Tipperary dual star Roisin Howard receives MIC scholarship

Mary Immaculate College (MIC) recently awarded two elite scholarships, valued at €4,000 each to, Roisin Howard, Tipperary senior football and camogie player and Clara Griffin, Waterford senior camogie player.

The scholarships, which were introduced last year in honour of former staff members and sporting stalwarts Noreen Lynch and Leonard Enright, are reserved for outstanding performance athletes who are committed to further developing their sporting and academic careers.

Roisin Howard, from Cahir, certainly meets this criteria having won All-Ireland championships in both Gaelic football and camogie with her Tipperary. She has also guided her club to several Camogie County Football titles, including being named Player of the Match for the 2020 Tipperary Senior Ladies Football final. She has excelled in third level sport two and is the holder of four Ashbourne Cup Medals and two O'Connor Cup Medals. In 2019 she was a HEC Ladies Football All-Star and an All-Ireland and Munster Intermediate Football Champion with Tipperary. She continues as a dual player with her county and recently embarked upon the PME (Primary Teaching programme) at Mary Immaculate College.

Speaking on what the award will mean to her Roisin said: “It is a huge honour to be a recipient of such a great sports scholarship from MIC. This is particularly the case when you consider the calibre of applicants from all sporting domains that applied for the scholarship. I am thrilled to be acknowledged as a top sports person within the college and I really look forward to representing MIC Sport to the best of my ability both on and off the field of play in the next two years. As a sportswoman who represents her club, college and county in both codes all year round I find it impossible to have a part-time job during the academic year. Therefore, this scholarship will provide me with the financial assistance necessary to assist me in performing in my sports to the best of my ability without having to worry about financial inconveniences.”

Congratulating the awardees Prof. Niamh Hourigan, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, MIC said: “I heartily congratulate Roisin and Clara on being the inaugural recipients of MIC’s Elite scholarships. Interest in these scholarships was very high and the adjudication panel were extremely impressed with the caliber of the applicants from both potential and current students. Both these women fought off very tough competition from the other applicants in securing one of these scholarships and are worthy recipients indeed.

"We hope that these scholarships will assist Roisin and Clara by providing financial and other supports so that they can concentrate on their studies whilst simultaneously pursuing their sporting career. We very much look forward to seeing them wearing the MIC jersey as soon as college sports resume”.

Applications to MIC’s Elite Scholarship Scheme, which is open to open to incoming applicants and current undergraduate and postgraduate students across both the Limerick and Thurles campus, are now being invited.

Pictured above: Roisin Howard of Cahir and Tipperary

Applications are also being invited to MIC’s CAO Points Concession Scheme; an academic entry scheme for sporting candidates applying for a full-time Level 8 Undergraduate programme at MIC Limerick or Thurles. Deadline for receipt of completed applications to both schemes is 1 May 2021.

These sport schemes add to the growing suite of scholarships and awards offered by MIC to both incoming and current students in an effort to provide much needed financial support. Details on the wide range of scholarships and awards on offer, with a cumulative value of over €100k, available at www.mic.ie/scholarships.