UCD scholarship set up with €1 million fund honours late Declan McCourt
4 June 2025
Declan McCourt Credit: Paul Sharp/Sharppix
The UCD Sutherland School of Law has unveiled a new scholarship in honour of the late Declan McCourt to support those in financial need continuing on to postgraduate study in law.
Established with a €1 million fund at the UCD Foundation, the scholarship memorialises the well-known businessman and chairman of the Development Council of the UCD Sutherland School of Law.
Declan McCourt graduated with a BA in Economics and Politics from University College Dublin in 1967, followed by an MA in Economics in 1968. In the same year, he qualified as a Barrister-at-Law at the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA in 1973.
The scholarship fund has been supported by UCD alumni and friends of the University, including US industrialist and philanthropist Mr Mark Pigott KBE.
The Declan McCourt Masters Scholarship in Law is open to final-year law students at University College Dublin who are recipients of the Cothrom na Féinne scholarship and/or a SUSI grant, and who have achieved an upper second-class honours average grade to date.
Successful awardees will receive the equivalent of the EU tuition fees of a one-year full-time masters programme up to the value of €25,000.
The one-year Masters in Law programmes covered under the Declan McCourt Masters Scholarship in Law include:
- LLM General
- LLM Intellectual Property and Information Technology
- LLM International Commercial Law
- LLM International Human Rights
- LLM EU Law and Governance
- MSc Business and Law or MSc Environmental and Climate Law
“The establishment of the Declan McCourt Masters Scholarship in Law creates a wonderful opportunity for UCD law students who wish to pursue a postgraduate degree but who may not be in a position to do so because of the financial commitment,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Laurent Pech, Head of the UCD Sutherland School of Law.
“The scholarship celebrates Declan McCourt and his leadership at UCD as well as his tireless commitment to Ireland.
“His enthusiasm, focus and determination for education and the UCD Sutherland School of Law will continue to enrich future generations of law students.”
Applications for 2025/26 academic year are now closed.
Information on the Declan McCourt Masters Scholarship in Law and the application process is available on the UCD Sutherland School of Law website.
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
