Six Leitrim students receive entrance awards from Trinity College Dublin

Six students from Leitrim were among 593 students who were awarded prestigious Entrance Exhibition Awards for the 2024/25 academic year from Trinity College Dublin.   

The awards go to students accepted into the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme who achieved the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary school, above a minimum of 500 CAO points (or equivalent).   

Many former awardees have gone on to make a significant contribution to the economic, cultural, and political life of Ireland and beyond. Past Exhibitioners include former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.   

The students come from 452 different schools and from 30 counties on the island of Ireland as well as 38 countries overseas.   

The awards were delivered at three ceremonies at Trinity's Old Dining Hall, starting on 21 January 2025, to which the students and their school principals were invited. 

The Leitrim students' names are as follows: Sorcha Lowe, Lough Allen College; Oleksii Liapkalo, Drumshanbo Vocational School; Aoife Eileen Bentout, Mohill Community College; Hannah Smith, St. Clare's Comprehensive School; Sean Edwards, Carrick-on-Shannon Community School; and Olivia Perpoil, Ballinamore Community School. 

“I am delighted that the award winners have chosen Trinity College Dublin for their higher education. My own experience of going to university was absolutely transformative and I want nothing less for our students,” said Dr Linda Doyle, Trinity Provost.

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“I encourage them to avail of all that life in Trinity has to offer, from the top-class academic environment to the huge array of clubs and societies, all of which are situated in an outward-looking university with a strong international perspective. 

“I also want to acknowledge the huge role played by school principals and the wider school community in nurturing the talent of these students. 

“This year, our Principals’ Forum, taking place alongside the Entrance Exhibition Awards, is focusing on the challenges and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence, which I hope they will find very useful,” she concluded.

Students who achieve the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary school with at least 500 points in the Leaving Certificate (or its equivalent EU/EEA second-level final examinations) are eligible for an Entrance Exhibition Award. 

This includes bonus points for Mathematics. When more than one student from a school gets the same high points, all receive an award.  

The Entrance Exhibition Awards were awarded to 372 students from Leinster (236 from Dublin), 84 from Munster, 51 from Connacht and 40 from Ulster.   

Awardees receive a certificate and a €150 book token.  

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