A legacy of dedication, humour, and community

Dr. O’Cleirigh taught at the University of Guelph for 40 years. His passion for language, literature, history, and especially for his students led to the creation of the Padraig O’Cleirigh Scholarship, which is funded by his former students and generous public donations.

Dr. O’Cleirigh’s legacy is one of dedication, humour, and community. In the classroom, he brought history alive with recitations of poetry in ancient Latin and Greek, filled the room with laughter, and cultivated a sense of joy in learning.

“POC” had two doors, and they were always open. The first was to his office and the second was to his home. Whether answering question about Classical literature, or hosting dinner parties after the annual Guelph Classics Society Symposium, Dr. O’Cleirigh no only taught history, but built community.

In memory of his contribution to the discipline of Classical Studies and to the lives of his students, we are honoured to present the Padraig O’Cleirigh Scholarship: an award of $500 granted to a senior undergraduate student with demonstrable dedication to and involvement with Classics and their fellow students, an interest in interdisciplinary study, and ambitions to pursue further study at the graduate level.

Synapse Scholarship Association was created to formalize this award and gained official charitable status from the government of Canada in 2016 with the help of its treasurer Elizabeth Walker.