Mayo student wins entrepreneurial scholarship

NUI Galway has announced the first student to be awarded the Séamus McDermott Entrepreneurial Scholarship.

Alan Donnelly, a native of Killala, is a first year BSc Financial Mathematics and Economics student. During his fifth year in Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Crossmolina, he developed a suite of digital flashcards to help with revision when he was travelling to school on the bus.

The digital flashcards become very popular with classmates and teachers, and Alan created a charity donation list, and students who donated were sent a copy of the cards.

The Séamus McDermott Entrepreneurial Scholarship is funded through the generous philanthropic support of the Liffey Trust. The scholarship will help to support students in the university’s newly launched student innovation and entrepreneurship hub, IdeasLab. It will also help to promote the concepts of job creation, entrepreneurial development and education for life for undergraduate students commencing their studies.

Said Alan: “I am incredibly honoured to be the inaugural recipient of the Séamus McDermott Entrepreneurial Scholarship. I was very fortunate to have wonderful teachers in Gornor Abbey who supported my entrepreneurial spirit. Being a student in NUI Galway I can develop these skills further through working with the IdeasLab and the Consultants and Entrepreneurship Society.

“Through the award of the scholarship, I am also connected with students from across Ireland through the Liffey Trust and I look forward to developing my knowledge and my network through all of these opportunities.”

Alongside his studies at NUI Galway, Alan is actively engaged in the student entrepreneurship community working with IdeasLab and the NUI Galway Consultants and Entrepreneurs Society.

Chairman of the Liffey Trust, Aidan Corless said: “Alan has what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and we are delighted to sponsor his journey through NUI Galway, who are leading the way in promoting entrepreneurs. Alan joins other Seamus McDermott Entrepreneurial scholars from other institutions and is now connected to our business hub in Dublin.”

The Liffey Trust was established more than 30 years ago and has been supporting entrepreneurs to establish and grow new businesses since then. The NUI Galway scholarship is named in honour of the founder of the Liffey Trust, Galway native Séamus McDermott, in recognition of his contribution to entrepreneurship in Ireland.

First year undergraduate students at NUI Galway can apply for a scholarship valued at up to €9,000 for the duration of their studies at the university. The next call for applicants will commence in October 2022.

For further information on the scholarship contact ideaslab@nuigalway.ie.