Latest news with #BelvedereCollege
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Science
- BreakingNews.ie
Leaving Cert: Teacher gives reaction to biology exams
A teacher has given his reaction to the Leaving Cert biology exams, which students sat on Tuesday afternoon. Liam Hennelly, a biology teacher at Belvedere College in Dublin said the Higher Level paper gave students plenty of choice and allowed them to show off what they know. Advertisement "Some of the questions were challenging in places and required an in-depth knowledge of subject material, as you would expect with any Higher Level paper," he said. "In Section A, the short questions, the topics of Food & Biomolecules, Plant Structure, Respiration, Cell Structure, Bioprocessing, Digestion and the Scientific Method came up. "In Section B, the experiment questions, students faced questions on Ecology, Movement Through Membranes and Leaf Yeast. "In Section C Q. 13 on metabolism, photosynthesis and enzymes was quite straight forward. Q.15 was a lovely question on Ecology but in part (b) (iv) 1. students needed to be very careful to draw the predator-prey relationship graph with the curves out of phase with each other. Advertisement "There were 4 questions on Human Biology on the paper that students could have attempted for 200 marks out of 400 or 50% of the exam. This would have been a relief for a lot of students. Overall, this was a very student-centered, fair and current paper that would have been well received." Mr Hennelly said the Ordinary Level paper had a wide selection of questions ranging across a broad number of topics. "Short questions included Food, Ecology, A True/False Question, Cell Structure, Tropisms, the Nervous System and Mitosis. Experiment questions included Food Tests, Enzymes and Factors that Affect Germination. "The long questions gave students a lot of choice across Ecology, Genetics & Protein Synthesis, Photosynthesis & Respiration, Plant Structure, Human Reproduction and microbiology amongst other topics. Overall - the paper was very fair and accessible and students had a lot of choice."
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Science
- BreakingNews.ie
Junior Cert science exam 'accessible and reasonably fair'
A teacher has said the Junior Cert science exam was "an accessible and reasonably fair paper". Studyclix subject expert Liam Hennelly, a science teacher at Belvedere College SJ in Dublin, said: 'The content of the questions in Section A was very fair and accessible. It would have allowed students to settle into the paper and to pick up a lot of marks. Four of 10 question were Chemistry questions. There were three questions on Biology and two questions on Physics with one question on Earth and Space in this section. Advertisement 'Section B of the paper was more challenging. In a change from previous years, Section B contained just four questions, Q11 was worth 30 marks and Q12-14 were worth 60 marks each. A recurring theme was that topics from the different strands of the specifications were interwoven into the questions." Mr Hennelly added: "Question 11 was on Electricity and the question was about circuits and mainly focused on resistance provided by a thermistor. Question 12 was an accessible question on Rates of Reaction from the Chemical World Strand with a really nice question on how reduced surface area of villi in the small intestine can lead to malnourishment. 'Question 13 was on the Earth & Space and Physics strands. Students had to be able to interpret data from a table provided, work out whether a diagram was showing a solar or lunar eclipse and discuss a technological application of physics in terms of scientific, societal and environmental impact." Mr Hennelly said the lack of choice in the paper and lack of challenge for "more able students" continues to be an issue.
Irish Examiner
03-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Beginner's pluck: Long-tern volunteer and GP John Travers
A Dubliner, John spent his childhood summers on West Cork's Bere Island. A sporty child, good at science and maths, he spent much of his spare time volunteering. Completing a degree in engineering, a profession he entered to help shape the world around him, he joined Shell in the Netherlands. 'I was there for five years,' he says. 'I led a team to commercialise technology.' After taking an MBA in the States, he returned to Dublin and worked for McKinsey Management Consulting for almost four years. 'Then, wanting my own business, I set up three clean energy companies in quick succession.' They went well, but after five years of commuting to Dublin each week and spending time in the USA, my life came to a junction. All that time John continued his volunteering work, both in Ireland and abroad. There were trips to Kolkata, Tanzania, and Ghana. 'It was like a parallel life — and I realised I was getting more satisfaction from my volunteering life than my corporate work.' That's when he decided to become a doctor. 'I met my wife during the initial four-year training. Then I trained for a further five years to become a GP.' He now works as a GP, but also researches, writes, and works with the elderly and homeless, helping to reverse frailty and build resilience. Who is John Travers? Place of birth: Dublin. Education: Belvedere College; University College Dublin, Engineering; Harvard, MBA in Business Administration; UCD, Graduate entry medicine. Home: Rathmines, Dublin. Family: Wife Lisa, daughters Jennifer, 8, and Julia, 7. The day job: GP in Sandymount. In another life: 'I'd love to be a soul musician. That world is really alluring.' Favourite writers: James Plunkett; John Steinbeck; Sebastian Barry; Alain de Botton; Julia Donaldson; Claire Keegan. Second book: 'There will be one. Maybe, more of the same.' Top tip: 'Don't think too hard. Just start writing and let it flow.' Website: Instagram: @johnjtravers The debut A Shot of Hope:Stories of Quiet Resilience Orpen Press, €17.99 These beautifully written narratives of John's training, volunteering, and practice focus on stories of remarkable people — the vulnerable, the brave, and the disadvantaged. They show hope in the worst of situations. The verdict: Heart-lifting. Brings a tear to the eye. Read More One in seven people do regular voluntary work
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Henry Kelly: The Troubles journalist who became a household name on TV
Henry Kelly's long career brought him from reporting on the frontline of the Troubles in Northern Ireland to fame as a presenter of light entertainment shows Game for a Laugh and Going for Gold. The broadcaster, who has died at the age of 78, became known for his Irish charm as one of the most recognisable faces on TV during the 1980s. Born in Athlone in 1946, Kelly moved to Dublin as a child and studied at Belvedere College and later University College Dublin. He began his journalism career at the Irish Times while still a student, writing obituaries and theatre reviews while studying for an English degree. He became the paper's northern editor in 1970 at the height of the Troubles, after being initially sent to Northern Ireland on a week's holiday cover in 1969 as a reporter. Kelly spent four years covering the worst of the Troubles and authored the book 'How Stormont Fell'. His experiences in Northern Ireland were recalled in a legacy inquest in 2022 when a coroner made an appeal for him to come forward as a potential witness to a loyalist bomb attack in Belfast in 1972. The court was later told he was unable to assist the process. His daughter Siobhan told the Irish Times that the years he spent covering Northern Ireland were among the proudest of his career. She said: 'He always held the Irish Times very firmly in his heart and was very proud of the work he did in Northern Ireland and the time he spent there. 'I think probably looking back that was his proudest time.' Kelly joined the BBC in 1976, working as a reporter and presenter for Radio 4's The World Tonight. However, his next move was to take him in an entirely different direction. Following the lead of Irish stars Terry Wogan and Eamonn Andrews, he switched to presenting light entertainment TV shows. LWT's Saturday night vehicle Game for a Laugh, which revolved around a series of practical jokes, regularly pulled in huge television audiences of more than 17 million and launched the presenting careers of Kelly, Jeremy Beadle and Matthew Kelly. Kelly later hosted TV-am before attaining cult status when presenting the daytime BBC quiz show Going for Gold for a decade. The show pitted contestants from across Europe against each other to win a grand prize. Later, Kelly, who had a lifelong love of classical music, was one of the original presenters on Classic FM, hosting its breakfast show for a number of years in the 1990s where his horse racing tips proved popular with listeners. In 1998 he wrote the book 'Classic FM – Musical Anecdotes'. Kelly was also to present radio shows on LBC and BBC London. In 2004 he declared himself bankrupt after suffering financial troubles over several years. His daughter Siobhan told the Irish Times that her father retained his interest in current affairs until his death. She said: 'Right till the very last minute, his mind was as sharp as anything, his fascination with current affairs never diminished. 'We were talking about rugby and Ukraine last Sunday – he was thrilled to have seen Ireland win the Triple Crown on Saturday.' He watched it with his son Alex. Henry Kelly is survived by his partner Karolyn Shindler, his son Alex, his daughter Siobhan and her mother Marjorie.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Henry Kelly: The Troubles journalist who became a household name on TV
Henry Kelly's long career brought him from reporting on the frontline of the Troubles in Northern Ireland to fame as a presenter of light entertainment shows Game for a Laugh and Going for Gold. The broadcaster, who has died at the age of 78, became known for his Irish charm as one of the most recognisable faces on TV during the 1980s. Born in Athlone in 1946, Kelly moved to Dublin as a child and studied at Belvedere College and later University College Dublin. He began his journalism career at the Irish Times while still a student, writing obituaries and theatre reviews while studying for an English degree. He became the paper's northern editor in 1970 at the height of the Troubles, after being initially sent to Northern Ireland on a week's holiday cover in 1969 as a reporter. Kelly spent four years covering the worst of the Troubles and authored the book 'How Stormont Fell'. His experiences in Northern Ireland were recalled in a legacy inquest in 2022 when a coroner made an appeal for him to come forward as a potential witness to a loyalist bomb attack in Belfast in 1972. The court was later told he was unable to assist the process. His daughter Siobhan told the Irish Times that the years he spent covering Northern Ireland were among the proudest of his career. She said: 'He always held the Irish Times very firmly in his heart and was very proud of the work he did in Northern Ireland and the time he spent there. 'I think probably looking back that was his proudest time.' Kelly joined the BBC in 1976, working as a reporter and presenter for Radio 4's The World Tonight. However, his next move was to take him in an entirely different direction. Following the lead of Irish stars Terry Wogan and Eamonn Andrews, he switched to presenting light entertainment TV shows. LWT's Saturday night vehicle Game for a Laugh, which revolved around a series of practical jokes, regularly pulled in huge television audiences of more than 17 million and launched the presenting careers of Kelly, Jeremy Beadle and Matthew Kelly. Kelly later hosted TV-am before attaining cult status when presenting the daytime BBC quiz show Going for Gold for a decade. The show pitted contestants from across Europe against each other to win a grand prize. Later, Kelly, who had a lifelong love of classical music, was one of the original presenters on Classic FM, hosting its breakfast show for a number of years in the 1990s where his horse racing tips proved popular with listeners. In 1998 he wrote the book 'Classic FM – Musical Anecdotes'. Kelly was also to present radio shows on LBC and BBC London. In 2004 he declared himself bankrupt after suffering financial troubles over several years. His daughter Siobhan told the Irish Times that her father retained his interest in current affairs until his death. She said: 'Right till the very last minute, his mind was as sharp as anything, his fascination with current affairs never diminished. 'We were talking about rugby and Ukraine last Sunday – he was thrilled to have seen Ireland win the Triple Crown on Saturday.' He watched it with his son Alex. Henry Kelly is survived by his partner Karolyn Shindler, his son Alex, his daughter Siobhan and her mother Marjorie.
