Ninth Level Ireland

“There were sniggers this week as Trinity reported an increase in applicants due to Normal People’s romanticism of Irish university life. Most of the Twitter mockery was justified; Marianne’s Victorian townhouse, for instance, is certainly far from your average Dublin student accommodation. But there is one aspect of Irish student life which the show really nailed on the head: Connell’s appalling mental health …” (more)

[Bláthnaid Corless, College Tribune, 13 July]

“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has expressed concern about the lack of a plan to reduce Irish student fees in the programme for government put forward by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and the Green Party this week. In a statement issued today, USI said that while some elements of the programme were promising, there was a lack of detail on how a number of actions will be taken …” (more)

[Patrick Coyle, Trinity News, 18 June]

The full (draft) Programme is here; extracts related to third level are here.

“Residents living near University College Cork have called on the HSE and gardaí to use powers available under health legislation to stop students and others having house parties. Magazine Road and Surrounding Areas Residents Association spokeswoman Catherine Clancy said the gardaí and the HSE should use the 1947 Health Act to stop parties in the area in the interest of public health …” (more)

[Barry Roche, Irish Times, 8 June]

“The health of family members and employment uncertainty are the biggest worries third-level students in Ireland have amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new survey. The online survey was conducted by GradIreland from 25 March to 1 April and 716 university students responded …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 14 April]

“University College Cork (UCC) has confirmed its second case of Covid-19. Students were informed via email that a student has contracted the virus and contact tracing is underway. They did not specify the department the student was in. They said anyone deemed to have had close contact with the student is being contacted directly by HSE Public Health and people do not need to make contact with them …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 18 March]

“Students unable to make travel arrangements to get home can extend their deadline for moving out of Trinity’s accommodation, Provost Patrick Prendergast has said …” (more)

[Emer Moreau and Donal MacNamee, University Times, 17 March]

“Students living in Trinity College Dublin accommodation have described the university’s decision to shut student housing and force residents to vacate rooms within 24 hours notice as ‘egregious’. The decision was taken in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus among students living in close-quartered accommodation …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 17 March]

“University College Dublin (UCD) is to open one of its libraries on campus for students without internet or laptop access at home, despite a two-week shutdown of schools and colleges ordered in response to the coronavirus outbreak …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 17 March]

“College’s decision to give its student residents so little notice of their eviction is hard to fathom. By now, life as we know it is well on the way towards changing beyond recognition, as the coronavirus sows chaos in almost every sector of Irish society …” (more)

[University Times, 17 March]

“Contact tracing activities are underway after a case of COVID-19 was identified in a person who had visited UCC. According to a statement on the University’s website and on its social media channels, the individual had visited the Western Gateway Building on the Western Road in recent days …” (more)

[EchoLive, 17 March]

“Politicians have criticised a decision to remove students from university accommodation with 24 hours notice. Trinity College in Dublin took the decision yesterday that all students must leave campus accommodation, Trinity Halls, and other linked private student accommodation in an effort to tackle the coronavirus …” (more)

[Aoife Moore, Irish Examiner, 17 March]

“The president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has criticised Trinity’s decision to instruct students to leave College accommodation this week, calling the move ‘extremely concerning’ …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 16 March]

“Preparations are underway at Ulster University to allow students and staff to work from home in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Universities in the South of Ireland and in other parts of the world have taken the decision to facilitate home study in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak …” (more)

[Garrett Hargan, Derry Now, 16 March]

“Trinity Dublin has told all its students living on campus that they must go home, other than in very exceptional cases. The dramatic move comes tonight as college authorities confirm that it is aware of at least eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in Trinity, with many more students and staff self-isolating …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 March]

“Three more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed among Trinity staff and students, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in Trinity to eight. The three additional cases were listed on Trinity’s website this evening …” (more)

[Trinity News, 16 March]

“College presidents and student leaders have come together to ask students to avoid parties and other large social gatherings to slow the spread of Covid-19. The joint appeal is emailed out to 250,000 students to reinforce the critical importance of social distancing in the current public health crisis. There was shock over the weekend when it emerged that some students had attended ‘virus parties’ to mark the closure of colleges last week on public safety grounds …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 16 March]

“Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has welcomed the move from Queen’s University to deliver lecture material remotely with all face-to-face lectures ceasing. The party’s Economy Spokesperson said: ‘I strongly welcome this action by Queen’s University to protect the health and well-being of students, staff and the public during the Coronavirus crisis …'” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 16 March]

“A Trinity student, who travelled with Dublin University Surf Club on their trip to Fuerteventura last week, has tested positive for COVID-19, the club announced tonight. The student is the fifth person in Trinity to contract the virus …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 15 March]

“The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Trinity has increased to four, the College today announced. An announcement on Trinity’s website said that two more cases of the virus have been confirmed, the day after College shut its doors to all students except residents …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee and Cormac Watson, University Times, 14 March]