Delight for Kilkenny student who earns coveted scholarship

A Kilkenny student has been awarded a Naughton Foundation Scholarship worth €24,000 at a ceremony in the Trinity Business School in Dublin.

Leia Hill, a former student of Kilkenny College, has accepted a place studying Mechatronic Engineering at Dublin City University. 

The award was presented by founding patrons of the Naughton Foundation, Dr Martin Naughton, and his wife Carmel, who were joined by Taoiseach Simon Harris 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.

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Since its establishment in 2008, Naughton Scholarships worth over €6 million have been awarded to more than 450 outstanding students. The scheme started in three counties and has continued to expand annual to become a nationwide scheme in 2016.

There is one guaranteed scholarship (€24,000) 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.

Leia joined 37 exceptional Irish students who were awarded third level scholarships towards their studies in the areas of engineering, science, technology, and maths. The prize winner’s former school Kilkenny College was awarded a prize of €1,000 towards their science facilities, for their support of their winning student.

“Sincere congratulations to Leia Hill of the Kells Road (Class of 2024) who won a Naughton Scholarship presented this weekend by Taoiseach Simon Harris,” Kilkenny College said.