Offaly athletes among those awarded DCU Sport scholarships
More than 100 DCU students, including three from Offaly, receiving sport scholarships were recognised at a recent event at the university.
The three students from Offaly are Micheal Murphy from the Tullamore Harriers AC, who is participating in the MSc Management (Business) course; Nicole Buckley from the Tullamore Boxing Club, who is taking a BA in Education; and Caoimhe Guinan from Suttonians RFC, also participating in the BA in Education.
DCU’s Sport Scholarship programme is athlete-led, where a network of support services and expertise is tailored to the individual needs of the athlete. The programme grades support depending on the athlete's achievement, potential and needs, with the objective of remaining flexible to support their diverse needs.
The first DCU Sport Scholarships were awarded in 1996 in the form of GAA scholarships, and have now expanded to include a wide range of sports such as athletics, hockey, rugby and soccer.
DCU has recently been fully re-accredited by Sport Ireland for their Student Athlete Support programme. This recognises best practice in the area of dual career athletes supports combining elite sport and third level education extremely manageable to dual-career athletes.
DCU Director of Sport James Galvin said; “Sport and physical activity is at the heart of the student experience at DCU, and we are delighted to recognise the outstanding performances of our elite athletes through our scholarship programme.”
“Our recent re-accreditation by Sport Ireland for their Student Athlete Support programme emphasises our commitment to a holistic approach in supporting our dual career athletes. The sports scholarships for elite student athletes reinforce the University’s strong commitment to helping students thrive.”
Congratulating the scholarship recipients, DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh, acknowledged their dedication to both aspects of their lives.
“Balancing academic and sporting excellence is not an easy path to take. I applaud your determination and passion. By supporting your sporting and academic needs, we hope to deliver on the University’s promise to provide a transformative student experience that helps you achieve your goals and ambitions in both fields.”
Azets Ireland CEO Neil Hughes said: “At Azets, we are immensely proud of our partnership with DCU Sport during this fast growth phase for the firm. We are delighted in particular to support the DCU Sport Scholarship programme, supporting DCU's elite athletes in their sporting and academic endeavours."
More information on DCU Sport scholarships is available here.