Whether you are commanding the pitch on match day or balancing training schedules with a busy work-life routine, inter-county players know a thing or two about dedication. But what happens when you want to channel that same elite focus and drive into your professional and academic career?

At the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Sciences (ICHAS), we believe that dedication to your sport shouldn’t mean pressing pause on your educational dreams.

That is why we are absolutely thrilled to announce the continuation of our official partnership with the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), extending our joint scholarship agreement until 2028.

Even more excitingly, we have expanded this initiative for the upcoming academic year by adding three brand-new Master’s programmes to our eligible roster. Under this unique agreement, successful applicants will have their tuition fees split right down the middle—with ICHAS contributing 50% and the GPA covering the remaining 50%.

More Than Just a Game: Supporting a Shared Vision for Mental Health

Inter-county players give an immense amount of themselves to their communities, their counties, and Irish society as a whole. However, the pressure to perform at an elite level while navigating the complexities of modern life can take its toll.

Speaking about the extension, GPA CEO Tom Parsons highlighted what this means for players on the ground:

“We are always looking at ways to increase the support that we can make available to our student members and are delighted to welcome the Irish College of Humanities and Applied Sciences to our roster of educational partners. These scholarships will make an invaluable difference to the lives of the successful candidates and on behalf of players I want to say a massive thank you to the ICHAS team.”

From our perspective at the college, this partnership is a natural extension of our core mission. Our Programme Director, Tony O’Brien, reflected on the wider impact of the collaboration:

“Irish society is emerging from some challenging times and the work of the GPA in supporting players needs to be publicly acknowledged, so as a College, this is one of our ways of supporting candidates for the scholarships to achieve their potential. We look forward to a continued relationship with the GPA in other ways to support the mental health of players and the wider community in the future.”

Which Programmes Can You Apply For?

Whether your passion lies in understanding workplace dynamics, providing therapeutic support, or working with young people, our fully validated QQI Level 9 Master’s programmes are built around flexible, blended learning. This means you can log into live lectures from home, allowing you to seamlessly weave your studies around your training regime.

The fully covered 2026/2027 GPA-sponsored Master’s programmes include:

• Work-Related Behaviour & Psychology: M.A. in Work-Related Psychology, or specialised M.A. streams in Leadership & Management, Customer Relationship Management, Mentoring & Coaching, or Entrepreneurship.

• Counselling & Psychotherapy Modalities: M.A. pathways in Cognitive Behavioural, Person-Centred, Integrative, Family Therapy, or Psychodynamic modalities.

• Addiction Studies: M.A. in Addiction Counselling, Addiction Recovery, or Addiction Studies.

• Community & Support Care: M.A. in Childhood Studies, M.A. in Adolescent Studies, and M.A. in Clinical Supervision in Professional Practice.

Take Your Ambition Off the Pitch

Your sports career teaches you resilience, team dynamics, and leadership—traits that make extraordinary counsellors, therapists, managers, and community leaders. Let us help you unlock that potential.

Are you ready to find out more about life at our Limerick or Dublin campuses, or explore our flexible blended learning options? Head over to our ICHAS Courses Page or register for our next online Information Session today!