Beached Whales looking forward to All-Ireland inter-varsity battle of the bands final

Local band Beached Whales recently booked their place in the All-Ireland inter-varsity battle of the bands final, representing Dundalk IT.

The final will take place on April 14th in Galway and comes after the band won the Leinster and Ulster finals in Maynooth at the end of February.

The Beached Whales, who have been gigging around the North East since 2008 are made up of Daire Stanley (vocals), Feargal Donaghy (bass), Ben Lawlor (drums), David Noonan (guitar and vocals), Sean O’Brien (saxophone) and David Joyce (keyboard and flute).

Up against the band in the final will be groups from DIT, Maynooth, UL, NUIG and GMIT.

Dundalk Grammar School named the best feeder school in Co Louth

Dundalk Grammar School is the top feeder school in Co Louth for sending students to third level education, according to the latest figures published in today’s Irish Times.

The Crescent-based school saw 81 of the 84 students who sat the Leaving Certificate earlier this year go on to third level education, a percentage total of 96% Ten of those students went to UCD, ten more to Trinity and nine each to DIT and Maynooth.

The majority (15) stayed locally and attended Dundalk IT.

The Grammar’s record made it the 14^th best feeder school in the province.

Drogheda schools Our Lady’s College, Sacred Heart and St Mary’s occupied the next three place on the list.

In fifth was St Vincent’s, which had an 86% rate of students attending third level with 137 of the 160 who sat the Leaving last summer going on to college or university.

It was closely followed by the De La Salle (83%), the Bush (79%), Dun Lughaidh (79%) and Coláiste Rís (78%).

St Mary’s College saw just 90 of its 138 Leaving Cert students go on to third level – a rate of 65% – while O Fiaich College had the lowest total in the Dundalk area with 47%.

Dunleer school Scoil Uí Mhuirí had the lowest total in the county at 44%.