Scholarship helps Daly on and off the field

Offaly's recently crowned Ladies Footballer of the Decade Mairead Daly from Cloghan has spoken of the influence her sports scholarship at Waterford Institute of Technology has had on her development as an athlete.

Mairead is a fourth year Bachelor of Business Recreation and Sport Management student at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). The recipient of the silver sports scholarship award from WIT, she was recently awarded Offaly’s Ladies Footballer of the Decade by Offaly’s Sports Partnership on Saturday, December 3.

Once Mairead completes her degree at WIT she wishes to pursue a career in teaching or sports development.

“WIT has helped me greatly in relation to balancing my academic work and my sports within the college,' said Mairead. 'In particular, the sports scholarship as it offers nutritional advice, training programmes and academic support such as grinds. The lecturers and classmates in my department are also extremely friendly and helpful, so that makes my course even more enjoyable.'

“It's an honour to be nominated for an award of this calibre, never mind winning it. There are so many great footballers in Offaly who deserved this award so I consider myself lucky to have been chosen. I've been playing football since I could walk, so it's hard to put into words what this means to me.

Honestly, I'm extremely grateful and I couldn't be happier to have been picked as Offaly's Ladies Footballer of the Decade, I'll enjoy it for years to come.

“I use the WIT arena for football training, but I haven't used the gym yet as I've just returned from breaking my collarbone.”

A former student of Coláiste na Sionna Secondary School in Banagher, Mairead plays for her local club St Rynagh’s. Mairead’s is a daughter of Garry and Valerie and has three siblings, Gearoid, Aoife and Ann.

Mairead is no stranger to achievements, having previously been named TG4 players Junior Player of the Year 2013 as well as Offaly’s player of the Year 2013. She was also part of the team who were recognised as Team of the League division 4 in 2013 and division 3 in 2016.

WIT sports scholarship bursaries are offered as well as placing a strong emphasis on academic support to students along with personal and sporting development. Workshops are provided in the area of mental health, cooking, sport psychology and nutrition while medical and physiotherapy support is provided to the students. Other sports scholarship students include, GAA Scholarships 2016 Senior Hurling Player of the Year Austin Gleeson, Camogie Player of the Year Denise Gaule, and Meighan Farrell and Julianne Malone who also received All Star Camogie awards for 2016.