Sighs of relief at having first paper under their belts

THE big day passed without any major hitches for students taking their first Junior Certificate exams yesterday.

English papers were the order of the day for more than 56,000 candidates around the country. But most Cork students appear to have got through the papers with relative comfort.

At Mayfield Community School in Cork, there was relief among Junior Certificate students at having the first paper under their belts. Gemma Kelleher found the ordinary level paper easier than expected, and she was glad to have overcome the pre-exam nerves.