New subject but same excellent results at Portlaoise College

A brand new subject on the syllabus was one of the challenges easily overcome by the students of Portlaoise College, with excellent results across the board in this year’s Leaving Cert.

70 sixth year students sat the Leaving Certificate at the college and principal Noel Daly said the excellent results were a testament to their hard work and commitment to their studies over the past two years.

He revealed that the top mark in the college was “between 500 and 600”.

“We are especially proud of the students who successfully studied for the new Politics and Society course and our results in our STEM subjects and 100% pass rate in higher level maths,” said Mr Daly.

“The students worked very hard which was reflected in their results with the majority of our student’s achieving the points required to study their first choice courses.”

He said that a number of students have also chosen to defer their place in college and instead study in the various one year full-time courses available at Portlaoise Institute.

Adding his praise for the teachers and staff, Mr Daly wished all the students the very best in their future career paths or on their exciting new journeys ahead.

Among the students receiving their results was rising Portlaoise musical star Curtis Walsh, who was pleased with his total of 250 and said he now intends to focus on his music.

Chris O'Connor, Portlaoise, got 261 and felt he did well in construction. He plans to go on and study mechanical engineering.

Caoimhe Grant Akande, Portlaoise, said she was happy with her results.

“My best was Irish, I wasn’t expecting my result in Irish, I’m very happy with it,” she said, adding that she had got enough points to do a PLC in law in Blackrock.

Shantell Lawless, Portlaoise, scored 319, which is enough for her to go on and study teaching in Sligo.

She was accompanied on the morning by her mother, who said she was delighted for Shantell and her results were truly deserved.

And Jorja Phipps, Portlaoise, who achieved 403, plans to study somewhere in Dublin, possibly on an arts course.

She was happy to get a H3 in English and business, and a H5 in maths. She was also one of the students who sat the new subject of politics and society, which she enjoyed.

“I thought the paper was alright and then I got a H5 so I’m really happy,” she said.

Deputy principal Keith McClearn, revealed that politics and society was one of the college’s best subjects for a new subject.

And teacher Sean O’Neill said it was great to see that in general the students were happy with their results.

“They gave it their all and they can do no more after that,” he said.