Girls outperform boys across most subjects
Caoimhe Casey, Mairead Fitzgerald, Michelle Judge, Sorcha Cox and Roisin Adams all registered an incredible 11 higher level As in the Junior Certificate, not including Civil, Social and Political Education (CSPE) which is a common level, compulsory subject.
A breakdown of the results for higher level subjects showed that a higher percentage of boys than girls received A grades in maths, materials technology, technical graphics, metalwork and environmental and social studies. In all other subjects a higher percentage of girls received As. A higher percentage of girls than boys scored As in 21 subjects at ordinary level.
Boys had the higher failure rate in 18 subjects at higher level and there was a similar pattern at ordinary level, where the failure rate for boys was higher in 16 subjects. Boys also had a higher failure percentage in the three subjects at foundation level, and in CSPE.
At the Mercy Secondary School in Tralee, 15-year-old Caoimhe Casey from Ardfert was celebrating 12 As, including CSPE.
"I didn't expect it. All my friends are all really happy with their results as well," she said.
Down the road in Killarney, GAA president Sean Kelly's son Laurence was celebrating 10 As at higher level. The 16-year-old student at St Brendan's College admitted that a sporting injury which kept him off the pitch before the exams probably contributed to his tally.
"The fact that I was unable to play anything for so long meant I'd more time for studying," he said.
Meanwhile, Mairead Fitzgerald, of Ursuline College in Thurles, Co Tipperary, was celebrating 12 As. The 15-year-old from Roscrea was one of 140 students who sat the
Junior Cert at the school this year, but said she had been worried about some of the exams.
"I was nervous of my results. I didn't think I failed any of them but I still felt dodgy about a few. I never dreamed I would get anything like that. I remember being quite worried about English."
Michelle Judge from Aghamore, just outside Sligo town, clocked up 12 As, including top marks in CSPE.
Mercy College principal Sr Mary Forde said: "We're delighted we had a very good class this year."
As for Michelle, she seemed underwhelmed.
"I didn't really react, I didn't cry and stuff I was very calm, but I didn't really expect it," she said.
"I was surprised, especially in some subjects like religion and geography, which are completely uninspiring subjects to study for."
Sorcha Cox, 15, from Rathowen, Mullingar, and a pupil at Loretto College in the town, secured 12 As, including CSPE.
She said she was "delighted" with her results, and added: "I would like to thank all the teachers for their support, which I really appreciate."
Another of the country's high achievers was 16-year-old Roisin Adams from Portlaoise, who attends the Patrician College in the town. She registered 11 As at higher level and a B in CSPE, but said she had never expected to achieve such high marks.
"I was glad no, I was stunned," she said.
"I was expecting good results but not that good. All my friends were happy. The teachers are brilliant it's a great school. My parents are very happy."
St Aloysius College in Carrigtwohill outside Cork city had six girls who received 10 As and seven who got nine As.
Among them was Iraqi Rasha Mohamed who, despite living here just five years, scored maximum grades in all her subjects.
Originally from Baghdad, she said she would contact her family there to tell them about her results.
"I just can't believe it."
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