Four Traveller grandmothers who between them have a total of 49 children and 52 grandchildren were among 16 awarded Junior Certificates in art at St Benin's Training Centre, Tuam.
The four are Ms Winnie Ward, Gilmartin Road, who has 13 children and 12 grandchildren; Ms Nora Ward, Parkmore Estate, who has 10 children and 14 grandchildren; Ms Bridget Ward, Gilmartin Road, who has 12 children and seven grandchildren; and another Ms Nora Ward, also from Gilmartin Road, who has 14 children and 19 grandchildren.
"We never got the opportunity to go to secondary school when we were young as we were travelling so much, but now it is my aim and that of my friends to go back and study English next year," said Ms Winnie Ward.
Ms Mary Boyle, literacy teacher at St Benin's, said it was great to see Travellers making such strides in education. "We had 16 girls who got their Junior Certificate results today in a range of subjects including English, history, maths, geography and CSPE and they are encouraging many of their friends to go back to education, too," she added.
Mr Bernard Hardiman, director of St Benin's, said this year's Junior Certificate results among students there were most encouraging and he saw education as the way forward for Travellers.