Jolly good fellows and scholars announced at Trinity College

A total of two Honorary Fellows, 15 new Fellows and 90 new Scholars of Trinity College Dublin were announced today. The celebration takes place at the start of Trinity Week each year and is considered to be one of the college's most colourful celebrations.

The list of scholars and fellows was announced by Trinity's Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast on the steps of the public theatre. According to a spokeswoman for Trinity College, scholars are students who show "exceptional knowledge and understanding of their subjects and are elected annually in various subjects as the result of an examination".

Fellows are chosen based on research achievement or scholarship of a high order, as well as evidence of the candidate’s contribution to the college’s academic life and effective record of teaching.

Twenty-year-old Rebecca Kummert from Clontarf was one of six physiotherapy students to become a scholar, which she said she did not expect.

“When they were reading out the names, I had a text ready to send to friends and family thanking them for their support. When they called out my name I just burst out crying. It’s just incredible,” she said.

Ms Kummert joins a list of scholars that includes Samuel Beckett and Ernest Walton. As part of the ceremony, scholars and fellows have to sign a book outlining their names, fathers' name and occupations, as well as other traditions. "It's all dreadfully Trinity," Ms Kummert said.

One of the elected fellows, Michael Peardon, who works in Trinity’s School of Mathematics, said he was thrilled with the news.

“It’s very exciting. It’s great to receive this level of recognition for hard work. I will be back to work after the celebratory dinner later today. Hopefully they’ll get the good wine out,” he said.

This year's Trinity Week will include a series of academic, film, poetry, musical and theatrical events around the theme, The Irish Diaspora: Social, Cultural and Economic Perspectives .