Sports Scholarship: David McQuaid – Road Racing
David McQuaid, son of former Cycling Ireland President, Pat McQuaid, became the first recipient of a Sports Scholarship for cycling in 1997/98. Prior to his UCD involvement, the former Emerald C.C. rider palmares included a stage win in the 1996 Junior Tour of Ireland, a runner-up spot in both the National Junior Hill Climb Championship and the Mid-Eastern Region Time Trial Championships and a bronze medal finish at the National Road Race Championships. He also competed in the World Junior Championships in San Sebastian, SpainIn David’s first season with UCDCC, David impressed sufficiently to gain representation to three Irish teams. He became the first U.C.D. cyclist to compete in the European Under-23 Championship. His finest performance of his opening season in was his stage win in the Tour of Moray, Scotland. He was also runner-up in the overall general classification. His steady rise in the Irish racing scene saw him promoted to the Sydney 2000 Olympic squad.
1998/99
Sports Scholarship: David McQuaid – Road Racing
David McQuaid again rode with distinction throughout the racing season. Two performances stood out more than most, as he won both the Matt Corcoran Trophy in Naas as well as the Ben McKenna Trophy in Balbriggan. He competed for Ireland in the World and European Championships, placing 46th in the latter. His involvement with the Irish team also saw him compete in the 5-day Tour of Greece. McQuaid’s two home victories earned him capture the title of ‘UCD Cycling Club Rider of the Year’.
1999/2000
Sports Scholarship: David McQuaid – Road Racing
The highlight of this year was McQuaid’s victory in the National Under-23 Road Race Championships and continued selection to the national team. He again represented Ireland at the European and World Championships. He also took on the Tour of Greece for the second consecutive season and this year added the Tour of Poland and Tour of Egypt to his list of starts. It came as little surprise that David retained his Club Rider of the Year title.
2000/01
Sports Scholarship: David McQuaid – Road Racing
David McQuaid, who served on the Club committee for the first time, retained his Sports Scholarship, but due to the pressure of final year examinations, he had a much quieter season and had no results of note.
2001/02
Both Andrew O’Carroll and Ollie Gray were awarded cycling Sports Scholarships.
Sports Scholarship: Andrew O’Carroll – Road Racing
Club Captain Andrew O’Carroll had a strong road pedigree and had represented Leinster in the Gorey 3-day International as well as been a member of the National Under-23 squad. He won the Christy McManus Memorial in 2000. In 2001 Andrew and team mate David Lane became the first UCD competitors to compete and successfully complete the Rás Tailteann international stage race. Andrew was voted Club Rider of the Year in 2001 for his consistency over the course of the season. Due mainly to pressures of final year studies, Andrew O’Carroll’s year was quiet by comparison to previous years. However he did win the Club League title.Sports Scholarship: Ollie Gray – Cross Country Mountainbiking
Ollie Gray was the first mountainbiker to receive a Sports Scholarship. He came highly recommended by newly installed Club Vice-President Brendan Kilbride, who was a member of the national mountainbiking commission. He had numerous successes as a junior and underage rider and carried it into the senior ranks when capturing the 2000 Mountain Bike Irish Time Trial Championships.Ollie competed in many races throughout the season even the Gorey 3-day but the highlight was his runners-up position in the National XC Under-23 Championship and his victory in the 2002 Intervarsity Mountainbiking Championship, and this, coupled with his other performances throughout the season, won him claim the Club Mountainbiking Achievement Award.
Club Scholarship: Timothy Aherne – Road Racing
Club Secretary, Timothy Ahern became the first recipient of a Club Scholarship in 2002. It was a well deserved recognition for Ahern, whose bronze medal in the Leinster Senior Time-Trial Championships and top 10 placing in the Under-23 National Road Race Championships were the highlights of his first season racing with UCDCC. He also won the B category in Klondyke Cup in Navan, a performances that led him to be selected for Leinster. As a junior rider competing for Bray Wheelers, Timothy had twice won the Leinster Road Race Championship, won a stage in the Junior Tour of Ireland and was a bronze medalist in the National Junior 25 mile time-trial Championships.Timothy, alongside brothers Alan and David Lane rode magnificently in the Rás Tailteann 8-day international stage race. UCDCC were the only Club team to complete the Rás with its full component and Aherne was the top UCD rider on GC. Ahern’s Club Scholarship proved a real success and he emerged the clear winner of the Club’s ‘Rider of the Year’ award.
2004/05
Club Scholarship: Andrew McQuaid – Road Racing
Reigning Intervarsity Road Race Champion, Andrew McQuaid, was awarded a Club Scholarship for the 2005 season. McQuaid, whose older brother David was a former recipient of a Sports Scholarship, joined as a member of the Irish Elite and Under 23 cycling team. He is also on the preliminary squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the past 3 years he has twice represented Ireland at the World Championships (Belgium in 2002 and Italy in 2004) and European Championships (Greece in 2003 and Estonia in 2004).One of Andrew’s priorities was to defend his ’varsities title. Seven UCD riders competed in awful conditions in Sligo. Andrew retained his road race crown and finished runner-up in the overall competition when the time trial was factored in. McQuaid was selected for the Leinster team for Rás Mumhan. He competed for Ireland in the World Student Games and not surprisingly was nominated Club Rider of the Year. He finished the season as a member of the National Under-23 Development Squad and transferred to the Seán Kelly Racing Team in Belgium.
2006/07
Sports Scholarship: Louise Moriarty – Road Racing & Track
Louise Moriarty was awarded her Sports Scholarship for the 2006/2007 year. In 2006, she won the ladies category of the Gorey 3-day along with the Stamullen, Balbriggan & Roundwood road races and had been riding full time in Holland. During the period from 2003 to 2005, she won seven national titles on the track – three 3km Pursuit, two Sprint, one 500 TT and one Points Championships. She also won the National Hill Climb Championships in 2002. She also had two more bronze national medals to her name - the 2005 National Road Race Championship and the 2004 National Time Trial Championships. Louise didn’t wait long before showing why she deserved her scholarship. She was one of 12 UCDCC who travelled to the Queen’s University, Belfast hosted 2007 Intervarsity Road Race Championships in February. Louise won the ladies time trial and road race, and the overall title and alongside Niamh Stephens and Ingrid Owens, UCD took the ladies team prize for the first time in its history. However this was only the start of her sensational year. She claimed the gold medal at the National Time trial Championships and a bronze medal in the National Road Racing Championship. She also set a new National 3,000m record for the track. Louise also recorded an international win in the Tielt-Winge GP in Belgium. She was easily voted ‘Club Rider of the Year’.
2007/08
Club Scholarship: Oisín Boydell – Cross Country Mountainbiking
Club Captain, Oisín Boydell, was awarded a Club Scholarship. In the Djouce Trail Challenge he finished an impressive 8th of 88 finishers. He followed that up with a 9th place finish in the Chain Reaction DH winter league. He competed in each round of theXC K-Capital cup series in the Experts category and remarkably finished as the overall winner. He entered the Irish National XC Champs, which were held in Kilruddery, full of confidence and he put in a tremendous effort in the Expert category to claim a silver medal. He then travelled to the French Alps and finished a creditable 192nd of 1500 in the Mega Avalanche endurance downhill race. The Irish XC Marathon National Championships were held in August and Oisín secured gold in the Expert category. He then went on to take 5th place overall in the Cooley XC marathon race. Oisín finished the season in fine style as he competed in the Cross Country National Points Series in Castlewellan in September. He saw off strong opposition to claim yet another NPS win and was crowned the overall series champion. He was deservedly honoured with the Club’s Mountainbiking Achievement Award for his outstanding displays during the season. He was presented with an Athletic Union Council Sports Awards.
Sports Scholarship: Louise Moriarty – Road Racing & Track
Louise Moriarty retained her Sports Scholarship and began the year by aiming to be the first UCDCC rider to qualify for an Olympic event. She spent the early part of the season chasing Olympic qualification points in races in Australia. Although she faced against stern competition in the many track races she competed in while based in Melbourne, two ‘Points’ victories justified her decision to race so far from home. She competed in World Cup races in Los Angeles in January and narrowly missed out on making the ‘Points’ final. On her return to the domestic season, she inspired the ladies team to victory in the All-Ireland Inter-varsity Road Championships for the second successive year in an event that UCD co-hosted with DCU and Trinity. Fellow team mates Niamh Stephens and Gráinne Finn were 4th and 6th respectively overall. For the record Louise won both the time trial and the road race titles as she easily claimed the overall individual crown. Louise narrowly missed out on two senior national titles in June. She just missed out on retaining her time trial crown against strong opposition and was forced to settle for second instead. The following day she fought bravely for an elusive national road title and by the end of the race, she captured the bronze medal. Louise was 6th in a sprint finish in Erondegem in Belgium. However it was her performances on Irish soil that brought most pride to the Club. She completed a remarkable clean sweep on the track in Sundrive Road by claiming the national track 500m, 3km Pursuit, Points and Scratch titles. As the season came to a close, Moriarty dominated the Rás na mBan international stage race by claiming two stage wins and the overall and points classifications. She was a popular winner of the Ladies Achievement Award and also received an UCD Sports Award.
2008/09
Club Scholarship: Cait Elliott – Cross Country Mountainbiking & Cyclo Cross
On the basis of her performances in 2008, it came as little surprise that ‘Cycling Ireland’s Domestic Female of the Year’ was awarded a Club Scholarship in 2009. She got off to the best possible start by winning round 4 of the Super Cross (cyclo cross) Cup which took place in St. Anne’s Park in Dublin in mid-December. She was crowned the Intervarsity Cyclo Cross Champion. Club President, Maoilíosa Ó Dubhthaigh convinced the Athletic Union Council to provide substantial funding towards a new bike in her bid to add to the two national titles she has already won to date for the Club. She spent April to June on Erasmus in Switzerland and during this time competed in the Racer Bikes Pro-Am Cup Series in which she wore her National Champions jersey & UCD shorts with pride. Cait returned to Ireland to successfully defend her National Championship title at Dunmore Mountain. Cait won the opening round of the 3-race K-Capital Challenge Series finishing ahead of most of the men in the process. In August, Cait took the UCD jersey to the UK to take 1st place in the Brighton Big Dog. The following month she finished an impressive 8th in the final round of the British National Points Series, which was held in Newnham Park, Plymouth at which seven nationalities were represented. She wrapped up her season with victory in the remaining rounds of the K Capital Challenge winning the series overall. She became only the second person in the history of the Club to be awarded the ‘Brian Lennon Memorial Club Rider of the Year’ trophy and the Athletic Union Council also acknowledged her with a UCD Sports Awards.Club Scholarship: Rory Beirne - Down Hill
After two years competing for the college, Rory Beirne became the first member of the Down Hill section of the Club to have been awarded a Club Scholarship. However, his season was put on halt after he suffered a separated shoulder in a pre-season training incident. His comeback race saw him compete in round 3 of the National Points Series in Rostrevor in May, and despite lacking race condition, he finished a creditable 16th. The next round of the NPS took place in Cahir in June and Rory demonstrated some fantastic form to finished 3rd. He followed that impressive ride with a 4th place in the Senior category at the National Down Hill Championships in July. At the penultimate (7th) round of the NPS he placed 6th despite puncturing. The season closed in October with a minor injury in the final NPS. His efforts during the season didn’t go unnoticed and he was presented with the Mountainbiking Achievement Award by his teammates, becoming the first Down Hill racer to have been honoured with a Club award. Sports Scholarship: Louise Moriarty – Road Racing & Track
Louise Moriarty one again retained her Sports Scholarship. However, her season was heavily disrupted by the pressure of final year studies and a freak commuting accident that resulted in a broken wrist. She chose the National Road Race Championships in June as her comeback race and finished a creditable 9th in a bunch gallop to the line. The following month she competed in the National Track Championships and claimed 3rd in the sprint, 5th in the 3km Pursuit, 4th in the 500m Time Trial and 8th in the 12km Scratch race. A fortnight later, and with more miles in her legs, she took the runners-up spot in the 12km Scratch race for the Eamon Ceannt Trophy. Louise returned to winning ways again in the Brendan Campbell Memorial in Donore in August. She was honoured with Athletic Union Council Sports Awards and also voted the victor of the UCD CC Ladies Achievement Award by her peers.
2009/10
Sports Scholarship: Cait Elliott - Cross Country Mountainbiking & Cyclo Cross
National Cross Country, National Marathon XC, National Intervarsity XC and National Intervarsity Cross Country Champion, Cait Elliott, was upgraded from a Club Scholarship to a Sports Scholarship on the basis of her excellent performances for the Club over 2009 season.
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