Laois footballer among MIC Elite Sports Scholarship Awardees for 2024
Timahoe's Katie Donoghue has been received an MIC Elite Sports Scholarship Award
MARY Immaculate College (MIC) yesterday announced the five recipients of its annual Elite Sports Scholarship Scheme in recognition of their outstanding sporting achievements.
Among those first recipients was Laois footballer Katie Donoghue.
Kerry footballer, Aoife Dillane, is this year’s Gold Scholarship recipient, while Clare senior hurler, Shane Meehan and Clara Barrett of Ireland Women’s Rugby, have been awarded Silver Scholarships.
The remaining award went to Clare Under-20 hurler, Ronan O’Connor, who along with Donoghue were awarded Bronze Scholarships. The Bronze Scholarships are valued at €1,000.
First Year Bachelor of Education student at MIC, Katie Donoghue, has been awarded a Bronze Sports Scholarship. Demonstrating an impressive Ladies Football career from a young age, Katie made her Laois senior debut in 2023, scoring 2-1 in her first All-Ireland series appearance against Armagh.
Katie has already made significant contributions in her sporting career, playing at U/16 county level, where she captained the winning Leinster ‘B’ team in 2021, and through to minor club and county, senior club and senior county level.
She also captained her school’s senior team and being named Club Player of the Year at minor level for Timahoe Ladies.
In its fifth year, MIC’s Elite Sports Scholarship, offered in memory of former MIC staff members and sporting stalwarts, Noreen Lynch and Leonard Enright, continues to support students who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen discipline.
The scholarships are aimed at helping students to balance their commitment to furthering their academic and sporting careers in tandem.
Congratulating the awardees on their achievement, Professor Niamh Hourigan, Acting President of MIC said: “I warmly congratulate this year’s MIC Elite sports scholars. This is the fifth year of the scheme and the calibre of our sporting ambassadors continues to be exceptional. This year is no exception and our talented awardees have proven their sporting excellence at inter-county, national and international levels with two All-Ireland winners and a rising star in Irish women’s rugby among them. They are also aiming for academic success at MIC and balancing the two commitments is no easy task so we are delighted to offer our support. I wish them all the best for the coming year.”
