Caoimhe Normile (17):Avid rugby fan Caoimhe Normile has not missed a Munster match at Thomond Park in Limerick over the past two years, her father revealed yesterday.
A student at Presentation Secondary School in Tralee, she achieved A1s in biology, physics and chemistry, applied maths, maths, and accounting, as well as Irish, English and French.
Caoimhe, from Tarbert, plans to study medicine at UCC, where her sister Laura (21) is in her final year of French and law. She was “absolutely delighted” at her results, which she said were unexpected. “I was saying prayers that I’d get enough points so I wouldn’t have to repeat,” she said.
Caoimhe was one of five students at the school to achieve 600 points in their Leaving Cert. Principal Sheila Portillo said Caoimhe was a “most unassuming and modest” girl.
Her father Chris, a Department of Agriculture vet, said she also loved swimming but, while this had been scaled back a bit during the year, she never missed a rugby match at Thomond Park on Friday or Saturday nights. ANNE LUCEY
Joe O’Sullivan (18)
Joe O’Sullivan credits his success in the Leaving with the boarding school environment, the quality of teaching and “a bit of luck”.
From Kenmare, Co Kerry, Joe has boarded at Blackrock College, Dublin, for the last two years. He got A1s in maths, French, Spanish, Latin, biology, chemistry, physics, music and applied mathematics and an A2 in English.
His family returned from London when he was 11. He studied up to Junior Certificate at the Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine in Kenmare, and moved to Blackrock College because it had a fuller curriculum for him to choose from.
He taught himself Latin up to Junior Cert level and Blackrock is one of the few schools in the State where it is still taught at senior level. He only started learning Spanish after the Junior Cert. He will study medicine at Cambridge University, having had a conditional offer based on getting six As in the Leaving. When he wasn't studying he played piano and flute in the school orchestra. "The music took up a lot of time, but it was worth it for relaxing." RONAN McGREEVY
Conor Durkan (18)
The Cork student described his achievement as a “bit of a shock”. Conor Durkan from Douglas received top marks in English, Irish, German, maths, chemistry, physics, biology, applied maths and music and now hopes to go on to study maths science in UCC.
He said when his mother brought him the results yesterday, it came as something of a surprise. “She came into my room at about 8am and she was wide-eyed. I thought she was excited about going in to get the results, then I realised she actually had them. She told me and it was a bit of a shock,” he said.
Conor, a student at CBS Sidney Hill, hopes to do something related to maths when he finishes university. “Last week they landed the rover on Mars, and Cern is coming out with all sorts of crazy results, so if I could go on and be part of something like that it would be incredible.”
Conor said English, Irish, music and applied maths were the subjects he found most difficult. He studied music outside school and was delighted to get the top mark in the subject. LUKE CASSIDY