MEET THE TOP MATHS STARS OF ST MICHAEL’S ST MICHAEL’S COLLEGE TEAM WIN THE PRESTIGIOUS KERRY SENIOR MATHS QUIZ

THE maths questions kept coming hard and fast, posing problems so complex they’d collapse a normal person at just the very thought of them.

But it was all grist to the mill for four brilliant young minds from St Michael’s College as they knocked each one out of the park over the course of eight taxing rounds at the finals of the Kerry Senior Maths Quiz held in Tralee last week.

Luke Sheridan, Mike Galvin, Kasper Barczak and Darragh O’Keeffe played a blinder in a nail-biting contest up against their peers from right across the county to win the whole thing outright – by a single point.

They did so to the great pride of their long-time Maths teacher Sheila Ahern, parents, Principal John Mulvihill and all the students and staff of the school.

“We’re delighted for them and very proud of their achievements,” Mr Mulvihill told

The Kerryman.

“As a group they’ve shown fantastic aptitude for Maths right the way up, under the tutelage of their teacher Sheila Ahern who has taught them for many years.”

They now go on to represent their county at the All-Ireland Senior Maths Quiz finals in Maynooth next month – the competition organised annually by the Irish Maths Teachers’ Association.

“It’s a source of great pride for a school that has always had a great reputation for maths too, so it’s very nice to see that history being upheld,” Mr Mulvihill said.

He added that it also marked a return to normality post Covid: “All these things were cancelled during Covid so it’s great to be fully back to normality now and to see the lads getting the opportunity to meet and compete with their peers in-person. It all helps develop social skills at individual level which is vital.”