The UCD Brian Mullins Ambassador Award for Gaelic Games was established in 2024 for recipients to pursue their academic goals at University College Dublin (UCD), while promoting Gaelic games and cultural exchange across the USA and Ireland. In memory of the great former Dublin player and former Director of Sport at UCD, Brian Mullins, the programme aims to provide financial support for US students on their academic and sporting journeys.
Ger Brennan, GAA Development Executive at UCD and current Dublin senior football manager, is proud to see the rising popularity of GAA in the US. “Seeing the passion for the games in the United States is incredibly inspiring,” Ger says. “What stands out is how the games create connection. For American students coming to UCD, GAA becomes a way to integrate quickly into Irish culture.”
One of two inaugural recipients of the Brian Mullins Ambassador Award, Catherine O’Neill, has been playing Gaelic football since she was five years old. As a first-generation Irish-American, GAA has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Both of her parents played Gaelic football growing up, and so did every Irish-American kid she knew in her area, so she did too.
Catherine is a first-year Bachelor of Civil Law student at UCD and came up through the NYGAA with Shannon Gaels and later Kerry/Donegal Ladies G.F.C. in her hometown of Rego Park in Queens, New York. As a full-back for the UCD Ladies third team, she played in the HEC Donaghy Cup quarter-final on February 25th. The team unfortunately lost the match to Ulster University, but Catherine was happy with their performance because it was an intense and high-scoring game.
Since starting her degree at UCD last year, Catherine has found Gaelic football to be a lifeline and a fantastic way to meet new people. “I’ve found with the GAA that I’ve gotten to know a lot more Irish students that wouldn't necessarily be in my course,” she says with a smile, “and that I wouldn't know otherwise.”
Catherine often doesn’t feel like an international student on campus because she sees familiar faces all the time through friendships she’s made in her club. Ger Brennan helped with this by introducing Catherine to another passionate football player from the States and fellow inaugural scholarship recipient, Jenna Ryan.
Knowing Jenna made settling into campus life much easier for Catherine. “We were both kind of going into the football here not knowing anyone,” she says. “So, yeah, it was nice for going to tryouts together. Like, you weren't walking by yourself. So I'd say the scholarship helped in all those aspects – the social, the monetary and everything else.”
Unlike Catherine, Jenna Ryan did not grow up playing football and only did her first punt kick five years ago, which makes her achievements in the game all the more impressive. Originally from Chicago, Jenna played for four years with her Chicago team, St. Brigid’s, before coming to UCD last year to start her graduate studies in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Since coming to Dublin and being awarded the Brian Mullins scholarship, Jenna has had much the same experience as Catherine at UCD, making new friends and enjoying the thrill of competition.
“It’s been such a positive part of my first year, and we were in the championship this season, which was really exciting,” Jenna says. “Playing at UCD has helped me feel connected on and off campus, and I’ve made a lot of great friends through the team.”
Both Jenna and Catherine highly recommend that other international students apply for the programme, since it has added so much value to their UCD experiences.
“So I'd say in applying, I would mention the fact that it's a bridging social thing,” Catherine says. “We always want to see new faces turn up to practice. You shouldn’t be scared to be the new person to show up, or the only American person to be on the team.”
“The scholarship has really helped me settle into life at UCD,” Jenna adds. “My advice for anyone thinking of applying would be to be genuine about their Gaelic games journey and how they contribute beyond just playing. Highlighting your GAA accomplishments, commitment to the sport, teamwork, and involvement in the wider community really helps show who you are both on and off the pitch.”
Mags D’Arcy, Communications Manager at UCD Student Services, who is heavily involved with the scholarship and was herself a highly accomplished camogie player, knows the scholarship will have a rich legacy. “The hope is that the Brian Mullins Scholarship becomes a lasting symbol of what UCD GAA stands for – excellence, inclusivity, and connection,” she says. “We want it to create a generation of players and graduates who carry the spirit of the GAA with them wherever they go in the world.”
Shannon Farrelly, UCD’s North America Director based in NYC, is thrilled to see the legacy of Brian Mullins live on through this scholarship. Reflecting on the impact of this scholarship, she says, “I hope it adds to the momentum in the US and NY right now to keep young and talented athletes playing Gaelic games through to high school, then college, and after. We are so fortunate to have two great female athletes as the inaugural recipients of this scholarship at UCD, representing their strong roots in the USGAA and NYGAA.”
