Broadcaster, Ray D’Arcy was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in recognition of his contribution to mental health advocacy.

The conferring ceremony took place on the occasion of the 42nd Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference at St Stephen’s Green, Dublin.

The Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty is the highest honour that can be bestowed on an individual and is reserved for those who are considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the professions of nursing, midwifery or a related field or have significantly contributed to the health and well-being of society. Previous recipients include Mother Theresa, President Mary McAleese, Christina Noble and Norah Casey.

Ray D’Arcy was selected for this award in recognition of his many years of mental health advocacy as a broadcaster.

A space for compassion

Dr Mary Boyd, Dean of the RCSI Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, said: “We are delighted to present Ray D’Arcy with this Honorary Fellowship from the RCSI Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery. Mental health is a fundamental strategic education and research area linked to the global non-communicable disease agenda. An essential part of this agenda is the need to create a voice and a space to discuss mental health and empower people to take control of their treatment and management of mental health issues.

“Ray’s ability to conduct compassionate interviews has made a significant difference to people’s lives by providing those in mental distress with a platform for discussion, support and advice and we see his work as being hugely influential in this regard.”

Commenting, Ray said: “I’m honoured to receive this fellowship from the RCSI Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery. I’m accepting this on behalf of the hundreds of people who’ve shared their mental health stories with me over the years, sometimes publicly for the first time. It was obvious to me that a lot of these people had no voice, it was a privilege to provide them with a platform and in doing so advocate for better mental health services and reduce the stigma around mental illness.”

Professional advocacy

Ray graduated in 1995 from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in psychology. Three years later, he began his career as a broadcaster.

Now a host of his own daily weekday show on RTÉ Radio 1, Ray has utilised his platform over the years to allow people from all walks of life to speak about their experiences of mental health.

He has also hosted professionals including Dr Harry Barry and Dr Colman Noctor, FFNMRCSI, and in so doing facilitated professional advocacy on the airways.

International experts

The RCSI Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery hosts its annual international research and education conference every spring.

The Conference has a reputation for the contemporary relevance of its themes and content, the quality of its keynote and concurrent speakers and as both a scholarly and social event within the nursing community. 

This year’s theme was ‘Nursing and Midwifery – Leading the World to Better Health’.

International experts addressed the healthcare professionals, academics and members of the public attending the conference, including: Professor Patricia M. Davidson, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Wollongong, Australia and former Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Midwifery; and Margrieta Langins, Nursing and Midwifery Policy Adviser, Health Workforce and Service Delivery Unit, World Health Organisation.