Junior Cert: higher level Irish:A prepared student should have had no problem with paper two yesterday, according to teachers. "Do-able was the keyword," said Eamonn Maguire, Irish expert for The Irish Timesstudy guides.

The paper started slowly with a reasonably accessible, if not hugely inspiring, reading comprehension. "It was very Angela's Ashes," said TUI subject representative Blaithín Ní Liathain. "I just don't know why you'd choose something like that for teenagers." While the vocabulary in the piece was challenging, complaints didn't go any further than the depressing text.

Students don't generally handle the unseen poetry section terribly well, according to Mr Maguire but this year they would have been happy. "There was a nice little simple poem called An Canaeríand another called Cuairtwhich wasn't too difficult," Mr Maguire said.

TG4's Aoife Ní Thuairisc featured for the second time in this year's State examinations. "She'd want to be careful of becoming another Bono," said Mr Maguire, referring to the frequent presence of the U2 singer and his friends and family on exam papers. A photograph of the Paisean Faiseanpresenter turned up on one of the short comprehension pieces.

The verdict was good on the letter writing section with two of the three options described as "fine".

Writing home from Irish college was expected, according to Mr Maguire. "It comes up over and over again," he said.