Carlow SETU student was awarded bursary for achieving the highest grades

Carlow South East Technological University (SETU) student was awarded bursary for achieving the highest grades.

John Brennan is a second year undergraduate student of SETU Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Brewing and Distilling. He was awarded the Walsh Whiskey annual bursary of €1,000 for earning the highest grades in the first year of the bachelor’s course. Walsh Whiskey are the producers of Writers’ Tears and The Irishman premium whiskeys. The course is the first honours degree programme in brewing and distilling in Ireland, launched in 2017.

Speaking about the course and SETU’s collaboration with Walsh Whiskey, Dr Sinead Morris, Programme Director, commented, "The collaboration between SETU and Walsh Whiskey has been pivotal to the success of our brewing and distilling honours degree programme which has been designed with industry relevance in mind. Since the programme's inception, Walsh Whiskey has been a steadfast partner playing a crucial role in the course’s development and maintaining an enduring commitment to our students and graduates. Walsh Whiskey’s continued support, exemplified by its annual bursary, highlights the immense value of the strong university-industry relationship that exists between our institutions."

The four-year degree is one of only four degrees across the world recognised by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD).

It was developed by SETU who worked closely with leaders in the industry, national bodies, and government. The Bachelor degree combines science, engineering, business, and marketing as well as research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Addressing brewing and distilling students at the bursary presentation, Bernard Walsh, Co-founder and Managing Director of Walsh Whiskey, said: “We would like to congratulate John on his excellent results and wish him well in his future studies. We are delighted to collaborate with SETU and share the industry knowledge we’ve gained at Walsh Whiskey with students of the programme. From there being just a handful of distilleries in Ireland a decade ago, there are now over 50 nationwide. In addition, we at Walsh Whiskey are planning a major new distillery in Dunleckney, county Carlow, so SETU graduates have great career prospects both locally and right across Ireland.”