Leaving Cert Irish paper one: ‘Much tougher than previous years’

The higher-level Irish exam was much tougher than previous years with a narrow selection of topics and some tricky terms in both the writing and listening tests, teachers have said.

“A wide range of topics were available, but awkward phrasing and niche issues meant that the practical selection was very narrow,” said Clare Grealy, an Irish teacher at the Institute of Education.

Linda Dolan, Studyclix.ie subject expert and an Irish teacher at Mercy College in Sligo, also said that the paper may have proved challenging for some students and “presented a few difficulties.”

Ms Grealy, meanwhile, said the composition question was particularly challenging.

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“Many students will have looked at the title with a sigh and thought: where do I start?,” she said.

“This was a much tougher paper than previous years, not just in terms of its topics but also in how questions were phrased. For example, many would have read the question on ‘things that affect the health of the person’, seen the word ‘health’ and possibly started a discussion on the health service.

“In other cases, the vocabulary chosen in the question was potentially likely to drive students away from questions they were well prepared for. Many students would have prepared material on homelessness or racism. Only if you knew [that] the term ‘éagóir’ meant ‘injustice’ would you understand.”

Ms Grealy said that, with some prompts obscured by language choices, others were “too niche” for students to feel confident about.

“How one goes about approaching ‘Irish in the digital age’ is something that would perturb teachers, never mind students.

“Other topics were certainly more immediately culturally relevant (cost of living), but one must wonder how much a 17 or 18-year old would have explored this element through Irish. Knowing how to discuss something in English is very different to having those tools in Irish and thus many will be frustrated,” she said.

Ms Grealy said it was important for students to remember that they already have points earned from their oral and have a fresh exam ahead.

“Hopefully the studied material of paper two has less opportunity for this paper’s misguided creativity,” she said.

Ms Dolan suspected more students would have prepared for an essay on the housing crisis.

“The díospóireacht (debate) question was based on the Irish language and charities - students would have needed to have been well prepared for those,” she said.

Máire Ní Cheallaigh, a teacher at the Institute of Education, said the listening test was “broadly accessible, but contained a few tricky moments”.

“Thankfully students had the opportunity to reuse some of the vocabulary prepared for the sraith pictiúr This was a useful overlap that would have helped them navigate the piece. The phrasing of several questions was familiar enough that those who had seen last year’s paper will be familiar with ‘aidhm’ (aim) and ‘deis’ (opportunity) in the questions’ demands.

“Cuid B’s discussion of a trip to Spain to learn the language will find a useful overlap with Gaeltacht material. Cuid C’s inclusion of Pele was a nod to a topical story and was presented in a broadly accessible manner,” Ms Ní Cheallaigh said.

Ordinary level

The ordinary level paper, meanwhile, was well-received.

“It was very doable,” Ms Dolan said.

“Students would have been content with the topics that were offered as they allowed them the opportunity to showcase the vocabulary they have learned in both junior and senior cycle.

“The titles for the scéal were also very doable and left open for interpretation. Without a doubt, there was something for everyone today on the ordinary level paper.”

Try this one at home:

-Leaving Cert Irish paper 1 (higher level)

Scríobh aiste nó alt nuachtáin/irise ar cheann amháin de na hábhair seo:

(a) An costas maireachtála in Éirinn. (b) Fadhb na ndrugaí sa lá atá inniu ann. (c) Daoine cáiliúla i saol an lae inniu. (d) An éagóir i saol an lae inniu. (e) Na rudaí a chuireann isteach ar shláinte an duine.