Trinity Sport unveiled its sport scholars for the 2025 / 26 season on Monday 10 November at an event for family and friends at the Dining Hall, Trinity College Dublin. This year’s awardees, comprising of 31 Trinity Sport scholars and 31 club academy scholars will represent Trinity this season across sixteen sports: alpine skiing, basketball, cricket, fencing, Gaelic Men's & Ladies' Football, hurling, camogie, handball, rugby, sailing, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, squash, para table tennis, deaf swimming, rowing and hockey.
Maire Treasa Ni Cheallaigh presented the awards on the night and Irish international rugby star, Trinity alumni and former sport scholar, and Trinity Sport Ambassador Linda Djougang; two-time Olympian, Ireland’s first-ever Olympic medal in women’s rowing, and Trinity Business School Executive MBA scholar Eimear Lambe; and Offaly senior football captain, Division 3 League title holder, and former Trinity sport scholar Lee Pearson took part in a panel discussion on the theme of ‘why sport matters', which was also the theme of the event's opening video.
William Mac Donald Hughes (Fencing), Ciara Mulligan (Hockey and Basketball), and María Mezquita García-Poggio (Rowing) received this year’s Trevor West Scholarship which is awarded to exceptional athletes who have shown outstanding contribution to sport at Trinity and within their respective sport clubs.
Trevor West Scholars 2025-26 María Mezquita García-Poggio (Rowing), William Mac Donald Hughes (Fencing), and Ciara Mulligan (Hockey and Basketball) with Michelle Tanner.
Ava Learn (Basketball) received this year’s Global Graduate Sport Scholarship in association with Trinity Business School and presented by Trinity Chief Operating Officer Noel Gorman while Ciarán Lennon (Men’s Gaelic Football) and Keri McCormack (Ladies Gaelic Football) were the first recepients of the Trinity GAA/GPA Enhanced Scholarships, our new scholarships in collaboration with the Gaelic Players Association and presented by Jenny Rogers (GPA). Eoghan O'Donnell received this year’s GPA / Trinity Business School scholarship.
Michelle Tanner, Director of Sport and Physical Activity, Trinity College Dublin commented on the night, "We’re delighted to be here this evening to recognise the achievements and commitments of Trinity’s student athletes. We are truly delighted to celebrate this year’s exceptional calibre of student athletes for the 2025-26 academic year. With representation from twenty sports and a diverse array of internationally acclaimed and emerging athletes, Trinity College Dublin continues to reaffirm its commitment to nurturing sporting talent and fostering excellence both on and off the field and courts of play."
Dr Richard Porter, Dean of Students, Trinity College Dublin commented, "I am delighted to be here this evening to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our student athletes who have been awarded a place on this year’s Trinity Sport Scholarship Programme. This programme reflects our commitment to providing unwavering support to student athletes, enabling you to compete not only at regional and national levels but also on the international stage. We firmly believe that you can excel both in your academic pursuits and in your chosen sports, and we are here to ensure you have the resources and encouragement to do just that."
Among those on the high-performance pathway and celebrated on the night were:
- Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour who won bronze at the U23 World Sailing Championships in August
- Ethan Bouchard who competed at the FISU World University Games
- Grace Maloney who was part of the Irish Women's Volleyball team who won bronze at the Small Countries championships and on the men's side Samuel Harman and Jan Commandant who were part of the Irish Senior Men's Volleyball team
- Hazel Finn who is part of the Irish Senior Basketball team who are competing against Luxembourg on Wednesday night in the European Qualifiers
- Noah Byrne and Johnny O' Sullivan who are part of the Irish U20's Rugby squad that are playing South Africa on 14 November 2025
- Gemma Whelan who is preparing to compete for Ireland in the Deaf Olympics in Tokyo in November
Trinity College Dublin Sport Scholars
- Aaron Mellows (Para Table Tennis) – New Scholar
- Aoife Nelligan (Camogie)
- Cian Tiernan (Basketball)
- Ciarán Cope (Waterpolo) – New Scholar
- Daniel Lynch (Squash) – New Scholar
- David Colbert (Rugby) – New Scholar
- Ellen Barbour (Sailing)
- Erin McIlwaine (Sailing)
- Ethan Bouchard (Alpine Skiing)
- Georgina Dempsey (Cricket)
- Gemma Whelan (Deaf Swimming) – New Scholar
- Grace Moloney (Volleyball)
- Hazel Finn (Basketball) – New Scholar
- Isobel Radford-Dodd (Pentathlon & Fencing)
- Jan Comendant (Volleyball) – New Scholar
- Liam Zone (Fencing)
- Luke MacMahon (Volleyball)
- Noelle Dowling (GAA Handball)
- Oscar Cawley (Rugby)
- Ryan O'Dwyer (GAA) – New Scholar
- Samuel Harman (Volleyball)
- Sarah Hawkshaw (Tennis)
- Seán Husband (Triathlon)
- Tom McCarroll (GAA) – New Scholar
Trevor West Sport Scholars:
- Ciara Mulligan (Basketball/Hockey)
- William McDonald Hughes (Fencing)
- María Mezquita García-Poggio (Rowing)
Global Graduate Scholar:
- Ava Learn (Basketball)
Trinity GAA/GPA Enhanced Scholarships:
- Ciarán Lennon (Men’s Gaelic Football)
- Keri McCormack (Ladies Gaelic Football)
Trinity GPA Business School MBA Scholarship:
- Eoghan O'Donnell
Club Academy Scholars:
- Alex Finlay (Rugby)
- Arthur O'Rahilly (Rugby)
- Artur Smykovskiy (Rugby)
- Callum McDonald (Rugby)
- Charlie Naughton (Rugby)
- Conall Henchy (Rugby)
- Conor Tracey (Rugby)
- Dan Carroll (Rugby)
- David Walsh (Rugby)
- Eoghan Ó hAnluain Fay (Fencing)
- Franciska Treiliha (Basketball)
- Garvan Woodcock (Rugby)
- Hugh Goddard (Rugby)
- Hunter Dean Johns (Rugby)
- Jack O'Neill (Rugby)
- James O'Sullivan (Rugby)
- John O'Sullivan (Rugby)
- Karl Brennan (Rugby)
- Kevin Jackson (Rugby)
- Libby O'Gorman (Rugby)
- Mark Walsh (Rugby)
- Max Dunne (Rugby)
- Max McCarthy (Rugby)
- Mike Branagan (Rugby)
- Mylo Bouckaert (Rugby)
- Noah Byrne (Rugby)
- Ronan Savage (Rugby)
- Simon Kelly (Rugby)
- Spencer O'Connell (Rugby)
- Zach Baird (Rugby)
- Zach Quirke (Rugby)
Photographs
- Sport Scholarship Awards, 10 Monday: Highlights | All photos
- Sport Scholarship photoshoot with sport scholars Ethan Bouchard (Alpine skii), Georgina Dempsey (Cricket), Oscar Cawley (Rugby), Sarah Hawkshaw (Tennis), Hazel Finn (Basketball), Ryan O'Dwyer (GAA), Gemma Whelan (Deaf swimming), William MacDonald Hughes (Fencing), and Ava Learn (Basketball)