Students struggle with Donegal accent

ON the first day of the Irish exam yesterday, some students claimed to have particular difficulty with grasping the Donegal accent.

Students who admitted having a problem in the aural test invariably focused on the Ulster dialect.

But the overall response, at ordinary and higher levels, was positive.

Maebh Kelly, from Dublin's Loreto College, found the ordinary level paper easy and most of her class seemed to think so as few stayed on to the close.

Ciara Wilson felt she could have been better prepared. The essay question was hard, with lots of topics to choose from. She selected her favourite TV programme, Friends.

However, Sarah Moran, who took higher level, said: "I don't think I did as well as I could have."

The listening was a challenge, especially those elements where the speakers' Donegal accents baffled a number of students.

Rebecca Kelly, who did the higher level paper, felt the exam went well and thought the questions fair.

At nearby CUS College, David Kelly, who thought the ordinary level paper was much too easy, found the listening section easy, apart from the last two questions.

Seamus Campion, who did the higher level exam, felt not enough time was allocated for the work required and complained about the marking scheme for the letters.

"You were asked to write too much for the amount of marks you were given," he claimed.

But those students who were less than pleased with yesterday's papers, this morning's second Irish paper offers a chance to improve their marks.