Tara Renaghan
Event Management with Marketing student Tara Renaghan is from Clontibret in County Monaghan.
The 20-year-old was initially drawn to DkIT because of the short commute and the combination of event management and marketing in her chosen course, opening up a wide number of career paths.
The two combined seemed ideal, you can go in to a variety of roles and sectors. Marketing is a huge aspect of every business and particularly when you’re running an event it’s a key part to getting the word out,
The support offered through a GAA scholarship was another major factor in Tara’s decision to choose DkIT. As a scholar, she has the option to receive additional academic support when needed, including help catching up on coursework missed due to matches and other sporting commitments, as well as access to expert guidance and top-class sports facilities.
Tara currently plays with the DkIT Senior Team and O’Neills Shamrocks, though she has stepped back slightly to focus on college and placement. She credits playing at senior level from such a young age as a key driver of her success.
“I was playing with people at a higher level and thinking I need to get better — it gave me that extra push,” she says.
Being a DkIT sports scholar is another major motivator for Tara, encouraging her to lead by example and represent both the college and football. Strength and conditioning is a vital part of her training, and having access to it on campus helps her balance college and home commitments.
With an impressive list of achievements to her name — including Under-14 Ulster Schools A champion, an Under-16 Ulster final appearance with Monaghan Ladies, Minor (U18) Ulster and All-Ireland B titles, and an Ulster Schools All-Star in 2024 — Tara has gone from strength to strength.
Her Event Management and Marketing course at DkIT has also helped her build strong connections with classmates and she is really enjoying the variety of the course, particularly modules such as Event Industry Operations.
Growing up in a family pub, she is no stranger to the hospitality industry, constantly helping to organise anniversaries, birthday parties and other events and has also grabbed many opportunities to gain practical event experience.