Working to bring GMIT up to sporting level of other ITs

As third-level educational institutes go, GMIT may not enjoy the same high sporting profile as some of its counterparts around the country. However, the Galway college’s Sports Development Officer Molly Dunne and her colleagues are working diligently to change all that.

Two of the most recent positive developments for GMIT have been the introduction of a sports scholarship programme; and the announcement that the college is to host the concluding stages of this year’s Fitzgibbon Cup hurling competition. Understandably, Dunne is excited about both.

“The introduction of our Scholarship scheme this year was a big thing,” says the Eyrecourt and Galway camogie player. “We have a guaranteed investment over four years of €40,000 into our sports scholarship scheme and that started this September.

“We gave nine scholarships to First Years – because they are the ones coming onto the new scheme – and we awarded 12 bursaries to other sportspeople in the college. There were a number of other bursaries handed out as well [between the Castlebar and Letterfrack campuses],” outlines Dunne, a Business Studies & Sports Recreation degree graduate from Athlone IT.

Among the scholarship recipients are Irish boxer David Timlin (Mayo), Galway footballer Shane Walsh (Kilkerrin/Clonberne), Leitrim ladies footballer Roisin Fowley, former Galway minor Sean Collins (Ballinderreen), Salthill Devon and Zimbabwe soccer international Oscar Sibanda, Galwegians rugby player Paul Hackett (Oranmore) and the multi-talented Padraig Flanagan from Kilnadeema.

“Padraig has represented Ireland in volleyball at international level and he is also a Galway minor hurler as well last year. Not only that, he is also an international equestrian rider. So, hopefully he will make the international colleges’ team in that as well for us this year,” says 25-year-old Dunne.

There are also a number of noted bursary recipients, including Galway hurlers Tadgh Haran (Liam Mellows) and Ger O’Halloran (Craughwell), Galway and Killimor camogie player Ann Marie Starr, Mervue United duo Ronan Forde and Thomas King and Irish kickboxing champion Eric Daly.

“We would have had a panel of the three development officers – Damian Curley (GAA), Sinead McCormack (soccer) and Emer O’Dowd (rugby) – and I, along with representatives from the Students’ Union and the College itself. When the applications came in, we would have shortlisted them for interview.

“Obviously, there were then contracts to be signed to commit to us for the year. Provided they commit to a sport, the scheme is run over four years for them. So, if we are happy enough with the way they represent the college, and continue to develop, they will have a four-year scholarship with us.”

No doubt, the benefits of such a scheme – which is 50% funded by GMIT itself and the other 50% by the Students’ Union – are immense for both recipient and the college and affirmation of this can be seen in the other third level institutions that run similar programmes, including GMIT’s near-neighbours NUI Galway.

“I suppose, we wouldn’t be classed as a sports college here in GMIT and that is something we want to change through our scholarship scheme, among other things,” continues Dunne. “We are a college that would be that bit further behind when it comes to our sports facilities and one of my main aims would be to bring us up to the level of other ITs.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.