Name: Former students of Limerick school receive prestigious JP McManus scholarships
Uploaded: 2022-11-26T12:00:00.000Z
Duration: 2 min 25 s
Description: Former students of Limerick school receive prestigious JP McManus scholarships

MORE than 20 former students from Coláiste Mhichíl in Limerick city were presented with JP McManus scholarships at the first in-person awards ceremony since 2019.

A total of 24 scholarships were presented to former students from the Leaving Certificate classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The Mayor of the city and county of Limerick, Cllr Francis Foley was among those who attended the gala event at Adare Manor on Friday night while Hurler of the Year, Diarmaid Byrnes - a past pupil of Coláiste Mhichíl - was the guest of honour.

School principal Denis O'Connor says the generosity of the McManus family to support the scholarships means a huge amount to everyone at the Coláiste Mhichíl.

"You can see the amount of students who came from the school in the past and where they have gone in life and JP is ensuring that the next generation of students will have all the opportunities," he said adding that there is a deep sense of gratitude from the entire school community - particularly given the experiences over the last three years due to Covid-19.

The JP McManus Scholarships, which are administered by a number of trustees, were first established in 1996 and since then a total of 209 students have been awarded scholarships to fund their third-level education.

placeholder image — The JP McManus Scholarships, which are administered by a number of trustees, were first established in 1996 and since then a total of 209 students have been awarded scholarships to fund their third-level education.

Former student Eoghan Moore, who was awarded a scholarship in 2020, spoke at the awards ceremony on behalf of all 24 recipients.

He said confirmation, in June 2020, that scholarships would be awarded despite the closure of schools and the cancellation of traditional Leaving Cert exams was a major boost for students attending Coláiste Mhichíl who faced uncertainty.

"On behalf of all 24 recipients, I would like to express my gratitude to JP and Noreen McManus for keeping the door open on the scholarships for us at a time when many doors were closed because of Covid-19," he said.

"Winning a JP McManus scholarship is a great moment. Not only does it give you the financial security over the course of your four-year degree it also provides a gateway into employment opportunities," added Eoghan who is currently studying Electronic and Computer Engineering at University of Limerick.

Deputy Niall Collins, Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, also spoke on the night and he presented the scholarships to each of the recipients.

See next week's Limerick Leader for further coverage and more photos.