Sixteen Westmeath players awarded scholarship funding from the GPA

Some 800 members of the Gaelic Players Association, including 16 from Westmeath, will benefit from scholarship funding of over €800,000 for the current academic year.

Student athletes from all across Ireland gathered in Dublin this week, as the details of the funding were announced.

Recipients were invited to a special presentation to mark the announcement at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Dublin Airport recently. Almost one third of the GPA’s 4,000 strong membership are students.

Westmeath’s Anna Jones (Mullingar Shamrocks/Westmeath ladies), Aoife O’Malley (Killucan Ladies/Raharney Camogie Club/Westmeath camogie) and Méadbh Scally (Clonkill Camogie Club/The Downs LGFA/Westmeath camogie) attended.

The awards, which were made based upon eligibility and merit, are split very close to 50:50 between male and female players. For the first time the scholarships have been equalised, meaning all members will receive the same funding depending on their level of study. These scholarships range from €1,000 to €1,500.

Speaking at the event, GPA CEO Tom Parsons said: “This is a very important day for a large percentage of our members. It is fantastic to be able to support them through these scholarships and we know the positive impact they will have on the lives of our members.

“In lots of cases, student athletes in our games struggle to make ends meet so these awards help in that respect. Others cannot hold down part-time jobs because of their study and sporting commitments and again this will help alleviate some of the burden they can be under.

“We are delighted to be able to equalise the awards for our male and female members. It is yet another move we have made towards levelling the field for all our student members.”

All players who are in receipt of this scholarship funding must have taken part in the GPA’s Rookie Camp which outlines to players their rights and responsibilities as members of inter-county panels.