Trinity College Dublin students and GAA players Ciarán Lennon, centre left, and Keri McCormack, centre right, are presented with their certificates by Trinity College Dublin Student Sport Pathway Manager Lisa Cafferky, left, and GPA national executive committee co-chair and Dublin camogie player Aisling Maher during the GPA Enhanced Scholarship Awards at the GPA Offices in Glasnevin, Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Trinity Gaelic Players Association (GPA) Enhanced (postgraduate sports) scholars, Keri McCormack (Ladies' Gaelic Football) and Ciarán Lennon (Men's Gaelic Football), were recently celebrated at the GPA Enhanced Scholarship Awards ceremony which took place at DCU on Friday 27 February. Trinity Sport's Lisa Cafferky (Student Sport Pathway Manager) and Neil O'Driscoll (GAA Development Officer) were also in attendance at the ceremony.
Keri McCormick of Trinity College Dublin, centre, is presented with her certificate by Trinity College Dublin Student Sport Pathway Manager Lisa Cafferky, left, and GPA national executive committee co-chair and Dublin camogie player Aisling Maher during the GPA Enhanced Scholarship Awards at the GPA Offices in Glasnevin, Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.
Trinity GPA enhanced scholar Keri McCormack (Ladies' Gaelic Football) shared the benefits of this new scholarship at Trinity saying, "The scholarship has been hugely supportive to me. I'm currently doing a Masters in radiography while also playing county football with Cavan and football with Trinity College Dublin. It's been very helpful in allowing me to balance my sport and commitments with busy academic lifestyle."
Ciarán Lennon of Trinity College Dublin, centre, is presented with his certificate by Trinity College Dublin Student Sport Pathway Manager Lisa Cafferky, left, and GPA national executive committee co-chair and Dublin camogie player Aisling Maher during the GPA Enhanced Scholarship Awards at the GPA Offices in Glasnevin, Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.
Trinity GPA enhanced scholar Ciarán Lennon (Men's Gaelic Football) added, "The scholarship has been very helpful - not just financially but also to know the GPA team are at the end of the phone or on the other end of an email. The scholarhip also helps in terms of balancing all the study, the training, and the matches. The financial support means not trying to balance all of the above with finding a part-time job around a full-time course. The financial support is huge in that aspect."
Lisa Cafferky (Student Sport Pathway Manager) explained the benefits of the scheme: "The enhanced scholarship provides a range of different supports for student athletes including mentoring, strength and conditioning support, financial bursary towards their tuition fees and a range of different other supports that are specialised and individualised for the student athlete."
Lisa continued, "On behalf of Trinity College, I'd like to congratulate Keri and Ciarán on receiving the enhanced scholarships. They are both wonderful ambassadors for Trinity GAA and have added real value and helped us to grow the game of GAA within Trinity this
year."
Introducing the new scheme at Trinity College, Neil O'Driscoll (GAA Development Officer) at Trinity Sport, said: "The GPA enhanced scholarships partner with Trinity College are an opportunity for any inter-county players out there to come to Trinity College and pursue further education. So we're hoping that any camogie players, ladies Gaelic footballers, hurlers and Gaelic players who are currently playing inter-county sport will apply and consider Trinity College for a holistic opportunity to develop themselves personally on and off the field."
About the GPA Enhanced Scholarship
This is the first year the GPA's Enhanced Scholarship has been run at Trinity College Dublin. The GPA Enhanced Scholarship is designed to support inter-county Gaelic sport players who are undertaking postgraduate or MBA programmes and are seeking to further their education and career opportunities.
After the awards ceremony, GAA Player Programme Co-ordinator Sinéad Wylde outlined the structure and operation of the scheme, "The GPA Enhanced Scholarship programme is a scholarship programme jointly funded by the GPA and Trinity College Dublin. It provides players with an opportunity to complete postgraduate studies without that same financial constraint. We also provide support in terms of the scholarship programmes and supporting their journey with the GPA as well in terms of personal and career
development. So the idea of it is to enable players to pursue their personal development alongside their inter-county careers."
The scholarship is unique in that it supports players who may not be in a position to commit to college sport. It is an academic scholarship that ensures players are supported in pursuing higher education alongside the demands of elite performance and professional development. As well as tution fee support, the scholarhip scheme provides additional support including mentoring, strength and conditioning and individual specialised support.