Two Irish women among Sky’s Women in Technology Scholars

The five successful applicants will receive a combined bursary of €140,000
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Sky Women in Technology Scholars programme entrants Mary Murphy and Rachel Clancy

26 June 2019

Two Irish women have been included in the lates cohort of entries to Sky’s Women in Technology Scholars programme.

In addition to winning a combined total of €140,000 for the growth of their businesses, the five women will have access to a network of mentors and leading industry executives to further accelerate and nurture their project.

Rachel Clancy from Limerick and Mary Murphy from Mayo will join three other winners from the UK.

Murphy is the youngest of the Sky Scholars. At 16, she and twin sister designed and manufactured the Sheep Marking Gun to help on their family farm. The device is one-handed, while most require two hands, so it lets the farmer hold a sheep while marking it.

Commenting on her achievement, she said: “Sky is making huge efforts to support women in technology and that encouraged me to apply. Our goal is to use technology to solve simple problems that farmers encounter and make their day-to-day lives easier”.

Clancy is a graduate of graphic design and completed her master’s in Independent Game Design. She and her girlfriend Ida have developed a prototype of their game, Get Closer, which teaches children to talk about emotions and mental health issues.

Clancy, who suffers from ADHD, said she hoped her achievement will prove that it has not stopped her from pursuing a career in tech. “People with ADHD tend to think that something involving logical thinking isn’t for them. I’m happy to be represented as a coder with a learning difference as I think there isn’t a lot of visibility for people like us.”

Sky group chief information security officer, Elaine Bucknor, said: “I was blown away with the ingenuity of the projects presented and the calibre of talent and creativity. It’s widely acknowledged that attracting women into technology is a challenge, so we have a responsibility to bring about change.”

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