St Mary’s Alumni Awards 2025 – Celebrating Excellence and Inspiring Futures
St Mary’s was proud once again to celebrate the achievements of our top-performing A-level students at the St Mary’s Alumni Awards 2025. At a special lunch presentation, our award recipients were not only honoured for their hard work and dedication but also had the chance to meet with bursary donors—alumni whose inspiring career journeys offered invaluable advice for the exciting road ahead.
We were especially delighted to welcome back former Principal Mr Michael Crilly, who shared thoughtful words of encouragement with students preparing to take the next step into university life.
Each award carried with it a story of legacy, generosity, and inspiration—reminding our community of the strong bonds formed at St Mary’s and the remarkable paths our alumni continue to carve across the world.
Br Lynam Award
The Br Lynam Award honours the memory of Br Lynam, a gifted mathematician who devoted many years to teaching at St Mary’s. Known for instilling a deep love of maths in his pupils, his legacy continues to inspire new generations. This year’s award was presented to Darragh Sloan, who will study Mathematics at Queen’s University Belfast.
The Tracey Family Award
The Tracey family’s long-standing connection to St Mary’s made this award particularly meaningful. With a history spanning teaching and success in engineering and business across the globe, the family continues to champion future innovators. The Tracey Family Award for Physics was awarded to Conall McGarry, who will embark on his studies in Civil Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast.
Larkin Cassidy Law Bursary
Thanks to the generous support of Larkin Cassidy Solicitors in Belfast, this bursary recognises excellence in A-level study while encouraging students to pursue Law at degree level. The 2025 award was presented by Senior Partner Sinéad Larkin to Michael Marlow, our Head Boy, who will study Law at Ulster University. A talented hurler, Michael has also been awarded a Talented Athlete Award from Ulster University.
The Tanglewood Games Computing Excellence Bursary
Passion for technology and gaming shone through in this award, sponsored by alumnus Terence Burns. Terence’s career spans work with Ubisoft, Epic Games, and the Hogwarts Legacy team, before founding his own studio, Tanglewood. This year’s winner, Aidan Crummey, was recognised as the top-performing Computing student and will pursue Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast, with a keen eye towards Games Design.
Gavin Boyle Award for Excellence
Esteemed alumnus Gavin Boyle, a Cambridge graduate and highly accomplished leader in the financial and charitable sectors, continues to inspire the next generation of Simmarians. The 2025 award was presented by Michael Crilly to Joshua Paul-Rea, who will study Modern and Medieval Languages at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Aside from his academic excellence, Joshua has been awarded a Cambridge Choral Scholarship—the first ever won by a Simmarian, marking a historic achievement for our school.
A Celebration of Legacy and Aspiration
The St Mary’s Alumni Awards are more than just bursaries—they are a living testament to the lifelong relationships formed at St Mary’s. Through the generosity of our alumni, today’s students are supported not only financially, but also through shared stories of resilience, passion, and ambition.
We are proud of all our recipients and look forward to seeing the remarkable contributions they will make in the years ahead.
