Four current and former inter-county players were today announced as the recipients of joint Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and Dublin City University (DCU) Business School scholarships as the scheme celebrates its tenth anniversary. 

Former Dublin footballers Mark Vaughan and Shane Carthy, former Roscommon footballer Paul Gleeson and current Dublin hurler Rian McBride attended the official announcement along with family and friends and representatives of both DCU and the GPA.

Mark and Paul are the latest inter-county players to be awarded scholarships for the prestigious DCU Business School MBA, while Shane and Rian receive DCU Business School/GPA Full-time Masters scholarships.  Two of each of these scholarships are offered each year with recipients selected by DCU Business School.

They follow in the footsteps of an array of hurlers and footballers from rights across the country who have been the beneficiaries of these scholarships over the course of the past decade.

Previous recipients of DCU Business School/GPA MBA scholarship over the course of the ten-year relationship include Armagh’s Justin McNulty, Donegal’s Paul Durcan, Fermanagh’s Chris Breen, Leitrim’s Rob Lowe, Westmeath’s David O’Shaughnessy, Mayo’s Barry Moran and Dublin’s Jason Sherlock.

Kilkenny’s Richie Hogan, Roscommon’s Enda Smith, Cavan’s Dara McVeety and Waterford’s Donal Breathnach are among those who have received DCU Business School/GPA Full-time Masters scholarships.

The four inter-county players being awarded scholarships will bring to 40 the total of GPA members who have benefited from the scholarship programme over the last decade.

DCU has a global reputation as Ireland’s University of Enterprise, known for its strong links between academic, research and industry partners. DCU Business School proactively contributes to the development of individuals, industry and society and is recognised nationally and internationally for the first-class quality of its business education programmes.

Its teaching, learning and research activities are strongly influenced by the core guiding principles of relevance and excellence. Its programme portfolio is continually updated and expanded, and recent years have seen the introduction of a number of highly innovative programmes at Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate levels.

The Executive Dean of DCU Business School Professor Anne Sinnott commented: “We’re delighted to celebrate ten years of partnership with the GPA through these scholarships. The GPA scholarship awardees have made an excellent contribution to academic life here at DCU Business School and we are proud to help their career development through our Masters programmes. The GPA scholars balance sporting, academic and work commitments and are ambassadors for both the GPA and DCU Business School. Congratulations to our four new GPA scholars who join a long legacy of high achievers who’ve benefitted from this scholarship programme.”

Speaking on behalf of the GPA, CEO Paul Flynn added; “First of all congratulations to the four scholarship recipients who have been announced today.  We are delighted to be able to work with DCU Business School to support these four individuals to thrive on and off the pitch.

“Our role in the GPA is three-fold; to represent players’ interests, protect their welfare and to support their development.  These scholarships have played a huge part in the developent of players and former players down through the years and I hope that they will continue to do so into the future.

“As we mark the tenth year of the these scholarships it would be remiss of me not to offer a very warm genuine word of thanks to our partners at  DCU Business School on behalf of all the players who have received scholarships down through the years.”