The department of Education and Science can take a bow. Teachers waxed lyrical over the first student-friendly ordinary-level Irish paper in years.

Ms Treasa Ni Chonaola, who teaches in St Michael's College, Ballsbridge, Dublin, said: "It was a lovely, lovely paper. The comprehensions were interesting. The first one was about Cork hurler and footballer Sean Og O hAilpin while the second dealt with Brid Ui Dhireain who is 105 years old.

"Students had a wide choice of essays, stories, letters and comprehensions in the written section."

The secretary of Comhar na Muinteoiri Gaeilge, Mr Hilari de Barra, said the content of this year's ordinary-level paper was much improved. It was more pupil friendly and the layout was better. Questions were more direct and the essays, which included An Bhliain 2000 and An Ceol in Eirinn, offered better scope.

As well as sitting the written papers, students had an aural test. There were no complaints about the tape from students in St Michael's College.

A topical higher-level Irish paper sported photographs of film star Tom Berenger and ICTU president Inez McCormack. Essay topics included An Mhilaois Nua - re an dochis no an eadochais? and Laochra an Fichiu hAois a chuaigh i bhfeidhm go mor orm.

Ms Ni Chonaola said higherlevel students found the historic comprehension - heros or deserters - very interesting. It told the story of group of Irishmen who went to the US in the 1840s and changed sides to fight with the Mexicans against the Americans. Many members of the San Patricio (the St Patrick) Brigade met a brutal death at the hands of the Americans.

Unfortunately, the second comprehension was much more difficult. It focused on Inez McCormack and used trade-union language, said Ms Ni Chonaola. There were phrases such as pay agreements, bargaining, ICTU and managing the economic benefit, she said.

She said there was a good choice in the written comprehension section, however most students would probably not have tackled the debate topics which dealt with league tables and neutrality.

Mr de Barra said the higher-level paper would have suited the brighter and well-read student. "I was glad to see something on the millennium and the on the problems of young people," he said. The second reading comprehension, about Inez McCormack, was challenging and the vocabulary was difficult.

He reserved his criticism for the foundation-level paper where the comprehension passages, which included a piece on Bob Geldof and an extract from Seanna, were quite difficult however the written section was fine.

This paper is aimed at the weakest students.