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Leaving Certificate Exams Begin Today.

The 2021 Leaving Certificate Examinations begin today after a second year of remote learning and educational upheaval owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Unlike last year, students this year have the option of accepting an accredited grade, doing an exam or both. If they opt to do an exam and accept an accredited grade, their final result will be whichever of the two grades is higher.

Interestingly, of this year’s 61,000 or so Leaving Certificate pupils, the overwhelming majority have opted to accept a combination of accredited grades and exams. Less than 10 per cent of pupils have opted for accredited grades only, while less than 5 per cent have opted for written exams only.

Whether sitting an exam or accepting an accredited grade, the class of 2021 have faced additional and unprecedented stress and challenges. Students are urged to share their worries and seek help and support from a parent, teacher, family member or friend if they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

We at Thurles.info wish the Leaving Certificate Class of 2021 the very best for their exams.

For more information on the Leaving Certificate 2021, visit examinations.ie or view the Leaving Certificate Examination 2021 Timetable by clicking HERE.

Free Creative Events For Youth With Cruinniú Na nÓg.

Next Saturday, June 12th, is Cruinniú na nÓg, a national day of free creativity for children and young people under 18 years of age.
Ireland is the only country in the world to host such a day and since its inception in 2018, Cruinniú na nÓg has grown from strength to strength.

This year, in light of Covid-19 restrictions, the majority of events are online. All events are free and span all aspects of the creative arts, including music, drama, science, cooking and crafts.

From the comfort of their own home, children and young people can get dancing as part of the Céilí in the Kitchen initiative or create the world record for the largest online orchestra with the Royal Irish Academy (no formal training or instruments needed).

The Garageland Project will give young bands the opportunity to showcase their talents on a dedicated Garageland Youth TV channel. Tipperary’s own Nenagh Children’s Film Festival are even inviting children and young people to learn some of the latest stop-motion animation techniques.

Among the hundreds of events organised by creative groups nationwide, there is sure to be something for everyone.
For more information on Cruinniú na nÓg click HERE or search for events by age and location by clicking HERE.

Blood Moon Over Tipperary Last Night.

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising.

“I see the bad moon a-rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin’
I see bad times today.”

Lyrics: John C. Fogerty.

[This song shown hereunder, back in the year 1969, evoked the civil discord, felt around the world, in relation to the then Vietnam War, without explicitly referring to that actual war].

Last evening, due to clear skies, Tipperary got more than a brief glimpse of this year’s supermoons; the Blood Moon.

The full moon entered our earth’s shadow yesterday, which made it appear much bigger and brighter in the heavens than is usual, however displaying a red tint.

A super blood moon, like last nights, occurs when the moon travels around our planet in an elliptical orbit, or an elongated circle, according to the space agency NASA.

Each month, the Moon passes through ‘perigee‘ (the point in the orbit of the moon at which it is nearest to the earths centre) and ‘apogee‘ (the point in the orbit of the moon or indeed any other object orbiting our earth that is at the greatest distance from the centre of our earth).

National Walk To School Week – May 24th To May 28th.

National Walk to School Week begins today and Green Schools Ireland want to encourage pupils across the country to walk to school for some if not all of their journey.

This year’s Walk to School Week is made all the more significant given that last year, at this time, pupils could not walk because schools buildings were closed due to the pandemic.

The goal of National Walk to School Week is simple: encourage thousands of school staff, pupils and their families to get walking for one week and maybe they will walk to school more often.

Although the goal of walking to school may seem simple, the gains are many and complex, with walking having far reaching and positive environmental, health, social and financial benefits for us all.

To celebrate National Walk to School Week, Green Schools Ireland have organised a number of online talks exploring, among other topics, how walking impacts our mental and physical health, the challenge and rewards of hiking and mountaineering, as well as what it’s like to walk to the summit of Kilimanjaro and back.

All online events are free, but schools must register to access them (click HERE).

How To Build A Hedgehog Feeder & Highway.

The National Museum of Ireland has made its recent talk on hedgehogs available to access for free (see video hereunder) to celebrate Biodiversity Week 2021.

In this talk, Ms Elaine O’Riordan from the Irish Hedgehog Survey team at NUI Galway, teaches us all about hedgehogs and dispels some of the myths that exist around how hedgehogs live and what they eat.

Later in the talk, craftsman Pat Broderick demonstrates how to make a hedgehog feeder and hedgehog highway or tunnel from everyday items lying around homes and gardens. Hedgehogs are a must loved member of our natural community and this talk will be a fascinating reference for children, adults and schools.

The National Museum of Ireland are encouraging children to learn more about biodiversity in Ireland through their My Secret Garden activity. Available by clicking HERE, the My Secret Garden activity invites children to learn more about Irish flora and fauna and then apply what they have learned to imagine and create their own dream secret garden.