Saoirse Lonergan from Conna, Co Cork has double reason to cheer — with 12 As in her Junior Certificate and looking forward to her 16th birthday tomorrow.

EVENING classes in creative writing, basic science and computer animation have never been so popular, but the latest set of graduates at one Cork city school are a lot younger than the usual set of people developing their skills.

HUNDREDS of the country’s brightest children could miss out on the chance of taking special classes because of a budget cutback that will save the Government less than €100,000.