St Mary's University College Belfast held an alumni and family event on 26 March in its Old Library. The gathering marked the college's 125 years of contribution to education and society.

Guests viewed a display of memorabilia and archival material, including original student registers from the early twentieth century. Professor Peter Finn, Principal of St Mary's, welcomed attendees after lunch.

Alumna Eithne Daly spoke about her family's three-generation connection to the college. Her grandmother Eva Cathrine Gilmurry attended before the partition of Ireland. Her mother Mary Bernadette O'Carroll graduated in 1948. Eithne graduated in 1984.

Daly noted that all three women valued their time at St Mary's and pursued careers in education. She described social aspects of college life from earlier decades, including supervised student interactions.

Attendees shared accounts of studying at the college during the conflict period. They recalled the institution as a stable place for learning and community amid social and political upheaval in Belfast.

Deirdre McCusker, Principal of St Malachy's College Belfast, attended and viewed records of her grandmother Therese Lavelle, a student in 1914.

The event ended with commemorative gifts to alumni, photographs, and recorded reflections for the college's anniversary archive.

Professor Finn stated that alumni represent the college's history and that their careers have extended its mission to schools and communities.