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Sporting legends attend briefing on DCU Sports Academy

Pictured were Kevin Heffernan, former Dublin legend, Bryan Cullen, Dublin captain and postgraduate Sport Science student, Sinead Kissane, DCU graduate of the MA in Journalism, Tommy Drumm, Trustee of DCU Education Trust and former Dublin All-Star

On 25TH May, Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU, welcomed 70 sporting heroes and supporters to a briefing on recent developments at the DCU Sports Academy. He acknowledged the work of university secretary Martin Conry, the DCU Sports Academy team (Prof. Niall Moyna, Enda Fitzpatrick (Athletics) and Michael Kennedy (GAA)), and the DCU Educational Trust - represented by Trustees Tommy Drumm, Padraig McKeon and Larry Quinn, Chairman of the Board, in developing and supporting the sports agenda at DCU. The event was MC’d by TV3 sports broadcaster and DCU graduate, Sinead Kissane.

The select gathering was addressed by Tommy Drumm, Dublin Football legend and Trustee of the DCU Educational Trust, who had invited many of his former teammates and sporting adversaries to attend, as he recounted personal sporting tales involving several of those present.  Guests included; Dublin Football legend and “Freeman of the City” Kevin Heffernan, Tommy Conroy, Gerry Burke, Tony Hanahoe, John Foley-Athletics Ireland, Dublin Manager-Pat Gilroy, Roscommon’s Tony McManus and Cork’s Ger Cunningham - to name but a few.

Guests then heard from Prof. Niall Moyna - DCU Sports Academy and DCU School of Health & Human Performance - on DCU’s recent successes. DCU is recognised as one of the leading third level sporting institutions in Ireland - providing excellent sporting facilities, academic programmes, sport development programmes, elite athlete scholarship programmes and the DCU Sports Academy. The DCU Sports Academy supports approx. 140 athletes each year and is Ireland’s largest elite athlete development programme. It is dedicated to providing top Irish athletes from the sports of Gaelic Football and Athletics with an opportunity to train and compete at the highest level while obtaining a top academic qualification. DCUwas the first university to introduce an admissions policy to recognise excellence in sporting achievement as an entry route to all of our degree programmes, enabling Ireland’s top developing athletes with the opportunity to train and study in DCU according to international best practice. The DCU Sports Academy make it possible for Irish athletes, who would otherwise have no choice but to go abroad, to optimise their sporting prowess here at DCU.  Recent sporting successes at DCU include:

• GAA Men’s Sigerson Cup Champions of 2006 & 2010.
• O’Bryrne Cup Winners 2010
• Ladies O’Conner Cup Champions for 2009 & 2010.
• DCU Athletics Club Intervarsity Champions in all Intervarsity events including Road Relays, Indoor Track & Field, Cross Country , Outdoor Track & Field events from 2008 - 2011

DCU Athletes Brona Furlong (400m Athletics), Michael Murphy (Donegal Captain) and Paul Flynn (Dublin) reinforced the impact that the DCU Sports Academy has had on their sporting careers to date, as they spoke about the excellent support they had each received from the DCU Sports Academy.

The event ended with Tommy Drumm and Dublin Captain and DCU postgraduate student Bryan Cullen, inviting attendees to consider participating in the work ahead for the DCU Sports Academy.

How you can help:

The DCU Sports Academy aims to lead Ireland’s sporting talent to the top of their chosen fields. This is made possible due to privately supported sports scholarships from individuals and organisations such as; Bank of Ireland, McDonalds, Paddy Power, Irish Public Bodies and Davey Hickey Properties. For further information on how you can participate in supporting the DCU Sports Academy, please contact: Catherine Brady, Director of Development, DCU Educational Trust office at (353) 1-700-7726 or catherine.brady@dcu.ie