We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Niamh Burke Memorial Bursary, established in memory of the former Arthur Cox LLP partner, which fosters and supports study and research in the field of renewable energy. It annually awards €10,000 to support students pursuing education in this area. The bursary is administered by Wind Energy Ireland and funded by Arthur Cox LLP.

Jarlaith Brady and Thomas Walsh have been selected as recipients of the 2024 bursary. They impressed the judges with their commitment to working to tackle the climate emergency and their passion for their chosen fields of Mechanical and Sustainable Engineering and Energy Systems Engineering.

Commenting on the announcement, Danielle Conaghan, Partner, Arthur Cox LLP, said: “We are very enthusiastic about and deeply committed to fostering the next generation of leaders in renewable energy. This bursary represents not just financial support, but also our belief in the power of education. We are proud to honour Niamh’s legacy by supporting Jarlaith and Thomas in their studies and wish them the very best in pursuing them. Their commitment to tackling the climate emergency will contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.”

Dave Linehan, Head of Research at Wind Energy Ireland, also commented: “Supporting education in this area is vital. We need to encourage and enable the climate champions of the future to reach a zero-carbon Ireland. There are thousands of jobs in wind energy in Ireland and that is only going to grow.”

Jarlaith Brady said: “I am overjoyed and honoured to be a recipient of this year’s Niamh Burke bursary. With my previous experience in renewables and the completion of this Masters degree, I hope to accelerate Ireland’s energy transition towards 2030 and beyond.”

Describing his future plans, Thomas Walsh said: ” We’re building a whole new clean-energy system, changing how we produce electricity, heat our homes, move around and how industries work. Ireland has lots of work to do in managing affordability, sustainability and security throughout the transition. There’s nothing I’d rather do with my career. I’m extremely grateful to Arthur Cox and Wind Energy Ireland for receiving the Niamh Burke bursary towards my masters degree in Energy Systems Engineering at UCD.”