University of Ulster Honours Businessmen

Leading figures in sport, business, broadcasting, the health and legal professions are among those who will be honoured by the University of Ulster at graduation ceremonies this summer.

Liverpool Football Club manager Kenny Dalglish and US Open champion Graeme McDowell are just some of the distinguished public figures who will receive honorary doctorates at ceremonies in Coleraine, Belfast and Londonderry.

Among the many honours, Howard Hastings, will be recognized for Services to the Hospitality and Tourism Industries as the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and is also the Managing Director of Hastings Hotels which runs the Europa, the Culloden Estate and Spa, Ballygally Castle, the Everglades Hotel and the Slieve Donard.

He is a director of the Merrion Hotel Ltd and is a former chairman of the Institute of Directors in Northern Ireland, a founding chairman of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and has served on Tourism Ireland, in the Training and Employment Agency, Investors in People, the New Deal taskforce and the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council.

Also in tourism, Bill Wolsey will get a DSc for Services to Entrepreneurship and Business Development.

Originally from the Ballysillan area of north Belfast, the hotelier and entrepreneur's first love was football and as a teenager he had an unsuccessful trial with Arsenal.

After studying catering management and gaining experience in the hospitality industry in a variety of jobs in London, he returned to Northern Ireland and invested his savings in revistalising The Trident Inn in Bangor - out of which his company Beannchor was born. He initially focused on buying pubs in the Co Down town.

In 2006, he spotted a gap in the market for a luxury city centre hotel and purchased the former headquarters of the Ulster Bank in Waring Street and opened the Merchant Hotel. He also recently opened the Little Wing chain of gourmet pizza restaurants in the city.

In the sporting world, high profile golfer, Graeme McDowell, will be recognised for Services to Golf after the Portrush golfer had a phenomenal season last year, becoming the first Northern Ireland professional golfer to capture a major title in 63 years with his victory at the US Open in Pebble Beach.

He also clinched the Ryder Cup with the winning putt for Colin Montgomerie's European side against the United States at Celtic Manor in Wales. Victories in four tournaments on either side of the Atlantic last year, including a dramatic victory over Tiger Woods at the Chevron World Challenge, have seen him climb to Number Four in the world rankings.

One of the most successful players and managers in history of soccer in Britain, Kenny Dalglish carved out a successful playing career with Glasgow Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland before going on to further triumphs as the manager of Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Celtic.

As a player, he won just every domestic club honour a professional in England and Scotland could achieve as well as winning three European Cups.

In the 1980s as the player-manager of Liverpool, he cemented his iconic status among supporters at Anfield by continuing the team's remarkable dominance of the English game as well as leading the club with great dignity through the Hillsborough stadium disaster which claimed 94 lives.

(BMcC/GK)