Education

Luke O’Neill on the Leaving Cert: ‘We jumped in the sea in our uniforms after the last exam’

My Leaving: Trinity professor would like to see other ways of assessing students, other than sit-down exams

Prof Luke O'Neill, Trinity College Dublin. "Don’t take advice from people in their 50s," he says. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Tue Jun 7 2022 - 17:43

Luke O’Neill, an immunologist and professor of biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin, is also an author and a musician. He sat the Leaving Cert at Presentation College Bray, Co Wicklow in 1981.

What is your most vivid Leaving Cert memory?

After the last exam, me and a classmate went down Bray seafront (I’m from Bray) and we jumped into the sea in our uniforms. Free at last!

Who was your most influential teacher and why?

Fran Mooney, biology teacher. I would not have done natural sciences in Trinity if it wasn’t for him inspiring me.

What advice would you give to your Leaving Cert self?

Don’t take advice from people in their 50s.

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What was your most difficult subject?

Irish. For some reason I had a hard time learning it. Probably because I only did it in school, never outside.

And your favourite?

Biology, obviously enough!

Can you recall what grades/points you got?

It was before points! If memory serves I got a few As and Bs.

What did you do after secondary school?

I went to Trinity College Dublin to study natural sciences (biochemistry)

What would you change about the Leaving Cert?

There have to be other ways to assess students, other than sit-down exams, but I’d like to see evidence that they are fair and don’t increase disadvantage for those already at a disadvantage because of socio-economic group.

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