The Irish paper brought tears to ordinary-level students yesterday. Ach, bhi scolairi an ardleibheil sasta go leor.

The ordinary-level reading comprehension was described as "impossible" for the level of student. Muireann Ni Mhorain, a teacher in Dominican College, Griffith Avenue, Dublin, rang Exam Times to express her disappointment with the passage.

While higher-level students had Lady Di, ordinary-level students were left to grapple with William McNevin (1763-1841). The content and questions on the higher-level paper were simpler, she said.

The second comprehension on the ordinary-level paper concerned "caisealoid", which was explained in the text in an indirect way as a species of whale, said Muireann Ni Mhor ain, a near-native speaker who had not encountered the term previously. (Dineen's Gaeilge/Bearla dictionary translates the word as "cachalot" - which according to the Chambers English dictionary is a sperm whale.)

Question 2, which asked students "Cen sampla a thugtar sa sliocht den `cheimiocht' a bhain sinsir Mhic Chnaimhin amach?" might as well have been in Swahili as in Irish for the standard of student, she said.

Some students in her school were so upset by the paper that they said there was no point in coming in on Monday for the literature paper.

Mine Mhic Coil, a teacher in St. Michael's, Navan, Co Meath, also contacted Exam Times to complain about the comprehensions, which were "unattractive". The second passage was demanding with a difficult vocabulary and challenging questions.

Treasa Ni Chonaola, St Michael's College, Ballsbridge, Dublin, described the ordinary-level comprehension passages as dreary. She said she couldn't imagine that students would have the slightest interest in the United Irishman from Galway featured in the first piece. It was quite technical for ordinary- level students. She too said that the whales piecewas more demanding than the text on Lady Di at higher level - though the questions were not as difficult.

However, Treasa Ni Chonaola said the first question on the ordinary-level paper was reasonable.

The ASTI subject representative, Maire Ni Laoire, agreed that the choice of topic was well within students' scope and experience. She lamented the lack of a subjective reading comprehension with which students could empathise; the first reading comprehension was objective, historical and outside most students' normal experience. A glossary would have been helpful, she added.

Even though she was brought up through Irish, Maire Ni Laoire did not understand the terms "grampar" and "ceasaloid" in the second comprehension. "Suggestions that the paper might be a little easier were not taken on board." At higher level, question 1 offered a wide range of topical subjects, ranging from drugs, the media and emigration to peace and the importance of Irish. TreasaNi Chonaola welcomed the comprehension piece by Carrie Crowley on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Higher-level students were quite happy overall with their paper, she said.

Question 1, the choice of an essay, story, piece of journalism or a debate, was well worn. "Teachers get tired of it but students like it and they have the relevant vocabulary," she added.

Ordinary- and higher-level students listen to the same aural tape but answer different questions. Students found the first section much too fast and they had some difficulty with it but they thought as the tape progressed the pace settled down, according to Treasa Ni Chonaola. It was difficult to extract the answers and write them in time, she noted. Mine Mhic Choil said the aural tape did not instruct students to "scriobh as Gaeilge" and even though this was written on the paper, she said some students answered in English.

Teachers agreed that the foundation-level paper was fair and well thought out.

Sample question

Gaeilge, Ardleibheal, Paipear 1

Ceist 1

Ceapadoireacht

Aiste a scriobh ar cheann amhain de na habhair seo.(a) Drugai - sciuirse ar linne.

(b) Tabhacht na mean cumarsaide.(C) An imirce - is fadhb fos i.

Sa cheist seo, bhi rogha ag scolairi idir aiste, sceal, alt nuachtain/irise no diospoireacht/oraid.