McManus donated €10.5m to 143 charities in 2009

JP MCMANUS donated more than €10.5 million last year to 143 charities, new figures show.

The golf classic held every five years has raised more than €55m since it began in 1990. Record crowds attended this year’s tournament in Adare Manor, where Tiger Woods travelled from the US to play.

Figures show that the JP McManus Charitable Foundation gave out €10.7m in 2008, €2.4m in 2007 and €4.1m in 2006.

At the weekend, 125 students received third-level scholarships worth €6,750 from the foundation at a ceremony at the University of Limerick.

To date, 369 students have been funded by the foundation and it is expected that more than 1,300 students will benefit from the All Ireland scholarships funded by Mr McManus.

One of the students to receive the scholarship, Sinéad Ní Súilleabháin, from Corbally, Limerick, is studying medicine at Trinity College, Dublin.

“It certainly relieves a big burden, because with the budget, there is a lot of uncertainty, but at least with this, it is definite and we know it is there, but a lot of students don’t have that reassurance,” she said.

The JP McManus foundation donated €9.2m last year to the scholarship fund.

Next weekend eight students who did their Leaving Cert at Sexton Street, CBS in Limerick this year will be awarded the JP McManus scholarships, each worth €6,000 for four years at third level.