Back row (l-r) Justin McNulty, GPA/DCU MBA Scholar, Laois manager, Bryan Cullen, DCU graduate and Dublin captain, Donegal captain and DCU student Michael Murphy, Roscommon's Cathal Cregg, DCU student, Dublin's Paul Flynn, DCU student, Colin Moran, former Dublin captain and GPA/DCU MBA Scholar. Front row: Patrick Quinn, GPA/DCU MBA Scholar and Sligo hurler, David Kelly, Sligo footballer and DCU student and Michael Martin, former Louth hurler and GPA/DCU MBA Scholar
Donegal ’keeper Paul Durcan, Sligo hurler Patrick Quinn and former Louth hurler Michael Martin announced as the GPA/DCU MBA Scholars
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Dublin City University Business School and the Gaelic Players Association are delighted to announce that Donegal footballer Paul Durcan, Sligo hurler Patrick Quinn and former Louth hurler Michael Martin have been granted scholarship places on the prestigious Executive MBA Programme.
The three graduates join Laois manager Justin McNulty and former Dublin football captain Colin Moran who became the first recipients of the MBA scholarships last year bringing the total number of scholarship places to five.
Having satisfied this year’s entry requirements and the selection process, Durcan (Quantity Surveyor/Project Manager), Quinn (Software Engineer) and Martin (Architect/Project manager) will participate in the MBA two-year part-time programme, widely recognised as the degree of choice for rising executives with ambitions to become leaders in their respective employment. The scholarship with DCU Business School forms part of the GPA’s Education portfolio under its Player Development Programme established in 2010.
The DCU MBA programme is aimed at established and mid-career business professionals and technical and engineering specialists who want to make the transition to senior management positions. Participants are typically drawn from a variety of industry sectors, including financial services, manufacturing and technology, as well as the public and not-for-profit sectors.
Speaking about the announcement, GPA CEO Dessie Farrell said: “I’d like to congratulate Paul, Michael and Patrick on receiving their scholarships for the Executive MBA in DCU. The MBA course is a life-changing opportunity for these players and I wish them the very best over the next two years. It is wonderful to be able to provide an additional scholarship this year following the commencement of the programme last year. The MBA scholarships are an integral part of the GPA’s commitment to supporting the education of our players. I’d like to thank Dublin City University sincerely for supporting this scholarship programme once again. The GPA is committed to developing long-term educational partners and we are delighted that DCU Business School has led the way for us.”
The Dean of DCU Business School, Anne Sinnott commented: “We are really pleased to be involved in this initiative and to offer scholarships on our Executive MBA Programme to current and former GAA players. Our partnership with the Gaelic Players Association is important to us and we hope that we can continue this relationship for many years to come. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate this year’s Scholarship recipients, Paul, Michael and Patrick and to wish last year’s recipients, Colin and Justin every success as they move towards the last semester in their MBA programme.”