An 82-year-old grandfather has become one of Ireland's oldest third-level graduates after receiving an honours arts degree from Waterford Institute of Technology on Thursday.
Tom Boyle from Ramsgrange, Co Wexford is one of 2,457 graduates who received their degrees from WIT this week.
Mr Boyle was accompanied at the graduation ceremony by this wife Phyllis, their seven children and several of their grandchildren.
The former taxi driver and horticulturalist said that graduating from college is something that he 'always wanted to do'.
Tom also revealed that he previously started a third level course many years ago but never completed his studies.
He enrolled at WIT in 2016 and completed his studies in Irish and English earlier this year and is not sure what he wants to do in the future.
Speaking to RTE News, he said: "I always regretted that I hadn’t been able to finish it [University] at the time I started it because I was doing it at nights and work problems and various things came up at the time."
Phyllis added that the whole family are proud of Tom's achievement and said it sets a positive example for their grandchildren.
She said: "I'm glad he achieved it, I'm glad I'm alive to see it.
"As Tom says, with our young people, the future is bright."
WIT's head of the School of Humanities, Suzanne Denieffe, said that Mr Boyle’s achievement is proof that there are educational opportunities regardless of age.
She said: "Sometimes people think education is purely for school-leavers, those just finishing school and entering into the workplace, but in fact education is so much more than that and there are opportunities for people regardless of your age.
"Sometimes people think education is just for a job, but it's about personal development and it really can enhance your life, the life of your family, and therefore it enhances society."
