Thoughts of the "points race" were put to one side yesterday evening as celebration became the focus of attention for Leaving Certificate students in Waterford who seemed intent on marking the receipt of their results. Carol Duffy reports.
Text messages were the order of the day with phone companies profiting from a teenage eagerness to spread the news; whether it was good, bad or indifferent.
For Claire Greene (18) at St Angela's Secondary School in Waterford, the news was very good indeed as she clocked up six A1s in maths, Irish, physics, chemistry, history and German.
"I wanted to do veterinary science at UCD and needed 550 points so obviously I am delighted with what I've got. I didn't believe it at first and kept adding it up."
Claire's mother Isabelle, who joined her at the school, cried with joy on learning of her daughter's achievement. "I am surprised and delighted. There is obviously an element of luck in getting such good results as well as hard work."
Ciara Fitzgerald (18) emerged from St Angela's thrilled with the combination of a B2 in art and 370 CAO points. "This gives me more than enough for a place on the art and design course I want to do at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). I wasn't expecting such results and I'm really delighted with the art and a B3 in ordinary level maths, which I failed in my pre-Leaving."
Similar scenes of high emotion were evident yesterday morning at Tramore CBS secondary school where head teacher Mr Gearóid O'Brien was on hand for the first time to distribute the precious slips from the Department of Education and Science in Athlone.
"The results here today are a credit to the hard work and commitment of both the students themselves and the teachers. We are particularly pleased with the science subjects which are running above the national average."
At the XLC Project in Waterford, where early school-leavers and those who have had difficulties in mainstream education are offered a second chance, it was noon when the results were distributed to 37 students.
With refreshing honesty, the founder of the project, Ms Nuala Jackson, said she was disappointed with some of the results but stressed that those who consistently attended classes had done very well.
"We are providing an alternative here and it is very much up to the individuals to attend classes. I would be hopeful that some of those who didn't do so well will see that they have the potential now and may have another go."