Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) marked a milestone in its history this week. It has been given authority to make its own awards at national certificate and national diploma level.
Not only does this recognise the institute's academic reputation, but it also gives it responsibility at institutional level for conduct of its own academic affairs.
The decision to grant authority was the result of a recommendation to the Minister for Education and Science by an international review group, following a two-year evaluation of the institute.
Dr Gay Corr, GMIT's director, has paid tribute to the institute's staff who "worked so professionally to complete the self-study report and other submissions required by the review group".
Studies of a less formal nature take place in Connemara during the October bank holiday weekend, when Leo Hallissey hosts his annual sea week in Letterfrack.
The festivities have already started, with music and a book fair in the Quaker village over the past two days.
Marine biologist Dave McGrath and author and artist Gordon D'Arcy have been invited to visit schools this week, while Macnas has promised to help make sea masks and lanterns, and an under-10s and under-14s chess championship takes place this Wednesday.
"Women and travel" is once again the theme for the coming weekend, and Mr Hallissey has lined up eight women who have travelled extensively to explore the notion of travel and talk of exotic places such as central America, south-east Asia, and central Africa.
Among the contributors will be Claire O'Grady Walsh, former head of Greenpeace Ireland and currently a freelance environmental consultant and member of the Heritage Council; Marguerite McCurtain, traveller, writer and broadcaster; Pam Berry, a US painter and teacher living in the west; Lynda Kurley from Yorkshire, who spent some time as a project worker in Bhutan.
Other contributors will include Barbara O'Shea, a former journalist with RT╔ radio's Worlds Apart programme; Josephine Marsh, box player and composer from Co Clare; Maud Hand, a freelance multimedia producer and writer based in London, who works primarily for the BBC Network radio and World Service; and Eva Bourke, a writer who is originally from Germany. The weekend kicks off with a "nine Fridays" music session led by Sharon Shannon and John Hoban.
This will be held in Letterfrack National School at 8.30 p.m. on Friday.
The cost for the full conference is £35, or £20 for unwaged, and accommodation can be organised. Contact 095-41034 or 43443, or fax 095-41112.
E-mail: ifrack.ias@eircom.net