Clare star Diarmuid scores sports scholarship

CLARE hurler Diarmuid Ryan has been awarded an MIC GPA Sports Scholarship for the coming academic year, in recognition of his sporting achievements. 

Now in its second year, the MIC GPA Scholarship scheme is a collaboration between Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), and is open to GPA members who have applied for and are successful in securing a place on MIC’s postgraduate programmes in education and the liberal arts. Two scholarships are offered on an annual basis. Limerick camogie player Caoimhe Costelloe has also been awarded a scholarship.

Diarmuid Ryan is a first year Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) student at MIC. The Cratloe clubman has played inter-county hurling for the Banner since 2017 and is nominated for an All Star award for his performance in Clare’s All-Ireland Championship campaign this year, where they reached the Semi-Final stages.

Diarmuid attended Limerick’s Ardscoil Rís Secondary School and was Vice-Captain of the Harty Cup winning team in 2018. He was a key hurler for MIC while studying a Bachelor of Arts degree, including captaining the side in their 2021 Fitzgibbon Cup campaign.

Diarmuid is also a crucial player for Cratloe and guided them to the Semi-Finals of this year’s Clare Senior Hurling Championship, before they lost out to reigning Champions, Ballyea. 

Reacting to his scholarship, Diarmuid said: “I am full of pride to be an MIC GPA Scholarship awardee. The scholarship and the support from MIC and the GPA will benefit me hugely in my studies as it will allow me to balance my time between my studies with my sporting commitments, without additional financial worries. Ultimately, I think this support will also help me be the best teacher I can be.”

Under the scholarship, MIC contributes half of the successful applicants programme fees and the GPA contributes the remaining part. Costelloe and Ryan will also become ‘MIC GPA Scholars’ and will act as ambassadors within MIC’s sporting community and will play a key role in supporting Gaelic Games at MIC. 

Congratulating Diarmuid and Caoimhe on being awarded the MIC GPA Scholarships, Professor Niamh Hourigan, Vice-President of Academic Affairs at MIC, who said wished Diarmuid and Caoimhe the best in their academic and sporting endeavours over the coming year.

“We are delighted to partner once again with the Gaelic Players Association in these postgraduate scholarships, offering GPA athletes the opportunity to further their academic journey at MIC whilst continuing to pursue their sporting career,” she said.

“MIC has a long sporting tradition with sport and recreation playing an important role in the lives of our students, and the MIC GPA Scholarships is a great addition to our suite of awards and supports available.”

GPA CEO, Tom Parsons also commended Diarmuid and Caoimhe. “Our goal is to offer our members all the support they require to be the best they can be on and off the pitch,” he siad. “Our education partnerships are central to this in terms of their development away from sport. We are really excited to be partnering with MIC again this year to support Caoimhe and Diarmuid in balancing both their sporting and academic commitments. Both players have had impressive inter-county campaigns this year and they are great ambassadors for not only Gaelic Games but also for MIC and the GPA.”

More details on the MIC GPA Scholarship scheme and other MIC scholarships are available on Mic.ie/scholarships.