Leaving Cert Irish paper two: Sighs of relief as predicted topics make for approachable exam

Irish Times

10-06-2025

Well-chosen questions and the appearance of predicted topics on the higher level Irish paper two made for an accessible exam, teachers have said.
'The paper would no doubt have been well-received by the students,' said Stephen Doyle,
Studyclix.ie
subject expert and an Irish teacher at Moyle Park College in Dublin.
'The two reading comprehensions were well chosen – the first text focused on Rory Gallagher and music while the second passage about sport in Ireland was very relevant and easy to relate to,' Mr Doyle said.
'Both were very manageable. The grammar threw up no surprises while the 6B questions were a bit more specific than in previous years.'
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Danielle O'Connell, an Irish teacher with
TheTuitionCentre.ie
, said that 6B posed the biggest challenge in an otherwise mostly accessible, manageable and fair paper.
'Section 6A followed a familiar pattern, with the grammar components proving predictable and well within students' expectations,' she said.
'However, Section 6B presented a more complex challenge, echoing a trend seen in recent years. Candidates were asked to respond to the prompt:
'Tabhair dhá phointe eolais, i d'fIocail féin, as an sliocht a léiríonn fírinne an ráitis sin'
(Give two points of information, in your own words, from the passage that show the truth of this statement), which may have required additional interpretation.'
In the prose section, students were relieved to see the long-awaited Hurlamaboc appear.
'Students were expecting it last year but it didn't appear; thankfully this year it did,' said Mr Doyle.
'Students had an option between Hurlamaboc and Oisín I dTír na nÓg with the questions being very straightforward with no surprises.'
Nuala Úi Cheallaigh, an Irish teacher at the Institute of Education, said that it was a 'lovely continuation of previous papers with broad questions that allowed students to adapt their material.'
In the poetry section, Ms Úi Cheallaigh said that both 'Colscaradh' and 'An Scailpín Fánach' were both highly anticipated.
'The questions were in line with previous years, but students looking to optimise their marks in this section would need to be attuned to the effects of the techniques asked in the middle question,' she said.
The litriocht bhreise section also offered broad and approachable questions, said Ms Úi Cheallaigh.
'Those who prepared An Triail will have ample choice of material in exploring the women's failure to understand Máire's circumstances, with at least three key characters jumping to mind.
'Those doing A Thig Ná Tit Orm would have needed to focus on the specific positive moments of the author's recollections but will also have several moments to explore the requisite joy and shenanigans,' said Ms Úi Cheallaigh.
'Overall, this paper allowed students to demonstrate their work and grasp of the material in a very fair and open way.
'The real challenge will be the exam discipline necessary to make the most effective use of the tight timing by selecting and editing what to cover and what to exclude,' said Ms Úi Cheallaigh.
Ordinary level
On the ordinary level paper, Mr Doyle said that it was student-friendly and covered the basics well.
'The reading comprehensions focused on the Olympics and the Phoenix Park (nature), topics that were accessible and relatable for students. The prose section offered a choice between 'Dís', 'Oisín I dTír na nÓg' and 'Hurlamaboc' which was expected and gave students good options,' he said.
'The poetry section included 'Mo Ghrá-sa','An tEarrach Thiar' and 'Colscaradh' with straightforward questions that tested students' understanding of the main themes and content.
'There were no surprise questions. Overall, this paper provided ordinary level students with plenty of opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge successfully.'
Try this one at home:
-Leaving Cert Irish paper 2, Q2(a)
(a) Freagair an cheist thíos ar an ngiota as an úrscéal Hurlamaboc.
'Tugtar léiriú dúinn sa ghiota as an úrscéal Hurlamaboc ar Lisín, bean a bhfuil go leor cúiseanna ceiliúrtha aici agus nach mbíonn riamh díomhaoin.'
Déan plé ar an ráiteas sin.