education, Ellvena was recognized in 2018 with an OBE for her economic contributions and efforts to advance women in business.

Queen’s Hurling legend Dick Looby is also being recognised for his impact on sport. As well as managing teams in both Antrim and Down, since joining Queen’s as Hurling Manager in 1985, he continued to maintain strong links with the club and was recognized for this as the first person to be inducted into the Queen’s Hurling and has also received the Queen’s Hurling Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Honourable Mr Justice O’Hara, is being awarded a Doctorate for distinction in public service. A Queen’s graduate, Sir John has enjoyed a distinguished legal career including as a barrister, High Court Judge, and Senior Crown Judge. As a serving member and later Chair of the Council of Legal Education, he has overseen the implementation of the most significant developments in vocational legal education since the Council was established in 1977.

Queen’s University President and Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer said:

“It is a privilege to award Honorary Doctorates to these five remarkable individuals. Their contributions span diverse fields, from achievements in sport and impactful journalism, to exemplary business leadership and significant influence in the legal world, each of our graduates has positively impacted both our local community and the wider world.

“Our Honorary Graduates continue to serve our community and act as ambassadors on the national and international stage, and we are delighted to bring them together for this ceremony to celebrate their achievements.”

The full list of honorary degrees to be awarded is as follows:

• Noel Doran, Doctor of the University for services to journalism
• Ellvena Graham OBE, Doctor of Science in Economics for services to business and commerce
• Iain Henderson, Doctor of the University for distinction in sport
• Dick Looby, Doctor of the University for distinction in sport
• The Honourable Mr Justice O’Hara, Doctor of Laws for distinction in public service.

The Honorary Doctorates will be conferred at a special ceremony at Queen’s on Tuesday 10 December. Queen’s winter graduations will run from Monday 9 to Friday 13 December 2024. 

This ceremony follows another Queen’s Honorary Graduation ceremony in November where Dr Clive Black, Valerie Ingram, Enda Kenny, Annie Macmanus, Miriam O’Callaghan, and Sinéad Rocks were also honoured with Honorary Doctorates for their contributions to the arts, broadcasting, public life, community and agri-food industries.

Media

For media enquiries contact comms.office@qub.ac.uk