Cork:Students at the Presentation College in The Mardyke, Cork, were in jubilant form yesterday after receiving Leaving Cert results which matched or exceeded the expectations of most.
Twins Peter and Rob Murphy (18) found themselves the centre of media attention after they both scored six A1s in their exams.
Despite getting the same results, the non-identical rugby-playing twins from the Model Farm Road stressed that they were very different.
Rob plans to study Mathematical Science at University College Cork while Peter intends to study law at the same university.
"We were very surprised to get the same results. We didn't study together and we are interested in different things. I did chemistry and biology and Rob did physics and applied maths," explained Peter.
They may be heading in different directions in their education and careers, but last night the two lads were heading into town together with their pals to celebrate their achievements.
Charlie Sullivan, from Douglas, hopes to study pharmacy at UCC after getting seven A1s, which was better than he had expected.
School principal Michael Hennessey said that the results overall this year were superb and he pointed out that this was on top of the school's sporting success - they won the Munster schools' senior rugby cup this year and had six students playing with Ireland in the lead-up to the exams.
Basking in the sunshine and the glow of their success outside the school were Brian Derhan, from Douglas, who scored 540 points and plans to study finance at UCC, Theo Cullinane, from Rochestown, who got 480 points and hopes to do chemical engineering at UCC, and John O'Brien, from Rochestown, who achieved 555 points and is going to study law, also at UCC.