Well-received higher paper not without its problems

LEAVING CERT IRISH HIGHER AND ORDINARY LEVEL PAPER 2:THE MUCH-derided Stair na Gaeilge (history of Irish) made its final appearance in paper 2 of higher level Irish, giving an otherwise very well-received paper a slight sting in its tail.

“There were definitely problems here,” said the ASTI’s Robbie Cronin, who teaches in Marian College, Ballsbridge, Dublin.

He pointed out that one section asked students to write about two out of a choice of four topics which included Irish as a Celtic language and the political poem or aisling. It was unusual to have such big topics as subsections within a question and was “too much to write”, he said.

Other teachers, however, did not feel that this was much of an issue. “I thought it was fine,” said Ciarán Ó Murchú of Coláiste Íosagáin, Stillorgan, Dublin. “Students had plenty to choose from.”

Elsewhere, the paper was deemed to be very good. In the prose section, questions on Breandán Ó hEithir's Lig Sinn i gCathúand Máire Mhac an tSaoi's An Bhean Ógwere fair while still presenting a challenge for students.

The well-known Cearrbhach Mac Cába was the compulsory story “again”, Mr Ó Murchú said. “The examiners really seem to like it.”

In section two of the paper, students answered questions on one of a choice of texts that ranged from Pádraic Ó Conaire's Scothscéaltato A Thig Ná Tit Orm. Most, however, would have opted for the question about the drama, An Triail.

At ordinary level – taken by 26,000 students – there were no major complaints.

Mr Cronin said the prose section presented a choice between Fiche Bliain ag Fás and Clare sa Spéir. The questions held “no surprises”.

"My only issue was that the very first question used a quote from Fiche Bliain ag Fás," said Bláithín Ní Liatháin of the TUI, who teaches in Kylemore College, Ballyfermot, Dublin. "If you didn't know what came next, you would have been stuck, although most should have been fine."

The Clare sa Spéir question was "lovely", she added.

Mr Cronin said students were asked about summaries and character questions, as well as the “normal emotion questions and what you liked and didn’t like about another story”.

Further down the paper, a question on the theme of loneliness in An Bhean Ógby Máire Mhac and tSaoi held no surprises, according to Ms Ní Liatháin.

“It was actually a very nice question,” she said.

Last year, the poetry questions in the exam were shorter and more precise than those of previous years. That change in emphasis continued in yesterday’s paper.

The students had a choice between poems Gealt?by Áine Ní Ghlinn and Bímse Buan ar Buairt Gach Lóby Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill.

" Gealt?in particular is a poem that students seem to like," Ms Ní Liatháin said.

Mr Cronin expressed a slight concern that the phrasing of some of the questions was a bit overcomplicated. Students were asked in one question about Gealt?, for example: "Why was the secretary so worried?"

“Better to have said just, ‘Why was she worried?’” Mr Cronin said.

The questions for Bímse Buan ar Buairt Gach Lówere fine, Ms Ní Liatháin said. "If you could spell the word brón you would have been away in a hack because that's what the questions were about," she added.

Try this at home: Irish higher level

Scríobh gearrchuntas ar DHÁ CHEANN díobh seo a leanas.

Liam Ó Flaithearta

Máirtín Ó Direáin

Máire Mhac an tSaoi

Peig Sayers

Biddy Jenkinson

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill

Caitlín Maude

Séamus Ó Grianna

(b) Do rogha dhá cheann díobh seo a leanas: An Ghaeilge mar theanga Cheilteach; Annála na gCeithre Máistrí; Ogham; An Aisling Pholaitiúil.