Talented Wexford hurler is awarded DCU sports scholarship - 'It keeps Jack's memory alive'

A gathering at St Peter's College, Wexford celebrated the awarding of the Jack Pettit Memorial Sports Scholarship to the latest recipient. The scholarship was initiated by Dublin City University in 2019 after Jack Pettit died in July 2017. Each year it is presented to a former St. Peter's College student who makes a significant impact to fresher hurling in the university, strengthening ties between Jack’s alma maters and his love of hurling. Principal John Banville described the scholarship as honoring Jack and supporting another hurler coming through. This year the scholarship went to Niall Furlong, a long-time contributor at school and county level. DCU also hosts the Jack Pettit Memorial Tournament, which the St Peters College senior hurling team won this year.

"The idea of it is to link all of Jack Pettit's loves in life,"

"He loved St. Peter's, he loved DCU and he loved hurling. The scholarship ties those three things together and maintains that connection. The whole idea is to honour Jack and support another hurler coming through."

"Jack was an exceptional sportsman. The minute he left school and went into college he went straight into the county senior hurling set-up. He would have played minor and under-21 at the time, and he was a hugely significant sportsman."

"For a lot of the students, it's probably their first real look at what the facilities are like up there and what college life in DCU could look like. Some of them might not fully realise at the time that they could actually end up studying there themselves in the future. The important thing is that they know the link is there and they know they would"

Read at Irish Independent