World-class weightlifters

Three UL students have been selected to represent Ireland at the first World University Weightlifting Championships, to be held in November in Athens. Cathal Byrd, Andy Murphy and Eamonn Flanagan are all students in the Department of Physical Education & Sports Science.

The five-man squad was announced after the Irish University Championships last Sunday, which brought three gold medals to UL from the three star weightlifters.

His 140kg clean and jerk win is a new Irish University and under-23 record.

Andy Murphy booked his place on the squad by snatching 85kg and clean and jerking 114kg to win the 85kg weight class.

Eamonn Flanagan became the third UL lifter to qualify for the world championships by snatching 105kg and clean and jerking 138kg to claim victory in the 94kg weight class.

Condemnation of fees reintroduction plan Student representatives have condemned plans by the heads of the seven Irish universities to call for the re-introduction of university fees. The plan, expected to be presented to the Department of Education in coming weeks, will call for an annual fee to be paid to universities by students significantly larger than the current registration fee of €825.

It comes in the wake of last week’s government announcement that the levels of grant payments to students would not be increased in September, as reported in last week’s Limerick Independent.

UL Students’ Union President Pa O’Brien strongly criticised the move by university heads to ask for a re-introduction of fees, saying: “It seems a ludicrous situation to attempt to destroy what is the most egalitarian and accessible third level education system in Europe.”