The All Ireland Scholarships was first proposed by JP McManus when he expressed a strong desire to provide funds for the establishment of a third level education scholarship scheme covering the thirty-two counties of Ireland. He stated that the Celtic Tiger will not be around forever and that education will be the key for success in more difficult times. He was also conscious of the cross border dimensions of the proposed scholarship programme and stated that the All Ireland Scholarships scheme should operate on a similar basis North and South.
The All Ireland Scholarships were subsequently established with a donation of €30m by JP for application in the provision of third-level education scholarships, spread on a county by county basis throughout the island of Ireland viz:
| €m | ||
| Ireland - 26 counties | 24 | 100 Scholarships per annum |
| Northern Ireland - 6 counties | 6 | 25 Scholarships per annum |
The All Ireland Scholarships Programme commenced during 2008. The value of each scholarship is set at €6,750 per annum in Ireland and stg£5,500 per annum in Northern Ireland and will continue for the duration of the undergraduate programmes chosen by the scholarship winners.
Participation in the scholarship scheme is confined to those who are exempt from paying the Leaving Certificate Examination fee in Ireland or are in receipt of the Educational Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland, and the scholarships are awarded on the basis of the results of a candidate’s first attempt at the final secondary education examinations in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
More information can be found here - http://www.allirelandscholarships.com