Nolan heads elite list of 68

University College Dublin yesterday announced the 68 sports scholarships for the current academic year, with the recipients coming from athletics, cycling, Gaelic games, hockey, golf, rugby and soccer.

James Nolan, the recently-crowned Irish Indoor 800 metre champion, is among four athletes named. He is joined by fellow 800 metre specialists David Matthews and Eoin Cummins, while Anne-Marie Larkin, a 3,000 metre specialist, is also included.

In Gaelic games, selected footballers include Nigel Crawford, a member of Meath's All-Ireland winning side, and Offaly's Ciaran McManus, who was part of the victorious Irish Compromise Rules team in Australia last October. Also named are Galway's Declan Meehan and Niall Collins of Laois. There were six hurling recipients, including Tipperary's Hugh Flannery and Paddy O'Brien and Limerick's Sean O'Neill - who is in first year of veterinary science.

Among the 26 rugby players, who are all part of the UCD Academy, is Irish under-21 captain Shane Moore.

In soccer, the recipients include first team captain and Irish under-21 international Aidan Lynch.

Current South of Ireland champion Mark Campbell is the most noted golfer listed, with the lone cycling scholarship going to National under-23 champion David McQuaid.

There was also an award for Irish senior hockey representative Jenny Osborne and Una O'Dwyer, a member of Tipperary's All-Ireland winning camogie side.

At a reception in the O'Reilly Hall, Belfield, yesterday, UCD president Dr Art Cosgrove highlighted the importance of this scholarship scheme in providing the students with the opportunity to develop both their sporting and academic careers from a home base.

This is the largest number of scholarships awarded in any one year since the inception of the programme in 1979. Scholarships were first introduced in the soccer club under the direction of the late Dr Tony O'Neill.

Class of 68: UCD scholarships for 2000

Athletics: Eoin Cummins (Dublin) 800m, Anne-Marie Larkin (Offaly) 3,000m, David Matthews (Dublin) 800m, James Nolan (Offaly) 800m.

Camogie: Caoimhe Harrington (Cork), Una O'Dwyer (Tipperary).

Cycling: David McQuaid (Wicklow).

Women's Football: Marcella Price (Meath).

Gaelic Football: Niall Collins (Laois), Nigel Crawford (Meath), John Hanly (Roscommon), John Hegarty (Wexford), Brendan Kearney (Down), Ronan Kelly (Meath), John Lynch (Kerry), Cian McGrath (Meath), Ciaran McManus (Offaly), D Meehan (Galway), Brendan O hAnnaidh (Wicklow).

Golf: Mark Campbell (Dublin), Elaine Dowdall (Waterford), Justin Kehoe (Offaly).

Women's Hockey: Lucy Cotter (Dublin), Hilda Maguire (Dublin), Ciara O'Brien (Dublin), Jenny Osborne (Dublin).

Hurling: Aodan de Paor (Dublin), Pat Fitzgerlad (Waterford), Hugh Flannery (Tipperary), Stephen Lucey (Limerick), Patrick O'Brien (Tipperary), Sean O'Neill (Limerick).

Rugby: Philip Bredin (Dublin), Niall Breslin (Westmeath), Damian Broughall(Kildare), Louis Burke (Dublin), Peter Callanan (Galway), John Campbell (Otago), Gordon Cantwell (Wicklow), Anthony Carroll (Dublin), Tom Carter (Dublin), Des Dillon (Carlow), Gearoid Hayes (Limerick), Robert Henson (Dublin), Colm Keane (Dublin), Aidan Kearney (Dublin), Ciaran Leyden (Dublin), Peter Maughan (Dublin), Cal McClean (Otago), Hugh McMahon (Limerick), Shane Moore (Dublin), Peter Shanley (Dublin), James Smith (Meath), Michael Moynagh (Wellington), Andy O'Brien (Dublin), Dermot O'Loughlin (Kildare), Bobby Quigley (Dublin), Brian O'Riordan (Dublin).

Soccer: Simon Beirne (Dublin), Clive Delaney (Dublin), Kenneth Kilmurray (Dublin), Aidan Lynch (Dublin), Alan Mahon (Dublin), Peter Murphy (Dublin), Diarmuid O Ceallaigh (Dublin), Patrick O'Leary (Dublin), Darragh Ryan (Brighton), James Timmons (Dublin).