All-Ireland Scholarship success for Dungloe student Caitlin Kennedy

Caitlin Kennedy from Meenderryhirk, Dungloe has been awarded a prestigious All Ireland scholarship based on the excellent Leaving Certificate results she achieved in the exams she sat in June 2023.

Caitlin is one of only 125 recipients across the island of Ireland to be awarded one of the 2023 scholarships which are sponsored by JP McManus and were established in 2008 by the JP McManus Trust to financially support gifted young students across the island of Ireland to enable them to participate fully in all aspects of university life.

A former student of the Rosses Community School in Dungloe, Caitlin is delighted with the award which she says came as a lovely but unexpected surprise when the letter arrived in the post informing her of the honour.

It is an honour which reflects not only her hard work, effort and commitment but also that of her teachers in her local Dungloe secondary school who supported and encouraged her throughout her six years at the school. She also acknowledges the great support, guidance and encouragement she received from her parents Kathleen and Neil Kennedy.

Each year 125 All Ireland scholarships are awarded to the highest achieving students based on leaving certificate results, with a minimum of two students from each of the 32 counties of Ireland. The recipients must meet a further set of criteria including attending a non-fee paying school and they must receive a third-level education maintenance grant from SUSI or an education maintenance allowance in Northern Ireland.

In total each year, there are 100 recipients from the Republic of Ireland and 25 from Northern Ireland.

The scholarship offers full academic financial support for the duration of the students’ third-level studies and the value of the scholarship is set at 6750 euros per annum In the last 15 years, 1674 scholarships have been awarded.

The All Ireland Scholarship award ceremony took place in the University Concert Hall in Limerick on Saturday, March 30, and, at the ceremony, Caitlin was formally awarded her scholarship by J P McManus and by Niall Collins TD, Minister of State for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Guests of honour was one of healthcare's most influential voices and most prominent leaders in the US and beyond, Limerick born Michael J Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health, New York State's largest healthcare provider, responsible for a workforce of more than 85,000 and an annual revenue of $18 billion

Caitlin is currently in her first year at University of Ulster where she is studying for a Masters degree in Pharmacy.