Galway accountancy students among world’s best

Two Galway students have reason to celebrate after ranking amongst the best in Ireland and the world in their accountancy exams.

Daniel Thistlethwaite, from Gort, achieved first in Ireland and second place in the world in his Financial Management (FM) exam, while Galway city’s Libby Howard finished first in Ireland and eight in the world in her Financial Reporting (FR) exam.

Both are Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) students at Dublin-based online and blended learning college Accountancy School.

Viewing their results in context of the worldwide number of 500,000 ACCA students (approximately 8,000 of whom study in Ireland), Daniel and Libby were two of 30 Accountancy School students to finish first in Ireland. All were recognised for their achievements at a ceremony in Dublin recently.

Congratulating both on their results, Accountancy School Managing Director Dave O’Donoghue said, ‘ACCA is a globally recognised accountancy qualification, and the key to a hugely rewarding career in accountancy and financial management, here in Ireland and internationally’.

Against the backdrop of what he terms ‘an acute worldwide shortage of accountants’, the ACCA programme and other linked courses provided by Accountancy School are ‘high amongst those that the school is proud to offer, not least for the fact that students consistently achieve high pass rates of up to 96 percent, and for the part the courses play in helping young people to achieve their ambitions’, O’Donoghue added.