Naughton Scholarship for UCC Physics and Astrophysics Student

23 Oct 2025

On 18 October, 2025, County Cork students, Dylan Ó Muirí, Gráinne Ní Chróinín, and John Buckley were awarded a Naughton Foundation Scholarship worth €25,000 at a ceremony in Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin.

The awards were presented by founding patrons of the Naughton Foundation, Dr. Martin Naughton, and his wife Carmel, who were joined by Minister Jack Chambers, TD to present winning students with their awards and cheques.  

Supporting academic and innovative excellence in Irish students, the Naughton Foundation Scholarship Awards are an investment in the future of Ireland's reputation as a country with outstanding graduates promoting the study of engineering, science, and technology at third level.

Dylan Ó Muirí, a former student of Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin, Carrigaline, Cork, is in his first year studying Physics and Astrophysics at University College Cork, Gráinne Ní Chróinín, a former student of Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin, Carrigaline, Cork, has accepted a place at Munster Technological University studying Biomedical Engineering, and John Buckley, a former student of Hamilton High School, Bandon, Cork, has accepted a place at Trinity College Dublin studying Engineering with Management. 

 Since its establishment in 2008, the Foundation has presented over €8 million in scholarships to over 450 young people in publicly funded institutions across the island of Ireland. The scheme started in three counties and has continued to expand annually to become a nationwide scheme in 2016. There is one guaranteed scholarship (€25,000) for each participating county, with some counties awarded more than one scholarship and each scholarship is worth €6,000 for each year of a student’s three- or four-year undergraduate degree.  

Dylan, Gráinne, and John join 35 other exceptional Irish students who were awarded third level scholarships towards their studies in the areas of engineering, science, technology, and maths. The prize winners’ former secondary schools, Gaelcholáiste Charraig Uí Leighin, Carrigaline, Cork, and Hamilton High School, Bandon, Cork were awarded a prize of €1,000 per student towards their school’s science facilities, for their support of their winning students.  

Speaking about the growth and development of the programme over the past seventeen years, Dr. Martin Naughton commented; “Both Carmel and I are delighted by the growth of this programme and the incredible community of alumni who are doing extraordinary work in education, research and industry at home and abroad. Today we are delighted to welcome a new cohort of wonderful young people to join this group and to support and encourage them. When we meet these young engineers, researchers, and mathematicians, I am very happy knowing that we have invested in Ireland’s wealth creators and leaders of the future. ‘ 

Full details on The Naughton Foundation Scholarships are available at https://www.thenaughtonfoundation.com/ 

2026 application form will be available for completion on the Foundation’s website from Monday 2 March 2026