UCC announce scholarships for 103 athletes 

University College Cork (UCC) has announced 103 sports scholarship recipients for the 2025/2026 academic year.

Students from Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Kerry, Laois, Limerick, Mayo, Offaly, Tipperary and Waterford are included as part of the UCC sport scholarships awarded across sports such as athletics, basketball, hockey, rowing, rugby, soccer, swimming, GAA, and golf.

The programme is structured to support student-athletes in reaching their full potential and is delivered through two main pathways, UCC team sport scholarships and UCC individual sport scholarships.

The scholarships are closely aligned with UCC sports performance programme, which offers tailored support to help student-athletes successfully manage both their academic and sporting commitments.

The main aim is to equip UCC athletes and teams to perform at their highest level, be that in university competitions or on the international stage.

UCC works closely with clubs, coaches, and specialists in sports science, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports medicine, and performance analysis to support the holistic development of its athletes.

Strategic partnerships with national governing bodies, provincial organisations, and Sport Ireland further strengthen UCC’s high performance framework.

UCC president John O’Halloran said that the time students spend in the university is not only about academic success, but about embracing the overall student experience. “We proudly support our students to combine their academic pursuits with the development of their sporting ambitions.

“Today, we celebrate these outstanding student athletes, whose dedication, both in the classroom and in their chosen sports, embodies what it means to be a UCC student and inspires our university community.”

Morgan Buckley, head of UCC Sport added: “Congratulations to all our teams and athletes. We are incredibly proud of their achievements, as well as the dedication of their coaches, volunteers and clubs, supported by our outstanding staff and services at UCC.

“The UCC sport scholarship programme significantly enhances the services we offer to our performance teams and athletes, ensuring they can successfully balance their academic and sporting pursuits.

“We are also proud to continue holding the Accreditation for Student-Athlete Support (UCC Sport ASAS) standard, recently developed by Sport Ireland, which ensures equal opportunities for high performing student athletes to excel both in sport and education”.

Tomasz Mrowca, UCC Club’s executive president, said the university’s commitment to student support makes it a suitable place to study and to excel in sport.

“We are proud to celebrate the outstanding participation and achievements of our sporting community at every level.”