Star swimmer Eleanor adds Junior Cert As to her CV

Meath swimming star, Eleanor Murray from Trim, was one of the high achievers when the Junior Certificate results were released last week. Eleanor, a pupil of Scoil Mhuire Secondary School in Trim, and a daughter of Elizabeth and Tom Murray, achieved four As and three Bs in the exam. Eleanor, who has Down's Syndrome, was delighted with her results and her family and school were also really pleased with her success. Eleanor is not just an academic student - she is also a world champion swimmer, having won gold at the World Down's Syndrome Swimming Championships in Taiwan last year. She won gold in the 50 metre freestyle event at the games and won a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly event. She was Young Meath Sportsperson of the Year at the Meath Chronicle/Cusack Hotel Group Meath Sports Awards for 2010. Scoil Mhuire principal, Jacqueline Maher, said Eleanor is a totally dedicated student and she swims every day before she goes to school. "She is a great student and is well supported by her parents and the staff. We are very proud of her," she said. Ms Maher said that, overall, Scoil Mhuire was were very pleased and happy with all students' results. A total of 91 students sat the Junior Certificate in the school and all did very well. "We are pleased with the high standards. Our aim is that they all achieve their full potential," she said. Meanwhile, students and staff at Coláiste na hInse in Laytown celebrated the school's first ever Junior Certificate results last week, with grades well above the national average in all subjects. Amid great excitement, students were praised by their families and teachers on their excellent grades in the State exams. At a time when there is a sharp focus on maths and science, the results in these areas were particularly impressive. Students bucked the national trends with high numbers sitting the higher paper and one third of students achieved at least a B grade.  Greater than 80 per cent of all students took and succeeded in the Higher Science paper. In business, every student took the higher level paper and all secured honours grades.  Principal Anne Marie McCarrick commented: "This day of success is inevitable and predictable when you have pupils and parents like these working with the cream of the crop of teachers in an atmosphere of positivity, care and warmth."  Principal of O'Carolan College, Nobber, Brian Goggins, said that staff, students and parents were delighted with the results of the Junior Certificate. "Once again, a higher percentage of students than the national statistic sat higher level papers and the achievement of A, B and C grades was better than the national average," he said. "Certain subjects are worthy of particular mention. In Art, 63 per cent of the art students achieved higher level A grades, which is more than three times the national average. "In technical graphics, 92 per cent of students sat the higher level paper and one-third of those achieved an A grade, more than double the national statistic. "In Maths, the school results do not reflect the national concern with 85 per cent of students who sat the higher level paper achieving an A, B and C grade," added Mr Goggins.