IT WAS GOOD news for some Trinity College Dublin PhD students, after an anonymous donor provided €260,000 to support their lab work that was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The news was confirmed by the college on Twitter. 

The mystery donor provided the huge sum to support some of the PhD students whose work in Trinity College Dublin’s labs was negatively impacted by the virus and the coronavirus restrictions. 

The donor is said to be a former student of the university. Eighty-seven PhD students are set to be eligible for a monthly stipend paid for by the donation.  

They’ll all be able to receive the funding for up to four months. 

The news was welcomed by staff at the college, which has remained largely closed for months because of the pandemic. 

College life is likely to look very different this year, with students required to maintain a two-metre social distance while on campus and much of the teaching moved online. 

An expected drop-off in international students is also set to have a major financial impact on Irish colleges.