Last year, the Kilmallock Institute for Further Education and Training and the Shanagolden Education Resource Centre were opened. This has enhanced the opportunities for providing more numerous and varied adult education courses, both day and evening, in County Limerick.

The Kilmallock Institute is based in the former St Peter's Community College, which became vacant when the two post-primary schools in the town were amalgamated.

With a grant from the Further Education Section of the Department of Education, the premises were refurbished and a state-of-the art information technology system was installed. Work also started on an Adult Literacy Resource Centre to serve south and south-east Limerick.

The Shanagolden Resource Centre similarly developed from the former Vocational School, with contributions from West Limerick Resources Limited as well as the Department of Education. The Centre also has excellent computer facilities, and the Youth reach training programme now runs from there.

Courses are run throughout the county, of course, and there are adult education liaison officers based in Abbeyfeale, Askeaton, Cappamore, Croom, Drumcollogher, Kilfinane, Kilmallock (two), Newcastlewest, Rathkeale, and Shanagolden.

Day classes available include broadcasting/ communications, calligraphy, Chinese cookery, clocks and clock repairs, interior design and microwave cookery.

The list of the most popular evening courses, supplied by William Crowe, the adult education officer for the county, is striking in its variety.

On the health/keep-fit side there is aerobics, aromatherapy, first aid, Tai-chi and yoga.

Popular cultural courses include art, ballroom dancing, calligraphy, creative writing, flute-playing, piano, recorder, Spanish, stained glasswork (beginners and continuation), trumpet and violin.

Musicianship for both the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate is also popular.

Cookery in all its forms features: budget, Chinese, Christmas, entertainment and microwave.

Other home-making skills that are sought after include flower arranging, furniture restoration, gardening, interior decoration, pottery, sewing, trees, upholstery and woodwork.

For the competitive minded there is bridge.

Training for work includes building construction, a variety of computer courses from beginners to advanced, and welding (beginners and advanced).

The stained glasswork course is one of the more unusual. It has been held for the last five years in Newcastlewest Vocational School. An exhibition of work is held each Spring in the local library.

In Limerick city, the entire field of adult education has widened substantially in Limerick city in recent years.

Traditional evening classes in the hobby and leisure, homemaking, and language subject areas are still growing strongly, and there is an ever-increasing emphasis on career areas such as information technology and other career subjects.

Second-chance education has come very much to the fore, and the number of daytime classes within the community has risen.

Community centres are running over one hundred courses. These can be about almost anything, because they are created in response to local needs.

This is because the range of programmes has become diverse and extensive, and includes VTOS, Youthreach, prison education, adult learner support, PAUL partner ship initiatives, European projects and self-financing adult education programmes.

It also takes in community employment, as well as the community- based education and training programmes already mentioned.

Courses are available at Limerick VEC's Senior College, Adult Education College, and School of Music. The city's post- primary schools are also the venue for classes, as is the case in Ireland generally.

The third-level colleges are all involved, and the scope of courses runs from basic literacy right through to certain Master's degrees available at night from the University of Limerick.

The Limerick Institute of Technology is one of the biggest centre for adult education in Munster. The Limerick Senior College also caters for a Diploma in Economic Science and a BSc Management degree from London University.

As well as the VEC and third-level courses, there are those in private colleges such as HSI and the Mid-West Business Institute, and language schools.

From art to Zen meditation, just about any subject you can think of is on offer in Limerick city. Among the more unusual are a radio amateur course, lip-reading classes for those with difficulty in hearing, and battle re-enactment which includes sword fencing, pole fighting, and use of the Gallowglass halberd, spear and shield.

Junior and Leaving Certificate courses are also on offer.