The winners of the UCG Spirit of 78/80 Socs Bursary were announced at a special ceremony at NUI Galway recently. Last year the UCG Spirit of 78/80 Socs Bursary was set up to celebrate and encourage outstanding students in NUI Galway.

Each year six prizes, in the form of bursaries, worth €1000 each are rewarded to students with exceptional talent who wish to pursue their field of interest. The bursaries are a project which fosters co-operation and vision from the past and present to promote student creativity and empowerment within NUI Galway. The bursaries were divided into performance and non-performance categories. Performances included entrants from backgrounds in dance, alternative, jazz, traditional Irish and rock music as well as singing, juggling, theatre and performance.

The recipients of the bursaries were:

• Soloist Category: Peter Berrill from Headford, Co. Galway.
• Groups Category: Joint winners: Choral Societies acapella group, ‘Sing n Tonics’, and Orchestra Society’s Colm O’Rourke from Walsh Island, Co. Offaly and Steven Conroy from Port Arlington, Co. Offaly.
• Performance Category: Sean Leonard from Galway City.
• Behind the Scenes/Event Management Category: Laura Donnelly from Galway City.
• Volunteering Category: Eva-Marie Costello from Ballyglunin, Co.Galway.
• Audience Choice: Oisín Minogue from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.

Speaking after the ceremony Riona Hughes, Societies Officer at NUI Galway, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the Bursaries Award which culminated in a wonderful night of top class entertainment. These bursaries help our very talented students to support them in realising their dreams.”

The bursaries are jointly funded by NUI Galway’s societies and from sponsorship by NUI Galway Alumni from the class of 1978 – 1980.

To find out more about the Societies Bursary visit www.socs.nuigalway.ie.

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