Mayo student awarded prestigious George Moore scholarship
Colleen Kyan, a Mayo student, has been selected for the prestigious George Moore Scholarship, one of 66 students from across Ireland to receive support through the Ireland Funds' programme for 2026.
A Mayo student is celebrating a major academic achievement after being selected for one of Ireland’s prestigious George Moore Scholarships.
Colleen Kyan has been selected as one of just 66 students from across Ireland to receive support through the Ireland Funds’ George Moore Scholars programme for 2026.
Colleen will travel to Scotland later this year to begin an MSc in Social Psychology at the University of Edinburgh.
The George Moore Scholars programme was established by The Ireland Funds in 2019 to give talented Irish students greater access to leading universities and to help develop the next generation of leaders and innovators.
This year’s 66 scholars come from 21 counties and will go on to study a diverse range of subjects at universities across the United States, the UK and Europe.
Among the institutions welcoming members of the 2026 cohort are the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The scholarship will provide Colleen with both financial and academic support as she begins her studies in Edinburgh. The award contributes towards tuition fees, travel, accommodation and other costs associated with studying overseas.
The programme has its roots in the experience of George Moore himself. In 1972, he received a scholarship to study in the United States, an opportunity which helped him go on to become one of the most successful Irish-American businessmen of his generation.
Caitriona Fottrell, President and CEO of The Ireland Funds, said the organisation was committed to ensuring that talent and ambition could flourish.
“The Ireland Funds recognises that talent and ambition should be given every opportunity to flourish,” she said.
“Through the George Moore Scholars programme, we are helping to widen access to transformative educational opportunities, enabling students from across Ireland to pursue experiences that might otherwise be beyond their reach.”
She further expressed her pride at supporting this year's scholars.