November 2010 24 New Sports Scholarships Awarded by NUI Galway

At a special ceremony in the University on Tuesday, 23 November, twenty four new recipients of NUI Galway Student Sports Scholarships were presented by Chairman of the NUI Galway Sport & Recreation Union Committee, Ruadhán Cooke. The recipients joined the thirty existing scholarship holders of NUI Galway Sports Scholarships. NUI Galway supports high performing athletes in a wide range of sports through its Sports Scholarship programme. The Scholarship programme has been developed by the University to assist young athletes with outstanding potential develop their sporting ability hand-in-hand with their academic progress by putting in place the necessary supports that will hopefully see them maximise their sporting potential. Recipients this year include Mayo Senior Footballers Kieran Conroy and Peadar Gardiner, Sligo's Stephen Gilmartin and promising young Kerry forward Ian Galvin. Donegal senior footballer Mark McHugh also receives a Scholarship for the first time. Hurling Scholarships this year were awarded to two of the NUI Galway Fitzgibbon Cup winning team, Paul Gordon and Barry Daly, who were also part of the Galway U21 All Ireland final team, and they were joined by the 2010 Galway Minor Captain Daithi Burke and one of the rising stars of Limerick Hurling Kevin Downes. Three Oranmore-Maree Basketballers; Liam Conroy, Colm O'Hagan and Conor Crowley are recognised by the sports scholarship scheme for the first time. Eddie Mullarky, who was the youngest member of the NUI Galway National Rowing Championship winning Men's Eight is one of Ireland's most promising young rowers and Afric Keogh and Zoe Mannion who have partnered each other in International boats at Junior Level will be hoping to do so at Senior level on the world stage in the future. Other first time recipients include Galway United's Ciaran Foley and Evan Preston Kelly and Kilkenny Camogie Senior star Aisling Dunphy. Caitriona Cormican and Ciara Hegarty were recipients of a GAA Ladies Football Scholarship. David Byrne was presented with a scholarship for Golf and Adam Caulfield for Waterpolo. At the ceremony Colin Collie Smyth was received a Scholarship for Soccer and Seán Wooton for Rugby. Scholarship benefits include a subsistence grant, coaching, medical and physiotherapy support, performance nutrition and performance psychology, strength and conditioning as well as performance planning and mentoring. Each Scholarship is built around the individuals needs and their chosen sport. To assist these sportspeople in the pursuit of their twin sporting and academic goals, NUI Galway has a dedicated Elite Sports Development Officer, former Olympic Sprinter, Gary Ryan. Gary, the former Director of Coaching for Athletics Ireland, said: "The aim of the Sports Scholarship at NUI Galway is not only to recognise the past achievements of young sportspeople but to try and put in place the supports that will help them improve during their time at University and to succeed academically. We aim to set high standards and support people in their achievement of these". Two Gaelic Football Scholarships sponsored by Cadbury's for outstanding U-21 Footballers as part of their sponsorship of the U-21 Football Championship were also presented. This year's recipients are Mayo's Keith Rogers and Cavan's Fergal Flanagan. -Ends-