Maximising Grade in HL Irish

**Timbuk2**

Like many people on this board, I don't work as hard as Irish as I do with other subjects because there is so much to learn and it is taught so badly, and is very difficult to do well in.

However, I want to work at it this weekend to do the best I possibly can on Monday and Tuesday. I did (what I felt) was a great oral so I don't want to waste it - does that make sense?

What should I concentrate on? I hate doing what everybody else does and busting my ass learning off poetry, when it's worth so few marks. I mean you spend the best part of 2 years doing it, and you only answer 12 and 8 mark questions, maybe even a 25 mark question for the Prós. That's ridiculous in my eyes - the Sliocht is 30 marks :mad:

What should I focus on this weekend to get the best grade I possibly can? I'm not aiming for an A or anything, I just want to have a decent result in case one of my other subjects goes bad. I got 84% in the mocks, but it doesn't count as I knew exactly what was coming up, and had learned off an essay that wasn't written by me and only learned the stair that I knew was coming up (I'm an idiot for doing that - cheating no-one but myself ). Also, it was corrected by my own teacher and he marks really easy.

In terms of marks, it is ranked like this
100: Tapework and Essay
70: Reading Comps and Poetry
40: Prós and an Triail
30: Stair na Gaelige

But obviously it is easier to do well in the Poetry section than it is for the essay, as the essay is 80 Gaelige and 20 Subject, whereas the Poetry is 60 Subject and 10 Gaelige.

Does anyone have any tips on what to study to maximise my success in the subject, if you know what I mean?

EuropeanSon

I'd say the stories and An Triail, if you did that. There are only a few stories, and quite a lot of marks, and An Triail
is very easy to learn.

zam

An Triail all the way! It's worth a lot of marks for something so short. Learn the characters inside out - once you have them down the rest comes with it!
And for the essay, learn phrases which you can use in anything, maybe even learn off a slick intro and conclusion which can be easily manipulated...

**Timbuk2**

Thanks for the answers! I have two questions

1. Is there anywhere I can get an English translations of all the poems on the course? I think the poetry would be so more manageable if I knew the English for the poems. As the poems are printed on the day, I wouldn't need to learn anything off, if you know what I mean
2. Apparently you can do a Debate on Paper One the same as an Essay if you know your opening and closing paragraphs. Does anybody know where I can get these paragraphs?

Thanks again!

EuropeanSon

Don't know about the translations, but here are the skoool.ie notes on the debate.
http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=670

johnmcdnl

the essay is only worth 20 for subject so does that mean if i go in and write an essay that is vaguely got to do with the title and has really good grammar and a decent stor focal i'll do well...

like i'm just thinking of doing fabhanna soisialta and bending it in someway... i just can't sit down and learn an essay off so i'm going to be making a lot of it up as i go along so.. i just want to get a C maybe and i'll be happy...

i just can't learn stuff off.. it doesn't suit me at all... will this one essay get me through if i just keep it grammatically correct etc etc....

an trial and the pro's is very doable if you know the story and what the themes are... you should be able to make a lot of it up as you go along..

lc2010

I find eircom studyhub really good for some of the poems although the guys voice can sometime be hard to follow!
Also if you don't have eircom broadband, it's free for anyone this weekend!;)

cork*girl

lc2010 wrote: »

I find eircom studyhub really good for some of the poems although the guys voice can sometime be hard to follow!
Also if you don't have eircom broadband, it's free for anyone this weekend!;)

Really? How do you use it for free?

lc2010

cork*girl wrote: »

Really? How do you use it for free?

http://www.eircom.net/
Then click education, then click FYI

A.E

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Thanks for the answers! I have two questions

1. Is there anywhere I can get an English translations of all the poems on the course? I think the poetry would be so more manageable if I knew the English for the poems. As the poems are printed on the day, I wouldn't need to learn anything off, if you know what I mean
2. Apparently you can do a Debate on Paper One the same as an Essay if you know your opening and closing paragraphs. Does anybody know where I can get these paragraphs?

Thanks again!

This may be of little or no help to you but its a website I came across a few months ago. Basically has all poems, not translated but has sample answers, key words for each poem which are translated and other resources which may help with essays.

http://www.mccgaeilge.com/Leaving%20Cert%20-%20Proper.htm

Mayoegian

Quick Q! I'm in 5th year, so we haven't done An Triail yet, but is it necessary to do it, or can you just stick with the stories, e.g. Lig sin i gcathú, or am I completely off the mark?:o

EuropeanSon

Mayoegian wrote: »

Quick Q! I'm in 5th year, so we haven't done An Triail yet, but is it necessary to do it, or can you just stick with the stories, e.g. Lig sin i gcathú, or am I completely off the mark?:o

There are questions on both, so no, you've got to do both. Triail is easy though, don't worry.

Mayoegian

EuropeanSon wrote: »

There are questions on both, so no, you've got to do both. Triail is easy though, don't worry.

Thank you!:)

Cian92

Practice leamhtuiscints, and the listening! Of course, try to do something for paper 2 aswell. Concentrate on Paper 1, if you have 4 or 5 essays learned off, make sure they are properly learned off, so you won't blank or make spelling mistakes.