The student who received the highest marks in the Leaving Certificate yesterday said she was so nervous about getting her results she sent her mother to collect them. "I had worked hard but I was still very nervous so my mother went down to the school to collect them for me," said Nathalie Barry (18) from Mallow, who got eight A1s.
"I was stunned when she rang me. I never thought I would do so well," said Nathalie, who got A1s in Irish, English, maths, French, German, physics, chemistry and biology.
Nathalie is the eldest in the family of four of John and Marian Barry.
She got 640 points, collecting bonus points for an A1 in honours maths, more than enough to pursue her preferred choice of career, veterinary science at University College Cork.
Nathalie paid tribute to her school principal, Sister Brid Biggane, and her teachers at St Mary's Convent of Mercy Secondary in Mallow. "Sister Brid was obviously very happy for me, but the results all round were very good and that pleased her a lot."