A Cork boy who has been attending a higher maths course at UCC to keep him from being bored is understood to be the youngest person in the world to pass the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) examinations.
Marc Derham (8½), from Ballincollig, was assessed as a gifted child some years ago after his parents, Mike and Rose Derham, found he was highly active and easily bored.
It was discovered two years ago that his IQ was above the top 99 per cent in his age group. Through UCD the Derhams got in touch with the Irish Talented Youth Parents' Group and decided that a weekend course in calculus, algebra and encryption at UCC might keep him occupied.
The boy found the challenge so absorbing he followed it up with another course, this time in experimental science.
Mr Derham, a computer trainer for the cadcoevolution firm in Cork, explained yesterday that when casting about for something extra for his son to do, he suggested the ECDL, to which Marc immediately warmed.
"Being involved in computers myself, I knew that parts of the course were particularly difficult. It involves computer theory, file usage, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc, but he was delighted to do it and flew through the seven different modules.
"When he got the results at the end of April, we knew that he was the youngest person in Ireland to have been successful in the examinations but now the ECDL people have confirmed that he is the youngest person anywhere to have passed them. Naturally, we're very proud of him."
When Marc becomes bored, his father added, "he tends to spend too much time on the computer fooling around, which is great, but he is a child who needs a constant challenge, so the ECDL was ideal. Now we'll have to find something else for him to do."
A student at Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin in Ballincollig, Marc, said his father, is just like any other eight-year-old, except he needs extra intellectual stimulation.