Mr Geaney, who is from Rush, Co Dublin, has recently begun his work placement with Matheson.

The annual bursary is named in memory of the late Adrian Jordan, who worked in Matheson for nearly 20 years, latterly as Matheson’s IT operations manager.

It is open to students of the National College of Ireland who are enrolled in a third-level IT, computer science or related degree programme.

The recipient is awarded a six-month placement in Matheson’s IT department along with a financial contribution towards college fees.

Matheson’s director of IT, Luke Tyrrell, said: “Our friend and colleague, Adrian Jordan, sadly passed away in October 2024.

“He was a passionate believer in the importance of education and despite his busy role was continuously learning new skills and taking on new challenges.

“We therefore decided to create a partnership with the National College of Ireland which would honour his memory and his love of learning.

“With the support of Adrian’s family, we have designed an annual bursary which gives an IT student valuable hands-on experience in key areas such as customer service, project management and information security.

“It offers them the opportunity to develop technical skills, contribute to real-world projects, and learn best practice in IT operations within a professional services environment.

“We are delighted to welcome Seán Geaney as the first recipient of the award.”

Mr Geaney said: “I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity to develop my technical and professional skills.

“I am committed to making the most of this opportunity and I look forward to learning from the experienced team and leadership in Matheson as I work towards becoming the highest-level IT professional I can be.

“As a recipient of the Adrian Jordan Bursary, I aspire to serve as a benchmark and role model for future recipients.

“I am determined to represent the values of this honour with dedication and professionalism and wish to demonstrate what a motivated young professional can achieve through hard work and continuous learning.”

From Rush in North County Dublin, Mr Geaney is a 23-year-old computer science student at the National College of Ireland, currently working towards his bachelor’s degree, with an expected graduation in 2027.

From an early age, he has held a strong interest in the technology industry, growing up in a household where technology was a constant theme, influenced by his father’s more than three-decade-long career in IT development.