A South-East Clare primary school teacher has scooped a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to study in the USA.
Eimear Millane has won the Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship (FLTA) scholarship to teach in the University of Connecticut for ten months.
One of the 40 Fulbright Irish Awardees, Eimear was presented with her award at a ceremony in Iveagh House, Dublin, recently in recognition of the excellence of her study and research.
In an interview with the Clare Champion, Eimear recalled she completed an interview for this scholarship last January, having applied the previous October.
Under the Fulbright Programme, she will be teaching Irish as a minority language in the University of Connecticut for ten months, having opted to take a career break from her current job as a primary school teacher in Bunscoil Bhríde in Co. Kildare, where she oversees the Coiste Gaelach.
The scholarship covers her flights and accommodation, while she will also be paid during her time as a teacher.
“It is a massive opportunity of a lifetime to work in the University of Connecticut. I am over the moon to be awarded this scholarship as I am only qualified as a teacher three years ago.
There will also be plenty of opportunities to play music in places like Boston, which will be about an hour’s drive away,” she said.
Eimear holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and is currently undertaking a Masters in Literacy and the Curriculum in St Mary’s University, Belfast.
She has a keen interest in GAA and plays camogie with Naas in Co. Kildare.
She is also a traditional musician who plays the concertina and sings in the sean nós style. She has competed successfully at Fleadhanna Ceoil throughout Ireland and will be a Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA) to the University of Connecticut.
She is the daughter of Pat and Marie Millane who live near Bridgetown in South-East Clare.
The Fulbright Program has served to strengthen international relations for 75 years.
The Fulbright Commission in Ireland’s vision of inspiring minds to create a global culture of understanding is more important than ever in today’s increasingly polarised world.
This year’s Irish awardees will undertake research, teaching and study in the USA spanning many disciplines. They will address pressing societal issues, engage with U.S. society, and share their knowledge when they return home.
The next round of applications for Fulbright Irish Awards will open on 31st August 2022, interested candidates should visit www.fulbright.ie for more information.
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.