Mayo students receive Special Irish Recognition Awards

STUDENTS who achieved a distinction in their higher level Irish Junior Cycle examination have been presented with a Special Irish Recognition Award from University of Galway.

Some 140 students from 40 schools in Donegal, Clare, Mayo, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon and Galway attended a special event at the university to recognise and celebrate their achievements.

The students are among the 3.1% of students across the country who achieved a distinction in the higher level T2 Irish paper, or the 4% of students who achieved a distinction in the higher level T1 paper in the 2023 Junior Cycle examinations by scoring between 90% and 100%.

University of Galway Deputy President and Registrar, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, welcomed students and their families to campus and congratulated the teachers and principals while recognising the hard work being done in the schools.

“As part of our commitment to fostering and nurturing a bilingual campus environment and advancing our leadership role in higher education and research in the Irish language we are thrilled to present these awards. These accolades honour students who have excelled and achieved distinction in their Junior Cycle examinations.

“For the second consecutive year, we celebrate their outstanding accomplishments, underscoring the significance of the Irish language not only within University of Galway but also in the broader educational landscape and among communities dedicated to promoting Irish as a vibrant, living language.”

The importance of thriving Irish-speaking communities in the Gaeltacht and beyond is recognised in the university’s first Irish language strategy, A Strategy for the Irish Language 2021-2025, which was launched in July 2021.

The communities were recognised at the inaugural event in 2023 and again in 2024 this year with the university fulfilling its role in leading higher education in the Irish language and showing Irish speakers respect, as is set out in the strategy.