Scholarships for Meath athletes

Published: Fri 13 Feb 2026, 3:17 PM

185 DCU students receiving sport scholarships were recognised at an event in Dublin City University recently.

Ratoath AC trio Aisling Stratford, Darragh Masterson and Lorena Harrison along with Navan RFC players past and present Cara Martin and Alex Connor and St Vincent's Waterpolo player Ciara Williams from Navan are all in receipt of scholarships from the Dublin University.

Aisling Stratford, Ratoath AC, with DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh at the recent Sport Scholarships Ceremony at Dublin City University. Aisling is studying for a BA in Global Business. Photo by Kyran OBrien

Darragh Masterson, Ratoath AC, with DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh at the recent Sport Scholarships Ceremony at Dublin City University. Darragh is studying for a BA Joint Honours (Humanities). Photo by Kyran OBrien

Lorena Harrison, Ratoath AC, with DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh at the recent Sport Scholarships Ceremony at Dublin City University. Lorena is studying for a BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training. Photo by Kyran OBrien

Cara Martin, Blackrock College RFC, with DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh at the recent Sport Scholarships Ceremony at Dublin City University. Cara is studying for a Bachelor of Education, and receives a scholarship for Rugby. Photo by Kyran OBrien

Alex Connor, Navan RFC, with DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh at the recent Sport Scholarships Ceremony at Dublin City University. Alex is studying for a BSc in Sport Science and Health, and receives a scholarship for Rugby. Photo by Kyran OBrien

Ciara Williams, St. Vincents Waterpolo Club, with DCU President Professor Dáire Keogh at the recent Sport Scholarships Ceremony at Dublin City University. Ciara is studying for a BSc n Science & Mathematics Education, and receives a scholarship for Waterpolo. Photo by Kyran OBrien

DCU’s Sport Scholarship programme is athlete-led, where a network of support services and expertise are tailored to the individual needs of the athlete. The programme grades support depending on the athlete's achievement, potential and needs, with the objective of remaining flexible to support the diverse needs of the athlete.

The first DCU Sport Scholarships were awarded in 1996 in the form of GAA scholarships, and have now expanded to include a wide range of sports such as Athletics, Hockey, Rugby and Soccer.

DCU is fully accredited by Sport Ireland Institute for their Student Athlete Support programme. This recognises best practice in the area of dual career athletes and supports combining elite sport and third level education extremely manageable to dual-career athletes.

James Galvin, Director of Sport at DCU said;

"Physical activity is a cornerstone of the student journey at DCU, and we are delighted to reward student athletic performance through our scholarships. DCU Sport champions a whole-person approach for dual-career athletes, reinforcing our dedication to empowering students to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their careers. Our scholarships programme has gone from strength to strength in the past 30 years, and we are excited about its future. I hope the scholarship and the supports of the programme will give you the opportunity to give your all in pursuing your dreams in sport and education.”

Sports scholarships at DCU are made possible with the help of sponsors, including Azets Ireland, Fidelity Investments Ireland, Londis/BWG, Britvic and our philanthropic donors through DCU's Educational Trust.

Applications for DCU’s Sport Scholarships opened on 1 February for entry in 2026. For more information on DCU Sport scholarships, please follow this link.