An Indian - rather than a Celtic - tigress graced yesterday morning's English and communications paper.

The striking photo found favour, but the accompanying travel article was "an excessively difficult piece", according to Ms Linda McDermott, who teaches in the Liberties College, Dublin.

An imaginative paper, it included extracts from Lies of Silence by Brian Moore, the lyrics of a Tracy Chapman song as well as an RTE radio schedule.

Ms McDermott said the Brian Moore piece was inappropriate and the questions were tough. But, overall, the 12 students at Liberties College were pleased with the paper.

The 14 students at Loreto College, Crumlin, Dublin, were also happy with the exam. English teacher Ms Colette Woods said it was "straightforward, with no surprises".

If she had a criticism it was that the questions on the elective song or poem were too easy, asking only about the story told or the feelings expressed. "LCA students are well able to discuss theme, tone, mood, imagery," said Ms Woods.

Ms Margaret Dennehy, LCA co-ordinator at Ardscoil na nDeise, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, praised the paper, especially the first section, for testing students' analytical skills. There was a good choice in the media section, with a choice between radio, a film review and a newspaper article. In the written section, the questions on the LCA and the mini-company were "very rooted in the programme", she said.

Mr John McGabhann, a teacher in Tallaght Community School, Dublin, said most of the 40 students were under pressure to get the paper finished. It was long and challenging.

Social education

Clubbers who find themselves short of cash could soon be able to use cashpoint machines with clubs. The catch - there would be a £1 charge per transaction. This is just one of the topics LCA students had to grapple with yesterday afternoon. Separations, divorces, births outside marriage, childcare and the composition of the Dail also featured.

There were no complaints about the paper from the 10 students at St Mary's Secondary School, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

Their teacher, Ms Marcella Dillon, said it was "a fair paper which reflected the course well. The multiple choice covered quite a wide range of topics and required some specific information. The long-answer questions were reasonable."