Carlow College, St. Patrick’s is delighted to announce the graduation of 139 students at its annual Conferring Ceremony, held on Friday, 21st November 2025 in the historic Carlow Cathedral. The event marked a proud moment for the College community, as students from across all undergraduate programmes received their degrees in front of family, friends, faculty, and invited guests. Amongst the graduates were 36 Carlow residents.
Graduates were conferred from programmes in: Arts & Humanities; English & History; Professional Social Care; Social, Political & Community Studies; and, Psychology.
This year’s ceremony was particularly significant as it celebrated the first graduating class from the BA (Hons) in Psychology, a PSI-accredited programme launched in 2022. The 23 pioneering students from this cohort have completed a rigorous academic journey and are now equipped to pursue further study or careers in psychology and related fields.
The event was presided over by Fr Conn Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, College President and Bishop Denis Nulty, Chair of the Governing Body was also in attendance
In addition to conferring of the awards, a number of prizes and awards were presented to students who excelled in their chosen disciplines. Carlow was well represented amongst the top prize winners with Aoife Lanigan from Pollerton receiving the Carlow County Council Bursary Award for achieving the highest grade on the BA (Hons) in Psychology. Similarly, Shannon Whittle from Graiguecullen was recognised for academic excellence on the BA in Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care).
A number of Carlow graduates were also award specialist awards for their contributions and excellence in their fields, such as Kayla White from Bagnelstown, who received the Fr Thomas McDonnell Delany Archive Research in History Prize and Lorcan Canavan from Tullow who received the Robert Frederick Holmes (1803) Award in recognition of his contribution to student life in Carlow College. Furthermore, Casey Brennan from Carlow town, was awarded the Gerry Morgan Award in Applied Social Studies for Excellence in Practice Placement.
Dr Margaret Murphy, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Registrar, congratulated the graduates: “The Class of 2025 represents the heart of Carlow College’s mission — to foster critical thinking, compassion, and a commitment to social justice. We are especially proud to celebrate the first graduates from our Psychology programme, who have set a strong foundation for future cohorts.”
The graduates, who hail from 14 counties across Ireland as well as internationally from Greece and the Czech Republic, were presented with their parchments by College President, Fr Conn Ó Maoldhomhnaigh.
“As College President, it is my pleasure and privilege to acknowledge the exceptional achievements of all of our graduates. They have been part of our journey over the past three to four years and we wish them the very best as they continue on their own individual paths.”, said Fr Ó Maoldhomhnaigh
The College extends its warmest congratulations to the Class of 2025 and looks forward to supporting future cohorts as the programme continues to grow.
