Forty-two students from twenty-three secondary schools have been awarded Gaeltacht scholarships by Meath County Council funded under the Council’s Irish Language and Creative Ireland Programmes. The scholarships were presented by Leas-Chathaoirleach of Meath County Council Cllr Caroline O’Reilly and Director of Services for Culture, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs Barry Lynch to students at a special ceremony in Buvinda House, on Wednesday 11 March.
The scholarship scheme was set up in 2018 to honour Máire Nic Shiubhlaigh, a founder actress of the Abbey Theatre and a leader of Cumann na mBán in Jacob’s Biscuit Factory during the 1916 Rising. Máire was also an employee of Meath County Council where she worked as a branch librarian in Laytown during the 1950’s.
Leas-Chathaoirleach of Meath County Council Cllr Caroline O’Reilly speaking at the event.
The scheme was extended in recent years with new scholarships introduced for students attending DEIS schools. The two DEIS scholarships honour the memory of two other Irish language activists from the county, Mother Columba Gibbons, Loreto Navan, and Máire Ní Raghallaigh from Drumconrath.
Máire Nic Shiubhlaigh Scholarship: Lily Cummings, Daisy Magee, Dara Cullen, Charlie Clogher, Fiadh McMullan, Simon Fox, Louisa Scully, Joe Kerrane, Tadhg O’Dowd, Aoife Malone, Finn Watsham, Seán McCarthy, Jack Minogue, Aifric Ní Mhathúna, Ronan Cox, Beth Reilly, Paudie McCormack, Shay McMahon, Cathal Ó Murchú, Roisin Crinion, Kate Geraghty, Laoise Clarke, Bevin Moran, Lea Polgesek, Lara Molloy, Erin O’Brien, Philip Lawlor, Laoise Derivan.
Mother Columba Scholarship: Damien Mekitarian Walsh, Conall Fitzgerald, Pádraig Deegan, Scarlett O’Grady, Moya Molloy, Niamh McQuade, Lucy O’Sullivan, Shonagh O’Sullivan.
Máire Ní Raghallaigh Scholarship: Sarah Monaghan, Luke Vaughan, Cáit O’Malley, Dylan Thompson, Michael Sheridan, Robyn Cooney.
The students and their families were treated to a short performance from Étáin Ní Churraoin, a native Irish speaker, social media influencer and Sean-Nós singer from the Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht. Commenting on the scholarship scheme, Barry Lynch, Director of Services for Culture, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs of Meath County Council said: “It’s an honour to celebrate the Irish Language and the memory of three revolutionaries who otherwise would have got lost in the passage of time. Meath County Council continues to promote the Irish Language through initiatives such as the recent launch in Kells library of the ANSEO – ‘A sense of Place ‘ Logainm/Placenames Project for which funding was received for from the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht.”
Meath County Council wishes all the young people who received a scholarship all the best in their Gaeltacht adventures this summer.
