JP McManus last night handed out almost €200,000 worth of third-level scholarships to eight students from his old school.
Each student from Coláiste Mhichíl, formerly the CBS secondary school in Limerick, will receive €6,000 per annum over their next four years in college.
The scholarships were awarded at a ceremony last night at the Dunraven Arms Hotel Adare.
More than 170 guests attended the ceremony, including Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea and Mayor of Limerick Ger Fahy.
Established in 1996, this is the 11th year of the JP McManus Scholarship Awards, which have resulted in payments of more than €1 million to date.
The eight recipients of this year's scholarships are James Hickey, Raymond Kerley, Kevin McKevitt, David Mullane, Kevin Reardon, Kevin Ryan, Raymond Slattery, and Seán Tobin.