If the higher-level Junior Cert examiners were out of favour last year for setting a difficult first paper, they've made up for it this year. Teachers proved pretty enthusiastic about yesterday's paper.

"The examiners have made a huge effort with the higher level paper," commented Ms Treasa Ni Chaonola, who teaches at St Michael's College, in Dublin's Ballsbridge. "Last year, you would have needed to be in an all-Irish school to manage the comprehension."

This year's comprehension - an extract from Foinse about newscaster Grainne Seoige's move from TG4 to TV3 - was a cinch, she indicated. "It was very accessible and readable."

Question 1 provided students with plenty of scope - the choice was vast, she said. "One student told me that he had enjoyed writing up an imaginary interview with me following an accident," Ms Ni Choanola noted.

"This year's paper allowed students to show their knowledge of Irish and their vocabulary," agreed Ms Hilari de Barra, who is secretary of Comhar na Muintheori Gaeilge. However, Mr de Barra thought the comprehension piece "fairly challenging". Students had a wide range of interesting topics to write about, some teachers said.

According to Ms Brid de Burca, who teaches at St Dominic's College, Cabra, Dublin, the questions relating to the higher level aural tape required a lot of writing. Nonetheless, "the tape was very clear and the speakers were clear," she said. While some students had found it difficult, nobody was especially unhappy.

Most students were happy with the ordinary level paper but some questions contained difficult language, Mr de Barra noted.

Teachers were enthusiastic about the choice of comprehension passages - a piece about the pop group B*witched and a story about footballer, Robbie Keane. Students, too, had a good choice of subjects to write about. They were invited to write essays based on their own experiences. This gave students a chance to shine, teachers agreed.