Tullow student awarded Naughton Scholarship worth €24,000
Award-winning scholar Arthur Hearns from Tullow Community School with deputy principal Noel Murphy, sponsor Carmel Naughton, mnister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD and Aoife Ahern from UCD at the 2026 Naughton Foundation Scholarship awards held in Trinity College, Dublin Photo: Kieran Harnett
ARTHUR Hearns, a former student in Tullow Community School, was awarded the prestigious Naughton Scholarship for academic achievement in his leaving certificate exams.
The Naughton Foundation Scholarship is awarded to 36 high-achieving students across the country, at least one from each county. The scholarship is for students who want to study science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) at third-level.
Arthur applied for the award a week after he finished his final exams at Tullow Community School where he achieved an impressive 625 points. Now, he is studying engineering at University College Dublin (UCD).
He said he wasn't expecting to get the scholarship and recalls not answering the phone at first when a member of the Naughton family rang to inform him that he had won.
The scholarship is worth €24,000 over four years of study. Arthur said the award "takes a huge amount of pressure off," especially living on campus.
Arthur, alongside his studies, works on the UCD formula student team. They design and build an electric race car which they will bring to a competition at the iconic Silverstone circuit in England.
He is also an accomplished piano player and cross-country runner for St Laurence O'Toole Athletics Club, Carlow.
Tullow Community School principal Noel Murphy described Arthur as "a gentleman" and a very worthy recipient of the scholarship.
"Arthur is an excellent ambassador for the school and his success is testament to his hard work, determination and commitment to achieving the very best," he said.
Noel attended the awards ceremony at Trinity College Dublin with Arthur's family last Saturday. He received a €1,000 prize on behalf of the school.
The award was presented by health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Carmel Naughton, who established the prize in 2008 with her late husband Martin.
Arthur will join previous winners, including fellow Tullow Community School student Eoghan Cleary, who won the award in 2019, at an annual trip to Kylemore Abbey hosted by the Naughtons.
The family also invites winners to send them letters about their academic progress.
