JUNIOR CERT IRISH - HIGHER AND ORDINARY:A "TASTY treat" lay in wait for Junior Cert students of Irish yesterday, with a higher paper that followed predicted lines.

The opening comprehension was on the subject of wholesome food (bia follan), and according to teacher Eamonn Maguire, most students got off to a flying start.

"Follan is the name of a popular Irish marmalade, so some of the students figured it out from that," says Mr Maguire.

Students of the Mercy College in Navan were delighted to see a question on this year's Beijing Olympics, as many of them would have prepared for this very topic.

Another subject predicted by canny teachers was the animated TV series The Simpsons, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year. Despite its advancing years, the series is as popular as ever and students were well able to tackle this question, teachers reported.

"Students were also asked to write a newspaper article on bullying, a subject that most would have an opinion on," said Mr Maguire. The whole exam was regarded as light and pacy, perfectly suited to the age group, said another commentator.

Yesterday's ordinary-level paper was also very well received.