UCC announces €1,000 bursary in memory of Louise Clancy 

Louise Clancy. 

University College Cork (UCC) has announced a €1,000 bursary in honour of former student Louise Clancy.

Ms Clancy died following a collision in December 2015, which also claimed the life of her mother Geraldine.

Ms Clancy had been studying English at the college and the Louise Clancy Memorial Prize was established by the School of English in 2018.

The prize was awarded for the best dissertation written in the final year of UCC’s BA in English.

Ms Clancy’s family has “endowed a bursary for the Prize to support enthusiastic young scholars like Louise”.

€1,000 will be award to the prize winner for the next 22 years and the Clancy family has also requested that €1,000 be rewarded to the previous three winners of the Louise Clancy Memorial Prize.

Louise Clancy wrote with authenticity and confidence; she was unafraid to voice her beliefs, and this award is the perfect vehicle to continue her legacy

The family said the bursary is a “fitting tribute" to Louise.

The said in a statement: “We were honoured in 2018 when UCC launched the Louise Clancy Memorial Prize in her memory and were delighted to attend the first awarding of the Prize.

“We are now pleased to establish a bursary for the Prize. We believe it’s a fitting tribute to Louise’s memory and her love of being a UCC student.

“We thank all in the School of English for their kindness, help and support and for continuing to keep Louise’s spirit alive in UCC.” 

Molly Twomey, a previous winner of the Louise Clancy Memorial Prize in 2018, said that winning the award “encouraged me to not give up on the Arts— to keep reading, writing, and connecting with literature.

“It validated my opinions, criticisms, and ability to write an academic thesis.  

“Louise Clancy wrote with authenticity and confidence; she was unafraid to voice her beliefs, and this award is the perfect vehicle to continue her legacy.” 

2019 winner Fiona Murphy said that Louise's legacy "is one of integrity, passion and creativity".

She said: “To be honoured with an award in her name as an aspiring young writer is like a vote of confidence, as well as an encouragement to embrace my own creativity with the same dedication and spirit she demonstrated throughout her writing career.” 

Following the tragic loss his wife and daughter in the collision, Noel Clancy fought for a new amendment to the Road Traffic Act.

The so-called Clancy amendment means that car owners who knowingly allow their vehicles to be used by unaccompanied learner drivers face stiff fines or even jail if caught.