A presentation each year is made to the Leaving Certificate student with the highest points achieved in the Leaving Certificate, drawn from the Athlone, Moate, Ferbane, Ballymahon, Roscommon, Ballinasloe and Tullamore school areas, who is during the currency of the particular year a first year law student.
This will be the 20th presentation of the scholarship, and whilst there are now a number of scholarships presented by corporate bodies within the Athlone area, Tormeys Solicitors was the first.
Previous presenters of the prize were Oliver A. Macklin, President of the District Court, Mr. Harry Whelehan, S.C., Mr. Justice J.J.P. MacKenzie, Mr. Justice T.C. Smyth, Mr. Justice Diarmuid O’Donovan, Deputy Albert Reynolds, T.D., Mr. Justice Richard Johnston, Mr. Justice Joseph Finnegan, Judge Desmond Hogan, retired Judge Michael Connellan and Denis Naughten, T.D
The Scholarship is valued at €1,200.00 for first place, €600.00 for second place and €300.00 for third place and will be payable for one year to students attending a faculty of law in any University in the republic of Ireland. In addition we will donate the sum of €500.00 to the winning school. The winning school will have the highest cumulative points for law students within that year. Both the winner and the winning School each receive a silver perpetual trophy and each participant will receive a small memento of the occasion.
We also present a silver perpetual trophy to a school within the midlands which we introduced in 2000 to commemorate the Millennium. The winning school will have the highest cumulative points for law students within that year. The trophy went to Athlone Community College this year.
The first place winner this year is Niall Guinan, 57 Bloomfield Drive, Athlone a past pupil of Athlone Community College . He is now studying Law and Political Science at Trinity College.
Joint Second Place winners are Kara Kelly, Laurencetown, Ballinasloe , a past pupil of Ard Scoil Mhuire, Balliansloe and who is now studying law at UCD and Patrick Munnelly, 5 Abbey Grove, Athlone a past pupil of the Marist College, Athlone who is studying law at NUI
The past winners are as follows:
- Shay Lydon, Barrymore, Kiltoom, Athlone. - 1993
- Catherine Allen, Oakdale, Moydrum, Athlone. - 1994
- Aoife Gibson, Hillquarter, Coosan, Athlone - 1995
- Cliona Kenny, Deerpark Lodge, Ferbane, Co. Offaly. -1996
- Emily Comber, Mayfield Grove, Athlone. – 1997
- Tadgh O’Shea, 9, Priory Park, Athlone. – 1998
- Tanya Sheridan, The Beeches, Coosan, Athlone - 1999.
- Barry Curran, Loughbown, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. – 2000
- Niamh Conway, Creagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway – 2001
- Elaine Fox, Kilmacoo, Athlone & Kieran Burke, Clonbrock Court, Retreat Park, Athlone – 2002 (JOINT WINNERS)
- Eleanor Kearon, Barrymore, Kiltoom Athlone – 2003
- Grainne Ahern, Boyle, Co. Roscommon – 2004
- Jevan Neilan, Abbey St., Roscommon – 2005
- Niamh Kelly, Culliagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Roscommon 2006
- Karen Elliott, Ballinakill, Glasson & Ciara Egan, Heather View, Culleenoolagh, Dysart, Co. Roscommon– 2007 (JOINT WINNERS)
- Maeve Grealy, Loughbown,– 2008
- Redmond Arigho, Moyally, Moate – 2009
- Tony Deane, Ballinasloe - 2010
- Niall Guinan, Bloomfield Drive, Athlone - 2011
