`Yes, it is a whole new environment'

`One BIG holiday" is how Ronan Kelly from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, described freshers' week at NUI Galway last Friday, as he prepared to head home for the weekend.

All of 18 years old, the former pupil at St Eunan's College, who scored 485 points in his Leaving Certificate exam, has registered for an arts degree at the university.

It was his first choice, he says, and he will "probably" opt for Irish, history, English and psychology. He's been in the city almost a fortnight now and has found his feet - literally. His accommodation is about 20 minutes' walk from the campus, up the Newcastle road and beyond Corrib village, where some of his first-year colleagues are residing.

Galway's rented sector is no picnic, and it is difficult to get a long-term lease in a city that thrives on a summer tourist trade. However, his mother had phoned around beforehand. "The third place we looked at seemed fine," he says. He is sharing a house with a student from Mayo.

The second in a family of six, aged from 20 to four years, he is becoming accustomed to life away from home, but is surrounded by many mates from his old school. He has a particular affection for Irish, and has joined one of the Irish clubs, Cumann Craic.

During freshers' week, he signed up for several other societies, including drama, music, history and badminton.

Ronan is aware of the reports of increasing crime levels in Galway, but takes a common sense approach. "Yes, it is a whole new environment. You'd know what's dangerous in Letterkenny, and where to avoid. It's a question of getting used to the place. "So far, it's been great."