LEAVING CERTIFICATE STUDENT CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THE WILLIE CLANCY WEEK

The Leaving Certificate exams started today but for one student it also meant the start of the run up to one of the best weeks of the year; the week of the Willie Clancy Summer School.

The Leaving Cert. student bgan with English Paper 1 today however this was the last thing on her mind as she sat down to take the test. With only a month left until the annual visit to Miltown Malbay, the student couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts of what's to come.

Instead of thinking about english comprehension questions, thoughts of epic sessions of music, revelry, drinking, concerts and Spanish Point beach filled the student's head, ensuring the likely failure of the first of her exams. But this didn't seem to bother her too much.

"Ah sure at the end of the day it's only an exam. There are plenty of ways to get into college these days. The Willie Clancy Week only comes once a year. It's all about gettin' your priorities right."

"I dunno how I'm gonna concentrate on the exams now that there's only a month to go until some unbelieveable craic is had. Sure who cares about a few english questions when I should be gettin' organised with the girlos. They're so lit!"

Rather than hand up an answer booklet filled with well thought out and concise answers, 3 booklets filled with the name 'Willie Clancy' were handed up. But the student seems unconcerned by this.

"Sure if the examiner has any sense they'll give me an A for that. If they play trad then they'll know."

This however is just one of many cases of unusual entries after today's exam. Schools all over the country reported various references to Miltown Malbay and the Willie Clancy Week on answer paper throughout Ireland.

One student's answer paper was covered entirely with all the names of the pubs in Miltown, another with drawings of Willie Clancy while one student in Dublin reportedly handed in a booklet filled with the lyrics of Andy Irvine's 'My Heart's Tonight in Ireland' over 50 times.