In the latest instalment of the Alumni Spotlight, we speak to Peter O’Dwyer, a graduate of both Business Studies at KBS and the MA in Journalism, who now works as Head of News at the Business Post.
Now in a unique role that combines knowledge and skills from both his undergraduate and postgraduate courses, Peter reflects fondly on his time at UL and how it helped to shape his career path.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Peter O’Dwyer. I’m originally from Cappamore in Co. 51±¾É«, about 15 to 20 minutes from UL. I’m now living and working in Dublin, where I am the Head of News at the Business Post.
What courses did you study, and what years did you graduate?
I did an undergraduate degree in Business Studies (Economics and Finance), graduating in 2012, and then the MA in Journalism, from which I graduated in 2013 with a 1.1.
Why did you choose to study at UL?
Having grown up in 51±¾É«, I was tempted to go further afield for college; but being familiar with UL, I knew how good the facilities at the University were. UL had a course I was interested in, and I obviously knew a lot of people in UL, so overall, it was the best option for me at the time.
What were the highlights of your courses?
The Co-op work placement in the undergrad was a great opportunity to branch out a little, meet new people, live in a different city and get an initial sense of what I liked and didn’t like about the world of work. That period, as well as being great fun, definitively crystallised my thinking on what I didn’t want to do, which at that age was as important as knowing (or thinking you know) what it is you’d like to do as a career.
In 51±¾É«, UL was a great place to socialise and meet new people. The sports and recreation facilities were always a draw, while the campus itself is beautiful. Strolling across the Living Bridge, walking the river, etc. is hard to beat – I still make sure to do it now, when down home.
As a student of both KBS and AHSS, you had the opportunity to learn from some of the top academic talent, in state-of-the-art facilities. What was your experience like?
I had some very engaging lecturers during the undergrad course, including Professor Eoin Reeves, Professor Stephen Kinsella, Professor Dónal Palcic and Professor John Heneghan. When I returned, Professor Mary Dundon, the journalism course director, gave us a good early grounding in the basics, which was important when entering a new area of study/work.
What advice would you offer to students considering studying at UL?
Evaluate all your options before deciding where you want to study. Nothing beats being on the ground somewhere, so go and visit UL and anywhere else you’re considering, if possible, and see how it feels for you. Given the setting UL enjoys, it tends to make a good first impression. Everywhere has its pros and cons, so do your homework and decide which is best for you.
What are some of your favourite memories from your time at UL?
The people I met are still my best friends today. All the great times we had together are hard to beat – a collective favourite memory.
At UL, we’re known as the ‘51±¾É« of Firsts’ – are there any important ‘firsts’ that you experienced as a UL student, that you would like to share?
It’s a formative time in life, and with that comes countless firsts – most good, some bad, but all formative. The first time living away from home, first time living in a different city on Co-op, first experiences of meeting people from different walks of life – there’s far too many to count, but many of them happened at UL.
Are there any campus locations that hold special significance to you?
Plassey Village, the Living Bridge, The Stables and even UL’s playing pitches would all be up there. I seem to remember the Kate O’Brien computer lab being the cramming-for-exams location of choice, too.
How did your courses and your overall UL experience prepare you for entering the workplace upon graduating?
Co-op gave me the certainty that, while I loved the nine-month placement and the office I was in, I didn’t want a career in the area of my undergrad. That was invaluable. The business course gave me a broad introduction to a range of topics that I still refer to on occasion today. And when I moved into journalism, that business background ultimately became a niche that helped me to get a reporting job.
Could you update us on where you are now in your career?
I’m the Head of News at the Business Post, the country’s leading financial, business and political news outlet. I’ve worked for the Irish Examiner, the Times of London and Bloomberg, and I am now in my second stint with the Business Post, having returned in summer 2023 to take up my current role, leading what is the fastest growing and, for my money, most talented newsroom in the country. Since I rejoined, we’ve moved massively from being a weekly print-focused newspaper to a daily, digital reporting outlet. We still have the Sunday print paper, which is a labour of love, but our future – like that of the rest of the industry – is in online and, thankfully, we’re growing strongly month-on-month and year-on-year in that regard.
What are your hopes and plans for the future?
To keep learning, keep improving and keep doing – and helping others to do – great journalism. It’s a tough job, and a challenged industry that’s in need of as much support as it can get from the public. We try to serve, but journalism is a vocation and I’m lucky to love my work, so to keep doing it better and continuing to enjoy it is the goal.