Leaving Cert Irish paper one: a topical paper with some notable absences
Stephen Doyle,
Studyclix.ie
subject expert and a teacher at Moyle Park College said that, while the questions were generally fair, some detailed questions in Cuid C required careful listening skills.
'The composition section provided excellent choices that any well-prepared student could tackle confidently,' Mr Doyle said.
'The essay options gave students a wide range of current and relevant topics including people they admire, whether Ireland is a good place to live, environmental issues, and timely topics like world politics and current news stories.'
READ MORE
Artificial intelligence, which was expected to appear, provided opportunities for students on a paper most students would be happy with, said Mr Doyle.
Lorraine Finn, ASTI subject representative for Irish, said that she found the artificial intelligence question a bit niche, while the climate change question provided limited scope.
'Otherwise, there was more or less everything you might expect. Most students would have an essay prepared on their topic of their lives today,' she said.
But Danielle O'Connell, an Irish teacher with
TheTutitionCentre.ie
, said that expected topics such as
An Ghaeilge
(the Irish language) and
córas oideachais
(the education system) were notably absent from the exam.
'One welcome inclusion for many students was the essay prompt
scéalta nuachta na linne seo
(news stories of our time), which allowed candidates to adapt their prepared content across a range of issues,' said Ms O'Connell.
'This flexibility meant that topics such as
géarchéim na tithíochta
(the housing crisis) and even education or climate issues could be woven into the question
Éire – an tír mhaith í le cónaí inti?
(Ireland – is it a good country to live in?), provided students took time to plan their approach carefully.'
Overall, Mr Doyle said that this was a fair and balanced paper.
'There was a wide variety of options that gave students good opportunities to succeed,' he said.
Ordinary level
On the ordinary-level paper, Mr Doyle said it was very accessible.
'The composition section offered simple choices including writing a blog on shopping, an interesting place or their favourite sports person.
'On the other hand, the vocabulary needed for section C (the letter, would have challenged any sixth year ordinary-level student. Section D, the conversation, allowed students to talk about a part-time job; however, the question was very specific.
'The story option would be welcomed by students as it allowed them to discuss music and a concert they attended. Overall, this was a manageable paper,' Mr Doyle said.
Try this one at home:
Scríobh AISTE nó ALT NUACHTÁIN/IRISE ar cheann amháin de na hábhair seo.
A - Daoine a bhfuil meas agam orthu.
B - Éire – an tír mhaith í le cónaí inti?
C - An comhshaol – ábhar imní do phobail an domhain.
D - Polaiteoirí agus cúrsaí polaitíochta ar fud an domhain.
E - Scéalta móra nuachta na linne seo.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
OPW to end contracts with Elon Musk's Starlink once Irish alternative is available
The Office of Public Works (OPW) has said it will discontinue its contracts with Elon Musk's Starlink satellite service once an alternative from an Irish company is available. The OPW is one of a number of State agencies that relies on the controversial former Donald Trump ally's satellite internet services company. An Garda Síochána, the Prison Service and the Revenue Commissioners also currently have Starlink contracts. Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX , is a powerful broadband internet system based on a constellation of thousands of low-orbit satellites. It offers internet services to more than six million people across 140 countries. The OPW contracts Starlink to bring internet and phone data coverage to two historic sites in remote parts of the country with poor connectivity. READ MORE The first is Tintern Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in partial ruins on the Hook peninsula in Co Wexford. The second is Annes Grove, an estate near Castletownroche in Co Cork. The OPW started using Starlink last June. The OPW said it signed up to Starlink for 'remote sites where we were unable to acquire a suitable broadband service locally or through existing procurement frameworks'. 'These satellite services are procured on a month-to-month basis and are likely to be discontinued once terrestrial alternatives become available in the future,' it said. The Office of the Revenue Commissioners also uses Starlink for maritime satellite internet communication units on each of its three anti-smuggling patrol vessels. These vessels, called cutters, need internet services for their analytics and detection technologies. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the three Revenue cutters are 'utilising services provided by Starlink', which were 'procured in line with public procurement procedures'. Mr Donohoe was responding to a series of parliamentary questions from Fine Gael TD for Longford-Westmeath Micheál Carrigy. Mr Carrigy asked a number of Government Ministers if their departments or any agencies under their aegis had contracts with Starlink. Revenue said it had spent €93,237 on Starlink since 2023, and the SpaceX-owned service is 'widely used as a cost-effective marine data provider across the marine industry internationally'. It said it has 'no issues or concerns' regarding the current services provided by Starlink. [ Elon Musk's Irish friends and their influence on the powerful billionaire Opens in new window ] Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said both An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service 'have procured Starlink satellite services to support their telecommunications requirements'. A spokesman for the prison service said it 'does not comment on operational or security matters'. On Thursday, Mr Musk was forced to apologise after Starlink suffered a major international outage that knocked tens of thousands of users offline. On X, the social media platform which he also owns, Mr Musk wrote: 'Sorry for the outage. SpaceX will remedy root cause to ensure it doesn't happen again.' The rare disruption, which affected Starlink users across the US and Europe, was blamed on an internal software failure. [ Profits jump at Irish unit of Musk's Starlink Opens in new window ] [ Starlink's Irish unit proves a lucrative one for its staff Opens in new window ]
Irish Times
20-07-2025
- Irish Times
‘Deep and rich' story of medieval high rulers and nobles determined by archaeologists in Galway
A ringfort overlooking Galway bay was a settlement for high-status rulers and nobles in Ireland's early medieval period, archaeologists have determined. Rathgurreen Ringfort, in the Maree area of Co Galway, has been described as an impressive, 'high-status' settlement that could date anywhere from the 5th to 12th century AD, with evidence of contact with Rome, Scotland, France and Scandinavia, possibly including the trade of valuable purple dye. An eight-week archaeological excavation, directed by Dr Michelle Comber and Dr Noel McCarthy of the discipline of archaeology at University of Galway , determined the ringfort was the settlement of a king or a lord. Glass and amber beads; an Iron Age knife; ancient axe heads and stone tools; French pottery found at Rathgurreen Ringfort. Photograph: Aengus McMahon The ringfort, on a panoramic site with views south to the Burren, west to the Atlantic and north across Galway was first investigated and proposed as a high-status settlement by professor Michael Duignan, then chair of archaeology at the university, in the late 1940s. Excavations now suggest that parts of the site are potentially 1,000 years older than previously thought. A team of professionals, students and volunteers took part in the archaeological dig this summer on a section of the 100m diameter ringfort. Dr Comber, lecturer in archaeology at University of Galway, said it could be asserted with some certainty that Maree is an ancient territory. There are up to 40 ringforts in the area, most of which are only a third the size of Rathgurreen, as well as a number of earlier prehistoric sites. The name Mearaí (Maree) appears in several early legends, often associated with warriors or other figures bearing that name. Dr Comber said the team's research confirms that Rathgurreen was the home of a noble family – 'hence the description as high-status.' 'But the story is much deeper and richer. We have evidence of continuity and change at this site – a settlement that possibly dates back to the iron age, that was later developed into a very fine ringfort. A new home with links to ancestors would certainly have been very attractive to early medieval nobility.' Dr Michelle Comber holding a turquoise and red glass bead found at the Rathgurreen Ringfort and believed to date from Early Medieval Ireland. Credit: Aengus McMahon The archaeology team found a number of glass beads, some coloured blue and another turquoise and red. These have parallels in other parts of Ireland and Scotland in the Iron Age – the era that immediately precedes the early medieval period. The dig has also confirmed the presence of early medieval pottery from northern France and amber beads likely connected with Scandinavian trade routes used by the Vikings. Evidence of the manufacture of purple dye at Rathgurreen comprises the remnants of dog-whelk shellfish that were processed at the settlement to produce the rare, and therefore, valuable colouring. Dr Comber said: 'We are working in an ancient high-status settlement located roughly midway along the Atlantic seaboard. In no sense, though, would it have been viewed as 'wild' or isolated – on the contrary it was part of a wider community and had links with other parts of Ireland, Scotland and mainland Europe. The adjacent coast provided relatively easy access to the outside world – seaways were the motorways of their day. 'The big takeaway from this site is that a place like Galway had a wider significance in the past, and that significance translates into the present. This one site has many tales to tell and roles to play. People come to the west of Ireland and they think it's isolated and remote, but Maree's ancient remains tell us that western Ireland was not cut off from the wider world, geographically or culturally.' The modern excavations began with geophysical surveys that provided hints of what might be present beneath the grass. In conjunction with the results from the 1940s, these helped guide the work this summer. The excavation marks the launch of a new research project exploring land use through time on the Maree peninsula in Galway with the university team hoping to continue digs at the site in 2026 and to pursue other locations in the area in future years. The larger project is supported by the Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland. It also involves local, national and international communities – developing a conservation management plan for Rathgurreen, in conjunction with landowners, ecological and archaeological experts and funded by the National Monuments Service Community Monuments Fund via Galway County Council.
Irish Times
19-07-2025
- Irish Times
Ireland far behind other countries for IVF genetic testing, doctors and advocates say
Eight healthy babies were recently conceived via in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the UK using DNA from three people to avoid inheriting serious genetic mutations, but it could be many years before these procedures are permitted under law in Ireland. The remarkable scientific development was years in the making. The procedure is carried out in cases where the mother is known to have a genetic mutation in her mitochondrial DNA – the power house of the cell that makes up human tissue. The mother's egg is artificially fertilised by the father's sperm, and the genetic material from this embryo is extracted and transferred to a donor's egg, one which doesn't have mitochondrial mutation. The vast majority of the DNA is that of the mother and father, with the donor only providing less than a tenth of a per cent to the embryo's genetic code. It nonetheless has the potential to provide hope for families around the world. Graphic: Newcastle University/Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/PA Wire Dr Jane Farrar, from Trinity College 's genetics department, explains that mutations in the mitochondria are rare, yet manifest themselves in serious health issues from birth. Babies born with these mutations often suffer brain, heart and muscle failure from a young age as well as developmental delays. Dr Farrar says there is a range of mitochondrial disease with a spectrum of symptoms, all of which are severe. Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) can lead to quite sudden, sometimes total loss of vision in both eyes. Dr Farrar says this is an onset disease and often takes place in young adulthood. On the other hand, Leigh Syndrome is a disorder characterised by progressive and gradual loss of muscle use and brain function. This is evident from infancy and early childhood, she says. The eight healthy babies in the UK were born after about 20 years of genetic and medical research, and in 2015 a change in law allowed for this procedure to be carried out. In spite of the Church of England and other religious leaders questioning its ethics, the UK parliament passed it by a two-thirds majority. IVF clinics in Ireland are not permitted under law to carry out this procedure. The Department of Health calls it 'a relatively new and highly complex form of assisted human reproduction technology'. A department spokesperson said the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 'establishes a regulatory framework for fertility clinics and assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments, aiming to ensure consistency, oversight and ethical standards in practice and research'. The National Infertility Support and Information Group (NISIG) said 'while work is under way to establish a regulatory authority for Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) treatment in Ireland as part of this legislation, research like this in the UK highlights just how far behind Ireland still is in comparison to other countries'. They said it is imperative the government's regulatory framework includes an authority that 'enables the use of pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) of embryos; posthumous assisted human reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research'. Dr John Waterstone, a graduate of Trinity College's genetics department as well as its medical school, is the founder and director of Waterstone Clinic, one of Ireland's largest IVF providers. While he acknowledges the 'very experimental' nature of the procedure, he says 'it is pretty remarkable that they've managed to do it. It's an incredible achievement for them'. He says that for some 'it's ethically questionable' to facilitate genetic modification of embryos but adds that this is for 'couples who have found themselves in tragic situations. Really traumatic, horrendous experiences of parents' children dying in infancy after being born with rare genetic mutations'. Waterstone Clinic does provide pre-implantation genetic testing on embryos to discover if parents are unknowingly passing down genetic mutations that could cause serious health conditions in their children. However, Dr Waterstone says that the kind of procedure that took place in the UK is unlikely to come to Ireland anytime soon. 'I don't really think in the foreseeable future that anyone in Ireland who's diagnosed with mitochondrial disease will receive that treatment here. It's more viable to go to the UK,' he says. Given the rarity of these mutations, 'one in 5,000 individuals might have mitochondrial diseases', he says and the necessity for this treatment is not widespread.
