Saoirse tops Junior Cert A-list with 12 reasons for birthday cheer

Saoirse Lonergan from Conna, Co Cork has double reason to cheer — with 12 As in her Junior Certificate and looking forward to her 16th birthday tomorrow.

The transition year student at Loreto Secondary School in Fermoy was one of just four out of more than 60,000 students to get the top grade in 12 subjects yesterday, an achievement that blew her away.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all, I did think I might get a handful of As but definitely not that many,” she said.