Offaly Principal 'very happy and proud' with Leaving Cert results

The Principal of Birr Community School, John Kennedy, said this week that he is “very happy and proud” with this year's batch of Leaving Cert Results.

100 students sat the exams in June while 20 undertook the Leaving Cert Applied Programme. There are nearly 900 students in the school as a whole.

“About 50% of our Leaving Cert students achieved over 400 points,” he remarked; “17 students got over 500 points; and two students achieved over 600. The two students were Sorcha Tierney from Birr and Patrick MacCartain from Kinnitty and they both got 613, just shy of the maximum 625. In the Leaving Cert Applied Programme seven of the 20 received Distinctions, which is very pleasing.”

The Principal added that the Leaving Cert year were a “lovely group” of people, who were known for their manners and respect towards others. He also pointed out that those who were most active in school life also achieved very good results. “They engaged enthusiastically with school life, not just studying, whether it be taking part in Meitheal, or the Student Voice Committee, the musical or the choir. I think it's no coincidence that those who engaged enthusiastically with school life also got very good results in their exam papers.” He added that the school's results remain above the national average. “We are continuously, year after year, above the national average.”

John pointed out that the current state of accommodation for Third Level students remains challenging. “What we are noticing this year is that our students perceive Dublin to be more difficult in terms of accommodation than Limerick or Galway, therefore there are less opting for courses in the Dublin universities and more opting for courses in University of Limerick or University of Galway. We are also noticing an uptick in those opting for University College Cork.” He said the most popular Third Level courses for St Brendan's students are Engineering, Nursing, Medicine and Teaching.

As well as the problems of lack of accommodation and excessive rents, the Principal pointed out that the fees for Third Level education have increased.

The transition between secondary school and third level colleges can be a stressful time for students, but it is being made considerably more stressful because of the Housing Crisis, forcing some students to make long daily commutes by bus from Offaly.

Financial uncertainty, mental health and wellness, academic stress, and the need for a stronger sense of belonging are major issues for many students throughout Ireland, as they face rising costs and societal pressures.

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