The family and friends of 17 graduating students were on Sherkin Island this month for the conferring ceremony for the Dublin Institute of Technology’s BA in Visual Art.

The graduates were conferred with their degrees by Dr Michael Mulvey of DIT.

The event was also attended by various local community and government representatives, including special guests Bertie O'hAinmhire of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Cllr Declan Hurley, Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork.

The graduation ceremony was organised in conjunction with the Sherkin Island Development Society and the West Cork Arts Centre.

The Visual Arts course is a community-based, four-year, honours degree, visual art programme based on Sherkin Island.

It is fully accredited by the Dublin School of Creative Arts and is part-funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Cork County Council.