Clonmel Credit Union Announces Six Winners of €12,000 Student Bursary Awards

We are delighted to announce the six winners of our 2026 Student Bursary Awards Scheme, with each student receiving €2,000 to support them as they begin their third-level studies this autumn.

The winners were presented with their bursaries at a ceremony in our Parnell Street branch on Friday, 4th September.

More than 2,500 students sat the Leaving Certificate in County Tipperary this year, and many have now secured college places, despite more than half (54%) of college courses across Ireland recording an increase in points in 2026. With the average cost of living at home for a student now over €7,000 a year, third-level education represents a significant investment for families across our community.

Meet our 2026 bursary winners:

Mia Goldbach, Presentation Secondary School Clonmel, studying Primary Teaching at Marino College

Mikey McGuire, CBS High School Clonmel, studying Engineering, Technology and Graphic Teaching at University of Limerick

Niamh Cotter, Gaelcholáiste Chéitinn, studying General Nursing at University of Limerick

Tadhg Browne, Coláiste Dún Iascaigh, studying Instrumental Engineering at Munster Technological University

Sarah Moore, Patrician Presentation Secondary School Fethard, studying Art with a special interest in psychology at Mary Immaculate College

Niamh Guiry Smith, Loreto Secondary School, studying Primary Teaching at Mary Immaculate College Limerick

Supporting students through rising costs

Our Student Bursary Awards Scheme was launched in June, and this year we saw a 25% increase in applications compared to last year. Each of our winning applicants demonstrated academic achievement alongside volunteerism and strong community involvement.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, our Chairperson, Eamonn O'Mara, said the standard of applications was exceptionally high once again this year.

Once again, we were blown away by the standard of applications this year. There are so many ambitious, civic-minded young people in our community taking those first steps towards independence. It is a real privilege for us at Clonmel Credit Union to support them at such an important milestone in their lives.

"Starting college can be an exciting time, but it can also bring significant financial pressure for students and their families. That is why it is important to us to be there for young people in our community at these key moments in their lives.

An independent panel of local figures adjudicated this year's applications, including Renny Abraham, physiotherapist and long-standing member of United Cricket Clonmel; Michelle Aylward, Chief Executive Officer of County Tipperary Chamber; and Aoife O'Keeffe, Clonmel native, professional dancer, choreographer and founder of AOK-DANCE. All applications were anonymised throughout the judging process to ensure fairness.

About the Student Bursary Awards Scheme

Now in its third year, the Student Bursary Awards Scheme is one of a number of initiatives we run to support young people in our community, alongside sponsorship of school visits, United Cricket Club, Battle of the Bands, On Your Toes and AOK Dance Club, as well as local sports clubs.

This year we also launched a low-cost Student Loan at 6.5% (APR 6.71%), giving further financial support to young people as they navigate the transition to third-level education.

A huge thank you to every student who applied this year. With so many fantastic entries, our adjudicators faced an incredibly difficult decision, and we are grateful for the time and care they gave to the process. Congratulations to our six winners, we wish you every success in the years ahead.