€200,000 Corporate investment into Irish athletics announced
15 October 2004

(l-r) Garda George Maybury, Dr Niall Moyna, CSSH, Bill Cullen, Chairman of Renault Ireland, Barry Murphy, sports scholarship recipient, Enda Fitzpatrick, athletics coach, DCU, Daragh Greene, sports scholarship recipient, Tracey Williams, sports scholarship recipient, Azmera Gebredzi, sports scholarship recipient, Colin Costello, sports scholarship recipient, Eamon Coghlan, former World Athletics Champion, John Currane, CSSH Michael Heery, President of the Athletics Association of Ireland, and Tom O'Donnell, GAA office, DCU.

Over €200,000 from the Bill Cullen Sunshine Scholarships Fund will be invested over the next three years to further the athletic and academic careers of six young DCU athletes.

The elite scholarship programme was set up in 2001 to assist young athletes make the transition to senior athletics while continuing their third level education in Ireland. In the last three years, ten outstanding student athletes have been recruited and supported by DCU. The support which is now being provided by the Bill Cullen Sunshine Fund will allow for further expansion of the scholarship programme.

Students who receive scholarships are provided with on-campus accommodation, physiological screening, medical support and a travel allowance.

Eamon Coghlan who is a trustee of the Bill Cullen Scholarships Fund said, "This gesture and support from Bill Cullen will make a difference in these young athletes sporting and academic futures. I hope that this leading role will further influence the corporate sector to re-evaluate their sponsorship responsibilities to the next generation".

Dr Niall Moyna, Head of the Centre for Sport Science and Health (CSSH) at DCU believes that there is an urgent need to assist our young athletes in the development phase of their careers, and not just when they attain qualifying standards for international competitions. Mr Enda Fitzpatrick, the athletics coach at DCU said. "There is no reason why our athletes should not be able to compete with the best in the world. The partnership between DCU and the Bill Cullen Sunshine Fund is one of the most exciting developments in Irish athletics in recent years.

Renault Chairman Bill Cullen said, "Ever since Ronnie Delaney won the 1956 Olympic Gold in Melbourne I have always admired the dedication, sacrifice and courage of all the young Olympians who have represented their country. Eamon Coghlan won more world records and international championships than any other Irish athlete and his assistance in helping us to support young Irish talent is a great motivation for the DCU Athletics Programme".

(Barry Murphy, sports scholarship recipient and Bill Cullen, Chairman of Renault Ireland

Recipients of the Bill Cullen Sunshine Scholarships - 2004

Mark Christie
Mark competes for Mullingar Athletics Club and is a 2nd year student in Business. Mark has won numerous national titles at underage and junior level, placed 6th at the European cross country championships in December 2003, and recently competed at the World Junior championships in Italy. In June 2004, Mark broke the 22 year-old junior 3000m record of Brian O'Keefe. Mark will lead the Irish junior team at the European cross country championships this December.

Azmera Gebredzi
Azmera competes for Celtic Athletics Club in Dublin. In 2002 Azmera competed for Eritrea at the World cross country championships in Dublin and never returned. She has since taken her leaving certificate at Dominican Cabra and has declared for Ireland. Since 2002, Azmera has won 15 AAI underage and Irish schools titles.

Tracey Williams
Tracey competes for Tallaght Athletics Club and attended secondary school at Loreto Crumlin. In 2003, Tracey won the Irish Schools Senior 3000m title and has run for Ireland on numerous occasions. A magnificent self-coached athlete, Tracey will join the DCU squad through the Access programme. In March 2004, Tracey competed for the Irish schools cross-country team in Wales.

Daragh Greene
Daragh competes for Dunleer Athletics Club in County Louth and is a magnificent all-round sportsman. He has competed for Ireland at all distances from 200m to 1500m, and turned down a number of soccer academies in England. Daragh missed out on the world junior 800m by less than half a second in July 2004. Daragh has also won numerous national titles.

Colin Costello
Colin Costello runs for Star of the Sea in Co Meath. He is the reigning National Senior indoor 1500m champion, the Irish schools senior 1500m champion and competed at the recent world juniors in Italy. In 2003, he won the Junior Athlete of the Year award after his magnificent medal winning performances at the World Youth Olympics in Paris. An absolute star for the future!

Barry Murphy
A member of the CRC Swimming Club and current member of Team Ireland, he has broken 13 Irish junior records and is currently holding eight of them. Barry was a finalist in the European Junior Championships in Glasgow last year, the National Junior Champion in the 50m freestyle and is the 2004 Irish schools captain.