Editorial

Technological university bid to be welcomed News that Athlone IT is to seek to gain technological university status as part of a five-strong bid by institutes of technology in the Border, Midlands and West is to be welcomed. The new technological university would become the largest educational institution in the State, catering for over 27,000 students. A steering group comprising the presidents and senior staff of Athlone Institute of Technology, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Letterkenny Institute of Technology, and Institute of Technology, Sligo, are directing the negotiations. The process would presumably allow students a wider choice of degrees across the range of participating institutes, with distance learning and video link lectures key to the initiative. Athlone IT has been fundamental to the development of the midlands and is a crucial piece of social, educational, sporting and commercial infrastructure in the region. Its continued growth and development can only serve to act as a catalyst for the region's economy. Speaking this week, President of Athlone IT Ciarán " Catháin stressed: "We are not trying to recreate the old, traditional university, what we are doing is new and dynamic... We will focus on science and technology from level six to ten working with industry and applied research." With the cost of third-level education set to soar in coming years, it's likely to be of great benefit to parents in the region that their sons and daughters can be educated in a midlands university, rather than having to bear the costs of relocating to Dublin, Cork or Galway. Dignified response a lesson for all Widely recognised as one of the finest sports reporters of his generation, Moate native Colm Murray's world was turned upside down two years ago when he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) - a condition that will almost certainly lead to his premature demise. However, rather than lie down and let his illness define him, Murray has faced it head on. His personal journey over the last two years was the subject of the RTÉ documentary, MND: The Inside Track, on Monday night. You would need a heart of stone not to be moved by the dignity and force of character Colm displayed as he volunteered for a series of medical experiments that could eventually lead to a breakthrough for future MND sufferers. At a time when it is easy to become despondent about state of the Irish economy and the impact that it is having on our lives, last Monday night's documentary was a powerful and timely reminder that the most important things in life, such as good health, good friends and a positive mental attitude, are truly priceless, and that it's not the hand you were dealt that defines you, but how you react to it.