It’s well flagged that nixers like giving grinds and doing people’s books are in the Revenue’s sights. For PAYE workers seeking to own up and pay up on nixers, you may need to pay a lump sum or a deduction from your tax credits, depending on the amount due. The Revenue’s website details how to make a disclosure, and has a calculator to help you tot up what you might owe.

The Collector General stresses “early engagement” as key if you’re struggling with tax issues because of the recession. “Revenue is disposed to working with businesses and taxpayers to find a way through these difficulties provided there is early, positive and honest engagement.” The office has fast-tracked its decision-making process to cope with struggling cases more quickly.

Grinds.Biz – Maths Grinds in every county, Dublin, Galway, Cork, Westmeath, Mayo, Kildare, Limerick and all others.

Sir, – The new project maths syllabus in Ireland  introduced for the Junior Certificate & Leaving Certificate has caused controversy among both teachers & students alike. Students who are intelligent and good at maths are finding project maths difficult as it is too “wordy”. I don’t understand why fifth years, who have studied the “old” maths course all their lives, have been landed with this whole new syllabus.

Why not start it from first year, and let it work its way up? With hardly any text books or past papers to go by, it must be almost impossible to teach. Instead of learning about different angles in class, teachers are spending full classes taking 20 or so students outside and making them physically measure the angle of the school wall to the ground.

It must be a nightmare for them, especially when classes aren’t co-operating.

I don’t understand why, in an economic crisis, we are spending so much money on something that has been abandoned in countries including Finland, one of the top 10 countries in Maths League Tables.

As a Transition Year student who will be studying the course next year, I truly hope project maths will not put me at a serious disadvantage at third level, when competing with students from UK and Northern Ireland. – Yours, etc,

.

If you need Maths Grinds right now – including Grinds in Applied Maths, go to Grinds.Biz our website where maths Grinds are supplied by the experts. Its is free to search for Maths grinds on our website. Thanks

Here’s a summary of the play in simple English with most of the relevant quotes.

Click to download: Romeo and Juliet.pdf (download on leavingcertenglish.netRemember the type of questions you’ll be asked:

A central character (a winner or a loser, lucky or unlucky, your favourite character)
The relationship between two characters (they might specify – a tense/conflicted/loving/close/important relationship)
Character profiles & an introduction to the play (focusing on the main theme) for the programme.

Discuss the main theme/message of the play (2006 they specified one of these 4 themes: love/death/conflict/harmony) and show how this is relevant to your own life.
Describe the world of the play & discuss whether you would/would not like to live in this society.
Would you recommend this play? (plot, setting, themes, characterisation, style of writing, opening & ending)
A scene from the play – one filled with conflict or the most dramatic/memorable/tense/atmospheric/happy/sad/funny/tragic and discuss how this mood/feeling is created.
Describe how you would produce a scene from the play you have studied.
The opening scene or the final scene(s) – their impact on the audience & on you personally.
Never ever write a summary of the story, that’s not what they’re looking for. Knowing the story is the first step for you which is why I’ve written this summary but you must look at individual aspects – characters, themes, dramatic scenes – for answering exam questions.

Best of luck!

Leaving Cert Spanish

The Higher Level Leaving Cert Spanish exam is made up of an oral examination (25% or 100 marks), a listening comprehension (20% or 80 marks), and written exam (55% or 220 marks).

Oral Examination:
The oral examination usually lasts approximately 15 minutes. It can be the most daunting section of the Leaving Cert Spanish exam, but being well prepared with vocabulary and verbs will go a long way to laying the groundwork. Treat it as a conversation rather than an interrogation and try to get as much practise as possible at speaking Spanish in advance of the exam.

The oral examination consists of two distinct parts:

Section A is General Conversation and is worth 70 marks.
Section B is a Role-Play worth 25 marks. The General Conversation lasts a minimum of ten minutes while the role-play takes 3-4 minutes.

The Examiner assesses students on their pronunciation fluency, range of vocabulary, grammatical accuracy and communicative competence.
Top Tips:

i) Do not follow a “rote learning” method i.e. learning paragraphs off by heart. It is advised that the oral exam takes the form of a natural conversation. Some candidates, in reproducing learned off material, concentrate so hard on recalling the information that pronunciation and communication suffer.

ii) Prepare the role plays well in advance of the exam.

iii) Access Spanish media e.g. www.rtve.es/noticias/telediario-4/ . This affords students the opportunity to listen to a variety of accents discussing daily current affairs in Spain. This, in turn, helps develop pronunciation.

Aural Examination:

The listening part of the Leaving Cert Spanish exam takes place on the day of the written paper and lasts 40 minutes. It is worth a total of 80 marks. Instructions are given to the candidate on the front of the paper. The excerpts are played 3 times. All questions are to be answered in English. There are 7 excerpts as follows:

Anuncio
Diálogo
Diálogo
Descriptivo
Descriptivo
El tiempo
Una noticia

Written Paper:

The Leaving Cert Spanish written paper is worth 220 marks and you have 2 hours 30 minutes to complete the paper.

Section A

Section A is worth 70 marks and you should take about 55 minutes to answer this section. You can choose between Prescribed Literature (5 questions on the prescribed book La Aventura de Saíd) or the Journalistic Text.

There are 3 texts in Journalistic Text section. A large text followed by 4 extended questions and two smaller texts with two or three short questions on these.

Text 1: 4 questions Estimated time: 45 mins

Question 1: Answer in English. Questions refer to the paragraphs. This question is testing the candidate’s understanding of the text.

Question 2: Answer in Spanish. Candidate is given a sentence which corresponds to a sentence in the text. The paragraph is given and the answer should be sought there.

Question 3: Answer in English. The candidate is given several sentences in Spanish and must explain the meaning in English within the context of the paragraph.

Question 4: Answer in Spanish. The candidate is given a couple of sentences from a paragraph and must then express the idea in alternative way in Spanish. You are given a choice but must only do ONE. Read both very carefully before choosing!

Text 2: 3 questions Estimated time: 5 mins

All questions:The candidate is asked to find specific information in the news item. Answer questions in English

Text 3: 1-2 questions Estimated time: 5 mins

All questions require the candidate to give specific information in English.

Section B

Opinion Text 100 marks Estimated time: 55 mins

The candidate is given a large opinion text. Note there will be many phrases throughout the text in inverted commas. Keep these in mind as you read through the text. There are 5 questions.

Question 1: Candidate is given 5 sentences/phrases in Spanish and must find equivalent meanings in the text. The paragraph number is given. 15 marks

Question 2: Candidate is given 3 long sentences in Spanish and must explain their meaning in English. 15 marks

Question 3: Candidate is give 5 words and must find a synonym in the text. 5 marks

Question 4: Candidate is required to give a brief summary to response to short questions on the text. 15 marks

Question 5: Opinion piece. The Candidate is required to give their opinion on a topic related to the text. It must be 80-150 words approximately. 50 marks

Section C

You should leave about 40 minutes for this section. You can choose between Dialogue or Letter (30 marks) or the Diary or Note (20 marks).

If you choose the Dialogue you are given guidelines in English but must write the dialogue in Spanish. The content of the dialogue is unpredictable. There are approximately 5-6 pieces of dialogue to write. Candidates are essentially being examined on their use of grammar and structure. It is advised that you use simple Spanish paying attention to correct verb forms. The most commonly used tenses are the present, present perfect and preterite.

In the Letter candidates are asked to write a letter following specific guidelines in English. Do not deviate from the guidelines and go off on a tangent. Re-read the guidelines if you feel you are going off the point and perhaps tick off the guidelines on the paper as you complete each one. Like the dialogue it is advised that you use simple Spanish paying attention to correct verb forms. The tenses most commonly used here are the present and present perfect.

In the Diary Entry candidate are asked to write a diary entry. 4 guidelines are given in English and it is advisable to be a bit creative when writing your entry all the while using simple Spanish. You must write the date on top and sign off at the bottom. The tenses most commonly used are either the preterite or the present perfect.

The Note is similar to the diary entry in that candidates are asked to write a note using the guidelines given. Do not deviate from the guidelines and use simple, concise Spanish. Make it realistic by writing the time and date. The tenses most commonly used are the present, present perfect and the future.

Very few young people of 15 or 16 years of age are sure of what they want to do after school

It’s make your mind up time for students entering the Leaving Cert cycle later this year. There’s a lot to consider. Your parents usually have an opinion. Your teachers may have something to say. You may feel influenced by outside factors, such as the collapse of the property market (“won’t be choosing construction”) or the bailout (“might be taking German”).

Ultimately it’s really between you and your guidance counsellor, because two areas of consideration trump all others: What do you like? Only you know that. What do you need? Your career guidance counsellor knows that.

Your final choices should balance your interests with the requirements of the colleges and universities. You might not like French very much, for example, but if you choose to drop it and have no modern language, that shuts you out of many universities. You might love science and decide to take all three science subjects, but that puts you on a very narrow path beyond school.

Honor McAndrew is a careers guidance counsellor at St Andrew’s College, Booterstown, Co Dublin and she points to the need to keep your options open.

“It is not recommended that students over-specialise,” she advises. “Don’t take all three laboratory sciences, or all three business subjects, unless you are sure that these really are the areas you want to get into when you leave school and that they are course entry requirements.

“Very few young people of 15 or 16 years of age are sure of what they want to do after school, and may change their minds about possible future careers a number of times before they do the Leaving Cert.”

McAndrew recommends asking yourself the following questions: What subject am I most interested in? Which subjects am I likely to be best at? What subjects will I need?

“The answers to the first two questions will be closely linked. If you are interested in, and like something, it is easier to do well at it.

“To see what subjects you will need for your chosen courses, get a sheet of paper and list any career areas and third-level courses you are interested in, find out the entry requirements, and list them.”

When you have finished this exercise, look at subject balance. Most counsellors recommend a blend of Irish, English, Maths, a continental language, a science and two or three other subjects.

In terms of college entry, you’ll need the points for your course, but you’ll also need to meet the matriculation requirements of the particular college. For example, to get into Trinity you must have a grade C3 in at least three higher level subjects. In that instance it might be risky to start dropping down a level in subjects and leaving yourself open to missing the matriculation requirement even if you do have the points for your course.

Many students choose to drop higher maths for the Leaving. This is often based on the notion that the subject is too work-intensive – ordinary level maths leaves more room to study other subjects.

It’s a pity to take this decision if you genuinely have an aptitude for maths, and now that there are bonus points for higher maths, the option to stay is more attractive. This year 25 points will be added to an applicant’s points score for higher level maths. For example, according to CAO figures, a higher D3 in maths will score 70 points instead of 45.

After matriculation you need to consider the subject requirements of various courses.

Some subjects require higher maths, or a science subject, regardless of your points score. A grade C3 in higher level maths is the minimum entry requirement for the majority of engineering degree courses, for example, whereas veterinary medicine in UCD requires a higher level grade C3 in chemistry.

On the other hand accounting, economics and business are not required to study these subjects at third level. However, it will obviously be a help to your future studies if you avail of the option to study them at school.

Working out entry requirements for the various courses can be labyrinthine so do it in conjunction with your career guidance counsellor.

Ultimately, you need the points to get the prizes. Getting the best points you can involves doing the best exam you can. That’s where interest and aptitude come in. Only you know which subjects you enjoy and feel you can do well in. For matriculation or subject requirements you may have to take a subject or two that you might otherwise reject, but the majority of your subjects should be selected based on interest if you want to maximise points.

“Remember that the Leaving Certificate requires a great amount of hard work over two years,” McAndrew advises students. “It’s easier to put in the work if you have chosen, in so far as is possible, subjects you like. The Leaving Certificate requires a sense of purpose and motivation to get accepted for your first-preference course.”

Knowing exactly what you will need in each subject at each level will help give you that sense of purpose.

Another very important aspect of this process is to know what it is you’re working towards. An open day alone might not give you a real sense of the course you have put at the top of your CAO list.

Very often there is a huge difference between studying a subject at school level and studying it at university.

If you choose all business subjects because you have your heart set on a third-level business course that you actually haven’t properly researched, you might find out too late that you pitched all your choices and efforts towards a course that actually didn’t suit you in the first place.

My choices and why I made them

Rory Crean,

500-600 points

I am a first year medical student in UCD and I got straight As in my Leaving Cert last year. I went to Blackrock College for most of my secondary schooling but moved to the Institute of Education for the exam year. At that stage I reconsidered the levels at which I was taking key subjects, and chose to move to ordinary level in maths and Irish.

I chose higher English, ordinary maths, ordinary Irish, French, geography, physics, chemistry and music. Taking music was a great move for me. If you have a talent outside of school that can have any application to any subject, take that subject.

For me, I could wrap up nearly 50 per cent (if all went well) before I even opened a textbook which meant the pressure was off when it came to the written music exam.

The other thing that really saved me during the year was the level I took each subject at. Everyone remembers the debacle that was Maths Paper 1 last year. I felt really lucky to have opted to go with ordinary maths. And even though the maths paper was marked fairly and everyone got the grade they probably deserved, the blow to your mental state that that exam could have caused could have had a knock-on into other subjects. I know it can happen in any subject, but it just reaffirms the fact that if you’re ever teetering on the brink between higher and ordinary, on a subject that you may very well not count, make life easier for yourself where possible.

Ciaran Nevin,

400–500 points

I did mechanical engineering at DIT. I got 420 points. Based on my interests I chose construction, engineering, biology and chemistry. I had won awards in engineering in school and I come from a family of builders and tradespeople so it wasn’t a difficult choice for me to take those subjects for the Leaving.

I have a personal interest in psychology as well so I took the science subjects to keep my options open there. If I decided against engineering at college in the end, I would still be able to pursue the science route.

Despite this I still managed to severely limit myself with the subject choices that I made at school. I decided against taking a language because I never enjoyed the way languages are taught at school and I felt that I wouldn’t do that well in French and so I would lose points in the process. My careers guidance counsellor at the time warned me that without a language I would be closing off the option of going to many of the universities, but I didn’t really take it on board. As it turns out, I’m delighted I went to DIT, but I still think I made that choice without fully considering the doors I was closing.

The other door I closed was honours maths – by opting to go down to ordinary level I closed off the option of doing engineering at DCU. I chose the subjects based on maximising my points rather than leaving all courses open to me. It was a gamble that a lot of students have to take.

It was all based on the fact that I had made up my mind about doing mechanical engineering. Looking back, I probably should have researched the course a bit better. It was not what I expected at all – much more theoretical and less practical than engineering at Leaving Cert. It worked out in the end and I have my degree, but I made very specific subject choices based on a course that I didn’t really know much about.

I’d like to have a European language now but I still don’t think it would have served me well to keep French on at school. I might take up a language now, but if I do it will just be for conversational use.

Michelle Dougherty,

300-400 points

I’m a final year student of arts (English and geography) at UCD. The course required 370 points the year I did the Leaving, which was reasonable. I chose English, Irish, maths, German, geography, biology and social and scientific.

Some of my subjects worked out well in terms of exams. I did well in both my geography and English exams, which were my favourite subjects to study then and still are today.

Staying with higher level Irish, on reflection, was a peculiar choice. Irish has always been one of my weakest subjects, which is a shame.

I kept with higher level for the final exam, and so I was never expecting an A in that! Despite that I don’t think I would change anything, because it was all part of the journey that got me to where I am today.

My best advice to students choosing subjects now is to choose something you really do enjoy, if you intend to carry on with it as I did. Many undergraduates, as high as one in three in some courses, drop out before Christmas of their first year, due to poor course choice. This is often a continuation of poor subject choices made for the Leaving Cert.

SEÁN FLYNN, Education Editor and PETER McGUIRE

MINISTER FOR Education Ruairí Quinn has asked his officials to investigate how fee-paying schools spend the €120 million they receive from parents. The investigation – due to begin soon – will also examine State investment in these schools, including funding for teachers.

An Irish Times survey published today reveals how the 56 fee-paying schools get more than €120 million in fee income annually, in addition to the €100 million they receive from the State for teacher salaries.

The survey shows how the fee income at several schools exceeds €5 million a year. These include Clongowes Wood College, Co Kildare, and Blackrock College, Willow Park School and St Andrew’s College in south Dublin.

Despite the recession, demand for places in fee-paying schools remains robust. More than 26,000 students attend such schools, according to the latest figures.

Mr Quinn said the investigation would examine fee income based on fee rates and pupil numbers.

As private schools do not receive capitation and other supports, it will also take account of State investment foregone (in teacher allocations and recurrent grants) because the school is charging fees.

“In this way the additional or discretionary income available to fee-charging schools relative to other schools can be assessed,” said the Minister.

Concerns have been raised by some Labour members and by the Teachers Union of Ireland that some of the bigger private schools have significant financial resources even though they continue to be supported by the State.

Education sources say the investigation is designed to identify private schools in financial difficulty and help ensure their survival. In recent years some Protestant boarding schools have said they are struggling to survive.

As part of the inquiry, the Department of Education will enter into a consultative process with schools to identify if there are certain factors, such as mortgages, entered into for capital developments or other liabilities, which may limit their freedom to use any discretionary income.

Last month Mr Quinn told the Dáil the Government was fully conscious that “maintaining a network of schools is important if students from minority denominations are to be enabled attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos”.

Gerry Foley, principal of Belvedere College in Dublin, said he was concerned there may be too much focus on private schools, which represent less than 6 per cent of the school-going population.

But he did not object to the review. “There has to be clarity as to how fee income is used to supplement a school’s resources.”

Simon Thompson, principal of Midleton College in Co Cork, said rural Protestant schools faced significant financial challenges.

Kicking exam pressure to touch In this section » The formula is simple: real change Lessons to be learned from case in Clonmel Teacher’s pet Hikes in third-level fees A newly qualified teacher writes MY EDUCATION WEEK: Evan Kelly, Senior Cup rugby team, Kilkenny College SATURDAY Woke up at home in Edenderry after a long week in school, rugby training and studying for my mocks. I board at Kilkenny College and come home every Friday night. When I get up I don’t lie about though. There’s plenty to be done on the family farm, especially now that it’s lambing season. I help out as much as I can. I’m studying agricultural science for the Leaving and sometimes I share some of the theory with my Dad – grazing systems, types of slurry, stuff like that. So far he hasn’t really taken any of it on board though. I suppose there’s method to his madness. It would be hard to change his mind. Eventually I hope to run the farm myself so I can apply my Leaving Cert theory then, if it hasn’t all changed again by then. I plan to go to co

Kicking exam pressure to touch

MY EDUCATION WEEK: Evan Kelly, Senior Cup rugby team, Kilkenny College

SATURDAY

Woke up at home in Edenderry after a long week in school, rugby training and studying for my mocks. I board at Kilkenny College and come home every Friday night. When I get up I don’t lie about though. There’s plenty to be done on the family farm, especially now that it’s lambing season.

I help out as much as I can. I’m studying agricultural science for the Leaving and sometimes I share some of the theory with my Dad – grazing systems, types of slurry, stuff like that. So far he hasn’t really taken any of it on board though. I suppose there’s method to his madness. It would be hard to change his mind. Eventually I hope to run the farm myself so I can apply my Leaving Cert theory then, if it hasn’t all changed again by then.

I plan to go to college first though, and study engineering. For now though, it’s all about the mocks and the Senior Cup. One game at a time, as the professionals say.

SUNDAY

Headed down to the local rugby club to watch a game. Headed home after the match for a good roast dinner with the family before it’s back to boarding school food tonight. An hour’s supervised study back at school and that’s my weekend over. I’ve an early start to training tomorrow.

MONDAY

We’ve had a very full training schedule since September, although it feels more intense now because we’re in the middle of the Cup season and the mocks. We’re in the gym at 6.50am doing speed and agility training every Monday, Thursday and Friday, as well as out field training in the afternoons. The work in the gym involves running in and out of cones. Sounds dull but you really notice the difference out on the pitch.

After the gym I go back to class for my favourite subject, engineering. We’re all working hard for the mocks – I’m going to need at least 410 points for engineering at NUI Galway and probably more – the points are expected to go up. As far as a career goes, I’ve always really planned to work the family farm. But I’ve always been told that I had to get a degree behind me and that’s what I will do.

At 3.40pm I’m back out field training until 5.15pm. Then I have three hours of supervised study in the dorm, as we do every night. A very full day.

TUESDAY

Tuesday is rest day from training so I have a chance to focus on my engineering project for the Leaving Cert. I’m designing a Lunar Roving Vehicle – a moon buggy, in other words. Engineering is my favourite subject because it’s very hands on and that’s what I’m used to, working on the farm.

When I’m home there’s plenty of talk about study and the mocks but my parents are BIG rugby fans so I can usually steer them off the topic when all the talk of exams gets too much. My three sisters wouldn’t be quite so mad into rugby so a bit of compromise is required – I keep my mouth shut during Emmerdale . And Coronation Street .

My parents sent me to boarding school in Kilkenny because education is very important to them, but I know the rugby had a part to play too. Our team is doing very well so, while they do put a lot of emphasis on schoolwork, their very excited about the rugby too. They come to all the games.

This year Kilkenny College won the Leinster League for the first time, beating Castleknock College by a point before Christmas. Things are looking good. On Thursday we play St Andrew’s for a place in the quarter finals of the Leinster Cup.

WEDNESDAY

Back to training with a vengeance – tomorrow we take on St Andrews. Field training today and an early night. In the afternoon I had a photoshoot for this diary. The lads were leaning out the dorm windows giving me plenty of stick. I should have ironed my kit, apparently. I’m going to get slagged for this one way or the other. I like boarding though. You make great friends.

I suppose there’s not much time left for anything outside rugby training and study, but the structure suits me. The routine is organised in such a way that the study and the training don’t clash. The fresh air and exercise I get training makes it easier to settle down to the books when I get in so it’s not a bad balance, even if it sounds full on. There are lots of different sports played here, so it’s not all about rugby. Still, at the moment with the team doing so well, there’s definitely a bit of a rugby buzz around.

THURSDAY

A great match and a great win – we beat St Andrew’s 39/7. There’s a great atmosphere around the school. This is not the first time that Kilkenny College has made it to the quarter finals of the Leinster Cup but with the League win behind us we’re feeling very positive. Our next game will be against CUS on the 26th of this month. I’m not exactly nervous but there will be renewed focus on the training tomorrow.

Tonight had a read of the Farmer’s Journal , as I usually do on a Thursday – good for my subject and good for the talk around the dinner table. Quite a lot of the people I board with are from farming backgrounds so it’s not that unusual to be seen reading it. I haven’t got time to read much else.

Almost at the end of another week – I‘m looking forward to a training game against Castleknock College on Saturday and the return of the GAA season back in Edenderry on Sunday. I play for the local football team and we got to the county final last year.

With our Castleknock game on Saturday, football training and the ewes about to lamb my weekend is pretty well mapped out. My only relaxation, I suppose, is sitting in the tractor listening to Beat FM and the odd half hour on Facebook. I was never one for sitting around watching television anyway. Apart from Emmerdale , but I haven’t got a choice in that, do I?

THIS WEEK I WAS . . .

READING The Farmer’s Journal

WATCHING Coronation Street (no choice, three sisters)

LISTENING TO Beat FM on the tractor

llege first though, and study engineering. For now though, it’s all about the mocks and the Senior Cup. One game at a time, as the professionals say. SUNDAY Headed down to the local rugby club to watch a game. Headed home after the match for a good roast dinner with the family before it’s back to boarding school food tonight. An hour’s supervised study back at school and that’s my weekend over. I’ve an early start to training tomorrow. MONDAY We’ve had a very full training schedule since September, although it feels more intense now because we’re in the middle of the Cup season and the mocks. We’re in the gym at 6.50am doing speed and agility training every Monday, Thursday and Friday, as well as out field training in the afternoons. The work in the gym involves running in and out of cones. Sounds dull but you really notice the difference out on the pitch. After the gym I go back to class for my favourite subject, engineering. We’re all working hard for the mocks – I’m going to need at least 410 points for engineering at NUI Galway and probably more – the points are expected to go up. As far as a career goes, I’ve always really planned to work the family farm. But I’ve always been told that I had to get a degree behind me and that’s what I will do. At 3.40pm I’m back out field training until 5.15pm. Then I have three hours of supervised study in the dorm, as we do every night. A very full day. TUESDAY Tuesday is rest day from training so I have a chance to focus on my engineering project for the Leaving Cert. I’m designing a Lunar Roving Vehicle – a moon buggy, in other words. Engineering is my favourite subject because it’s very hands on and that’s what I’m used to, working on the farm. When I’m home there’s plenty of talk about study and the mocks but my parents are BIG rugby fans so I can usually steer them off the topic when all the talk of exams gets too much. My three sisters wouldn’t be quite so mad into rugby so a bit of compromise is required – I keep my mouth shut during Emmerdale . And Coronation Street . My parents sent me to boarding school in Kilkenny because education is very important to them, but I know the rugby had a part to play too. Our team is doing very well so, while they do put a lot of emphasis on schoolwork, their very excited about the rugby too. They come to all the games. This year Kilkenny College won the Leinster League for the first time, beating Castleknock College by a point before Christmas. Things are looking good. On Thursday we play St Andrew’s for a place in the quarter finals of the Leinster Cup. WEDNESDAY Back to training with a vengeance – tomorrow we take on St Andrews. Field training today and an early night. In the afternoon I had a photoshoot for this diary. The lads were leaning out the dorm windows giving me plenty of stick. I should have ironed my kit, apparently. I’m going to get slagged for this one way or the other. I like boarding though. You make great friends. I suppose there’s not much time left for anything outside rugby training and study, but the structure suits me. The routine is organised in such a way that the study and the training don’t clash. The fresh air and exercise I get training makes it easier to settle down to the books when I get in so it’s not a bad balance, even if it sounds full on. There are lots of different sports played here, so it’s not all about rugby. Still, at the moment with the team doing so well, there’s definitely a bit of a rugby buzz around. THURSDAY A great match and a great win – we beat St Andrew’s 39/7. There’s a great atmosphere around the school. This is not the first time that Kilkenny College has made it to the quarter finals of the Leinster Cup but with the League win behind us we’re feeling very positive. Our next game will be against CUS on the 26th of this month. I’m not exactly nervous but there will be renewed focus on the training tomorrow. Tonight had a read of the Farmer’s Journal , as I usually do on a Thursday – good for my subject and good for the talk around the dinner table. Quite a lot of the people I board with are from farming backgrounds so it’s not that unusual to be seen reading it. I haven’t got time to read much else. Almost at the end of another week – I‘m looking forward to a training game against Castleknock College on Saturday and the return of the GAA season back in Edenderry on Sunday. I play for the local football team and we got to the county final last year. With our Castleknock game on Saturday, football training and the ewes about to lamb my weekend is pretty well mapped out. My only relaxation, I suppose, is sitting in the tractor listening to Beat FM and the odd half hour on Facebook. I was never one for sitting around watching television anyway. Apart from Emmerdale , but I haven’t got a choice in that, do I? THIS WEEK I WAS . . . READING The Farmer’s Journal WATCHING Coronation Street (no choice, three sisters) LISTENING TO Beat FM on the tractor

(remember to use Grinds.Biz for al of your Junior Cert Grinds needs)

By Barry Duggan and Katherine Donnelly

Friday February 03 2012

Wednesday February 01 2012 – originally from I.Independent