A group of seven women from the Ballymun/Glasnevin area of Dublin, ranging in age from 45 to 62, have been celebrating their Leaving Cert results all week.
They all sat the history exam at ordinary level. Four of the women achieved A1. Two received an A2 and another member who "went blank" on exam day got a B2.
They studied at the Girls' Comprehensive (Junior) School, Ballymun. They call themselves the Ladies Under Seventies Team, or LUST for short. During the year there were heated discussions about Michael Collins and de Valera. Irish history was a favourite but they were also fascinated by Otto von Bismarck, the Balkan crisis and its links with today's Troubles, the two World Wars and the Russian Tsar.
"By the end of the year I think they knew more about the course than I did," says their teacher, Carmel Mac Gabhann, who covered the two-year history course with the adult class over an eight-month period. "I was put to the pin of my collar. They were all very well read and au fait with current affairs. Their experience and their breadth of knowledge made them a very demanding and challenging class. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching them."
Angela Carroll (62), originally from Ringsend, left school at 14. Back then, says the grandmother of seven, "You didn't drop out, you left school unless you had some money. I'm only getting an education now at this hour of my life. I think it's a great achievement."
Sarah Dempsey, who grew up in Portobello, also left school at 14. After working for a few years, she got married. She and her husband, Bernard, have eight children ranging in age from 12 to 29. She was especially interested in the sections about the first World War because her father, James Jordan, had fought in the trenches.
Terry Cullen left school at 12 and worked in a solicitor's office before she married.
"We had great fun doing it," she said. "But it takes up a lot of your brain space." It was hard at times, she says. Being a mother, especially coming up to Christmas and having to study. "You'd put the book on your lap and then start falling asleep," she recalls.
June Bux (60), originally from The Tenters in Dublin's inner city, left school at 13 with tuberculosis. She liked European history more than Irish history. "The parties are the same nowadays," she said. The other members of the group are Angela O'Leary, Miriam Noonan and Breda Mongey. On Thursday they met for a celebratory lunch at their local, then went to a city hotel for a few drinks. They caught the late bus home. "We were all so happy," said Sarah Dempsey.