Former Mercy Secondary student awarded €25,000 Naughton Scholarship
Westmeath student Ben Maguire has been awarded a Naughton Foundation Scholarship worth €25,000 at a ceremony in Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin.
The award was presented by founding patrons of the Naughton Foundation, Dr Martin Naughton, and his wife Carmel, who were joined by Minister Jack Chambers, TD, to present winning students with their awards and cheques.
Supporting academic and innovative excellence in Irish students, the Naughton Foundation Scholarship Awards are an investment in the future of Ireland’s reputation as a country with outstanding graduates promoting the study of engineering, science, and technology at third level.
The Westmeath winner, Ben Maguire, a former student of Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan, has accepted a place at University College Dublin studying Engineering.
Since its establishment in 2008, the Foundation has presented some €8 million in scholarships to more than 450 young people in publicly funded institutions across Ireland.
The scheme started in three counties and became a nationwide scheme in 2016. There is one guaranteed scholarship (€25,000) for each participating county, though some counties are awarded more than one scholarship, and each scholarship is worth €6,000 for each year of a student’s three- or four-year undergraduate degree.
Ben joins 37 other Irish students who were awarded third level scholarships towards their studies in the areas of engineering, science, technology, and maths.
Mercy Secondary School received €1,000 towards their science facilities, for their support of their winning student.
Dr Naughton said: “Both Carmel and I are delighted by the growth of this programme and the incredible community of alumni who are doing extraordinary work in education, research and industry at home and abroad.
“Today we are delighted to welcome a new cohort of wonderful young people to join this group and to support and encourage them. When we meet these young engineers, researchers, and mathematicians, I am happy knowing that we have invested in Ireland’s wealth creators and leaders of the future. ‘
2026 application form will be available for completion on the Foundation’s website from Monday March 2, 2026.