At a reception in UCD last Friday 14th November, the President of the University, Dr. Hugh Brady announced the names of the 45 first year sports scholarship recipients for the 2008/2009 academic year.

Among this years recipients are two sets of twins.  International junior cross country athletes Charlotte and Rebecca fFrench O’Carroll and Irish Under 18 Basketball stars Daniel and Conor James.  They join students from fourteen sports to receive 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 750 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 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 and Robert Kearney, captain of the Dublin County Gaelic Football team, Colin Moran and team mates Alan Brogan and Paul Griffin, and international golfer Peter Lawrie.

The first year sports scholars include:

• Daniel Purcell member of the Kilkenny Minor All Ireland Hurling Championship winning side in 2008.
• Gavin Falconer former Irish Under 18 international soccer player.
• Mark Ronaldson member of the victorious Mayo Under 21 Connacht Football Championship winning team in 2006.
• Irish Under 18 hockey players Stella Davis and Elizabeth McInerney.
• Liam Rushe captain of the Dublin Minor hurling team in 2008 and member of the victorious Dublin Minor Leinster Championship side in 2007.
• Leinster and Ireland Under 20 rugby player Ian McKinley.
• Marianna Rushe All Ireland Minor handball champion in the 40 x 20 and 60 X 30 doubles events.

The UCD sports scholarship programme aims to develop elite athletes who can compete at the highest national and international level.  In total 111 UCD students are in receipt of sports scholarships in 2008/09.  Team sport is specifically encouraged through the scholarship programme and the University fields teams at the highest competitive level.  The rugby team competes in Division 1 of the AIB All-Ireland league, the ladies and men’s hockey teams compete in the top flight of their respective Leinster leagues, the soccer team are the only university side to play in the Eircom League, while the senior hurling and gaelic football sides have a strong tradition in both the University and Dublin Championship competitions.

Athletics: Gerard Kelly (Mayo), Charlotte fFrench O’Carroll (Dublin), Rebecca fFrench-O’Carroll (Dublin) and Paul Oppermann (Dublin).

Basketball: Conor James (Dublin) and Daniel James (Dublin).

Camogie: Leann Fennelly (Kilkenny).

Ladies Gaelic Football: Sinead NicGaulraic (Dublin) and Aoife Waters (Wexford).

Men’s Gaelic Football: Mark Ronaldson (Mayo) and Daniel St. Ledger (Carlow).

Men’s Gaelic Football & Hurling: Denis Murphy (Carlow).

Golf: Daniel Holland (Dublin).

Handball: Marianna Rushe (Roscommon).

Ladies Hockey: Stella Davis (Offaly) and Elizabeth McInerney (Dublin).

Men’s Hockey: Alastair Nolan (Dublin) and Tadhg Peelo Walsh (Wicklow).

Hurling: Rory O’Carroll (Dublin), Daniel Purcell (Kilkenny) and Liam Rushe (Dublin).

Rowing: Finbar Manning (Limerick).

Rugby: Richard Bent (Dublin), Risteard Byrne (Dublin), Michael Cawley (Wicklow), John Cooney (Dublin), Gareth Crotty (Wicklow), Niall Earls (Wicklow), Tom Fletcher (Dublin), Shane Grannell (Dublin), Liam Hyland (Laois), Terry Jones (Dublin), Chris Lilly (Wexford), Keelan McKenna (Dublin), Ian McKinley (Dublin), David McSharry (Dublin), Kieran Moloney (Dublin), Andrew Pollard (Dublin) and Noel Reid (Dublin).

Soccer: Evan Connolly (Mayo), John Dineen (Kerry), Gavin Falconer (Waterford), Gareth Matthews (Dublin), Peter McMahon (Monaghan) and Graham Rusk (Dublin).

Filed by UCD Sport 17th November 2008