WATCH: Tipperary Olympian and a Syrian refugee among UL graduates

OVER 3,000 students are graduating from the University of Limerick across varying departments this week.

It was an emotional and joyous day for many who donned the cap and gown and collected their certificates from UL President, Kerstin Mey in the University Concert Hall. 

Finn McGeever is an Olympic swimmer and he graduated with a BA in Maths and Physics but while he will work part-time for the University, he has his sights set on Paris 2024.  

The Tipperary native competed in the Toyko Olympics and was one of the younger athletes to partake in the 200 Freestyle Relay.

“It was the most mind-boggling experience of my life so far, it’s just incredible from start to finish,” he said. 

The all important qualifiers will take place at the end of April and Finn will juggle work and training to prepare for the challenge to obtain a spot in the 200 Freestyle event. 

The swimmer has devoted most of his life to the Limerick campus: “I came to UL because I swam here all my life, in the arena, I knew of the sporting facilities in UL and I knew how sports scholarships were treated in UL so I knew UL was ahead of the curve,” he told the Limerick Leader/ Limerick Live. 

In 2015 Saleem Yateem came to Limerick as a refugee with no English but worked hard to learn the language and today he got an honours degree in Bioscience. 

“I was a student in Syria and after the conflict happened we decided to leave looking for a better and safe place,” he revealed. 

Now working in Regenron, Saleem was determined to make a life in Limerick for himself adding: “There is nothing impossible, everything can be possible with belief and hard work.

“That achievement is because of the Irish people who welcomed me,” he added.