A new series of sponsored university scholarships for young people who play Gaelic games has been launched at NUI, Maynooth. Sixteen students are being sponsored by MBNA bank, an American company with a base in Dublin. The scholarships will cover a period of three years. Hurling, football, camogie and women's football are included.

The list of players honoured in hurling is: Cathal Fenton (Galway), Eddie Walsh (Kilkenny), Barry Condron (Dublin), Derek Hardiman (Galway) and Richie Hoban (Kildare). The football scholarship winners are Paul Noone (Roscommon), Mannix Ryan (Dublin), John Michael McDonald (Laois), Graham Norton (Dublin), Seaghan Kearney (Dublin) and Barry Moyles (Kildare).

The camogie players are Sabrina Carroll (Offaly), Emma Martin (Westmeath) and Christine O'Reilly (Kildare) while the women's football players are Pamela O'Donoghue (Carlow) and Donna Dunnion (Donegal).

Announcing the awards the president of NUI, Maynooth, Dr W J Smyth said that the GAA had made a major contribution to the sporting and social life of the university. "This is something which we want to nurture and develop."