Two Pres students scoop third level scholarships
Chloe Ryan who completed her leaving cert in Presentation College Carlow this summer was awarded a Helen Flynn scholarship
TWO former Presentation College students have been jointly awarded a prestigious memorial scholarship founded in honour of a late Carlow businesswoman.
Lily O’Connor and Chloe Ryan from the leaving certificate class of 2026 both received the Helen Flynn memorial scholarship, which is awarded to a young Carlow woman pursuing a career in business or leadership.
The two students, both of whom are from Carlow town and are former pupils of Bennekerry National School, will each receive €6,000 over the course of their third-level educational journeys.
Lily is currently studying mathematics and statistics at TU Dublin, while Chloe is studying sport science and health at DCU.
This is the second year in a row that a student from Presentation College has won the award, following Amy Nolan’s success last year.
The scholarship was set up in memory of Helen Flynn who was born in St Mullins and was managing director of HIRECO Ltd. She had worked her way up through what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, earning the respect and admiration of her colleagues.
Helen, who passed away in 2022, was the sister of retired St Leo’s College principal, Clare Ryan.
As a mark of respect following Helen’s death, HIRECO, under the leadership of chief executive Pat Carson, committed €100,000 over ten years to fund an educational scholarship.
Both Lily and Chloe completed an application process before sitting the leaving certificate, during which they were assisted by their teachers and principal Ray Murray, while they also took part in an interview with the selection panel in early September.
Usually, the scholarship is awarded to one student. However, this year the bursary was generously increased to €12,000, to be split between Lily and Chloe, due to the quality of their applications and interviews.
Pat Carson, who chaired the selection panel, said they were “so impressed” that it recommended a joint scholarship in recognition of the “exceptional standard of both candidates.”
