Eleven Westmeath students receive entrance awards from Trinity
Eleven students from Westmeath were among 593 students who were awarded prestigious Entrance Exhibition Awards for the 2024/5 academic year from Trinity College Dublin.
The awards go to students accepted into the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme who achieved the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary schools, above a minimum of 500 CAO points (or equivalent).
Many former awardees have gone on to make a significant contribution to the economic, cultural, and political life of Ireland and beyond. Past exhibitioners include former taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
The students come from 452 schools and from 30 counties in Ireland and 38 countries overseas.
The awards were delivered at three ceremonies at Trinity’s Old Dining Hall, starting on January 21, 2025, to which the students and their school principals were invited.
The Westmeath students are: Michael Walshe, Coláiste Mhuire; Ríona Cassidy, Loreto College; Alina Siddiqui and Zofia Bielicka, St. Finian’s College; Isabell Mary Hayden, Meán Scoil an Chlochair; Anna Gillespie, Wilson’s Hospital School; Julia Joanna Halajda and Ciaran O’ Donnell, St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge; Eliza Heaslip, Our Lady’s Bower; Ciara Fallon, Athlone Community College; Camilla Boscetti, Moate Community School.
Trinity provost, Dr Linda Doyle, said: “I am delighted that the award winners have chosen Trinity College Dublin for their higher education. My own experience of going to university was transformative and I want nothing less for our students. I encourage them to avail of all that life in Trinity has to offer, from the top-class academic environment to the huge array of clubs and societies, all of which are situated in an outward-looking university with a strong international perspective.
“I also want to acknowledge the role school principals and the wider school community play in nurturing the talent of these students. This year, our Principals Forum, taking place alongside the Entrance Exhibition Awards, is focusing on the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, which I hope they will find useful.” Students who achieve the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary school with at least 500 points in the Leaving Certificate (or its equivalent EU/EEA second-level final examinations) are eligible for an Entrance Exhibition Award. That includes bonus points for mathematics. When more than one student from a school get the same high points, all receive an award.
The Entrance Exhibition Awards were awarded to 372 students from Leinster (236 from Dublin), 84 from Munster, 51 from Connacht and 40 from Ulster.
Awards also went to 46 overseas students from the following countries: Austria (1), Belgium (1), Bosnia-Herzegovina (1), Bulgaria (1), Costa Rica (1), Croatia (1), Cyprus (1), Czech Republic (6), Denmark (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (3), Greece (1), Hungary (1), Iceland (1), Italy (1), Latvia (1), Lithuania (1), Luxembourg (1), Malta (1), Moldova (1), Netherlands (1), Norway (1), Oman (1) Poland (1), Portugal (1), Romania (1), Singapore (1), Slovakia (1), Slovenia (1), Spain (1), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1), UAE (1), Taiwan (1), Ukraine (1), USA (1), UK (exc. NI)(2).
Awardees receive certificates and €150 book tokens.