UCD yesterday announced its sports scholarships for the academic year 2000-01. In all 71 scholarships have been awarded to athletes in 11 different sports. Gaelic games leads the way with 25 awards, rugby is next with 20 and the soccer club claims 11.
Dr Art Cosgrove, president of UCD, emphasised the integral role that scholarships have played in maintaining UCD at the forefront of sporting performance.
Reacting to the substantial number of Gaelic games recipients, GAA Development Officer Dave Billings said the scheme had proved itself since its inception in 1995.
"When you look at the contribution of someone like Trevor Giles and players like Derek Savage, John Divilly and Ciaran McManus, you can see that the college has got its money back."
Giles and McManus were instrumental in winning back the Sigerson Cup in 1996 for the first time in 11 years. Both went on to win national honours with their counties, Meath and Offaly. The Galway pair of Divilly and Savage were both on the All-Ireland winning team of two years ago.
Billings is anxious to emphasise that the scholarships and sports activity are only one part - however distinct - of student life. "The academic end is the most important and we always emphasise that. These scholarships are not random inducements. You can't get into UCD without the points necessary. There are allegations that rules are waived and that there are ways of getting people in.
"That's not true. Brian McDonald (Beano of All-Ireland minor fame) from Laois has just got in to do agriculture. He had tried before but there was nothing we could do for him until he got the results." The progress of UCD in club competition this year - the hurling club has reached next Sunday's Leinster final - has caused some controversy despite its being catered for in the rulebook.
The terms of many of the scholarships require players to be available for the county championship in Dublin. Players from Dublin can't play for both their home club and UCD and the college doesn't ask them to make a choice.
