University of Limerick was proud to host the fourth annual National Road Safety Reimagined for 2026 at University Concert Hall.
The initiative is a collaboration between University of Limerick and An Garda Síochána, and is co-ordinated by Associate Professor in Marketing for Kemmy Business School, Dr Christina O’Connor.
Over 1,000 students across seven universities and education centres across the country contributed their striking posters and marketing campaigns that promote road safety messages.
Speaking to Limerick Voice, Dr O’Connor explains how the program came to fruition after a guest lecture from An Garda Síochána on marketing research sparked conversation around Irish road safety campaigning.
“After year one of rolling this out with my first year cohort of over 550 students we realised there was something really valuable to this research that I wanted to share with my colleagues both within the university sector, and beyond.”
“In year two, we brought South East Technological University (SETU), and Maynooth University on board which introduced more competition. In this time we also got funded by ESB, which meant every participating university wins 1,000.”
She expands on the immense positive impact this will have on the participants; “The biggest take away is the overall winner who will get major press activity from this. In previous years the work of these students has been rolled out nationally over radio and television.”
“An Garda Síochána also uses it for bank holiday weekend press activity, or social media. This means there’s potential for work done in a classroom setting to be used in a national forum, using young people to talk to young people about the importance of road safety.”
This year, entries came from University of Limerick (UL), Dublin City University(DCU), University College Cork (UCC), Atlantic Technological University(ATU), Technological University of the Shannon(TUS), Maynooth University, South East Technological University (SETU), and Moyross Youth Academy.
This year’s overall winning team was composed of students from SETU; Harry Watkins, Patryk Pawlak, Stephen Sokiri, Andrei Bors, and Kasey Mulhearn.
In an exclusive to Limerick Voice, Kasey Mulhearn revealed the story behind the award winning submission.
“We brainstormed so many ideas, but it kept coming back to our target audience which is young males aged 18-25. We thought a lot about how many people our age have younger siblings they are close to, so our aim was to get drivers to think of their younger siblings while on the roads.”
Ms Mulhearn passionately advocated that the poster’s family appeal is what makes it unique; “If you’re speeding, slow down, think of your family, be safer on our roads while driving.”
The lifesaving project is sponsored by Ireland’s state owned energy company, Electric Supply Board (ESB).
Executive Director of the ESB, Paul Stapleton, revealed that ESB workers can cover over 60 million kilometres on the road per year when assisting customers.
“With approximately 150 road accidents happening per day in Ireland, this shows the importance of road safety for our colleagues.”
The organisation also sponsors the Oisín Crotty Road Safety Inspiration Award, named in honor of the young apprentice who was tragically killed in a road traffic accident in 2013.
This year’s recipients of the esteemed award were Sylvia and Eamon Mooney. The pair were recognised for their tremendous contribution to road safety campaigning after their son Cian Mooney’s life was taken by a car accident in 2022.
Sean Crotty, father of Oisín Crotty, presented the award to the Mooney family, an emotional moment that showcased the perseverance of those who have untimely lost loved ones to road accidents.
Speaking at the event, Acting University of Limerick President Shane Kilcommins praised the creativity of the students who contributed their work by stating their talent was churned into a “public good.”
He continued about the dignity of life and our responsibility to preserve it; “We don’t exist in atoms, we exist in communities.”
“Road safety is an everyday issue in all our lives, it impacts every individual and every family. It has a domino effect that nobody is immune to.”
Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing and Community Engagement, Catharina Gunne noted how “a glance away from the road can change the course of a life forever. The choice we make to act responsibly, ignore distractions, and stay focused really changes lives.”
“Devastatingly, we lost 188 people on our roads last year. That is 188 families changed forever, 188 moments that can never be undone. Nearly half of those killed were vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.”
A key contributor to this event is Sergeant Tony Miniter of An Garda Síochána’s Road Policing Division. He praised the immense effort and dedication that went into the campaign posters showcased at University Concert Hall, stating “the foyer was a display of hope.”
Sergeant Miniter emphasised how the winning poster from the students at SETU resonated with his own experience of seeing the loss felt by families when their loved ones are killed on the roads; “The winning poster is road safety advertising at its best.”
He also credited the likes of “powerhouses” like Dr Christina O’Connor, who make these awareness events possible.