There appeared to be almost unanimous joy among students across Galway receiving their Leaving Certificate results in what could be the last year of grade inflation.

A total of 3,079 sat the final secondary school exam this year, with a further 142 sitting the Leaving Cert Applied. Up to 80% of them had never sat any major State exam after doing Transition Year and skipping the 2021 Junior Cycle exams.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) adjusted the marks upwards to ensure results were no lower on average than those in 2023, with 68% of all grades increased following the marking process.

The average adjustment was 7.5%, ranging from 12.1% added to those at the bottom of the scale to 4.8% added at the top.

Principal of St Killian’s College in New Inn outside Ballinasloe, Pádraig Kelly, said even allowing for grade inflation their grades were hugely impressive, with up to 70% of students achieving a H1 or top mark in some subjects.

“That’s a phenomenal achievement. Almost 10% of St Killian’s students achieved over 600 points and 40% achieved over 500 points,” he exclaimed.

“As principal, I am very proud of all our students’ results and the fact that students in our community do not need to travel in order to achieve the highest results.

“There was a wonderful atmosphere on Friday when most of our Leaving Cert students came in to the school to meet with their former teachers and it is very rewarding to see so many happy faces, both staff and students after a number of very challenging years.

“The resilience that they have built in recent years will certainly stand to them in the future.”

Head of the region’s biggest school, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, Alan Mongey, said students and teachers were delighted with this year’s results.

“Here 22% achieved more than 550 points compared to a national percentage of 13%; 40% achieved more than 500 points compared to a national percentage of 24%, while 75% achieved more than 400 points compared to 51% nationally,” he told the Connacht Tribune.

A number of students achieved 625 points with 6A1s while a high number over 600 with 6A1s outside of Maths. One student achieved a phenomenal 7A1s.

Caption: Portumna Community School students Liam O’Sullivan, Michael Duggan and Shauna Parry who received a maximum of 625 LC points.

Read our full round-up on results in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.

A Galway native’s epic fifteen-day trek in an open-top vintage tractor along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way has raised almost €16,000 for people in Gaza.

Teacher and father-of-four Pat Murphy from Corofin braved the elements along the famous picturesque route in his restored 1962 David Brown, which can only reach a maximum speed of 24kph.

His 2,800km drive from Malin Head in Donegal to Mizen Head in Cork caught the attention of thousands of local residents and tourists and made headlines across local and national media.

Pat hoped to raise at least €5,000 on his GoFundMe page called ‘Malin to Mizen Charity Tractor Run for Concern’ – but it has so far raised more than three times that amount for the aid organisation Concern Worldwide and its Gaza appeal.

“I’m very grateful to everyone who donated and supported the tractor run. The whole experience was wonderful,” said Pat on arrival at Mizen Head last Thursday.

“The weather was the biggest challenge. I experienced heavy rain, wind, thunder and lightning so that wasn’t easy.

“I also had to be alert on the road because the roads are like spaghetti and the margins are cliff edges so there wasn’t much room for error.

“The best part of the tractor run was the beautiful scenery and meeting people along the route,” he added.

Pat said he chose Concern because of his past involvement with the charity as a volunteer in Rwanda in 1995 and 1996 after the brutal genocide that occurred there.

“Having worked with Concern in Rwanda, it made me really appreciate how lucky we are here in Ireland. I experienced real poverty and the effects of war,” he said.

“Once I saw the horror in Gaza, I knew I wanted to help. It’s important that the people of Gaza know we care about them and that they are not alone.”

Concern’s Chief Executive David Regan praised Pat Murphy for his incredible fundraising achievement.

“We applaud and thank Pat Murphy and his friends and family supporting him for his incredible fundraising success,” he said.

“He has spent the last two weeks driving in an open top tractor along the Wild Atlantic Way and raised an enormous amount of money, which will go towards helping the people of Gaza.”

Pat was accompanied on his adventure by his friend Tony Harrison who drove a campervan for them to sleep in each night.

Another friend, Brendan Joyce, transported Pat’s tractor from Corofin where he grew up to Malin Head and collected it when they reached Ireland’s most south-westerly point at Mizen Head.

To support Pat Murphy’s tractor fundraising trek for Gaza, go to his GoFundMe page https://gofund.me/2fbd8bd6.

Pictured: Pat Murphy looking back with the Mizen light house in the background having completed his trek for Concern and Gaza.

Galway County Council has digitally mapped over 25,000 memorials, monuments, and gravestones, as part of a community-focused project across the entire county.

The interactive map enables community volunteers and heritage professionals to view and capture data and images in real-time on their mobile devices.

Using the ArcGIS system devised Esri Ireland, a market leader in geographic information systems (GIS), it also means that relatives can search for burial records and ancestors’ graves – and many graveyards can be explored in 3D.

The map is leading to an upsurge in community engagement across more than 50 local groups. It is also being used by historians, archaeologists, genealogists and health researchers, as well as schools.

There are 235 council-owned graveyards throughout Galway with ancient monuments and gravestones that provide invaluable insight into family ancestry and social history.

Previously, community groups in Galway have endeavoured to capture this culturally significant information, using pen and paper to manually note memorial inscriptions.

But now Galway County Council’s interactive map, accessed through the Graveyard Memorial Search App, enables volunteers and heritage professionals to view and capture data and images in real-time on their mobile devices.

It provides aerial photography of each graveyard, allowing users to zoom into pictorial maps of graveyards on their devices, and accurately identify each gravestone and record data pertaining to it.

The online map provides a streamlined, cloud-based process for collecting, validating, managing and sharing memorial data.

It has made the process ten times faster and delivers more accurate and consistent data, which will help to preserve Galway’s graveyard heritage for future generations.

Already, data on over 35 graveyards is available via the app, providing citizens with easy, online access to ancestry information.

With over 30 further graveyard surveys planned or in progress, Galway County Council, with support from the Heritage Council, is rapidly expanding the amount of information available via the app.

The technology can also be replicated by other county councils and used by all kinds of community groups going forward.

Barry Doyle, GIS Manager, Galway County Council, said that the secret to the success of the project is its simplicity.

“Everything is done in one efficient, seamless process where the data is stored and accessed centrally in the cloud. With this ArcGIS process we are enabling community groups to achieve their heritage objectives,” he said.

“Digitising Galway’s graveyard heritage has been a powerful way to enable people to learn about the local and national heritage that can be found in graveyards,” added Galway County Council Heritage Officer Marie Mannion.

“People can now search for and find photographs of their family’s memorials online and form a stronger connection with their past. It’s an incredible resource for everyone.”

Pictured: Galway County Council Heritage Officer Marie Mannion, Athenry Heritage Centre manager Alan Burgess, Galway County Council GIS Manager Barry Doyle and Jack Ffrench of Esri Ireland at the Athenry Heritage Centre to announce that Galway County Council has digitally mapped over 25,000 memorials, monuments, and gravestones across the county.

Galway Simon Community invites everyone – individuals, families, schools, companies and clubs – to give up their bed for one night, on Friday, October 4, with one purpose…to change the lives of those facing homelessness in the west.

By raising funds and awareness, you are joining a movement that ensures vulnerable people in our community have a safe place to sleep every night and receive the wraparound supports they need to leave homelessness behind them for good.

Galway Simon invites you to grab your warmest sleeping bag, get your flasks of tea and hot chocolate at the ready and organise a Sleep Out. And if you can’t sleep out on the night you can still show your support by donating to the Sleep Out for Simon at www.galwaysimon.ie/events/sleep-out/

Galway Simon has also announced that MJ Conroy Construction group are once more the main sponsor of the Sleep Out for Simon.

Karen Golden, CEO of Galway Simon Community, explained why they are relying on the community to come together and raise funds for those living with the threat of homelessness.

“The fear and trauma of having nowhere to sleep is a stark reality for an ever-increasing number of people right across our community,” she said.

“Homelessness is affecting all demographics: young, old, singles, families, unemployed, employed–all under extreme pressure and being left with nowhere to call home.

“We are asking for the help of our community so that we can continue delivering the support needed to protect the most vulnerable in our society from the threat of homelessness,” she added.

Last year, Galway Simon supported 980 households across Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

“Thanks to the generosity of our wonderful communities, we were able to support 201 families, including 415 children,” said Karen.

“This is a phenomenal achievement and wouldn’t be possible without the continued support we receive. The number of people contacting our services for assistance continues to rise across the West.

“The vital funds raised through Sleep Out for Simon ensures that we can continue to be there for those seeking our assistance,” she added.

This year Galway Simon has set the target of raising €100,000 from the Sleep Out – and 100% of proceeds will go directly towards Galway Simon’s Homelessness Prevention Services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, including their community support, youth, women and family services, ensuring the charity can safeguard these essential community services and support those in need.

To register for the Sleep Out for Simon today, visit www.galwaysimon.ie/events/sleep-out/

Pictured: Launching this year’s Simon Sleep-Out were (from left) Carol Hynes of Galway Simon; sponsors reps David Conroy of MJ Conroy and Denise Ryan of Boston Scientific; Fintan Maher of Galway Simon, and Damien Tummon of Boston Scientific. Photo: Mike Shaughnessy.

One in seven people continue to drop their gum on the ground, according to new findings from the Gum Litter Taskforce, the national awareness campaign which aims to make gum litter an issue of the past.

This accounts for 19 per cent of men and nine per cent of women, showing a higher tendency in men to not properly dispose of their gum.

In an effort to reduce those figures, the Gum Litter Taskforce took to the streets of Athenry as a part of its Summer Roadshow at the weekend.

The interactive roadshow works with local authorities and communities across the country to carry out fun and engaging education and awareness initiatives that demonstrate the proper means of gum disposal and raise awareness of the environmental and fiscal impacts of gum litter.

Now in its seventeenth year, the campaign is a collaboration between Food Drink Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities.

The GLT research also found that the biggest deterrent of gum litter is peer pressure, but one in four say they have changed their behaviour as a result of the educational messaging from the Bin-it campaign.

The findings highlight the continued impact of the GLT, a joint initiative of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Food Drink Ireland, and the chewing gum industry, which has played a key role in promoting proper gum litter disposal, since its launch in 2007.

The GLT campaign travels across the country, working with local authorities to host its Summer Roadshow, which promotes responsible gum disposal by highlighting the environmental impacts of gum and general litter. This is supplemented by the ‘Bin It!’ school roadshow and a social media campaign to target 16–24-year-olds.

A further positive impact of the campaign is evident from the 16% of young people who reported having stopped the habit of ‘dropping or spitting’ gum recently post campaign.

This year’s campaign will see representatives from the Gum Litter Taskforce working with local authorities and communities to carry out education and awareness initiatives that demonstrate the proper means of gum disposal and raise awareness of the environmental and fiscal impacts of improper disposal.

In September, the Gum Litter Taskforce’s Bin It! education programme will travel across the country and deliver 60 performances a year to primary and secondary schools nationwide, with the ambition to visit 180 schools by 2025.

This is in addition to useful lesson plan material that has been made available to almost 730 schools across Ireland.

Pictured during the Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) Summer Roadshow in Athenry (left to right) Martin Cummins (Community Warden), Uinsinn Finn (Deputy Chief Executive) Mark Molloy (Assistant EAO) and Tomás Clancy, Laura Mullins, Liam Brien, Thomas O’Sullivan, David Kelly (Community Wardens) of Galway County Council; Ella Seery, Gum litter Taskforce; Chris Harrington (Senior Community Warden) and Maria Flynn (Administrative Officer) of Galway County Council; and David Hopkins of Gum Litter Taskforce.

WATER restrictions, which had been in place in the Dunmore area of North Galway, have been lifted by Uisce Éireann.

The restrictions, which had been in place through last week, were then extended through the weekend to allow water levels return to normal levels.

According to Uisce Éireann, the low water levels in the Dunmore reservoir (Gortcarrow Springs) had been caused by ‘mechanical issues’ at the water treatment plant.

Uisce Éireann had warned last week that customers in the Dunmore, Garrafrauns and Clonberne areas – including the Boyounagh-Beallyedmund and Knockmascahill group schemes – could be affected.

However, this week, Justin Doran of Uisce Éireann, confirmed that water restrictions had now been lifted in the area since last Monday.

“Uisce Éireann would like to thank the community for their support while crews worked to return a normal supply to all customers.

“We monitored the water levels in the reservoir on an hourly basis in order to minimise disruption to customers.

“I am happy to report that the restrictions have now been lifted and that the network is recharging,” said Justin Doran.

Local Dunmore FG councillor, Ollie Turner, told the Connacht Tribune that over the years there had been ongoing issues with water quality, supply and connections in the greater Dunmore area.

“This is not a satisfactory situation for the local community, and Uisce Éireann must tackle as a matter of urgency, issues relating to water quality as well as people still waiting for connections to the supply.

“There are homes in the Carrowpadden and Garrafrauns areas who are still waiting for a water connection – this is simply not good enough in 2024,” said Cllr. Turner.

■ Uisce Éireann’s customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact them on X @IWCare with any queries. For updates, please see the water supply and services section of the Uisce Éireann website.

Pictured: Dunmore FG councillor, Ollie Turner: This is not a satisfactory situation for the local community.

Green Sod Ireland, in partnership with Notre Dame University, are hosting a Biodiversity Summer School over the weekend after next, with an expert panel of speakers led by Benjamin Thébaudeau, of Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark, Dr Terry Morley of the University of Galway and Jess Williams of Hometree.

‘Green Sod’ is an Irish environmental charity and land trust based in Galway, dedicated to the protection of Irish land for its wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems; and the two day event will involve environmental charities, professionals, local community groups, and members of the public.

“We are proud to partner with Notre Dame and this is a real opportunity for individuals, communities, and organisations to actively participate in the preservation of Ireland’s natural heritage. Participants can also learn how to take positive action for biodiversity loss and climate change in Ireland,” said Janet Laffey, Programme Manager of Green Sod Ireland.

“We in Green Sod work with ecologists who assess the land under conservation, largely gifted or willed by benefactors, who advise on action plans for immediate and future care. The organisation also works with farmers to improve the protection of ‘Wild Acres’ and the natural environment by applying a passive management approach to protect and conserve areas of biodiversity.”

The programme for Saturday, August 31, and begins at 10am and the series of talks, workshops and information sessions continue until 7pm with a break for lunch; the agenda for Sunday, September 1, kicks off a 9.45am, running until 3.15pm – again with a break for lunch.

Director of Greensod Maria Heneghan said that the focus of the event is to provide a series of talks, workshops and other events that are both educational and enjoyable.

“Events like this are invaluable as they help to raise awareness of not only the benefits of caring for biodiversity and land, but of the importance of understanding that all life is interdependent and interconnected,” she said.

“The benefits of rewilding will be demonstrated with the aim of inspiring those in attendance to engage in a conscious, flourishing relationship with the land.”

Green Sod Ireland is committed to the conservation of Irish land, recognising its inherent and historical wildness. Through the establishment of ‘Wild Acres’ and other initiatives, the organisation aims to create protected spaces that allow wildlife and ecosystems to flourish.

By protecting Irish wild spaces, Green Sod Ireland plays a crucial role in sustaining ecosystems and biodiversity. The organisation believes that by safeguarding Irish habitats, we contribute to the overall healthy ecosystems.

Green Sod Ireland has been gifted 200 acres of land known as ‘Wild Acres’ in Counties Galway, Cork, Carlow, Donegal, Mayo and Cavan.

Pictured: The Greensod Ireland team ahead of the Kylemore Biodiversity Summer School.

It’s a thriving Galway business that has created gifts for a pope, an American president and Ireland football legend . . . and now Kenny’s Bindery, a renowned name in the art of bookbinding, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Established in 1974, Kenny’s has upheld the tradition of fine craftsmanship, serving bibliophiles, institutions, and collectors with unparalleled dedication for half a century.

Based in Liosbán Industrial Estate on the Tuam Road in Galway City, it specialises in a diverse range of binding solutions, from thesis binding to poetry books, rebinding to family histories. The team at Kenny’s also restore beloved books and can be commissioned for custom binding and gifts.

Over the past 50 years, Kenny’s Bindery has celebrated numerous milestones, from being the first bookbindery to go online in 1994, to prestigious commissions, including creating gifts for Pope John Paul II, Muhammad Ali, Bill Clinton, and Jack Charlton to name a few.

Gerry Kenny, a son of the Kenny’s Bookshop dynasty, explained how he got involved in the craft of bookbinding.

“When my father, Des Kenny, asked me in late summer 1970, ‘How would you feel about a career in bookbinding?’ I immediately knew it was the right path for me. I had always known that university wasn’t in my future, so learning a trade like bookbinding was a perfect fit, especially since I grew up surrounded by books.

“My parents, Des and Maureen, had established their bookshop, Kennys Bookshop in Galway in the 1940s, making books an integral part of our lives. I started my apprenticeship in September 1970 at JF Newman Bookbinders in Dublin.

“I was fortunate from day one, as I was placed in the fine binding section under the guidance of two master bookbinders, Des Breen and Cathal O’Grady. My father’s long-term vision was to open a bindery in Galway that would produce fine bindings to sell in the bookshop. That dream came to fruition in September 1974 with the opening of Kenny’s Bindery,” Gerry said.

In 2021, the business embarked on a new chapter as it transitioned to the next generation, with Gerry’s daughter, Caroline, and her husband, Troy, now at the helm, ensuring the continuation of this cherished legacy.

“I’m very honoured to carry on my dad’s legacy and to keep the art of bookbinding alive at Kenny’s Bindery,” said Caroline Kenny Redmond.

“In bookbinding, you never truly become a master; there’s always more to learn, new techniques to explore, and challenges to meet.

“The ongoing evolution of this craft is what makes it so rewarding. Each day presents a chance to grow and improve, which keeps the journey exciting.

“I hope to do my dad proud by maintaining the high standards he set while also bringing my own passion and vision to the business. It’s a privilege to be part of something so meaningful, and I’m excited to carry on the tradition,” added Caroline.

Pictured: The Kenny family outside their iconic High Street store.

A former member of Fine Gael’s national executive and current chairman of the party in Galway East has confirmed that he plans to run for a place on the party’s ticket for the constituency ahead of the General Election

Shane Dolphin, Mullagh is to contest the Fine Gael Selection Convention in New Inn Leisure Centre on Sunday, September 8.

The 24-year-old UCD Agricultural Science graduate is now working as a Lecturer in ATU Mountbellew Agricultural College and is preparing for a career in politics, while also establishing his own farming enterprise in his native Gurtymadden.

Upon graduating from UCD in 2021, Shane worked in Leinster House for Regina Doherty for two years. Regina Doherty was elected as an MEP in June.

‘’I look forward to speaking to all members of Fine Gael over the next few weeks and setting out my stall as to why I should be the Dáil candidate, to win a seat, and to proudly represent and to be a new voice for East Galway in Dáil Éireann,” he said.

He was elected as Vice President of Young Fine Gael in 2021 and spent almost four years on the FG Executive Council, the party’s governing body.

He is currently Chair of Galway East Fine Gael and in 2022, he spearheaded a large commemorative event in Kilrickle village to remember Patrick Hogan – the State’s first Minister for Agriculture; which was attended by over 300 people, with Simon Coveney as the keynote speaker.

Shane is also very active in Macra na Feirme, being one of the founding members of Greylakes Macra (Loughrea) and is currently a member of the Macra Board of Directors.

Pictured: Shane Dolphin