Leaving Cert
Leaving Cert results have climbed to a record high with a sharp increase in the number of students securing top grades.
The stronger outcomes are set to lead to a further jump in CAO points for college courses and may fuel concern over grade inflation and the integrity of grades.
Meanwhile, a student who this morning received 8H1s in the Leaving Cert was full of praise for his grandparents who have been busy “lighting candles” in the run-up to results day.
Alex Lynch, a pupil at the Christian Brothers College in Cork, said that he was “over the moon” even though he was finding it difficult to absorb receiving top marks across the board.
Protest outside Green HQ
Protesters gathered outside Green Party headquarters in Dublin on Friday to protest against the party’s response to comments made in a WhatsApp group by TD Brian Leddin.
It was reported this week that Mr Leddin had apologised for some comments he made in a WhatsApp group that had been set up in 2017.
Mr Leddin acknowledged that some language in the WhatsApp group had been “inappropriate” and said that he had apologised to a female councillor for a comment he had made about her.
Niall O'Brien death
A lawyer for a Dublin man, who is charged with causing the death of a Limerick student on a Greek island, said his client will be fully contesting the accusation.
Greek police, and the public prosecutor’s office on Naxos, refused to release the name of the accused, who is aged 20.
He is charged with causing “lethal bodily harm” to Niall O’Brien (22), from Castletroy, Co Limerick, in the town of Chora, Ios, on August 30th.
Zappone documents
Sinn Féin has called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to publish all documents related to Katherine Zappone’s appointment as UN envoy.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney is to appear before an Oireachtas committee again on Tuesday to answer further questions over the former children’s minister’s controversial appointment.
Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Charlie Flanagan has said there were “inconsistencies” in the testimony given to the committee by Mr Coveney in an appearance this week.
Pat Hume funeral
The funeral of Pat Hume, the widow of late SDLP leader John Hume, will take place on Monday.
Tributes have continued to pour in for Mrs Hume, a mother-of-five from Derry, who died at home after a short illness on Thursday, surrounded by family.
The death of Mrs Hume, a former teacher, comes just over a year after that of her Nobel Peace Prize-winning husband.
Ongoing maternity restrictions
The HSE says restrictions on access for partners of pregnant women to maternity units are still necessary for most routine antenatal visits.
It has published new guidance stating access doesn't need to be limited once the woman is in a single-patient room.
But it says partners should be restricted to two-hour daily visits when the woman is in multi-bed areas due to limits on space.
According to the guidance, there's no evidence antigen testing would add to Covid risk reduction measures.
Linda Kelly from Better Maternity Care says the ongoing measures are causing huge distress.
Ms Kelly told Newstalk: “I think when we talk about restrictions on space, we're in a time in the pandemic when public transport has gone back to 100 per cent, if people can crowd on to buses and trains to get to their antenatal appointments then hospitals can facilite access at antenatal appointments.”
