DCU Sport Scholarships
6 November 2009

Back row (left to right) Jack Hanratty DCU Rugby Development Officer, David Mongan, Martin Moore, Ben Woods, Michael Keating Front row: Hugo Nolan, Martin Conry Secretary of DCU, Colm O'Shea

116 sport scholarships were announced at a ceremony in The Helix, DCU on Monday the 2nd of November 2009. World University Games athletes Linda Byrne (Athletics), John Mulroy (Soccer), Niamh Coveney (Tennis) & Simon Wrafter (Tennis) and Michael Murphy (Donegal) Vodafone GAA Young Footballer of the Year joined students from fifteen sports to receive scholarships that give them access to financial and academic support, accommodation, athlete education and top class high performance training and fitness testing.

Sport scholarships were first introduced in 1996 in the form of GAA sport scholarships. The programme has expanded greatly in recent years with the launch of the DCU Sports Academy in 2006, which manages and develops Athletics and Men’s Gaelic Football athletes. The remainder sports are managed through the Sport & Recreation Service as part of Student Support & Development at DCU.

DCU is committed to supporting the holistic development of their elite athletes and their increasing need to successfully balance both academic and sporting commitment. The programmes are athlete led whereby support is tailored to the individual needs of the athlete. DCU offers top class facilities and support services for athletes to successfully train and develop during their chosen programme of study.

Whilst the Secretary of DCU, Martin Conry congratulated the students on their recent achievements, Yvonne O’Connor Sport & Recreation Officer, Enda Fitzpatrick Director of the Athletics Academy, Prof. Niall Moyna Director of the GAA Academy, Jack Hanratty Rugby Development Officer and Fran Butler Soccer Development Officer announced this year’s sport scholarship athletes. In congratulating the Sports Scholars on their awards Yvonne O’Connor acknowledged some of the highlights of the past sporting year:

• 13 students represented DCU and Ireland in the 25^th World Students Games in Belgrade July 2009
• DCU Athletics Club Intervarsity Champions in all 5 Intervarsity events including Road Relays, Indoor Track & Field, Cross Country, Outdoor Track & Field & Combined Events, 2008-2009
• Basketball Ladies Intervarsity Champions 2008 and runner up 2007 & 2009
• GAA Ladies O’Connor Cup Champions 2009
• Rugby Women’s Colleges & Universities League Div 2 Champions 2009
• Rugby Men’s University 7’s Champions 2009
• Tennis Men’s Iveagh Cup Champions for the last 4 years and Tennis
• Women’s Intervarsity Champions for the last 2 years

Two Cadbury's GAA Scholarships were also awarded in recognition of the sporting potential of u21 footballers attending various universities. This was announced by Prof. Niall Moyna and presented by Aislinn O’Driscoll on behalf of Cadburys to Jonathan Cooper, Dublin u21 & Donal Shine Roscommon u21