Cream of the crop celebrate ‘maximum’ achievement

THE cream of the crop came from Cork this year, with four Leaving Certificate students scoring top marks in eight subjects.

Two of the four, Hugh Hurley and Donagh Healy, came from the same school Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh in Bishopstown. They were joined in the elite group by Barry O'Mahony from Presentation Brothers College and St Angela's College scholar Aisling Sheehan.

The 18-year-old was so nervous yesterday morning that she sent her father Michael to collect her results.

"I was halfway up the hill and I just turned back, so he met me in a café downtown and we opened them there. I knew I'd done well but I was delighted with these results," said Aisling, who will almost certainly study psychology at UCC.

Her teacher Anne Hurley had more than one reason to smile yesterday, because her son Hugh achieved similar results. However, he was asleep at the time, in Peru, where he is taking part in the World Schools Debating Championships.

"It's wonderful for them, I'm celebrating on the double," said Anne, whose older son Raphael also got eight A1s last year.

Hugh was expected to check his results on the State Examinations Commission website yesterday, before getting back to the last 16 round with the Irish team, sponsored by The Irish Examiner.

While most of this year's 59,525 Leaving Cert students picked up their results from schools, thousands used the internet.

Within half an hour of the facility opening, more than 5,700 students, as far afield as the United States, Canada, Pakistan, Bosnia, South Africa and Nepal had logged on to the website.

Closer to home, Hugh Hurley's classmate Donagh Healy was also in shock after learning of his eight A1s. The 18-year-old was hoping he would have enough to study medicine at UCC, but should rest assured after receiving his results.

Barry O'Mahony got to school just after it opened yesterday, after travelling from Taiwan, where he was on the Irish team at the International Physics Olympiad.