Black Shamrock – a Virtuos Studio Establishes Game Design & Development Bursary at TU Dublin
Black Shamrock – a Virtuos Studio, Ireland’s largest AAA game studio, has established a new annual Bursary for students on the TU984 Game Design programme at Technological University Dublin, reinforcing the growing relationship between the studio and the University’s School of Media within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The award recognises exceptional talent, creativity and professional promise within Ireland’s next generation of game designers.
The inaugural recipient of the Bursary is third year Game Design student Sarah Bullough, selected following a competitive process led by Black Shamrock. Students submitted a portfolio of work, with shortlisted candidates invited to interview with a panel of game design and development professionals from the studio. The panel commented on the exceptionally high standard of submissions before selecting Sarah in recognition of her creative vision, technical ability and professional promise.
On 19 February, the Black Shamrock team, led by Hannah Fallon and joined by speakers James Mohan and Molly McCoy, along with Recruitment team member Deirdre O’Grady, visited TU Dublin’s East Quad campus to formally present Sarah with her Bursary in front of academic staff and classmates. The visit continued with a series of studio led talks delivered to more than 100 students from across all years of the Game Design programme. During the sessions, the team shared insight into their experience working on major international titles including ‘The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered’ and ‘Dune: Awakening’, as well as discussing their current work on the upcoming ‘Judas’. Students gained first hand understanding of AAA development pipelines, studio practice and evolving career pathways within the global games industry. The sessions offered direct insight into AAA development and gave students the opportunity to engage with experienced industry professionals about real world production challenges and creative collaboration. The time invested by the Black Shamrock team provided invaluable exposure to current industry expectations and strengthened the connection between classroom learning and professional practice.
Dr Daniel McSweeney, Head of Discipline, Game Design, said:
We are extremely grateful to Black Shamrock for their generosity and their commitment to supporting emerging talent here in TU Dublin Game Design. The fact that their team personally reviewed the portfolios and met with our students speaks volumes about the strength of this partnership. Their willingness to spend valuable time with us on campus sharing experience and advice with our students greatly enriches the learning experience and strengthens the bridge between education and industry. Congratulations to Sarah on her exceptional achievement.
Dr Caroline O’Sullivan, Head of the School of Media, added:
I would like to congratulate the staff in the School of Media for the tremendous work they do in ensuring our programmes remain industry focused and for their tireless commitment to preparing our graduates to be industry ready. This strong focus enables us to build meaningful collaborations with industry partners, and our partnership with Black Shamrock is an excellent example of this in action. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Black Shamrock team for their commitment and for the time and expertise they have generously given to this partnership. Finally, we are absolutely delighted to congratulate Sarah, the inaugural recipient of the Bursary. This is a wonderful achievement, and we look forward to seeing her continued success.
The TU984 Game Design programme, delivered through the School of Media in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at TU Dublin, plays a significant role in preparing graduates for careers in Ireland’s dynamic games sector. The establishment of the Black Shamrock Bursary highlights the strength of collaboration between academia and industry and underscores TU Dublin’s continued leadership in Game Design education.
TU Dublin warmly congratulates Sarah Bullough on becoming the first recipient of the Black Shamrock Game Design and Development Bursary and extends sincere thanks to Black Shamrock – a Virtuos Studio for their ongoing support and engagement.