Navan cousins both achieve 625 points

Two Navan cousins have every reason to celebrate this week having both achieved 625 points – the highest possible- in this year's Leaving Certificate.

Rachel Ward and Robert Staunton who are cousins, both live on the Boyne Road in Navan and both achieved a stunning seven H1s.

“It is just brilliant. I am thrilled and delighted,” said Rachel.

“I am very proud of Robert. We are best friends and did everything together,” she said.

Robert said; “It is absolutely wonderful. We can both be very proud of ourselves. We both put in a lot of hard work and we deserve it.”

Rachel who was Loreto student, is a daughter of Michelle Callaghan and Aidan Ward.

She is hoping to study either radiation therapy or pharmacology in Trinity College and has received the points for both courses.

“I will have to decide which will make me happy,” she says.

Rachel was a little bit nervous on Monday morning but “I had full faith in the school - that everything they did would be fair.”

She went online to get the results and was ecstatic.

Robert was a student of St Patrick's Classical School. He is a son of Gillian and John Staunton.

“It is such a relief after the last very difficult few months.”

He admits he was very nervous before he got his results.

“If I at least had a chance to sit the exam I might have been more confident, but it felt as if it was out of my hands.”

Robert is hoping to study medicine in either the Royal College of Surgeons or NUI Galway and says it very much depends on what happens on Friday when CAO offers are made.

He said that he and Rachel didn't study together but they constantly stayed in touch with each other.

Because of Covid-19 there won't be a big celebration.

“We will stay in with our families and celebrate with them”, he said.

Robert and Rachel's mothers, Michelle and Gillian are sisters.

Their parents, Robert and Maria Callaghan of Athlumney Road are the proud grandparents of the two very talented and hardworking youngsters.