No exam 'safe from influence of Bono'

Junior Cert: higher level Irish:Candidates were happy with a student-friendly higher level paper yesterday.

The aural exam came late in the day and was fine according to ASTI subject representative Robbie Cronin. However, he was concerned at the use of a somewhat old-fashioned phrase which translates as "healthy as a trout".

"That's what old people say," said Mr Cronin. "It's not the kind of language that a 14-year-old would use."

Subject expert for The Irish Times Study Guides Éamonn Maguire described the written exam as "very easy".

Two composition titles gave students the opportunity to write their essays in the past tense. "The past tense suits students much better," said Mr Maguire.

Mr Cronin praised the comhrá question, which featured a teenager's dispute with parents about a sleepover, as being "topical and relevant" to the lives of students.

"No exam paper is safe nowadays from the influence of Bono," said Mr Maguire, referring to a comprehension that featured a picture of Bono's wife Ali Hewson with the artist Mark Kavanagh, also known as Rasher.

Considering the 2003 paper featured Bono himself and last year's paper a piece about Ms Hewson's friend Adi Roche, Mr Maguire may have a point.