2023 Bursary Winners
2023 Martin Sheridan Bursary Winners: Oisin Joyce, Clodagh Gill and Thomas Devaney with the Chairperson of
Mayo County Council; Seamus Weir
The Martin Sheridan Bursary Committee; Joe O’Neill, Anne Mulroy and Eddie Jordan pictured with the 2023
Bursary winners and their families. Also present was the Chairperson of Mayo County Council; Seamus Weir
along with Council Officials; Deirdre Finnerty, Joanne Grehan and Charlie Lambert from Mayo Sports Partnership.
Councillors Blackie Gavin and Michael Kilcoyne also attended the presentations
2022 Bursary Award Winners
Pictured at the presentation of the Martin Sheridan bursaries in Bohola last week, were, from left: Brian Joyce, nephew of the late Canon Michael Joyce; Ann Moore, Mayo Co Council; Joe O’Neill, organising committee; recipient Rebecca McGrath; outgoing Cathaoirleach of Mayo Co Council, Cllr Michael Smyth; recipients Eoghan Jennings and Niall McLoughlin; Fr Padraig Costello, representing the adjudicating panel; Ann Mulroy, organising committee and Fr Stephen O’Mahony, parish priest, Bohola. Picture: Michael Donnelly
By Mark Higgins, Western People
The winners of the 2022 Martin Sheridan Bursary scheme were presented with their awards at a ceremony in Bohola.
The overall winner for 2022 was Niall McLoughlin, the hugely-promising young cyclist from Newport. Niall was awarded the main prize of €3,000 to help toward his training and equipment costs.
The runners-up were Eoghan Jennings, a tennis player from Westport, and Rebecca McGrath, a equestrian rider from Ballinrobe. They both received bursaries of €1,000.
Speaking at the ceremony on Tuesday, June 28, Joe O’Neill, the chair of the Sheridan Bursary committee, remarked on the exceptionally high standards of this year’s submissions and noted that it was appropriate that the winners of this year’s awards were three athletes from so-called minority or non-mainstream sports, given that Martin Sheridan, the Bohola native and Olympic champion in whose honour the awards are named, was himself a practitioner of the discus and shot putt, very much non-mainstream sports in the Mayo of his youth.
Niall McLoughlin, the overall winner in this year’s awards, is a cyclist of enormous potential. He first began competing at the age of ten and quickly established himself at national and international level, riding in the prestigious Paris Roubaix and the International Belgian Youth Tour as a junior.
He graduated to competing in the National Road Championships in 2020, the European Track Championships in 2021 and, earlier this year, was part of the Irish junior team participating in the Rás Mumhan International Cycle, as well as the National Road Race Series.
A member of the Covey Wheelers Cycling Club in Westport, McLoughlin is an athlete of enormous potential, and the bursary award will help him with his coaching and travel expenses, as well as helping him to obtain a new road bike.
Eoghan Jennings of Westport Tennis Club is currently ranked number 1 among Irish under-14 tennis players, and number 3 amongst Irish under-16s. He is a member of the Connacht Tennis Squad and has won a string of national Grade 1 titles since first taking up the racket back in 2017 at the age of nine.
He represented Ireland in 2021 at the Four Nations tournament and again in an international tournament against Poland. Already in 2022 he has won the Irish under-14 National Spring Championships and the under-16 South of Ireland Championships and was runner-up at the under-16 National Junior Open in Templeogue in April despite competing two years above his age.
Rebecca Moran has been riding and competing for the Ballyjennings Stables in Ballinrobe since the age of five. She competed at the National Dressage Championships aged eight and impressed the judges with her calmness and poise.
Rebecca is a member of the Dressage Ireland Youths High Performance Development Squad and is preparing to represent Ireland at the BYRDS International Competition for young riders in the UK this August.
She has already claimed National Championships at her age grade, as well as multiple regional dressage titles for Midlands and Western Dressage. In recent times she has also won titles in show-jumping.
During last week’s ceremony, the late Canon Michael Joyce, who was a member of the adjudicating committee up to his death in March 2021. Foxford native Canon Joyce was a distinguished sportsman in his youth, winning a Hogan Cup medal with St Nathy’s in 1957 before becoming a renowned basketball coach while a teacher at St Nathy’s College in Ballaghaderreen.
Canon Michael, a former parish priest of Bohola, had a great commitment to the Sheridan Bursary initiative so it was only fitting that his nephew Brian Joyce, from Foxford was in attendance for the presentation ceremony.
https://westernpeople.ie/2022/07/10/talented-mayo-trio-receive-sports-bursaries/
Pictured at the 2021 awards
Martin Carney, Eileen Goldrick, Eddie Jordan, Fr. Stephen O Mahony P.P., Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council; Cllr. Richard Finn, Joe O’Neill, Cian O’Connell, Stephen Hannon, Anne Mulroy, Rory O’Connell, Moya O’Connell, Sean O’Connell and Neil Sheridan, Mayo County Council Corporate Development Officer.
2021 Martin Sheridan Bursary Awards
The Mayo County Council/Western People Martin Sheridan Bursary Awards presentation took place on the 16th June, 2021 in Bohola in the grounds of the Sheridan Memorial Community Centre. This year’s winners were Roisín Hannon, a Slalom Canoeist from Belcarra, Castlebar and Cian O’Connell, a Hurdler and Gaelic footballer from Ballinrobe. The Martin Sheridan Bursary Awards, are given to outstanding young athletes in Mayo every year to help with their training and athletic progression. Mayo County Council provides the funding, and the standard of recipients since the awards were inaugurated has been exceptional. The Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Richard Finn, presented the bursaries and he was accompanied by the Council’s Corporate Development officer Neil Sheridan, GAA legend Martin Carney (adjudicator) and the Martin Sheridan Bursary Committee. Unable to attend the presentations were adjudicators James Laffy, Editor of Western People and Fr. Padraig Costello, P.P. Foxford. Condolences were expressed for Canon Michael Joyce who passed away earlier in the year and was a long serving member of the adjudicator panel for the Bursary Awards.
Roisín Hannon, aged 17 years old, is a student of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Castlebar. She has been canoeing competitively since the age of nine years old and is now a member of the Irish national training team. The Belcarra teen began to compete at national youth level around 2016 and made her international debut in the 2018 Youth Olympic Qualifiers in Barcelona. The following year she represented Ireland at the ECA Junior Slalom Cup series and also competed at a series of international events around France. Roisín is among Ireland’s brightest canoeing prospects and has targeted qualifying for the Paris Olympics in 2024 as her main objective. Roisín was unable to attend the presentation in Bohola as she was training at a camp in France with her coach and her Irish teammates ahead of the World Junior and U23 championships which were held in Slovenia in July. Roisín however was represented at the presentation ceremony by her father, Stephen.
19-year-old Cian O’Connell, meanwhile, is a hugely promising young Gaelic footballer and hurdler. He is a business student at Dublin City University (DCU), where he was awarded a sports scholarship, and a former pupil of Ballinrobe Community School. He is a member of both Ballinrobe GAA and St Colman’s Athletic Club. He has been representing his club, school and county in athletics at national level for the better part of ten years and is a multiple All-Ireland medallist. He has also had the honour of representing Ireland at international level, at the Celtic Games in 2017 and the Youth Nations Cup in 2019. He aims to continue his development in the hurdles, and to eventually become the national senior champion in the event.
In GAA, he won a Connacht minor medal with Mayo in 2019 and is a part of this year’s under- 20 panel. He also represented Mayo as an underage soccer player, playing at the Kennedy Cup in 2016. Cian attended the presentation with his father Sean, sister Moya and brother Rory.
How the Martin Sheridan Bursary Grant has helped me take another leap in my athletic career.
By Róisín Hannon
Last year I got away to train for 2 months and it was brilliant. I made some huge strides and improved massively. It has been incredible to be able to do this again and to race on top of that! It’s something that I have always dreamt of. Without sounding too clichéd the grant has allowed me to pursue my dream. It has made the picture just that bit clearer. It seems as though my aspirations are within reach now.
It is the beginning for me of this journey. The bursary has been an amazing support that has made it possible for me to have these essential learning experiences. It allowed me to have the opportunity to train abroad for 3 months and race at the Worlds and the Europeans. Being able to train in Europe and gain time on these whitewater courses is crucial for an Irish paddler like me. There isn’t a course here in Ireland which is suitable to train on all year round once you achieve a certain standard. It is really difficult to compete with the top tier of international athletes without getting away.
During my time out in Europe I felt very far from my home training course in County Mayo. I train there every day nearly all year round. I felt proud to be from Mayo and of where I had come from. Everyone has a different journey, obstacles they have overcome, fears they have faced to make it to that startline. As an Irish paddler you are disadvantaged from the outset. No one would ever tell you that this makes it impossible to succeed. It has been done before and I have no doubt it will be done again. It is amazing support like this that makes it possible. It makes it achievable for wildcards like me.-who have the passion, the drive and a bucketload of determination but are just slightly lacking on the side of facilities
I wouldn't have been able to stay out in Europe until the European Championships had it not been for this grant which is absolutely massive. I wouldn't have been able to get coached every day. It's difficult to explain how much of a difference this has made for me. I have learned so much over these 3 months and grown as an athlete.
It is still the early days and I have a lot of learning and time out on the water ahead of me. I do not know yet what my potential will become but I am excited to find out. I am enjoying each new step I take and each new challenge that I overcome .As with any sport, it takes years of dedication and hard work to create a world class slalom paddler.
I will always look back and see this grant as a huge stepping stone, a bridge that has been invaluable. Thank you for trusting in me and believing in me - it has been a huge benefit to me.
2020 Bursary Recipients
Niamh O’Neill
Niamh comes from Woodpark, Ballyhaunis. She is a past pupil of Ballyhaunis community School and is a member of St Coleman’s South mayo Athletic club. Niamh is an all-round sportswoman,
taking an active part in boxing and GAA but her first love is athletics, which she has performed competively in since she was 9-years-old. Niamh has won 44 All-Ireland medals in
both indoor and outdoor championships while representing her club and school. She is a member of the Connacht High Performance Athletic Squad and has participated in the National Track and Field Indoor and outdoor championships, the Irish Athletic National Finals, the Inter
Provisional Tailteann Games and the Secondary Schools International combines in 2016, 2017
and 2018. Niamh set a national record in the 2015 All-Ireland Schools’ minor Girls’ long Jump, with a jump of 5.29 which won her an Inter Provisional medal.
Niamh has been described in the athletic field as an athlete with a very special talent, good posture, speed and most importantly, a good attitude. She hopes to pursue a career in PE and maths .
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Eóghan Lavin
Eóghan comes from Castlebawn, Midfield is a 5th year student in Scoil Muire agus Padraig, Swinford and a member of Ballyhaunis Boxing club. Eóghan began boxing when he was 8-years-old. To date, he has represented the sport at county, national, European and international levels. He is an IABA European silver medallist. He competed with the Irish team v USA in New York in 2019, winning gold. He has numerous club tournament wins, six county champion titles, six provincial Connacht titles and seven national champion titles. He received the Connaught Telegraph Young Sports Star Award for boxing in 2016 and 2017 and he was the recipient of the Western People Young Sports Star Award in 2019. Eóghan is a wonderful ambassador for his club, county and country, his love and dedication to the sport of boxing is evident in the standard he has achieved at such a young age.
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Hazel Finn
Hazel comes from Cordarragh, Kiltimagh and is a student of St Louis community School, Kiltimagh. She is a member of the Maree Basketball club in Galway and is currently playing in the Super league with the club. Hazel is part of the U18 Irish International basketball team and has represented sport at both national and international levels. She is a member of the Mayo minor football team; member of the Irish U18 basketball team; winner of an All-Ireland medal in handball; and played the AIcc club championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Hazel was due to attend the international stage of the European championships in Austria in July 2020 but the event was postponed to 2021. Hazel has played in tournaments in Iceland, Belarus,
Luxembourg and Scotland. She played in Montenegro and Bulgaria in the European championships in 2018 and 2019.
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Hugh Armstrong
Hugh comes from Liosdubhóg, Knockmore, Ballina and is a trainee accountant
in the GPO, Dublin. He has been a member of Ballina Athletics club since he was 10-
years-of-age. Hugh earned a full athletic scholarship to Providence college, USA and he competed as a member of the Providence college track/cross-country team from 2013 to 2017, and then as a member of the Ocean State Athletic club from 2017 to 2019, competing in 5km, 10km and cross-country races.
When he returned to Ireland, he focused on marathon running. In 2019, he ran the fastest
marathon ever ran by a Mayo or Connacht athlete in Dublin. In February 2020 he improved on
this time in the Seville marathon and was within a minute of the Olympic qualifying standard. is
record could guarantee Hugh selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which will now
be held in 2021.
Róisín Murphy
Róisín is from Drumcorrabawn, Breaffy, Castlebar and is a fifth year student in St Joseph’s Secondary School, Castlebar. Róisín has been a member of the Castlebar Tennis club since
she was 5-years-old. She has represented her sport at both national and international levels and
has played eight international ITFs along with junior and senior national indoors, national match
plays and Junior lawn Tennis championships. She plays, on average, 16 Irish tournaments per
year. Roisin is currently ranked No. 5 nationally in the U18 section. She is ranked as No. 1 in
Connacht as she has won 20 junior tournaments, four senior tournaments and has made it to the finals of the national match plays and national indoors. Róisín is part of the Connacht squad and she trains in Dublin from Friday to Sunday, and at the Connacht Regional Tennis centre from
Monday to Thursday. She is being coached by national performance director, Garret Barry. Róisín’s dream is to get a scholarship to the US and she is aiming to be No. 1 nationally, in what is a very competitive individual sport.
Canon Michael Joyce, Sarah Quinn, Award winner, Cllr. Blackie Gavin, Caitheoirleach of Mayo County Council, Iarlaith Golding, Award winner, Patrick Murphy, Award winner and Joe O’Neill , Chairperson of the Martin Sheridan Bursary Committee
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2019 Martin Sheridan Bursary Awards which were presented by the Caitheoirleach of Mayo County Council; Cllr Blackie Gavin in the Community Centre, Bohola on Friday 26th April, 2019. This years winners were: Iarlaith Golding from Lagaturrin, Balla for his achievements in Athletics, Sarah Quinn from Ballinrobe for her achievements in Athletics and Patrick Murphy from Claremorris for his achievements in Handball. The Bursary is administrated by the Martin Sheridan Bursary Committee and is supported by Mayo County Council and the Western People.
Martin Sheridan Day Bohola 2nd April 2018
On Easter Monday, 2nd April last, the community of Bohola came together to mark the centenary of the death one of its native sons and Ireland's greatest ever Olympian, Martin Sheridan. The day began with an 8k family fun run/walk organised by Swinford Athletics Club that passed close to the Sheridan Homestead. This was followed by an 8k relay race over a challenging course with entries in under 17, adult and master’s categories. The relay race was nod back to 1966 when athletics clubs ran a relay from Castlebar to Bohola to mark the unveiling of the statue of Martin in Bohola Village. A number of athletic exhibitions were also performed in the grounds of and adjacent to the Martin Sheridan Memorial Community Centre including high jump and discus, the event that Martin excelled at and revolutionised with his technique. The throwing of a discus that belonged to Martin by Castlebar Irish Masters Athlete, Brendan Staunton, was fitting commemoration of his prowess in that event. Inside the centre, Bohola’s James Lynskey enthralled onlookers with his Karate skills that have landed him national and international awards. Michael Roche, very kindly allowed a visit to the Sheridan homestead beside the village by a number of those present on the day.
At 3pm, people gathered at the Martin Sheridan Monument for a wreath laying ceremony. Bohola NS school band were on hand to provide music to accompany the ceremony. It began with Bohola NS principal, Teresa Mulligan reading the 1908 address of welcome to Martin from the people of Bohola, when he returned triumphant from the 1908 Olympics in London. Brendan Staunton read Martin’s reply. Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Richard Finn then laid a wreath at the monument.
The final part of the day’s ceremonies was the presentation of the Martin Sheridan bursary awards. The bursaries supported by Mayo County Council are for sports people who have excellent potential, outstanding ability and the desire to perform at the highest level possible in their chosen sport and have the potential to bring recognition and success at National and International level to Mayo. The awards are designed to assist in the cost of education, training, travel and equipment. Following a rigorous assessment by an independent panel of adjudicators, the following were the recipients of the 2017/18 awards. Maeve Gallagher, Triathlon, Shauna Mullaney, Karate, Conor Cusack Javelin and Tojo Lazzari, Triathlon. They are wished every success in their future endeavours.
Teresa Mulligan and Brendan Staunton with the Sheridan Welcome Scroll
Canon Michael Joyce, Maeve Gallagher, Cllr Richard Finn, Joe O'Neill
Canon Michael Joyce, Michael Cusack on behalf of Conor Cusack, Shauna Mullaney, Cllr Richard Finn, Joe O'Neill
Canon Michael Joyce, Tojo Lazzari, , Cllr Richard Finn, Joe O'Neill
Martin Sheridan Bursary Awards 2015
The 2015 Martin Sheridan Bursary Awards were presented by Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr. Michael Holmes to the recipients on Friday 9th April last at the Martin Sheridan Memorial Community Centre. Now in their Third year, the awards are for sports people who have excellent potential, outstanding ability and the desire to perform at the highest level possible in their chosen sport and have the potential to bring recognition and success at National and International level to Mayo. The awards are designed to assist in the cost of education, training, travel and equipment.
Following a rigorous assessment by an independent panel, the bursary awards went to Conor Gallagher, Meelick, Swinford and Jason Prendergast Louisburgh who compete in cycling. Shauna Heffernan, Claremorris who competes in Tennis. Danya Flynn and Maggie Byrne, Kiltimagh who compete in Basketball and Aoife Mulroy Staride who competes in Athletics
It is hoped that all will continue to excel in their chosen sports and continue to represent their clubs, county and country at the highest levels with the added support of the bursary awards. The Committee and Mayo County Council wish all the recipients every success in the coming year
l-r Canon Michael Joyce, Tojo Lazzari, Cllr Richard Finn, Joe O'Neill
Photo By Annette Clarke of award winners, bursary committee and attendees
Back row l-r Fr. Stephen O’Mahony, PP. Bohola, Neil Sheridan Mayo Co Council, Eileen Goldrick, Charlie Lambert, Mayo Sports Partnership, Anne Mulroy, Canon Michael Joyce, Eddie Jordan, Martin Carney, Joe O'Neill and Damien Woods.
Maggie Byrne, Dayna Finn, Jason Prendergast, Cllr. Michael Holmes, Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council,Cllr Blackie Gavin Cathaoirleach Castlebar Municipal District , Eva Finn, (accepting award for Shauna Heffernan) Aoife Mulroy and Maeve Gallagher (accepting award for Conor Gallagher)
2014 Bursary Beneficiaries
The 2014 bursaries were presented by Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr. Damien Ryan to the recipients on Friday 12 th December at the Martin Sheridan Memorial Community Centre. Now in their second year, the awards are for sports people who have excellent potential, outstanding ability and the desire to perform at the highest level possible in their chosen sport and have the potential to bring recognition and success at National and International level to Mayo. The awards are designed to assist in the cost of education, training, travel and equipment. Following a rigorous assessment by an independent panel, the bursary awards went to, Linda Walsh, Midfield, who competes in karate, Ciara Ginty, Geesala who competes in boxing, Micahela Walsh from Swinford who competes in athletics, Jerry Towey, Kilkelly who competes in cycling , Con Doherty, Westport who competes in triathlon and Ciara Sheedy, Meelick, who competes in boxing. It is hoped that all will continue to excel in their chosen sports and continue to represent their clubs, county and country at the highest levels with the added support of the bursary awards. The Committee and Mayo County Council wish all the recipients every success in the coming year
Photo by Annette Clarke:
2014 Bursary award winners and representatives with committee and guests
back row l-r : Fr Stephen O'Mahony, Eileen Goldrick, Charlie Lambert Mayo sports partnership, Joe O'Neill, Cathaoirleach of Mayo Co Council, Cllr Damien Ryan, Cllr Blackie Gavin, Ann Mulroy, Eddie Jordan, Canon Michael Joyce
Front Row l-r Jerry Towey, Linda Walsh, Ciara Ginty, Michaela Walsh, Aaron Doherty representing Con Doherty - absent from photo Ciara Sheedy
The Bursary Beneficiaries 2013
A total of 5 awards are were made by the Bursary Committee. A panel of independent adjudicators selected the following beneficiaries from the many excellent entries.
David Walsh, Bonniconlon is a promising badminton player who has won 4 Irish and 2 Uk titles in his sport since 2009. He has represented Ireland at European level at u19. He is currently an Irish Senior International Badminton Player.
Aaron McLoughlin, Swinford is a multiple All Ireland Karate Champion, he is a European Bronze Medallist and he was ranked No. 7 in this years World Championships.
Aoife Beston, Claremorris is Special Olympian who has competed in race walking and shot putt and now competes in 5 and 10k runs. Aoife has a number of titles in the various disciplines and is currently climbing the highest mountains in each of the 32 counties. She is currently the Special Olympics National Games gold medal winner of the 1500m run.
Cian Mc Manamon, Westport is a race walker who has over the past 9 years won multiple indoor and outdoor titles and has competed for Ireland at international events. He is currently an Irish International Athlete and he is the Irish U23 Champion.
Lycia Heneghan, Castlebar is a boxer with 5 national titles to date who has also represented Ireland at the recent European Junior championships in Bulgaria. Her latest win is the 48kg U22 All Ireland Title.
Sheridan Bursary Award 2013 beneficiaries with Mayo County Council Chair, John O’Malley-
l-r Cian Mc Manamon, Aaron McLoughlin, Mayo County Council Cathaoirleach, John O’Malley, Lycia Heneghan, Aoife Beston, David Walsh
