Memorial Scholarship
The Mary Eileen Clark Scholarship
Honoring a lifetime of dedication to Irish culture and community, the Irish Centre of Pittsburgh Mary Eileen Clark Scholarship supports students who actively promote Irish heritage through dance, music, and tradition. This award commemorates Mary’s legacy by investing in the education and passion of the next generation of cultural leaders.
Who Can Apply
The Mary Eileen Clark Scholarship is open to active Irish Dance students in the Pittsburgh area, who are planning to enter their first year of post-secondary education .
Key Deadlines
All application materials must be submitted electronically via email to patrickj.clark@verizon.net or mailed to
Irish Centre of Pittsburgh,
126 West 2nd St.,
Greensburg, PA 15601,
Attn: Mary E. Clark Scholarship
no later than May 1st for the upcoming academic year. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Eligibility & Guidelines
Required Documents
Applicants must provide a completed application form, academic transcripts, and a personal essay detailing their involvement in Irish Dance and the impact of the scholarship on the applicants future goals.
Selection Criteria
Successful candidates are selected based on academic merit, the depth of their commitment to preserving Irish heritage, and their potential to impact the future of the Pittsburgh Irish community.
Irish Centre of Pittsburgh
Mary Eileen Clark Scholarship Application
Next Steps
The Mary Eileen Clark Scholarship final application deadline is May 1st. Following the submission period, our committee will evaluate all responses. Finalists will be contacted by May 20th to schedule a personal interview. Decisions will be finalized and announced by June 15th. For any inquiries, reach out to Jim Graven at kayaks201@verizon.net.
About the Mary Eileen Clark Memorial Scholarship
Mary Eileen (Mulkerrin) Clark was first a loving wife and mother of five, and much of her life was dedicated to her family. Mary’s next love, however, was helping preserve the Irish culture in Pittsburgh through several different channels. As a child she danced with the Burke school at the Irish Centre of Pittsburgh and always loved Irish music and dance. This was passed on to her daughters Sheila and Brigid, and youngest son Colm, as they danced with the Burke-Conroy and Burke schools and currently with the Traditional Irish Dance Academy. Mary spent countless hours and drove thousands of miles helping them reach their goals, and she was always there with advice, support, and love regardless of the outcome that day. This love was shared with other children as well as Mary volunteered with the various dance schools and Pittsburgh Feis for many years. Her talents, service, love, and kindness have been greatly missed since she left us all too soon in 2022, and we at The Irish Centre of Pittsburgh hope these scholarships carry Mary’s spirit forward to a new generation of Irish dancers that share her love of Irish culture. In doing so, we have sponsored a total of four $2,500 scholarships this year.
Besides Irish dance, Mary was a member of the Irish Centre of Pittsburgh her entire life and was a board member for many years. She was also a member of the Pittsburgh Irish Rowing Club for over 35 years, many of those as captain of the ladies’ side leading the club to numerous championship seasons. In that setting as well, Mary’s talent, love and kindness were given freely to both her crew and opponents alike.
Mary, with her husband, Patrick, impressed upon their children that respecting their Irish heritage was an important part of their life as Americans and enjoyed seeing them help maintain it. We at the Irish Centre of Pittsburgh are pleased that you have chosen to do so as well and wish you luck in your application for the Mary Eileen Clark Memorial Scholarship, and all your future plans.