Kieran Dowd RIP (1939 – 2025).

All at Student Sport Ireland are saddened to hear of the passing of our former colleague, and dear friend Kieran Dowd.

A pioneering sports administrator and a passionate advocate for student sport Kieran held senior and leadership roles at various national sports organisations over a near five decade career.

Originally from Belfast Kieran was in 1972 appointed the first Director of Physical Education and Sport at University College Cork, a role he held for 32 years until his retirement in 2004.

Indeed, Kieran’s career and service to Irish sport was marked by firsts.

A former member of the Board of Cospoir in the 1970s, Kieran was in 1996 appointed by then Minister of Sport, the late Bernard Allen, as a member of the new statutory body, the Irish Sports Council (now Sport Ireland).

In 1987 Kieran led the first Irish delegation at the World University Games, and in 2005 was appointed as the first Chairperson of CUSAI (Colleges and Universities Sports Association of Ireland), the new all island representative body for third level sport, and predecessor to Student Sport Ireland.

Kieran served as Chairperson until 2014, with colleagues overseeing the administrative and strategic development of the new organisation before being appointed to the new role of Honorary President in 2015, a role he held until 2019.

Student Sport Ireland CEO Ciarán Ó hIarnáin stated “with Kieran’s passing we have lost a giant of third level and student sport in Ireland. A visionary with a deep commitment and dedication to students and student sport Kieran leaves a fantastic legacy. On behalf of everyone at Student Sport Ireland we offer our deepest condolences to Kieran’s wife Úna, his family, and friends”.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.