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At a reception in UCD today (3p.m., Friday 19th November) the President of the University, Dr. Hugh Brady announced the names of the 28 first year sports scholarship recipients for the 2010/2011 academic year.
Among this years recipients are three members of the Kilkenny minor hurling team that won the All Ireland Championship in September: James Gannon, James Hoyne and Cathal Kenny. Also receiving awards are Young Hurler of the Year 2009 and All Ireland Senior championship winner Noel McGrath of Tipperary, Irish U20 rugby player Alex Kelly and Irish international swimmer Niamh O’Sullivan.Other recipients include:
· Ireland and Leinster rugby underage development players Paddy Dix, Mark McGroarty and Emmet McMahon.
· Leinster and Irish hockey player, Jessica McMickian.
· Irish underage International rower, Turlough Hughes.
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 900 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, Robert Kearney 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 102 UCD students are in receipt of sports scholarships in 2010/11. Team sport is specifically encouraged through the scholarship programme and the University fields teams at the highest competitive level. For example:
· The soccer team recently regained the Newstalk A Championship title as well as securing their place in the Premier Division of the FAI Airtricity League.
· The ladies and men’s hockey teams compete in the top flight of their respective Leinster leagues.
· The men’s basketball team competes in the Irish Superleague.
· The men’s golf team has produced some fabulous performances this year 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 and will host the prestigious Centenary Sigerson Cup next March.
· The rugby team, also in its Centenary year, competes in 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.
Ladies Gaelic Football: Alice Malone (Laois).
Men’s Gaelic Football: Cormac Boyle (Westmeath), Michael Durcan (Dublin), Luke Keaney (Donegal), Darragh Maguire (Meath) and Ciaran McConnell (Meath). Ladies Hockey: Jessica McMickian (Westmeath).Men’s Hockey: Ben Dobson (Cork) and Conor Motyer (Dublin).
Hurling: Cillian Moffat (Dublin), James Gannon (Kilkenny), James Hoyne (Kilkenny), Cathal Kenny (Kilkenny) and Noel McGrath (Tipperary). Rugby: Adam Clarkin (Dublin), Daniel Diviney (Dublin), Paddy Dix (Dublin), Alex Kelly (Dublin), Danny Kenny (Wicklow), Mark McGroarty (Dublin) and Emmet McMahon (Dublin). Soccer: Rob Benson (Westmeath), John Kelly (Dublin), Tom O’Halloran (Westmeath) and Cillian Morrisson (Donegal).Swimming: Niamh O’Sullivan (Kerry).
New First Year Sports Scholarship Recipients 2010/2011
Ladies Boat
Aoife Marie Gilligan 1st Health & Life Science Clare
Honours: Waterways League Champion 2009. Schools Champion J18 in 2010. Selected for Irish Junior team 8+ 2010.
Men’s BoatTurlough Hughes 1st Engineering Mayo
Honours: Former member of the Kings Hospital Rowing Club. Represented National Schools and the Irish International team at U18 level. Competed in the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic and the Home Internationals Regatta July 2010.
Ladies Gaelic FootballAlice Malone 1st Commerce with Chinese Laois
Honours: Laois intercounty player and championship winner.
Men’s Gaelic FootballCormac Boyle 1st Arts Westmeath
Honours: Westmeath intercounty hurler and footballer. Cormac received a county hurling championship medal this year.
Michael Durcan 1st Law Dublin
Honours: Dublin Minor footballer. Underage championship winner and has claimed a number of Feile medals.
Luke Keaney 1st Sports & Exercise Management Donegal
Honours: Donegal Minor and Under 21 player.
Darragh Maguire 1st Physiotherapy Meath
Honours: Meath Minor. Also has previously received a Colleges medal with St. Patrick’s of Navan.
Ciaran McConnell 1st Engineering Meath
Honours: Meath Minor. Colleges medal winner with St. Patrick’s of Navan.
Ladies HockeyJessica McMickian 1st Physiotherapy Westmeath
Honours: Represented Ireland at U16 and U18 level competing in test series against England and Scotland respectively. Currently has 32 caps for Connacht and 15 Irish caps.
Men’s HockeyBen Dobson 1st Veterinary Medicine Cork
Honours: Represented Munster and Ireland at U16 and U18 level, captaining both teams. Winner of 2009-2010 league and cup with Church of Ireland Garduff Hockey Club.
Conor Motyer 1st Commerce Dublin
Honours: Former Wesley College student winning 2 Leinster Senior Cups and League titles. Member of Corinthians Hockey Club 1st team and received 2009 Player of the Year and Most Improved Player 2010. Leinster and Irish caps at U18 level.
HurlingCillian Moffat 1st Physiotherapy Dublin
Honours: Dublin Minor hurler from Ballyboden St. Enda’s. Cillian has received honours at all underage levels and this year was a medal winner with the Dublin Senior Hurling team.
James Gannon 1st Agricultural Science Kilkenny
Honours: Kilkenny Minor hurler. Championship medal winner with St. Kieran’s of Kilkenny. He has also has Leinster Minor Championship medals with Kilkenny and this year was a member of the All Ireland Minor Hurling winning team.
James Hoyne 1st Arts Kilkenny
Honours: Kilkenny Minor hurler. Has received underage Colleges medals.
Cathal Kenny 1st Arts Kilkenny
Honours: Cathal was a student in Kilkenny C.B.S. Played at midfield in last year’s All-Ireland Minor final. Cathal has one All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship, 2 Leinster Minor Hurling Championships and Minor County Hurling titles.
Noel McGrath 1st Arts Tipperary
Honours: R eceived numerous medals at underage club level. He has since gone on to represent Tipperary at all levels and is a medal winner at Minor, U21 and Senior level. Recipient of an All Star award in 2010 and was named Young Player of the Year 2009.
RugbyAdam Clarkin 1st Arts Dublin
Honours: Represented Terenure College in Junior and Senior Cup teams. Capped for Leinster Schools U18 against Cardiff Blues. Also capped for Irish Schools U18 against Ireland Youths and Italy. Selected for Five Nations squad in April 2010.
Daniel Diviney 1st Arts Dublin
Honours: Junior and Senior Cup team with Gonzaga College winning the Vinnie Murray Cup in 2010. Leinster U16 and U19 caps as well as being capped for the Irish U19 team against Australia. Currently training with Leinster U20’s.
Paddy Dix 1st International Commerce Dublin
Honours: Attended St. Michaels College and was on the Junior and Senior Cup teams reaching the finals in 2007 and 2010. Currently on the Irish U20 Development Squad.
Alex Kelly 1st Architecture Dublin
Honours: Former member of the St. Michael’s Junior and Senior Cup teams, finalists in 2010. Represented Leinster Schools at U16, U18 and U19 level. Capped for Irish Schools team at U18 and U19 level, playing against Australia in 2009. Played against France in the Irish U20 Development Squad and recently selected for the Irish U20 team.
Danny Kenny 1st Sports & Exercise Management Wicklow
Honours: A number of provisional and national representatives. He also has caps at Leinster Youths, Colleges and U20 level. Received Irish Colleges Man of the Match in a number of appearances.
Mark McGroarty 1st Health & Performance Science Dublin
Honours: Member of the Gonzaga College Junior and Senior Cup teams. Won the Whelan Cup with Bective Ranger RFC in 2009. Leinster Schools team member at U15, U16 and U19 level. Represented Irish Schools at U19 and currently on the Leinster U20 Development Squad.
Emmet McMahon 1st Commerce Dublin
Honours: Captained St. Michaels College Junior and Senior Cup teams. Represented Leinster at U16 and U18 level, captaining the Interprovincial Championship team in 2009. Captained U19 Irish Schools in 2009 and received Irish caps in 2009 in the ‘Six Nations’.
SoccerRob Benson 1st Science Limerick
Honours: N umerous International caps from U15 up to U17 level. At U18 level he played on the Irish Schools team against N.I, Scotland and Wales, the FAI representative squad and was a member of the FAI emerging talent programme. He has received a number of awards including Athlone Town F.C Young Player of the Year. He has had official trials overseas with teams including Manchester City and Newcastle United.
John Kelly 1st Health & Performance Science Dublin
Honours: Runner up in the U17 DDSL Premier 2009. Wicklow U18 League and Cup winner. Leinster Youths Cup winner 2010 where he received Man of the Match.
Tom O’Halloran 1st Law Westmeath
Honours: W on a number of cup and league titles with the ADSL, Former Athlone Community College and Belvedere F.C. player. International honours include caps at U15 and U17 level against teams such as Holland and Poland. As a member of the Irish Senior Schools he played against Australia and competed in the Carnegie Centenary Shield. He also competed in the Den Haag tournament as part of the Ireland Emerging Talent team.
Cillian Morrisson 1st Engineering Donegal
Honours: Captained his school team back in 2004 winning the FAI schools and went on to win the Foyle Cup with Derry City in 2009. Played with Derry in the Newstalk A-Championships for the last 2 years. Provincially, Cillian has represented the Ulster Club and Schools teams in 2009 and Internationally, represented the Irish U18 schools team in the Carnegie Centenary Shield.
SwimmingNiamh O’Sullivan 1st Dip. Sports Management Kerry
Honours: Former member of the University of Limerick High Performance Swimming Centre. Currently holds the Irish record for 2x400m freestyle relay. Current senior 400m freestyle and the 4x100m freestyle champion. Competed in the European Senior Championships, World Youth Championships and the World Senior Championships in Rome in 2009. Aims to represent Ireland in the 2012 Olympics in London.
