Chalk Talk: Meath twins celebrate Leaving Cert Results Day
There was twice the reason to celebrate in two Meath households on Friday as two sets of twins received their Leaving Certificate results.
At Beaufort College in Navan, identical twins Grace and Caoimhe O’Toole were stunned to discover that they had achieved exactly the same number of points.
Although they matched each other point for point, the sisters are hoping to follow different paths after school.
Grace hopes to study General Science at TU Dublin, while Caoimhe has set her sights on Primary School Teaching at Maynooth University. They will discover what comes next when the first round of CAO offers is released on Wednesday.
Their mum, Niamh O’Toole, said the family were extremely proud of both girls and that the results reflected the work they had put in throughout their senior cycle.
“They put the work in during fifth year and all of sixth year, so the whole family are very proud of them,” she told Chalk Talk.
The twins’ success was among many achievements celebrated at Beaufort College, where Principal Ken Flynn congratulated the Leaving Certificate class of 2026.
This year saw an increase in the number of Beaufort students achieving more than 550 CAO points, along with numerous Distinction grades in the Leaving Certificate Applied programme.
Mr Flynn said the results reflected the hard work, resilience and commitment shown by the students, as well as the support they received from parents, guardians and school staff.
“We are immensely proud of all our students. These results represent not only academic success but also the personal growth, determination and character that they have shown during their time in our school,” he said.
“We wish them every success as they embark on the next stage of their education, training and careers.”
Grace and Caoimhe were not the only Meath twins sharing the excitement of Results Day.
At Dunshaughlin Community College, twin brothers Aidan and Niall Reilly collected their results together after completing their secondary-school journey side by side.
Ms Bennett was on hand to distribute the results and share in the celebrations. After 30 years of handing Leaving Certificate results to students, she said this year’s occasion felt particularly meaningful.
She described the class of 2026 as the school’s “Covid babies”, as they began secondary school during the pandemic and faced a more difficult start than most.
Despite those early challenges, there were plenty of smiling faces around Dunshaughlin Community College on Friday.
Aidan and Niall are now hoping to pursue different courses, although both have their sights set on DCU.
For Grace, Caoimhe, Aidan and Niall, Leaving Certificate Results Day marked the end of a journey they had shared as twins.
Now, with their school days behind them, four individual paths are beginning, and Wednesday’s CAO offers may reveal exactly where those paths will lead.