CELEBRATIONS:FIRST THE points, then the pints: Leaving Cert students were celebrating in style in Dublin last night as various results parties took place around the city centre.
Louise Ahern from Santry and her friends were spoilt for choice. Options included Alexandra Burke in the Dandelion, a Razorlight DJ set in Club 92 and a UV paint light party in Swords. “They throw paint at you, and it glows in the dark and all,” she explains.
But having weighed up their options, Louise and her friends decided on a foam party in the Purty Kitchen in Temple Bar. “I spent €40 on this dress and now I’m going to get it wrecked,” Louise says.
And well she might smile, having achieved three honours and three passes in the Leaving. “I needed five passes for travel and tourism in Marino College and I got it so I’m delighted.”
Glammed up and giggling, Sarah Heary and her friends were looking forward to a more traditional night out. “I think we’re going to go on a pub crawl and then onto a club later on,” she said, as she and her friends teetered their way through Temple Bar in high heels.
Her friend Deirdre Lawes said she wouldn’t miss school. “I was up there today and, no, I don’t think I’ll miss it, I think I’m ready to move on now . . . You’ll miss your friends, going in doing your routine everyday,” she says half-wistfully.
Others were looking to the future. Lee Higgins from Coolock, who was on his way to the Bar Code nightclub in Clontarf, was delighted at having passed his exams but already had an eye on foreign shores.
“I’ll probably get a job and get money up and hopefully move out of Ireland now in the next few years. I have a few relatives over in America so I’m going to see if I can get over there and go to a good college . . . You just can’t get a job anywhere else so I’ll try to go somewhere else and see if I can get something over there then.”
Ryan Cahill wants to go on to do psychology but also has his sights on America, where he wants to try out as a professional basketball player. For him and his friends last night’s Leaving Cert results party in Alchemy in Templebar marked their last big night out together. “My whole school year is out tonight.”
Clodagh Hogan from Coolock is going to repeat her Leaving next year but that wasn’t taking the gleam off results night.
“I worked hard. I deserve my night out.”