2024 was an incredible year for Irish sport - and UCD graduates contributed to that in no small part. Daire Lydon shines a spotlight on some of the greatest sporting achievements of UCD alumni in 2024 and tells us what they have coming up in the new year.
In the wake of an awe-inspiring year of Irish sport, we take a moment to celebrate UCD’s remarkable contribution to Ireland's exceptional success and take a look at what some of our top graduates have coming up in 2025.
Caelan Doris - Rugby Union, Leinster & Ireland
UCD Course: Psychology
Caelan Doris, was at the forefront of Leinster and Irish rugby in 2024. Irish head coach Andy Farrell named Doris as captain of the Irish rugby team and he led them to their second Six Nations title in a row. Doris’ performances for club and country earned him recognition from World Rugby and he was nominated for the sport's highest individual accolade, the World Rugby Player of the Year award.
Looking ahead to 2025: Leinster are serious title contenders in the United Rugby
Championship with 9 Wins in 9 games at time of writing. Doris is expected to play a crucial role in the latter rounds of the tournament. He has been named as the captain of the Ireland squad for the upcoming Six Nations and has been heavily tipped by pundits to captain the British and Irish Lions on this Summer’s tour to Australia.
Liam Scales - Football, Celtic and Republic of Ireland
UCD Course: Irish & Geography
Former UCDAFC football player and UCD Superleague star Liam Scales has had a stellar year for both club and country. He played a pivotal role in Celtic’s domestic double, winning the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup. He has featured regularly in Celtic’s Champions League outings as well as being a consistent presence for the Republic of Ireland men’s football team throughout the year, scoring his first goal for his country against Finland in the Nations League.
Looking ahead to 2025: Scales is likely to play a crucial role in the latter stages of Celtic's domestic and European campaigns. He is also likely to feature in Ireland's push for World Cup qualification campaign, which will start on September 6th against Hungary at the Aviva Stadium.
Shane Lowry - Golf, Ireland
UCD Course : Sports Management
Former UCD Sports Scholar Shane Lowry had an outstanding season on the PGA tour in 2024. In April he teamed up with Rory Mcilroy and the Irish duo won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and Lowry has had his most successful season to date in the FedEx Cup, finishing in an impressive 9th place. Lowry also represented Ireland in the Olympic Games in Paris, where he acted as flag bearer for Team Ireland in the opening ceremony.
Looking ahead to 2025: Lowry will be keen to build on his successful season in 2024.
The Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland is set to host the Open in 2015 and it was at this event that Lowry won his only major to date. He will be keen to perform well this time around and will be under the watchful eye of Luke Donald, the European Ryder Cup captain, who will be making his selection over the coming months for the Ryder cup this Summer in New York.
Paul O’Donovan - Lightweight Double Sculls Rowing, Ireland
UCD Course: Physiotherapy
One of Ireland's national treasures, Paul O’Donovan, had a year to remember when he secured his place in the history books by becoming the first Irish athlete to win medals at three consecutive Olympic Games, an incredible achievement. The Skibbereen man won gold alongside his partner Fintan McCarthy in Paris. In recognition of this achievement he was awarded RTE Sports Personality of the Year, the highest individual accolade in Irish sport.
Looking ahead to 2025: The 2024 Paris Olympic Games were the last games in which the lightweight rowing class will be included. When asked after their win if they might potentially move into a heavier weight class in order to compete at the next Olympics, O’Donovan replied “I think so. A few left in us hopefully”. This would suggest that the pair are not finished yet and may have aspirations to train and compete in a higher weight class, so watch this space.
Ciara Mageean - Athletics 1500m, Ireland
UCD Course: Physiotherapy
An exceptional recipient of the UCD Ad Astra Elite Athlete scholarship, Mageean had an outstanding season on the track in 2024. She won gold in the 1500m at the European Athletics Championships in Rome, becoming the first Irish individual champion since Sonia O’Sullivan in 1998. There was heartbreak for Mageean however when, during her preparation for the Paris Olympic Games, she had to pull out due to chronic achilles issues.
Looking ahead to 2025: Mageean has undergone surgery and is now recovering. She told the BBC, "The World Championships are fairly late in the season next year (2025) and I feel like I could get in shape to go out there and race”.
Other sporting achievements of UCD Alumni
Olympic Games: The Paris Olympic Games were record breaking for UCD. Thirty UCD athletes were selected to be a part of Team Ireland. This was the largest ever cohort of UCD students to compete at an Olympics. UCD students past and present competed across a wide range of disciplines that included cycling, hockey, rowing, rugby, equestrian, track and field, sailing, and swimming.
GAA: The UCD Gaelic football team had a successful campaign reaching the Sigerson Cup final. This achievement was acknowledged by five representatives of UCD being named in the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Rising Stars 2024 Football Team of the Year, namely Donncha Gilmore, Jonathan Lynam, Dáire Cregg, Aaron Lynch and David Garland.
UCD is beginning to cement itself as a hub of sporting excellence. In 2024, UCD graduates etched an indelible mark on Irish sporting legacy from record-breaking participation in the Olympic Games to exceptional performances across an abundance of sports on the global stage. 2025 promises new opportunities for Irish athletes to excel and inspire and UCD is likely to be a cornerstone of Irish success.