He was "up at 3 o'clock in the morning cleaning the house" because she couldn't sleep. But by 9.10 a.m., Rachel Keane had collected her Leaving Cert results from Nora Kennedy, principal of St Rynagh's Community College in Banagher, Co Offaly.

Slowly her face lights up with relief. "I passed it anyway so, of course, I'm pleased with it," she says. "The geography was a hard paper. We were all worried about that."

Classmate Edel Mooney, from outside Banagher town, had butterflies in her stomach all morning before she called to the school. "I've just rung my mother - she's delighted. She wanted to know if I had a smile on my face."

Many of the St Rynagh's Community College students in Banagher were too nervous to eat a breakfast last Wednesday, the day the results came out.

That morning Principal Kennedy collected the results from Birr Post Office at 7.30 a.m. She was in her office from 8. a.m. taking calls, checking the results, noting the grades and preparing to meet the students. They started to call shortly after nine. But the tentative calls had started the night before with parents ringing her at home. "They are so concerned," she says. "They wanted to know what time they would get the results."

There are some hysterics outside on the footpath. "I can't believe it," shrieks one girl, holding her hands up to her face, crumpling the result sheet. "I got an honour in maths." Two friends run up and hug her. The three heads scrutinise the results for confirmation that she's got through.

Then another shriek and a slap on the back. "Congratulations!" The three walk off to confer with others down the town.

The minutes tick by and another anxious student walks up to the principal's office. "I think you'll be very pleased with that," she says, holding on to John Mitchell's elbow. He reads down through the results and starts to smile. "I was a bit nervous coming in the gate," he admitted. "I`m delighted now." He heads out to tell his mother who is waiting outside in the car.

The principal's own daughter, Eimear, has been in earlier to collect her results. "She was unbelievably nervous," says her mother.

Jean Milne is pale with worry as she comes up the avenue. In five minutes she is outside beaming. "I'm happy that I passed everything. I was very, very nervous."

Her father, Pat, is outside in his car, waiting. "I'm just delighted that she passed," he says. "Naturally they are all nervous."

Audrey White smiles shyly, she's "happy enough" but William Slevin, a class-mate, is "in a state of shock" after he looks at his great grades - two As, two Bs and two Cs and one D. For one who'd expected to do badly, he's delighted and surprised. "I passed metalwork," he says incredulously.

The principal says "you'll have to sit down" when she sees him walk in. "I can't believe it. They must have got it wrong," says an amazed Slevin.

"Brilliant," is all Patricia Mahon can say. She hurries away to share the good news with her friends. Brian Hughes, another classmate, needs 410 points to do commerce in NUI Galway. He gets more than enough - a cool 445. "No, I wasn't nervous at all," he says truthfully when asked about the waiting and the lead-up to getting his results.

His friend, Liam Carroll, sits on the wall looking at his own results. He's spent the morning milking cows but "the exam was at the back of my mind all the time. I didn't think I'd do as well. It's a big day, all right. A good bit depends on it."

Four Spanish girls, who are spending the month studying English in Banagher, come up to the school to see how their friends are doing. "They told me that they were worried," Alicia Lizondo from Valencia explains. "They were all worried." Her three friends nod sympathetically.

Their state exam, el selectivo, is just as nervewracking, they say. "I would be worried as well. I have to do my exam next year," says Ana Belelen, a slight frown crossing her face.

In another corner of the school, Donal Egan is beaming. He feels great, he says. "I wasn't thinking I'd do as well." Everyone is now planning a night in Birr to celebrate. Mary McKeon is philosophical about her results. "I'm going to repeat. I did okay, I got over 400 points but it's not near enough. I'll repeat here. I don't mind. I want to do medicine." She knew before she came in to school that she would need to repeat but there is still plenty of reason to celebrate, she says. "I'll be going out tonight, all right."

Jack Kenny, the school caretaker, stands in the wings, ready to give a word or two of support. "It's a family affair," he says. Offering his congratulations to the students as they pass out.

And off they go, although a number are thinking of coming back and repeating. "It's the order of the day," says Nora Kennedy.

"You have about 20 per cent of repeats. Their expectations are higher. They find out from their first sitting of the Leaving Cert and they know what they can do."

`The exam was at the back of my mind all the time. I didn't think I'd do as well. It's a big day, all right. A good bit depends on it'

`Let me in will you," shouted a frustrated student waiting for her Leaving Cert results outside Loreto College in Crumlin, Dublin. Sitting in the sun on the school steps, a number of students speculated about how they would fare.

None were too positive. Most agreed that waiting was the worst part. "The worst that can happen is you have to repeat," one mumbled.

The clock ticked towards 9.30. Most students had arrived early. Soon enough a member of staff opened the doors and clicked her fingers. Running along into the school with the girls was a happy little terrier, providing the only amusement for the nervous bunch. Once inside, the girls had to queue, adding to the suspense.

Alma Grbic had been waiting since 8.30. She was allowed in first. The 20-year-old, who came to Ireland three years ago from north Bosnia, is "delighted" with her results and relieved to have passed. She hopes to do dental technology in Trinity.

Friends hugged the emotional Maria Bell, who had tears of joy rolling down her face, with the news that she did better than expected. "Hopefully, I'll get business management in DIT."

Guidance counsellor Sister Rosemary O'Connor said that "generally speaking we are very pleased with the results." However, some of the more nervous people, held on tightly to the envelope with their results, refusing to open it.

Out of the 110 students, she said, "only a small number of girls won't come along." Some were waiting until the crowd had died down and wouldn't be in until later.

The atmosphere outside the principal's office was a mixture of tension, joy and genuine disappointment. Girls waiting to be called in to Sister Helen O'Riordan's office to get their results, mingled with the enlightened ones who already knew their fate. Mothers also queued anxiously with students. Lorraine Pocock, on holiday in Turkey, was waiting for her mother, Dolores, to contact her with her results. Phyllis O'Halloran was nervous about collecting results for her daughter, Laura. Laura had gone on holiday to Spain with 13 friends to ease her exam nerves. She hoped to do well enough to go to college and would ring her mother later to hear the news.

Lots of eyes glistened with tears, and quite a few well made-up faces were streaked, mostly with tears of happiness, both for themselves and their friends. Nobody was left alone in their joy or upset.

Best friends Elaine Carter and Danielle Bergin, both 18, hugged each other dearly with relief. Although she had got seven honours, when asked what she would do next, Elaine said, "Oh, I don't know."

Lyndsay Best, 18, from Dolphin House, was very pleased with her grades. "It's one of the happiest days of my life," she said. Before thinking about the FAS course she is going to do, she said she was going straight to the pub.

Orla McGouran, 18, from Crumlin, hoping to do business and French in Trinity, said that she was "expecting the worst - anything would be a bonus." The piece of green paper in her hand told her that she had got four As and three Bs.

Doubled over with tears of joy was Frances Houlahan from Rialto. "I did much better than I thought." Now she can go ahead and do business in St Stephen's Green College.

"Rita Ledwidge, wait until your mam sees that!", exclaimed vice-principal Ethna Dowling. Rita had got a "six and one" - six honours and a pass allowing her her first choice in college. Wiping back tears, she said: "I'm still shaking. I've wanted to go to NCAD since I was a kid - I don't know what to do."

Emotions in the group range from delight to disappointment. No calculators and only two girls totting points are to be seen. For some just passing a subject has made their day.

"What did I pass, what did I pass?" screams the jubilant Denise Coady to her friend. "French?" volunteers Helen Ryan. "No, the other one". Helen guesses correct this time: "Irish." Matter-of-factly, Denise declares: "I passed and that's all there is to it."

So, what next? The girls think short term rather than long term. "To Break for the Border", say Ailish Rogers, Julie Maher, Denise Coady and Helen Ryan in unison.

Jane Charles, who wants to do arts in UCD has not yet calculated her points. "You'd need a calculator." Staff on hand agree that for today it's more results than points that matter.

Deirdre McNally, wanting to do social work in Senior College, Ballyfermot, was over the moon with her A2 in Spanish and, especially, her C3 in honours history. "I never passed a history exam in my life."

Jessica Campbell, who wants to be a vet, has already decided to repeat. Despite her good results, she doesn't feel she has enough points.

After half an hour most of the crowd has dispersed, some back to work, some to the pub and others home, most relieved to have the ordeal behind them.

As the sky became overcast, darkening with the moods of some students, three denimclad girls arrive an hour and a half after the rest of their counterparts. They said that they "didn't wake up, and were relaxing in bed."

Louise Kirwan admitted she is "very nervous". On the other hand Leah Fox claimed to have psychic powers. "I know my results already, I'm going to fail."

Her younger sister, Debbie, also nervous about collecting her own results was somewhat more confident for the three of them. "I think they'll pass."

The girls vowed not to open the results in school. "I'm going to go out under the nearest bus," said Leah, before going into the school.