At a reception in UCD today (6p.m., Tuesday, 27th March) the President of the University, Dr. Hugh Brady announced the names of the 28 first year sports scholarship recipients for the 2011/2012 academic year.

Among this years recipients are Ireland U20 Rugby Player Barry Daly, recently crowned US Collegiate Handball champion Marty Mulkerrins and Wexford senior hurler Jack Guiney. Other recipients include:

• Leinster and Irish underage hockey players Robbie Burke, Deirdre Duke, Robert Fitzgerald, Nicola Gray and David Watkins.

• Leinster and Ireland Under age rugby players Liam Bourke, Adam Byrne and Stephen Murphy.

• Irish School soccer captain 2010/11 Ryan McLaughlin. They join students from sixteen sports who are in receipt of scholarships that guarantee them access to top coaches and training facilities at UCD.

Since it was initiated in 1979 by Dr Tony O’Neill to help talented soccer players who wished to stay in education, the UCD sports scholarship programme has expanded and supported over 950 students across athletics, basketball, camogie, cycling, ladies gaelic football, men’s gaelic football, golf, handball, ladies hockey, men’s hockey, hurling, rowing, rugby, women’s soccer, swimming and table tennis.

Sport at UCD is now under the directorship of Brian Mullins. Some of Ireland’s best known sports figures are former UCD sports scholars including the current international rugby players Brian O’Driscoll, Paddy Wallace, Sean O’Brien, Robert Kearney, Kevin McLaughlin and Fergus McFadden, athletes Derval O’Rourke & Joanne Cuddihy, gaelic footballers Alan Brogan, Paul Griffin and Rena Buckley and international golfers Peter Lawrie and Shane Lowry.

The UCD sports scholarship programme aims to develop athletes who have the potential to compete at the highest national and international level. In total 97 UCD students are in receipt of sports scholarships in 2011/12. Team sport is specifically encouraged through the scholarship programme and the University fields teams at the highest competitive level. For example:

• The soccer team compete in the Premier Division of the FAI Airtricity League and recently won the Collingwood Cup intervarsity competition.

• The ladies and men’s hockey teams compete in the top flight of their respective Leinster leagues with the Ladies recently winning the Jacqui Potter Leinster Senior Cup.

• The men’s basketball team competes in the Irish Superleague and was crowned Senior Men’s National Cup champions in 2011.

• The men’s golf team has produced some fabulous performances in recent years with wins in the Ulster Youths, the South of Ireland Amateur Open and the Irish Intervarsity Strokeplay.

• The senior hurling and Gaelic football sides have strong traditions in both the University and Dublin Championship competitions.

• The rugby team, competes in Division 1B of the All-Ireland league and has produced a number of current provincial and international players.

• The men’s Boat Club this year secured one of the biggest victories for UCD Sport when they brought home the Prince Albert Cup from Henley Royal Regatta in 2010 and the Senior 8 title at the National Championships in 2011.

New First Year UCD Sports Scholarship Recipients 2011/2012

Athletics: Ellie Hartnett (Wicklow). Basketball: Brendáin Ó Riaín (Dublin). Camogie: Laura Walker (Kilkenny). Ladies Gaelic Football: Niamh Collins (Dublin). Men’s Gaelic Football: Dave Deveruex (Dublin), Colin Driver (Dublin), Brian Fenton (Dublin), Aaron Murphy (Wicklow) and Paddy Reilly (Louth). Men’s Golf: Darragh O’Sullivan (Sligo). Handball: Marty Mulkerrins (Galway). Dual Handball & Hurling: Diarmuid Nash (Clare). Ladies Hockey: Deirdre Duke (Dublin), Nicola Gray (Dublin) and Jeamie Deacon (Wexford). Men’s Hockey: Robbie Burke (Dublin), Robert Fitzgerald (Dublin) and David Watkins (Dublin). Hurling: Jack Guiney (Wexford) and Michael Vaughan (Clare). Rugby: Liam Bourke (Meath), Conall Doherty (Derry), Adam Byrne (Kildare), Barry Daly (Dublin), Stephen Murphy (Dublin) and Alan O’Connor (Dublin). Soccer: Ross King (Laois) and Ryan McLaughlin (Donegal).