There is something in the water in Cork when it comes to achievement and rowing with avid oarsman Owen Gaffney achieving 10 As in his Junior Certificate.
The secret of his success?
“Well, I stuck my Irish [poetry] to the boat and learned it there,” he explains. “When I was rowing I would look at it and try and learn it as I rowed.”
Owen, of Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Sidney Place, was one of five students at the school to achieve 10 As.
“I was worried about the Junior Cert because I went rowing every day so I was worried I might have screwed up,” said Owen.
“Being realistic I thought I would get three Bs and seven As. I have never got an A in English. My average mark in English was always in the 70s.”
As for now hitting the town, he says: “I was going to go out today but I am a rowing fanatic so I have decided to go training.”
He has been further inspired by the Olympic success of Gary and Paul O’Donovan. “I have talked to them before and they are really sound lads.”
Classmate Peter Kingston who also received 10 As said he was delighted with his results. “I thought maths was incredibly hard so I am very pleased,” he said.
Donagh Kiely said he was thrilled to do well in the “important subjects” of maths, business and science. He was overjoyed at getting a B in science.
“Irish was pretty hard but I am not good at Irish. I want to become a process engineer.”
Principal of CBC Dr Laurence A Jordan, said he was very pleased with the results. He said the school strives to have a balance between helping students achieve their academic potential whilst also fitting in a variety of extra curricular activities.
Six students got 12 As in this year’s Junior Cert exams.
Nicola Kenny
These included Gemma O’Dwyer, a pupil at Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles, Co Tipperary, and first cousin of Nicola Kenny (26) who was tragically killed in a road crash on the M8 motorway earlier this month when she was travelling to Dublin to visit her one-day-old baby.
“I’m so happy with my results today and I hope my cousin is proud and smiling down on me,” she said.
“I’m glad I have given my mother something to smile about because it has been a very hard time for my family.”
Gemma studied the core three subjects plus German, home economics, science, CSPE, religious education, business studies, geography, history and technical graphics.
“My favourite subject is business studies so I’m thinking of studying business and law in college. I love debating and I play camogie with Holycross-Ballycahill,” she said.
“I studied consistently throughout the year and didn’t cram or overdo it at all. I didn’t struggle too much to balance homework study and my hobbies,” she said.
Another student who scored 12 As was Julie Gaine from Mercy College in Chapel Hill in Sligo.
“I worked very hard this year but I got a lot of encouragement from my parents and teachers,” she said.
“For the past two years I have done evening study for two after after school. It means that I get all my homework done and have time for all my hobbies or for extra revision when I get home.”
Julie said that while her favourite subject was music and she was involved in the school orchestra, she had her sights set on studying medicine in two years time.
Other pupils who scored 12 As came from Presentation College Cork; Ratoath College, Co Meath; and East Glendalough Comprehensive School, Wicklow.
This is due to be the last year that students will receive Junior Cert results in the current form.
The traditional certificate will be replaced in 2017 with the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA), offering a blend of exam grades and other learning achievements that are assessed in school.
