Clonmel school community inspired by generosity of former student

The life-changing nature of what an incredibly generous donation of a quarter of a million bursary to Clonmel CBS High School can do was evident at the school last Friday.

There was a great sense of pride on an emotional day as Dr Terry O’Callaghan presented the first student to benefit from his phenomenal generosity.

Dr O’Callaghan, a son of Olympian Pat O'Callaghan and past pupil of the High School, presented €10,000 to Killian Whelan with his proud family in attendance, as well as High School Principal Karen Steenson and other staff members.

Dr O'Callaghan, who himself received a scholarship from Tipperary County Council as he went to study at UCC before he embarked on a hugely successful career in medicine, said he was delighted to be able to support Killian, who is in his first year studying medicine at UCC.

“This means so much to my family and me. It is very humbling; this bursary will be of enormous help to me and for many more students for years to come. I will be very proud to follow in the footsteps of Dr O'Callaghan and study medicine at UCC with his very generous support,” said Killian.

Killian said it was very nice to meet Dr O’Callaghan personally and to thank him for what he has done to support him and the school.

Killian was accompanied to the presentation by his mother Joanne, his sister Sarah and his very proud grandparents Mick and Nellie, and Timmy and Bridie. His dad Robert died in 2023.

“Dad would have been very proud today. He supported me a lot with Maths and Science, and he gave me great encouragement,” said Killian.

Dr O’Callaghan, who donated the bursary to the High School two years ago, said he was delighted to make the first presentation to Killian from the bursary.

“It is very satisfying for me and my family to see the first medical student from the High School take up the bursary. I am delighted that Killian is the first to receive the scholarship and more delighted that he is going to UCC, where all of my family went. I am excited for Killian as he heads off to UCC to study medicine. It is good to give something back. I received a scholarship myself. This won't cover everything, but it will supplement the family to meet the high costs now involved,” said Dr O’Callaghan.

Dr O’Callaghan said he and his family were proud to provide the bursary and said he would love to see some of the significant industries in Clonmel coming forward with similar supports to local students.

High School Principal Karen Steenson said the day marked a historic and proud milestone in the life of the school.

“We are gathered to celebrate the inauguration of the Dr Terry O Callaghan Bursary for Medicine, an occasion that bridges our school's proud past with its very bright future,” Karen Steenson told invited guests.

“We are incredibly honoured to welcome back one of our own, Dr Terry O Callaghan. Many years ago, Terry walked these exact same halls as a student sitting in the very same classrooms as the young men in the school today. From here, he went to University College Cork to study Medicine, embarking on what has become a highly successful and impactful career,” she said.

“However, what truly defines a person is not just what they achieve, but what they give back. At the heart of an Edmund Rice school is the value of community, of looking out for one another and of lifting others up as you climb. Terry embodies this ethos perfectly. He has never forgotten his educational roots. Through his extraordinary generosity in establishing this bursary, Terry is directly empowering the next generation of medical professionals from his alma mater. Terry, on behalf of the entire school community, I want to express our most profound gratitude. Your willingness to invest in the young men of this school is nothing short of inspiring, said the school principal.

She paid tribute to Killian Whelan, whose hard work, dedication and character stood out during his years in the school.

“You have earned this. And in a wonderful piece of symmetry, you will be following exactly in Dr O'Callaghan's footsteps, packing your bags for UCC to begin your own medical studies. We could not think of a more deserving inaugural recipient to carry this mantle,” the school principal told Killian.