Health & Wellbeing

University of Galway recognises that the health and wellbeing of our campus community is one of our most valuable resources. We are committed to creating a healthier, happier and safer campus for students, staff and the wider community. Health and wellbeing are closely connected to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting our belief that a sustainable campus must also be a healthy campus.

Our University of Galway Sustainability Strategy 2026–2030 sets out our ambition to become a carbon-neutral, nature-positive and healthy university, underpinned by a whole-of-university Learn–Live–Lead approach. Health and Wellbeing is one of the Strategy’s ten key areas of focus, reinforcing our commitment to supporting the physical, mental and social wellbeing of our University community. Beyond campus, we collaborate with health institutions at local, national and global levels and deliver outreach programmes that promote health and wellbeing in the wider community.

Physical health and wellbeing

The Sports and Recreation Unit promotes participation in sport and physical activities by all students and staff. Our facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, basketball arena and sports hall, 100-piece cardiovascular gym, sports pavilion, boat club, international-standard 400m running track, two GAA pitches, two soccer pitches, rugby pitch, training pitch, hockey pitch, and 5 kilometres of running trails. There are more than 40 Sports Clubs along with many Societies that promote physical activity and positive lifestyle choices.

Shared sports facilities: We share our sports facilities with the local community, schools and the general public free of charge. For example:

The University of Galway Parkrun is a free, fun, weekly, 5km community event that is organised by volunteers and open to all. The Parkrun follows along the scenic route of the river Corrib through the grounds of the University of Galway campus. It forms part of the global parkrun movement, which brings communities together through free, weekly events held in parks and open spaces around the world, promoting physical activity, health, wellbeing and social connection. In addition, University of Galway’s 5km Health & Wellbeing River Route encourages physical activity and wellbeing among students, staff and the wider community. Starting at Jes Rowing Club on campus and finishing at the rugby pitch at Dangan Sports Campus, the scenic route follows the towpath along the River Corrib. Clearly marked kilometre points and on-site navigation maps make the route accessible to walkers, joggers and runners of all abilities
The Biodiversity Trail and SDG Trail are not only educational resources, but recreational resources too! We encourage students, staff and the public to explore the trail and exercise while taking in the beauty of the natural environment.
You will often see community clubs using our sports pitches in Dangan or school students using our running trails all year round.
Two new outdoor gyms, located at College Green and across from the Arts Millennium Building. The gyms offer access to a range of exercise equipment including exercise bikes, leg press, chest press and shoulder press, pull down rowing machine, cross trainers, walkers, stepper, hand bikes and shoulder wheel station, and seating areas and water fountains. The outdoor gyms form part of the wider Sports for All initiative and one quarter of the equipment has also been designed to accommodate the needs of individuals with a physical disability.
University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome is is the worlds largest sports air dome, a versatile indoor facility, accessible to clubs and visitors throughout the region and beyond free of charge. As well as a year-round sports facility that contributes to the health and wellbeing by offering a venue for exercise and recreation to the community, It is used as a hub to host social and cultural activities in Connacht.
We have developed a Sensory Campus Map identifying the wide variety of Sensory Spaces available to our communities. Sensory design refers to the practice of creating spaces with the intention of engaging all of the human senses. This includes sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Incorporating elements such as light, colour, water and texture can greatly enhance the sensory experience. University of Galway's campus is already a campus of sensory experiences; particularly in relation to woodland and water, and formal internal and external spaces. The abundance of green and blue spaces means that birds and insects can be embraced and frequently seen and heard. The sensory campus map is an initiative to promote mental and social health and wellbeing and support members of our local and wider community that may have sensory processing issues.
The University of Galway Student Health Unit provide on-campus medical care to students in a confidential, professional and courteous manner. Visits to the Student Health Doctor and Nurse are free but there are charges for some services see "Services & Fees" section for more detail

Smoke-Free campus initiatives

University of Galway is partially a smoke free campus - it prohibited smoking in any building in the University and has introduced two smoke-free zones on campus. The new smoke-free zones re centred around two designated smoking shelters in the north and south campus, and cover some of the most popular buildings on campus, including the James Hardiman Library, the Arts Millennium Building, the Engineering Building, Áras Moyola and the Cairnes Building.

Mental health and wellbeing supports

University of Galway recognises the importance of strengthening mental health and resilience among our students and staff and provides access to mental health supports for students and staff.

Mental health support for students is provided through Student Counselling which provides a free hybrid service of in-person and online one-to-one counselling. Group counselling and workshops are also provided. Student Counselling support about 10% of the student population each year. Students also have free access to Togetherall, a safe, moderated and anonymous online community providing mental health support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students requiring urgent support are also clearly signposted to University and external crisis and mental health services through Student Counselling and the University’s Support Wheel.

Mental health support for staff is provided through the University’s Employee Assistance Service, which offers free, confidential professional counselling and information services to employees and members of their families or households. The service is delivered by Spectrum.Life. In addition, Human Resources provides a range of staff wellbeing initiatives and supports covering mental, physical, emotional, social and financial wellbeing, alongside Mental Health First Aiders and Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors.

University of Galway actively promotes good mental health through:

Weekly mindfulness sessions are offered to students and staff through Mindful Way at University of Galway. The online practice of mindfulness takes place every Wednesday and runs from 8am to 8.30am.
The month of October is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the University supports Mental Health Ireland in promoting mental health and wellbeing resources and activities. In 2025, the University of Galway Students’ Union organised Mental Health Week 2025, offering a range of activities and events aimed at promoting positive mental health, raising awareness of available supports and encouraging student wellbeing.
University of Galway Students’ Union provides mental health and suicide-prevention training through its Life Skills programme. In 2025, courses included Mental Health Awareness and safeTALK Suicide Alertness, which trains participants to recognise and respond to people who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide. These programmes were actively offered to students during the 2025/26 academic year.
Seas Suas is a student-to-student awareness and encouragement programme encouraging students to be aware of each other’s health and wellbeing through events and training.
SafeZone is our mobile app designed to help keep students and staff safe and provide additional peace of mind across our campuses.
Throughout 2025, University of Galway continued to actively communicate and promote mental health and wellbeing initiatives through its weekly student e-zine. Examples included Brew Breaks wellbeing coffee mornings, six-week yoga classes and Life Skills: Mental Health Awareness workshops, as well as safeTALK suicide-alertness training and information on summer Student Counselling supports. These activities, together with ongoing signposting to counselling and other supports, demonstrate the University’s active promotion of positive student mental health and wellbeing throughout the year.
SpeakOut is is an online anonymous reporting tool available to all students and staff to disclose incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, discrimination, hate crime, coercive behaviour / control, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape.

Sensory and wellbeing

University of Galway's campus landscape is already one of sensory experiences; particularly in relation to woodland and water, and formal spaces. The abundance of green spaces means that birds and insects can be frequently seen and heard. Tracing a route through the campus with a focus on sensory experiences reveals the existing variety of qualities.

Sensory design refers to the practice of creating outdoor spaces with the intention of engaging all of the human senses. This includes sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Incorporating elements such as colour, water and texture can greatly enhance the sensory experience of a landscape. Check out our Sensory and Wellbeing Campus Map, including the multitude of sensory spaces on campus, both outdoors and indoors.

In December 2025, the University of Galway organised a sensory-friendly Santa's Grotto, providing an inclusive holiday experience for children and families, particularly those with sensory sensitivities. The event featured adapted lighting, sounds, and interactive activities to ensure comfort and enjoyment for all participants.

Sexual and reproductive health care services

University of Galway provides students with free access to sexual and reproductive health care services including information and education services. The Student Health Unit offers free Sexual Health Clinics with advice and guidance for people with concerns or queries regarding their sexual health. If you are experiencing symptoms or have had contact with a positive STI or would like a routine STI check and do not have symptoms, you can request an appointment. The University also provides free sexual health guidance through a Student FAQ. Consultations with the Student Health Doctor and Nurse are usually free, but there are charges for some of the services offered.

University of Galway’s Active* Consent programme provides free support and educational resources to young people and those who support them, including teachers, parents, college staff and policy makers, to build knowledge of consent as a key component of positive sexual health and wellbeing. In 2025, Active Consent continued to be embedded in student education at University of Galway, with all incoming first-year students offered an Active* Consent workshop as part of Orientation. The University also delivered consent and sexual violence awareness campaigns during 2025, including the Active Consent Start Here campaign, which equips young people with skills and confidence to respond appropriately when a friend or peer discloses an experience of sexual violence or harassment.**

Social health and wellbeing

There are over 100 Student Societies and more than 40 Clubs at University of Galway. Students are encouraged to get involved in clubs and societies of interest to them, in order to make like-minded friends and develop new skills.

The CARA Connect programme aims to support the power of conversation and connection. This programme is a peer buddy system, where students are matched together to meet up for conversation, games, and a bit of fun! The system helps participants to increase social interactions and form new friendships with other students and their peers.

The Safe Campus programme is an initiative designed to raise awareness about maintaining a safe campus and raising awareness of personal safety wherever we are. The #SafeCampus campaign aims to communicate a number of support areas including Smart Consent (University of Galway's Sexual Health and Support Initiative: Research, Workshops and Campaigns), home and personal safety, Smoke-Free Zones and Green Campus.

Collaborations with health institutions and health outreach programmes

Age-related conditions, cancer, chronic diseases, infection, and mental health are some of the major health challenges facing our society and economy. University of Galway collaborates with local, national and global health institutions to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. Some of our current research collaborations are listed here.

In 2025, University of Galway continued to strengthen its collaborations with health institutions at local, national and international level. The University’s Health Promotion Research Centre was redesignated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Research for a further four years, from 2025 to 2029, continuing its work with WHO to support health promotion research, policy and practice.

Some examples:

Local: University of Galway collaborates with Croí, the heart and stroke foundation for the West of Ireland, through the National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health.
National: University of Galway collaborates with the Health Service Executive (HSE) through the HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway, a joint venture between the University and the HSE. In 2025, the facility was overseeing 78 clinical trials, with more than 11,000 patients in Ireland having benefited from access to its studies. University of Galway’s Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation also brings together more than 200 researchers and academics, working across disciplines and with healthcare and other partners to advance understanding of disease and develop solutions to healthcare challenges.
Cross-national: The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey is a WHO collaborative cross-national study that monitors the health behaviours, health outcomes and social environments of school-aged children every four years. HBSC Ireland is conducted by the HBSC Ireland team based at University of Galway’s Health Promotion Research Centre, with the Department of Health as a supporting partner. In 2025, the University’s HBSC Ireland team published Trends in Health Behaviours, Outcomes and Contexts: 1998–2022, drawing on seven rounds of Irish HBSC data and including internationally comparable trends in the health and wellbeing of school-aged children.
Global: University of Galway has a five-year, €5 million Signature Innovation Partnership with Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, to advance biomedical research, healthcare innovation and STEM education. In 2025, the partners jointly hosted a Life Sciences Symposium, bringing together government, industry, healthcare and academic leaders to support the development of Ireland's National Life Sciences Strategy.

Health Outreach programmes in the local community

Local communities: University of Galway’s Community Engaged Scholars Programme supports community-academic partnerships to conduct research aimed at improving the health of communities. Current partnerships include work on infant mental health, involving the HSE, Galway Children and Young People’s Services Committee, Galway Childcare Committee and University of Galway’s School of Psychology, and the co-design of memory cafés with community partners including The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Western Alzheimer. In 2025, University of Galway also contributed to the National PPI Festival 2025, supporting six events that brought together researchers, patients, healthcare professionals and community organisations to promote public and patient involvement in health research. These activities strengthened collaboration between the University and wider community, ensuring that health research is informed by the experiences and priorities of patients and the public.

Refugee and migrant communities: A partnership between Sanctuary Runners and University of Galway’s School of Psychology has explored community connection and wellbeing among members of the Sanctuary Runners community, which brings together asylum seekers, refugees and the wider community through running, jogging and walking. The University is also a designated University of Sanctuary, reflecting its commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants and supporting social inclusion and wellbeing.

Disadvantaged communities: In 2025, University of Galway Students’ Union continued its partnership with Hygiene Hub Galway, running Hygiene Hub donation drives and establishing a permanent donation point on campus. Almost 200kg of hygiene products had been collected during the previous year, with donations distributed through community partners including COPE Galway, Galway Simon Community, Galway Traveller Movement and St Vincent de Paul, helping to address hygiene poverty in the local community.

Children: University of Galway’s annaul Teddy Bear Hospital, organised by the University’s Sláinte Society, provides an engaging health-promotion experience for primary school children. Medical, healthcare and science students act as “Teddy Doctors”, helping children become more familiar and comfortable with healthcare settings while promoting positive attitudes towards physical and emotional health. The programme continued during 2025, with the delivery of the Teddy Bear Hospital 2025.

Older people: University of Galway is a member of the Galway Age Friendly Alliance, a partnership involving public sector agencies, Older People’s Councils and other organisations working to make Galway a better place in which to grow older and to support healthy ageing and community connection.

Youth mental health: University of Galway has partnered with the National Youth Council of Ireland to deliver the Specialist Certificate in Youth Mental Health Promotion, a Level 7 programme supporting professionals working with young people. The programme equips youth practitioners with the knowledge and skills to promote positive mental health, respond to young people's mental health needs and implement evidence-based interventions in youth-work settings. See details in the updated 2025 National Youth Health Programme here.

Other health promotion initiatives

University of Galway also promotes good health and wellbeing through:

Providing opportunities for healthy, safe and sustainable food
Reducing alcohol and other substance misuse
Promoting sustainable transport options
Providing easy access to safe drinking water
Implementing clean energy systems
Promoting health benefits of interactions with Nature. Our Biodiversity Trail was designed with campus health and wellbeing in mind.