University College Cork
To be an alumnus member of one of the most prestigious universities in Europe is a very special honour. Established in 1845, University College Cork facilitates an academic community of more than twenty thousand students each year and boasts a proud alumni of over one hundred thousand members worldwide.
To commemorate and celebrate these years of shared memories, Uccshop.ie has commissioned Alumni Designs Ltd. to design and produce a range of jewellery exclusively for the alumni population. The college itself formed the inspiration for the pieces and two distinct ranges were developed – the Crest Collection and the Ogham Collection.
The Crest Collection represents the well-known crest of UCC emblazoned on the floor beneath the 19th Century clock tower of the beautiful stone-faced Quadrangle building. The crest has symbolised the journey of generations of scholars who have passed through the tower, carefully avoiding stepping on it to ensure good luck!
The Ogham Collection is named after the 5th-century script of the same name which is said to indicate the earliest evidence of scholarship in Ireland. Each meticulously hand carved piece is inscribed with UCC in the ancient script. It is a fitting tribute to the largest Irish collection of Ogham inscriptions housed in the university’s Main Quadrangle.
All of the pieces created by Alumni Designs for UCC are individually designed by Mai Manning and carefully hand crafted by one of Cork’s leading goldsmiths, Tuula Harrington. Tuula’s careful attention to detail ensures each bespoke piece is truly unique, encapsulating a lifelong memento of a shared experience as a student and as a graduate. The collections include solid silver cufflinks, lapel pins, pendants and bracelets.