EIGHT Clare students have proven themselves to be top class and have been recognised for excellence with awards from Trinity College Dublin. The students from across the county are among 527 students to receive Trinity College entrance awards.
The awards go to the student accepted into the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme who achieves the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary school, above a minimum of 500 CAO points.
Receiving awards in Clare were: Archie Hugh Connolly, Rice College, Ennis; Creagh Duggan, Kilmihil Community College; Matthew Conor Hanrahan, St Flannan’s College, Ennis; Maria Healy, St Caimin’s Community School, Shannon; Aobh Keating, Coláiste Muire, Ennis; Leon Kerin, Killaloe Community College; Lara Mellet, Ard Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Ennistymon; Niamh Edith O’Dwyer, Ard Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Ennistymon.
Students from every county in Ireland and 15 countries in the EU have been awarded special Entrance Exhibition Awards from Trinity College Dublin this year.
Many former awardees have gone on to make a significant contribution to the economic, cultural, and political life of Ireland and beyond. Past Exhibitioners include Tanaiste and former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Of the 2020 new entrants to Trinity, 527 students qualified for an award, up from 452 in 2019. The students come from a record 455 different schools, 438 schools on the island of Ireland (up from 403 in 2019) and 17 schools from overseas.
For the first time, the awards were delivered virtually. Trinity Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast, said, “We are delighted to welcome these talented students to Trinity and only wish that they and their families could come to celebrate with us at the University, as they usually do. Since we revised the Entrance Exhibition Awards in 2018 as part of our commitment to boosting diversity we are seeing an ever-growing number of schools represented and, this year, all 32 counties on the island of Ireland. We congratulate each student and wish them well in their studies.”
Changes made to the awards scheme in 2018 meant that students who achieve the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary school with a minimum of 500 points in the Leaving Certificate (or its equivalent second level final examinations) are eligible for an Entrance Exhibition Award. This includes bonus points for Mathematics.
Previously, any students receiving 560 or more points (excluding bonus points) were awarded Entrance Exhibition Awards which meant that there could be up to 20 students from any one school.
The Entrance Exhibition Awards were awarded to 322 students from Leinster, 75 from Munster, 61 from Ulster, 52 from Connacht and 17 international students from Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain, France, Poland, Norway, Austria and Netherlands.