Sally Hayden received an Honourary Partronage from the Elizabethan Society today – a subcommittee of the Phil that platforms women and gender minorities.
Hayden’s talk discussed her reporting on the refugee crisis and the mainstream media’s lack of coverage of international issues. The author of “Our Fourth Time We Drowned” has reported on Syria, Lebanon, and Tunisia – as well as holding other numerous other outposts abroad.
Hayden spoke to The University Times September 2025. Below is the interview which was originally published in print.
1) Could you tell me a bit about your experience in College and your education background?
I did an undergraduate in law in UCD (including a year studying abroad at UNSW in Sydney, Australia), and then an MSc in international politics in Trinity.
2) I heard at a talk you hosted that you were once involved in student journalism as well – could you describe this a little bit? Also were you involved in other extracurricular activities?
I actually was too scared and shy to get involved in student media in my first year, but in second year I started writing for UCD’s University Observer. I did mostly music-related interviews and later some news-related features, and got some cool opportunities because I became known to the editor as the person who would always say “yes”. In Trinity, during my master’s, I again wrote a bit, I think for the University Times. I also did some other extra-curriculars, like a bit of debating (with the UCD L&H and later one of the Trinity societies, though I honestly forget which one). In UCD, I also worked in the student bar and was a “student ambassador”, which meant we were paid to give tours for secondary school students. In fourth year I got a job as a research assistant for one of the politics professors, which wildly meant I had my own office. I also did a lot of going out and general socialising, which I think is very important when you’re at college. During my master’s in Trinity I was involved in designing and running journalism classes for Trinity Access Programme students – I actually can’t remember at all now how that started, but it was really cool to be involved with.
3) How did you get on in Trinity specifically – and were you bookish or social?
I had a confusing situation at the start of my undergraduate where my Leaving Cert English mark was added up wrong, so I was offered law in both UCD first and later (when they corrected the mistake) in Trinity, but by that time I was settled into UCD and decided to stay there. I wasn’t totally removed from Trinity though: in my first year in UCD, I played percussion in the Trinity orchestra, because they were short a player.
I always had a niggling question about whether I had missed out by not going to Trinity, so it was great to get to experience it for my master’s. I have to say that the transition from law into international politics was initially a bit rough – there was a lot of terminology and ways of thinking that I was not familiar with, and many of the rest of the class had been there for their undergraduates and were much more comfortable in how they spoke (and participation marks were a thing).
But I am very glad I had that year to learn and expand my knowledge and test my abilities.
I would say that I was moderately social. Doing a master’s can be a slightly different experience if you already have a wider range of friends outside, and you are not as reliant on getting on with the people who you are put in a class with. But I loved that I got to meet people who were passionate about the things I was interested in.
4) What was the highlight of your college experience?
Any lows (though no need to go in detail or answer if you feel uncomfortable of course). I made amazing friends whom I am still friends with – I don’t even live in Ireland anymore and I’ve still managed to see a lot of them even this summer.
I can’t think of major lows, though generally I do think that I was too shy and there were many more opportunities I could have taken advantage of, but also everything is a learning curve so I don’t really feel regretful about that.
5) What advice would you offer to Trinity’s first years?
Don’t be afraid to be passionate about the things you are interested in, or to get involved in the things you really want to do – you are finally breaking free from the school curriculum and timetable. Now you can decide what you care about and how to spend your time.
Be friendly to everyone unless there’s a good reason not to be – you never know where these people will turn up again over the coming decades or what they’re dealing with under the surface.
Don’t let other people make you feel small. You are following your own path – a life you can discover and design – and it’s going to be so exciting finding out where it will lead.
Don’t worry if other students, or even lecturers, underestimate you: everyone has their own way of connecting with this world and some may not be as loud or obvious but it doesn’t mean that you won’t achieve great things if that’s what you want.
Also, it’s totally fine not to know what you want to do after college. I applied for so many different jobs and journalism was the thing that I kept coming back to, but it took me a long time to admit (even to myself) that it was what I really wanted to do (and also to get over the embarrassment that came from having your work made public).
6) What advice would you give to your younger self?
I realise this is a bit of a cliqué question, but it might help someone – I remember my first year I was very unsure about how to go about living in the world, let alone studying!
I wish I had been less anxious about things like what people thought of me. Also people talk about “being yourself”, but it’s good to recognise that you are also a work in progress, and it takes time to know who you really are.
Find the people who you feel good around and support them too. It might take time to find your tribe but when you do, make sure those people know that you value them.
Forgive yourself when you make mistakes (we all make many, and will keep making them for the rest of our lives). Learn to laugh as much as you can.
Be aware of your privilege and do not become disconnected from the world around you (not only inside Ireland). You have a voice and far fewer reasons to be frightened or cynical than older people, and that’s something you should not feel shy about. Question systems and your place in them. Speak up for those who can’t, or – even better – raise their voices too. Everyone has the power to make this world a better place, even if just in very small ways.
7) What valuable things did you learn outside college while you were studying?
I tried to get as much outside experience as I could, applying for all sorts of opportunities – volunteering on St Vincent de Paul soup runs; helping out at festivals; working all sorts of jobs: from being a burger chef and a TV extra, to pulling pints at Marley Park gigs or wearing a Formula One suit to promote porridge.
Consider applying for all types of work experience in the coming years – this point in your life may be the only chance you have to try out many different things and get an inside look into many different environments. It might take a long time to find out what you want to do eventually but it’s helpful to figure out what you don’t like, and once you take any step in one direction you never know where that might lead you.
Travelling with friends is always worthwhile if you can afford it (we slept nine in a two-bedroom apartment/later a frat house while on a J1 in Santa Barbara, for example, and it cemented our relationships for life).
