Absence of Plath and Heaney surprises students

The non-appearance of Sylvia Plath or Seamus Heaney was the talking point for most higher level Leaving Certificate English students last night.

The second paper for Leaving Certificate students instead featured poets Thomas Kinsella, Adrienne Rich, Philip Larkin, and Patrick Kavanagh, although Heaney did turn up on the ordinary level exam.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland subject spokesperson Alan Thompson said that while students can not afford to put all their eggs in one basket, it did seem a bit punitive when, in addition, the entire paper was quite tough.