Special Irish Recognition awards for Mayo students

University of Galway has presented Special Irish Recognition Awards to a number of Mayo students who achieved a distinction in Higher Level Irish in their Junior Cycle examination.

More than 160 students from 46 schools from Donegal, Clare, Mayo, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon and Galway attended the awards event on campus to recognise and celebrate their achievements.

These students are among the 3.3% of students across the country who achieved a distinction in the Higher Level T2 Irish paper, or the 3.8% of students who achieved a distinction in the Higher Level T1 paper in the 2024 Junior Cycle examinations by scoring between 90% and 100%.

University of Galway Interim President Professor Peter McHugh said: “We are very proud of the Irish language here in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe and we are delighted to welcome these exceptional students, who achieved outstanding results in their Irish Junior Cycle examinations last year.

"It is our privilege to give these students the praise and recognition they deserve, and to celebrate their achievements with them at this special event.

"I would also like to acknowledge the dedication, encouragement and support of their families, teachers and principals, both at home and in the classroom.”

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

These communities were given due recognition each year over the past three years at the Junior Cycle awards event 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.