On February 4th, 2026, conferred by Minister of State, Mr. Charlie McConalogue T.D., at the commencement of the Dual Careers Forum in the GAA Development Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus, National College of Ireland successfully achieved full ASAS Accreditation for 2026 by the Sport Ireland Institute.
About ASAS
ASAS is grounded in the right to education, and it is based on providing equal opportunities to all high-performing student-athletes. By combining sport and education, Accreditation outlines clear dual career criteria that third-level institutes must achieve. Accreditation aims to identify and establish a network of accredited institutions who support elite athletes to achieve dual career excellence by applying guiding principles. This is the fifth year of the ASAS programme in Ireland.
The programme was designed to set up a national programme in response to the 2012 EU Paper establishing ‘Dual Careers’ as a right for elite student athletes, following the EU Guidelines issued in 2016. Working with the Higher Education Sport Sector, and in collaboration with Student Sport Ireland, the programme aims to have most Higher Education Institutions in Ireland ASAS accredited going forward. With this award, NCI is amongst a group of 14 institutions awarded Accreditation under the programme (9 full, 5 affiliate).
About Student Sport Ireland
Student Sport Ireland (SSI) is the representative body for higher education sport on the island of Ireland with 23 affiliated universities and colleges representing over 240,000 full time students and over 800 HEI sports clubs.
Recognised by both Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland, Student Sport Ireland is affiliated to the Federation of Irish Sport, the European University Sports Association (EUSA), and the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
Student Sport Ireland’s vision is “to lead and influence the potential of student sport in Ireland.” Student Sport Ireland’s mission is “to grow quality student sport competition, enhance wellbeing, and lead the sector.”
You can continue reading here to learn more about Student Sport Ireland.
NCI’s ASAS Accreditation
National College of Ireland was first awarded affiliate Accreditation for Student Athlete Support from Sport Ireland back in 2022. Having achieved full ASAS Accreditation for 2026, Stephen Cleary, Student Engagement and Retention Officer at NCI, states, “We are absolutely delighted to receive full ASAS Accreditation. This Accreditation reflects the collective commitment across NCI to supporting student athletes in balancing their academic and sporting ambitions. It is a testament to the collaboration, flexibility, and student-centred approach demonstrated by staff across all departments. ASAS Accreditation is an important milestone for us and, most importantly, for our student athletes. It recognises the work being done across the institution to ensure that students can pursue excellence in sport without compromising their academic experience.”
Professor Gina Quin, President of NCI, shares, “I am very proud of our high performing student-athletes across so many disciplines, who balance their commitment to their sport with their academic studies at NCI. I know the team who work so hard to make the Sports Scholarship programme possible and successful will be deservedly pleased to see the college achieve Full Accreditation for Student Athlete Support (ASAS). Many thanks to the ASAS committee for this award.”
Participating in sports has many benefits; personal, physical, mental, and it builds a wonderful sense of comradery while also allowing students to express themselves and work on individual skills and goals. Achieving full ASAS Accreditation further demonstrates how NCI strives to create a broad range of pathways so that all students can see that their talents and skills are valued and celebrated, and so that everyone can thrive in the way that is best suited to them.
You can learn more here about Sports Scholarship Opportunities at NCI.
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