Pictured L-R: Melissa Scully, Dr Julie Morrissy and Michaela de Búrca.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, and the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin have announced the 18 Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2025–2026. Among those formally presented with their awards at a ceremony in the US Embassy in Dublin were three awardees affiliated with Mary Immaculate College (MIC): Michaela de Búrca, Melissa Scully, and Dr Julie Morrissy.
Michaela de Búrca, graduated with first-class honours in 2024, earning a BA in Education, Mathematics, and Gaeilge from MIC Thurles and is currently studying the MA sa Ghaeilge (Ceannaireacht i dTeanga, Cultúr agus Pobal) at MIC Limerick. Michaela will be teaching Gaeilge at College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Massachusetts as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Awardee. Michaela’s primary goal is to ignite a passion for Gaeilge and Irish culture.
Melissa Scully a native of Kildare, is currently pursuing a Master’s in Applied Linguistics at MIC Limerick, where she is deepening her expertise in language and communication. Melissa looks forward to inspiring students at the University of Montana in the upcoming academic year as a Fulbright FLTA awardee and she anticipates the opportunity of returning to Ireland with a wealth of new experience and knowledge.
Dr Julie Morrissy, a poet and Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the MIC Pathologies of Violence: Inscriptions of Global Conflict in Irish Literature 1922-present (PATHOS) Project has been named one of nine Fulbright Irish Scholars for 2025. Dr Morrissy's practice routinely explores experiences of womanhood before and after the founding of the Irish State, in both social and legal contexts. Her Fulbright project focusses on the transatlantic friendship between two women activists: Alice Park (US; 1861-1961) and Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (IE; 1877-1946). Dr Morrissy will conduct her research at University of California, Berkeley, while also visiting archives at Stanford University and The Huntington Library.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward S. Walsh said:
“The Fulbright Program plays a crucial role in strengthening ties between the United States and Ireland. Through educational and cultural exchanges, Fulbright awardees work toward fostering mutual understanding and finding solutions to global issues, ensuring that our extraordinary transatlantic relationship continues to flourish. I congratulate this year’s awardees on their success.”
Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris T.D., added:
“I warmly congratulate the Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2025-2026. The Fulbright Program – spanning 14 presidential administrations – has been an important initiative in sustaining the unique and special relationship that Ireland and the United States share. I am proud that my Government has supported Fulbright to maintain and strengthen ties between the U.S. and Ireland and build on our transatlantic academic and cultural connections. I want to wish the Fulbright Irish Awardees 2025-2026 every success as they embark on this exciting journey.”
Congratulating them on their awards, President of MIC, Prof. Dermot Nestor noted:
“It is a source of great pride to see the academic excellence and cultural commitment of our students and scholars recognised through the Fulbright Irish Awards. Michaela, Melissa, and Julie each exemplify the values we seek to foster at MIC — a dedication to learning, to the Irish language and culture, and to international engagement. We wish them every success as they bring their expertise and enthusiasm to their host institutions in the United States.”
The Fulbright Programme in Ireland was established in 1957 and annually awards grants for Irish citizens to study, research, or lecture in the US, and vice versa. From August 2025 to August 2026, the awardees will travel to the United States to undertake research, study and professional development in a wide range of disciplines.
