LC Irish Paper 2

Ailbhe (Ardleibhéal)

The clichéd "BIG THREE" are over. Just three more to get through.Irish passed by without much ado.Did Stair first. The choices available were not of the predicted variety. Bealoideas, Meath na Gaeilge and Colaiste Lováin were chosen.Clare sa Speir and Fiche Blian ag Fás showd up as expected in Ceist 1, which was were my pen took me after the Stair. The questions were manageable, I just hope I wrote enough to secure me the precious marcanna.I then started into An Triail. I did the Teicníochtaí Drámata. I was glad to get that jumbo sized question finished.I then turned to poetry.I couldn't do Uirchill because I never bothered learning meadaracht, little did I know how much my negligence would conspire against me. An Chéad Drama got a going over. I think I may have spelt the poet's name incorrectly, probably wasn't the best start, they should really print the poets on the paper.Jack, Níl Aon Ní and Faoiseamh a Gheobhadsa were the ordinary level poems of choice. I had been banking on doing Jack and had learned off a hefty wedge of Dlí na hOidreachta, saol na tuaithe sula dtáinig an cumhacht leictreach agus araile and was disheartened to find that the question wasn't the best. Instead I turned to O’Searcaigh and O’Direáin for the ordinary level question.Was glad when 12.50 rolled around on the clock. That was definitely the toughest paper. Not only was it the same length as English paper 2 but you have a lot more to learn and more questions to answer. Not many were left standing when the final whistle was blown. Out of a starting group of about 140, I'd say about 20 or so stayed in the exam centre until the bitter end. Most dodged out early to get an extra cram for business in.Have to spend my afternoon with French now, a subject I have disregarded, lucky me!

Owen (Ardleibhéal)

Wow, all I can say is thank god that today is over! There was some serious amount of writing involved in today’s exams with both Irish Paper 2 and Business!Well, well, well Irish Paper 2... the paper I've been dreading the most with its unpredictable ways, its confusing questions and usually the most ferocious paper to walk the world of the Leaving Cert!!However today for me it proved to be nothing more than a piosa páipéar! All my worries and anxiety were completely overdramatic (looks like I can relate already to the An Chéad Drama question :D).As soon as I opened my paper, I was off to a flying start with the prós question, a very approachable question on 'An Cearrbhach Mac Caba' and how we are sympathetic with him in his constant struggle with death. He's a gambler, who is lazy, spends his time playing cards and wasn't even there for his wife when she was having her baby, however for the sake of the question I decided to pledge by sympathy to the gambler after all he did change his ways in the end!Next came the An Triail question for myself, now I have to say I'm not at all into the whole ‘let’s cook our children in the oven’ thing and never found myself to be a big fan of the play but I did manage to get through the question. I did the first question on how the main conflicts of the drama come from the fault of 'something' 'something' 'something' about love, I took an educated guess anyway and decided to talk about how the main conflicts in the play were as a result of love.... I hope that's right cause I did give a fairly decent answer!Now for the poetry, to my great relief it was quite manageable. After dreading for so long what poem might come up and if I would know it in enough detail, the ones I had prepared the most made a lovely appearance. Níl aon Ní, although Cathal may be a bit dodgy, I threw myself head over heels into complete adoration of his poetry! Next came Faoiseamh A Gheobhadsa, again another enjoyable poem which shares some similarities with Níl Aon Ní so I didn't have any trouble with that.Next onto the higher level poetry....*Owen turns the page**Owen sees Uirchill an Chreagain and Owens dies a little on the inside**Owen turns the page again...AN CHÉAD DRAMA and Owen is resuscitated back to life*Thankfully one of the poems I had covered in detail phew! Although I did cover it in detail, the questions were a bit awkward and a bit of a waffle was in need but I'm sure I got the gist of it!Stair na Gaeilge...  I found myself writing about the poets and Bealoideas na Gaeilge. Thankfully I'd covered the poets but having expected something like Fiannaíocht to come up, I settled with Bealoideas with my knowledge from an Cearrbhach Mac Caba helping me out so I took a gamble with it.Overall most people were happy with the exam and the only main complaint was with the An Triail question and how it is becoming near to impossible to study at this stage with the vast variety of questions being asked on it!