Financial help/grant for Masters

OK so, I did my undergrad in Trinity. I'm from the north so wasn't eligible (as far as I knew!) for any grants or anything here, I took out a student loan for my 4 years, as well as working part time. I obviously lived away from home. I stayed on in Dublin after my degree and have been working full time since last October. I applied for a Masters at UCL in London for Sept 2008 start and got accepted. I applied for an AHRC grant in the UK, but didn't get it. There's only about a 5% chance of getting one if you didn't get a First - I got a high 2:1. Therefore I couldn't do the course this year due to lack of money and have deferred my place until next year. I will reapply for that grant this year, but again, chances are low, and it's going to be very difficult to earn the money I need (around 6,000 euro for fees plus London living expenses) by next September.

Am I entitled to any Irish grant to further my studies? I've talked to a load of people who say I am definitely entitled to something. Met an Italian girl who got her course completely funded, and several other people who got funding for their Masters and living expenses. I had just assumed I wasn't eligible but I must have missed something. Again, I've lived away from my parents for five years, funded my own undergrad and have been working full time in Dublin for the last year. If I can't get funding to do the London course, could I get funding to do it here? I'd be happy to go to UCD or back to Trinity if it meant being able to do a Masters at all.

donegal11

you will not recieve a grant studying outside of ireland and the fact you were working will have an effect if you apply for the grant next year to a college within ireland.Also if you are a mature student(over 23) this will affect your application in that your parents income will be taken into account and whether your automatically entitled to a top up grant