Muireann wins West Kerry’s first Naughton Scholarship

A BRILLIANT student from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne has become the first ever West Kerry recipient of the valuable Naughton Scholarship which will help fund her university studies.

Muireann de hÓra, of Cnoc na hAbha, who got her Leaving Cert results last month is the only Kerry winner this year of the scolarship, which is worth €5,000 per yearfor the duration of her undergraduate degree programme. As part of her prize, the pobalscoil has also been awarded of €1,000 towards the school’s science laboratory.

The Naughton programme, which was established in 2008 to promote and support the study of Science, Engineering, Techonology and Maths at third level in Ireland, is open to to students who are studying in Ireland and taking a combination of Mathematics and Science/Technology subjects in their Leaving Certificate. There were 35 scholarships awarded this year.

Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne Principal Pádraig Feirtéar said they were very proud of Muireann and her achievements and wished her the best for the future. He added that the school is very proud also of the results achieved by its students in both the Leaving and Junior Certificate exams. In this year’s Leaving Certificate Pobalscoil 27.1 per cent of the school’s students achieved over 500 points, compared to a national average of nine per cent.

Muireann, who is going to study Mathematical Physics in UCC, also received the Sparánacht an Bhlascaoid award at Céiliúradh an Bhlascaoid last weekend. Her fellow recipient was Dan Ó Dubháin.

Muireann de hÓra.