St. Brendan’s Community School Birr celebrates outstanding Leaving Cert and LCA Results

ST. Brendan’s Community School said it was delighted last week to “celebrate the exceptional achievements of the Class of 2026” following the publication of this year's Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied results.

“This year's cohort has delivered an outstanding set of results,” the school said, “reflecting not only their academic ability but also their dedication, resilience and commitment throughout their time in the school.”

The school said it was especially proud that 5% of the year group achieved in excess of 600 CAO points, with one student, Darragh Hoyne, attaining an incredible seven H1 grades and a total of 625 points, a truly remarkable accomplishment.

The overall performance of the year group was exceptionally strong, with 27 students achieving over 500 points and 60% of the entire cohort securing 400 points or more. These results represent years of hard work by the students, supported by their families and guided by a dedicated and committed staff.

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Among the many highlights this year was a significant increase in the number of H1 grades achieved across the core subjects of English, Irish and Mathematics. Particularly encouraging was the strong participation rate in Higher Level Mathematics, which exceeded the national average and reflects the growing confidence and ambition of the students in this key subject area.

Students also excelled across a wide range of disciplines, with particularly impressive performances in subjects such as German, Engineering, Construction Studies and a number of other areas. The breadth of achievement across the curriculum demonstrates the diverse talents and interests of this year's graduates.

“The Class of 2026 will now embark on a variety of exciting pathways,” commented the school. “Many students have secured places in highly sought-after university programmes including Pharmacy, Biomedical Science, Psychology, Engineering, Business and Teaching. Others have chosen to pursue PLC courses and apprenticeships, recognising the many excellent routes available to success beyond second-level education.

We are equally proud of the achievements of our Leaving Certificate Applied students, who attained an outstanding eight Distinctions this year. These results are a testament to the determination and practical skills demonstrated by our LCA cohort, many of whom have already accepted places on PLC programmes as they prepare for the next stage of their educational journey.

While we are thrilled with the points and grades achieved, we firmly believe that success cannot be measured solely by examination results. The Class of 2026 was a truly special group of young people who will be remembered for much more than their academic accomplishments. They embraced every aspect of school life and consistently demonstrated kindness, empathy and a strong sense of community. They were enthusiastic participants in charitable initiatives, school events, student leadership programmes, and sport.”