TWO DONEGAL STUDENTS were amongst those awarded scholarships by IT Carlow this week.
Letterkenny’s Caolan Ward – gaelic football- and Jonny Bonner from Buncrana – in men’s soccer – were the recipients of sports scholarships.
Ward (pictured above) is a county panellist with Donegal and lines out for St Eunan’s GAA club, while Bonner (below) is on the books of Wexford Youths in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and helped IT Carlow to victory in the Colleges and Universities Football League Division 1, with two goals in the final.
The scholarships will provide financial and academic support, mentoring, injury rehabilitation, strength & conditioning support, high performance coaching and access to the IT Carlow’s renowned sports facilities. IT Carlow is renowned as one of the leading third-level sporting institutions in the Ireland and a modern hub for sporting excellence with a growing academic portfolio of sports programmes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Patricia Mulcahy, President of IT Carlow, said: “Today’s ceremony recognises excellence. Our academic scholarships recognise the significant achievement of our first year students who excelled in the Leaving Certificate and who are now undertaking degree programme across our various faculties. I have no doubt that their academic abilities will contribute greatly to this Institute. Our sports scholars demonstrate the dedication of balancing academic ability with significant sporting achievements – achievements that contribute to IT Carlow’s significant sports renown, as well as to Irish sport itself”.
IT Carlow consistently features highly in the CAO first preferences for Institutes of Technology, according to the Institute, which sees an annual average of 12,000 students apply for up to 70 Higher Certificate and Degree courses via the CAO. Since its founding in 1970, IT Carlow has generated more than 45,000 graduates. It currently ranks as the fourth largest of Ireland’s 14 Institutes with 7,000 enrolments.
