College scholarships for five Clare students

FIVE young people from Clare and one from South Galway received university entrance scholarships in the past week based on their exceptional Leaving Certificate Examination results.
Two North Clare students will be awarded a JP McManus All-Ireland Scholarship toward their third level education next week.
Alison Byrne and Stella McGlennon both students at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon will receive their scholarships at the awards ceremony that will take place at University of Limerick where President Mary McAleese will be the guest of honour.
The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe, TD and Minister for Education in Northern Ireland, Caitriona Ruane will present the third-level scholarships to a total of 126 students from the island of Ireland.
This is the second year of the scholarships sponsored by JP McManus. The scheme is set to provide financial assistance to many high-achieving students who completed their Leaving Certificate in 2009.
First year college students from St Flannan’s College and Rice College in Ennis, Miltown Malbay, Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon and Gort Community School scooped entrance scholarships to two of the country’s best-known universities.
Engineering students Aoife Barrett, from Miltown Malbay and Stephen Roberts from Kilcolgan, former students at Árd Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Ennistymon and Gort Community School respectively, arts student Joseph Maloney, from Ennis who attended St Flannan’s College, and medical student Gareth Ryan from Ennis, who attended Rice College, Ennis each received an entrance scholarship scroll and a cheque for €1,700 at a recent ceremony at NUI Galway.
Entrance scholarships are given annually to new entrants at NUI Galway who reached a minimum of 560 points in their Leaving Certificate examination, except in medicine. In medicine, 10 scholarships were awarded, based on the combined results in the Leaving Certificate and the new admissions test (H-PAT Ireland).
Speaking at the award ceremony, NUI Galway president Dr James J Browne, who presented the cheques to each individual winner, said, “We are delighted to recognise the academic talent of these 63 outstanding individuals from all over Ireland.
“NUI Galway strives constantly to support and promote academic excellence across all disciplines. The entrance scholarships ceremony is an opportunity to give special recognition to our first year students who have already shown academic prowess through their Leaving Certificate results. It is also a chance to give due credit to their parents and teachers for their contribution to such success. We welcome them to NUI Galway and look forward to nurturing their academic talent and supporting them throughout their years of study”.