For the last decade, nearly twice as many girls have opted for higher-level Irish at Leaving Cert as boys. Some commentators believe that this anomaly is contributing to the feminisation of the teaching profession, as higher-level Irish is required for teacher-training courses in the colleges of education.

Here is the projected breakdown for Irish in 2005:

Higher-level male students - 5,716

Higher-level female students - 10,733

Ordinary-level male students - 15,336

Ordinary-level female students - 14,232

Foundation-level male students - 1,779

Foundation-level female students - 909

Levels of attainment in Irish - 2004

83.6 per cent of higher-level students achieved honours grades

79.6 per cent of ordinary-level students achieved honours grades

2.5 per cent of students failed Leaving Cert Irish