104-640: The Leaving Certificate Examination ( Irish : Scrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta ), commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert or (informally) the Leaving (Irish: Ardteist ), is the final exam of the Irish secondary school system and the university matriculation examination in Ireland. It takes a minimum of two years' preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after
208-540: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
312-697: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
416-560: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
520-401: A bilingual Ordinary. However, Mathematics, in contrast, has a total of six: three levels: Higher, Ordinary and Foundation, each with both English and Irish versions. Higher Level papers are printed on pink paper, while Ordinary Level papers are printed on powder blue paper. In the case of certain subjects, such as Geography, full-colour photographs need to be printed and as such, all pages but
624-472: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
728-541: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
832-508: A foreign language as an entry requirement, usually excluding engineering and computer science related courses. Non-curricular languages The following languages can only be taken if the student is from a member state of the European Union, speaks the language in which they opt to be examined in as a mother tongue, has followed a programme of study leading to the Leaving Certificate and is taking Leaving Certificate English. Another condition
936-448: A foreign language, with the points from their six highest-scoring subjects being considered. Once base criteria have been met, course places are offered to the applicants with the highest points. Subjects taken at foundation level are rarely counted for matriculation to university. Some universities require a foreign language and Irish. Exemptions are available for learning difficulties, birth outside Ireland, not having taken Irish before
1040-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
1144-503: A half weeks, but may last longer for students taking exams in uncommon subjects, such as non-curricular languages. Exams were cancelled or postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exam timetable was reorganised in 2008 to reduce the intensity of the exam period. Particular changes included the moving of English Paper Two to Thursday afternoon, as opposed to its usual time of Wednesday afternoon after English Paper One, to reduce
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#17330942138851248-544: A minimum grade of H5 in Chemistry at higher level. Most commonly, engineering and science programmes require Mathematics and/or a physical science. Other courses, such as Medicine, have similar matriculation requirements. From 2012 onwards, the greatest CAO points that can be achieved in the Leaving Certificate is 625 points, equivalent to six Higher Level H1s and 25 bonus points for passing (scoring an H6 or higher) Higher-Level Mathematics. Every year, approximately 150 students score
1352-493: A normal distribution on Leaving Certificate Examination scores, however, this ignores quantification problems and issues such as an A in one subject like Mathematics reflects greater attainment than an A in another subject. Admission to universities and colleges is by a points system, run by the Central Applications Office (CAO). The points allocations shown in the accompanying table have been collectively agreed by
1456-574: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
1560-554: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
1664-527: A poll found 71% of parents were against the solution and wanted an alternative. A campaign was set up with the aim of replacing the Leaving Cert with predicted grades, with a petition on CancelTheLC.com receiving 20,000 signatures. Political pressure also occurred as the Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin parties were critical of the solution and urged the Leaving Certificate exams to be cancelled. On 8 May 2020, it
1768-611: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
1872-488: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
1976-600: A standardisation process. The subjects listed below are available to Leaving Certificate students, though most schools only offer a limited number. The subjects are in five groups, with most subjects belonging to one group. L1, Mandatory languages L2, Native, Modern and Classical languages Taking a third, foreign language is mandatory in some secondary schools due to most courses in the National University of Ireland (NUI) universities ( University of Galway , University College Cork , Maynooth University ) requiring
2080-471: A traditional exam in November 2020. The results would not be available in time for the 2020 academic year. In 2021, for each subject, candidates were given a choice to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations, take an Accredited Grade or opt for the better of the two. The examinations were extended over a 15-day period, instead of the usual 13 day period. The Accredited Grades are based on school-estimated marks and
2184-537: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
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#17330942138852288-584: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
2392-699: Is a federal university system of constituent universities (previously called constituent colleges ) and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act 1908 , and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997. The constituent universities are for all essential purposes independent universities, except that the degrees and diplomas are those of the National University of Ireland with its seat in Dublin . In post-nominals ,
2496-448: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
2600-419: Is designed to provide tangible proof of the students' abilities. However, not every book or project is examined, with inspectors being sent to a small few, randomly selected schools each year, or simply examining a small selection of projects from each class to check the standard. Some subjects such as Art and Technology involve a practical exam which is supervised by an external examiner. In the academic year of
2704-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
2808-476: Is intended to reinforce the principles of secondary education – to prepare the student for education, society and work. The Established Leaving Certificate, introduced in 1924, is the most common programme taken. A minimum of six subjects are examined, including compulsory Irish. Exemption from the mandatory study of the Irish language is described in Circular M10/94 (Department of Education, Ireland, 1994) and
2912-478: Is normal for Shabbat) and kept under supervision until they sat the exam on Sunday morning. Matriculation is administered by the Central Applications Office (CAO) following requirements laid down by the universities. Applicants must present English and Mathematics, while certain universities also require Irish and/or a foreign language. Some courses require specific subjects to be taken at secondary level. For example, veterinary medicine applicants must present with
3016-567: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
3120-409: Is part of the currently agreed system. Mathematics bonus points Since 2012, a pass (minimum H6, originally D3) in higher level Mathematics is awarded 25 bonus points, making it possible to earn 125 points in this subject. Twenty-five bonus points are awarded for higher level Mathematics for H6 grades and above. For example, if an applicant receives an H6 grade, an additional 25 points will be added to
3224-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
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3328-529: Is taken to prepare the student for adult and working life. Each subject is examined at one of three levels, Higher Level (informally called Honours ), Ordinary Level (informally Pass ), or Foundation Level . Foundation Level may only be taken in two subjects: Irish and Mathematics. All other subjects may be taken at either Ordinary or Higher Level. At each level, a percentage is assigned and translated to eight possible grades. These are usually written H1-H8, O1-O8 and F1-F8. There have been proposals to impose
3432-535: Is that candidate may undertake examination in one non-curricular language subject only. Mathematics Laboratory sciences Up to 2020, it was possible to study Agricultural Economics as a subject, but it was discontinued after revisions to the Agricultural Science and Economics courses. Physical Education (P.E.) was made an official Leaving Certificate subject as of 11 November 2017. Students can now receive grades for sport, dance and other activities. It
3536-659: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
3640-511: The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland instructed its members to not follow the new calculated guidelines unless they were given greater legal protection, but this issue was resolved the following day. Students were asked to register for calculated grades, and over 98% of them did so. Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
3744-544: The Junior Cycle examination. These years are referred to collectively as "The Senior Cycle". Most students taking the examination are aged 16–19; in excess of eighty percent of this group undertake the exam. The Examination is overseen by the State Examinations Commission . The Leaving Certificate Examinations are taken annually by approximately 60,000 students. In 2018, the Department of Education alongside
3848-522: The NUI. During 1976 and 1977 Thomond College of Education, Limerick was also a recognised college of the NUI. In 1978 St. Angela's College, Sligo became affiliated to the NUI. In 1996 the National College of Art and Design became a recognised college of the NUI. The 1997 reforms restructured the National University of Ireland, and an additional university at Maynooth was created from certain faculties of
3952-562: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
4056-580: The University of Limerick awarded up to 40 bonus points for Mathematics (Higher Level) in an increasing scale of points starting at five bonus points for a C3 continuing up to 40 for an A1 grade. This was an attempt to correct the decline in demand for scientific subjects. In 2009, 16.2% of students attempted the higher level Mathematics paper. Before 1992, the Leaving Certificate awarded A, B, C, D, E, F and NG grades without subdivisions, providing broader grade bands similar to those introduced in 2017. While there
4160-611: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
4264-769: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
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4368-412: The 46 points already awarded, i.e. higher level Mathematics now carries a score of 71 points. This also means that, provided they pass, the minimum number of points a student can receive is 71, which is 15 points greater than an O1 at Ordinary Level. The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme allows students to take link modules , which have their own grading scheme and associated CAO points. In 2020,
4472-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
4576-563: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
4680-463: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
4784-635: The European Union such as the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy and Poland. Many universities in central and eastern Europe provide courses in English to attract students from Ireland and other countries. A small number of students apply to attend universities outside of Europe, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. The exams usually begin on the first Wednesday in June, traditionally commencing with English Paper One, followed by Paper Two on Thursday afternoon. The exams typically last two and
4888-536: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
4992-566: The Leaving Certificate closer to school leaving examinations in other countries, such as Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Finland, and to the International Baccalaureate. From 1992 to 2016, subdivided A, B, C, D, E, F and NG grades were awarded at the Leaving Certificate. A common points system was used by the CAO using six subjects. From 2012, 25 bonus points were given for higher-level Mathematics at D grades and above. Before,
5096-453: The Leaving Certificate was cancelled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . This marked the first official cancellation in its existence. Leaving Certificate students were then given the choice of having teachers predict their own students' grades, which would then be nationally standardised. If students were not happy with their predicted grades, however, they could appeal their results and choose to sit
5200-678: The Members of Senate, the Professors and Lecturers, and the Graduates of the University. Eight Members of the NUI Senate are elected by its Convocation, for terms of five years. The chancellor is the notional head of the university, and constituent universities and recognised colleges have their own heads, who exercise most powers in practice. When the university was established in 1908 by Royal Charter ,
5304-540: The NUI. Initially the National University, unlike the Royal University, did not award degrees for part-time or external students. Similarly to the Royal University, however, the National University was still banned from awarding degrees in Theology. In 1975 the teacher training colleges of Carysfort College , Blackrock, St Patrick's College, Drumcondra and Mary Immaculate College , Limerick became recognised colleges of
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#17330942138855408-511: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment confirmed that the senior cycle is under review with Politics and Society, Physical Education, and Computer Science the first of the new subjects to be part of the reforms. Core subjects such as Irish , English, Mathematics, and European languages will be changed in due course. There are three distinct programmes that can be followed. While the outcomes of each programme are quite distinct, each
5512-597: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
5616-627: The Senate" rather than Senators; "NUI Senator" refers to the members of Seanad Éireann elected by NUI graduates. The NUI Senate meets in the Phelan Room, called after Edward J. Phelan , who funded its refurbishment. The Universities Act 1997 increased the size of the Senate and devolved power from it to the constituent universities. The NUI's Convocation comprises the Chancellor , the Vice-Chancellor,
5720-606: The Tariff. After comparing syllabi of the Irish Leaving Certificate and British GCE A-Levels, it was decided that a Leaving Certificate (higher) subject will be worth two-thirds of an A-level (UK, except Scotland). This is because Leaving Certificate students undertake several more subjects (often a total of six to eight) than a typical A level student, but as a result study them in a more narrow fashion. Increasingly, Irish students are making use of universities situated within
5824-634: The United Kingdom, particularly in Northern Ireland and larger British cities. In recognition of this, the Established Leaving Certificate underwent a process with the British Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to gain entry to the UCAS Tariff for direct entry to United Kingdom universities . This introduced the examination directly onto the Tariff, allowing it to be compared more easily with other qualifications on
5928-453: The abbreviation NUI is used for degrees from all the constituent universities of the National University of Ireland. Queen's Colleges at Belfast , Cork , and Galway were established in 1845. In 1849 teaching commenced and a year later they were united under the Queen's University of Ireland . The Catholic University of Ireland was created as an independent university on 3 November 1854 for
6032-531: The age of eleven years, and studying abroad for a period of at least two years after the age of eleven. The Department of Education introduced a new Leaving Certificate grading scale in 2017. The new scale has eight grades, the highest being a Grade 1, the lowest being a Grade 8. The highest seven grades 1-7 divide the marks range 100% to 30% into seven equal grade bands 10% wide, with a grade 8 being awarded for percentage marks of less than 30%. The grades at Higher Level and Ordinary Level are distinguished by prefixing
6136-439: The amount of writing candidates were required to do at the beginning of the exams. A superstition currently exists in Ireland that the weather across the country noticeably improves the moment the exams begin. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic , then Minister for Education and Skills , Joe McHugh , announced on 10 April 2020 that the exams would be postponed and begin on 29 July to early August. This announcement faced backlash as
6240-683: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
6344-410: The case of Irish and Mathematics, Foundation. Each subject level-variant will also have provisions for both English and Irish speakers, with the exception of English and Irish themselves (which are printed exclusively in the relevant language). Certain subjects are printed in a combined English/Irish format, such as French or German. This leaves such subjects with only two versions: a bilingual Higher, and
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#17330942138856448-535: The cover are white. In 1957, papers in Latin, English and Mathematics became available to some students before the exams. Supplemental examinations were held later in June. On 12 June 1969, exam papers were stolen in a break-in to a Dublin secondary school. Examination papers, including English, Mathematics and Physics were circulated among students. The repeat examinations for English and Mathematics paper 2 were rescheduled for 27 June 1969 and 28 June 1969 respectively. On
6552-506: The direction of the Jesuits . In the 1890s its students achieved more distinctions than their counterparts in Belfast, Cork, and Galway, which had been originally established as secular institutions. The 1908 reforms created the National University of Ireland and a separate Queen's University of Belfast . The Royal University was dissolved in 1909, and in 1910 Maynooth became a recognised college of
6656-594: The education of Catholics ; that university was not a recognised university and did not offer recognised degrees. In 1880 the Royal University of Ireland took over the degree awarding functions of the two former universities and offered recognised degrees to the graduates of the new University College Dublin and St Patrick's College, Maynooth , previously awarded under the Catholic University. The Catholic University became University College Dublin in 1882 under
6760-713: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
6864-468: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
6968-417: The exemption can be acquired because of time spent living abroad or a learning disability such as dyslexia. Most students take seven subjects. The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, introduced as a more practical "hands-on" complement to the conventional Leaving Certificate, is similar to the established programme. The Leaving Certificate Applied, another variant of the traditional Leaving Certificate,
7072-545: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
7176-404: The first Dáil. The NUI graduates elected four TDs to Dáil Éireann from 1921 until 1937 when the university constituencies were abolished by Fianna Fáil. Under the Constitution of Ireland , adopted in 1937, the graduates of the university elect three members of Seanad Éireann (the senate). All graduates who are Irish citizens (regardless of living in the state or not) are entitled to vote if on
7280-400: The first day of examinations on 3 June 2009, the second paper of the Leaving Certificate English examination (initially scheduled for 4 June) was accidentally distributed instead of Paper 1 at an examination centre in St. Oliver's Community College in Drogheda . It was confirmed that a number of candidates had seen the paper before the mistake was acted upon. The invigilator had failed to report
7384-473: The grade with H or O respectively, giving H1-H8 at higher level, and O1-O8 at ordinary level. This new 8-point grading scale replaces the former 14-point scale at both Higher and Ordinary levels. Previously, the majority of students receiving a given grade were within three percentage marks of a higher grade, and five extra points, creating pressure towards rote learning and using the marking scheme to gain those few additional marks. The new broader grade bands eases
7488-445: The incident straight away and was immediately suspended. A State Examinations Commission (SEC) official had visited the examination centre on the day in question as part of a routine inspection, and no report was made by the invigilator to the official. Owing to the time at which the SEC was informed, it was unable to distribute the contingency paper in time for the following morning. Details of
7592-698: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
7696-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
7800-425: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
7904-435: The leaked paper had already circulated onto many online message boards and social networking sites, many hours after the incident had taken place. The exam was rescheduled for Saturday 6 June, from 09:30 to 12:50. About 10 Jewish students, who could not sit the exam at the rescheduled time because it conflicted with Shabbat , were sent to an Orthodox household in Dublin, where they were sequestered from all electronic media (as
8008-568: The maximum grade with 10–20 students receiving seven H1s or more. Generally, students are required to have pass grades in English, Mathematics, Irish and/or a foreign language to gain entry to university. The concept of failing the Leaving Certificate is not applied. When demand exceeds supply for a university course (the norm), the CAO will award a candidate's points based on their Leaving Certificate performance in six subjects. The majority of candidates take six to eight subjects, including English, Mathematics and Irish (exemptions available) and usually
8112-563: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
8216-771: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
8320-463: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
8424-639: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
8528-435: The optional courses contain two written papers). Language courses examine the student's writing, conversation and listening skills. The spoken section of the exams ('oral') takes place some months before the written exams, and the listening ('aurals') takes place in the same weeks as the written. A number of subjects in the sciences and arts include the keeping of records or creation of a physical object or project. This work
8632-498: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
8736-540: The other optional subjects. Students wishing to sit the LCVP Link Modules Exam had to meet specific requirements (This was dropped in September 2022). Pre-September 2022: Students had to take an extra language subject and must have had one or more of the following subject combinations: Subjects are examined through a number of methods. These include at least one written paper (English, Mathematics, Irish and some of
8840-539: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
8944-438: The pressure on students to achieve marginal gains in examinations and encourage more substantial engagement with each subject. The new grading system also allows for greater flexibility, variety, and innovation in Leaving Certificate assessments. The broader objective is to allow for an enhanced learner experience in senior cycle, with a greater focus on the achievement of broader learning objectives. The new eight-point scale moves
9048-535: The previous recognised college, St Patrick's College, Maynooth . These reforms also removed the prohibition on theology that had been imposed on the National University and its predecessors. Since 1918 the university's graduates have formed a constituency in parliamentary elections. In 1918 it was formed as a constituency for the UK House of Commons. After the first election Eoin MacNeill abstained from Westminster and sat in
9152-487: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
9256-432: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
9360-625: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
9464-538: The third-level institutions involved in the CAO scheme, and relativities that they imply have no official standing in the eyes of the State Examinations Commission or the Department of Education. The points awarded for a given percentage range are given in the table. Note that points for foundation level are only awarded for Mathematics, and only then by some institutions. A bonus for higher level Mathematics
9568-464: The university's register of electors. An honorary degree does not give the entitlement to vote. The election is conducted by postal vote. At the 2020 Seanad election , for the 26th Seanad , the constituency returned three independents : Alice-Mary Higgins , Michael McDowell and Rónán Mullen . The governing body of the NUI is styled the Senate under its 1908 charter. Members are called "Members of
9672-658: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
9776-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
9880-455: The written exam, all practical science subjects are partially examined by student assignments which involve less focus on traditional exam formats and getting students to put the theory they have learned into practice, typically through a project which involves the creation of unique artifacts. Each subject's paper at Leaving Certificate level may have as few as two variants, or as many as six. They are divided by level: Higher and Ordinary, and in
9984-522: Was a common application system from the 1970s, the method of calculating points varied from institution to institution and even type of qualification, up to 1991. The number of subjects considered for points and Mathematics bonuses were not consistent. For example, in some cases bonus points for Mathematics only applied for particular courses (e.g. Dublin Institute of Technology applied bonus points for engineering only). Some Irish students go to university in
10088-523: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
10192-695: Was announced that the exams would not go ahead in the summer based on medical evidence stating that it would not be safe to do so. All students were to be offered the option to accept calculated grades instead of sitting postponed exams that would go on at a later date when it would be safe to run exams. This faced controversy: in particular, a step involving "school profiling" became a topic of debate in government. Concerns about parental efforts to influence grades given by teachers, or fears that they would sue teachers for giving bad grades, were also raised. Teachers were also expected to announce any conflict of interest they may have in grading their students. On 21 May 2020,
10296-643: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
10400-581: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland ( NUI ) ( Irish : Ollscoil na hÉireann )
10504-453: Was first implemented in September 2018 for incoming Fifth Year students and was first examined in 2020. Computer Science was introduced from September 2018 at 40 secondary schools. From September 2020 it was available to all schools in Ireland. †Subject exclusions – candidates may not take any of the following subject combinations: The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) is an additional Link Module which may be taken along with
10608-465: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
10712-678: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
10816-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
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