Pizza, church and staying in — how Generation Moderation celebrated Leaving Cert results
● Gone are the days when a night of binge-drinking was a rite of passage for giddy Irish school-leavers
More than 60,000 Leaving Cert students got their exam results on Friday. It’s traditionally a night of raucous celebration, but with alcohol consumption in Ireland down by almost one-third in the past two decades — and numerous studies underlining how Gen Z drink far less than their parents — this year’s celebrations marked a notable shift towards moderation.
Jake Glendon, who went to Coláiste Mhuire in Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, spent the earlier part of Friday night in Italian restaurant Caffe 500 with five of his friends before heading to a Leaving Cert results party in Kytelers Inn.
Some of his schoolmates stayed at home because of sporting commitments — they wanted to stay fresh for playing in the girls’ camogie final the following day. Others skipped dinner and went straight to the party.
“I see a lot of people my age enjoying concerts and music nowadays, rather than going out to a club,” said 18-year-old Jake, who got 531 points and is planning to study clinical measurement science.
Compared with older generations, he said people of his age tend to drink less.
“It does feel quite different. My sister did her Leaving Cert in 2014 and she was saying there used to be a lot of binge-drinking on results day.”
Grace Conneely (18), who went to Clifden Community School in Connemara, Co Galway, stayed local on Friday night.
“There was the option of heading to Galway city on a bus for a more ‘wild’ night out,” she said, “but I prefer the idea of having a more sociable night out in town for results night as opposed to clubbing in the city.”
She went for lunch with her family earlier in the day. Later, she and her friends got ready in her house before heading out. She’s travelling abroad now with her family to celebrate her results.
“A lot of people go on a Leaving Cert holiday with friends straight after the exams,” said Grace, who got 590 points and plans to study speech and language therapy in University of Galway. “I was originally supposed to go on one with my friend group, but for one reason or another it fell through.”
Marta Piasecka, 18, who went to St Mary’s Secondary School in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, originally planned “a chill night in with a movie, snacks and dinner”, but then she and her friends “switched gears”.
On Friday night, they took a bus to Carlow and went to the LC End of Exam Blowout party in The Foundry nightclub. Some of her schoolmates opted out of a party and stayed at home for quieter celebrations with their families or friends.
Marta got 444 points — a huge achievement after what had been a difficult year for her — and hopes to go into nursing.
She felt she deserved a big night out. Overall, though, she thinks her generation drinks less than older generations.
“I myself don’t often, but I am going to a bit tonight as it’s a big occasion,” she said.
Some young people tend to avoid rowdy nights out in general. Melanie-Esther Mtelemuka (18), who went to school in High Cross College, Tuam, Co Galway, opted out of big celebrations on Friday, partly because she was rostered to work at the Galway
Summer Festival and partly because it’s just not her thing.
“For me, personally, results night has never really been as big of a deal as it might be to others,” she said. “I was actually very happy when I found out I’m working that evening. I’m a moderately introverted person and I don’t really go on nights out often. If I wasn’t working results night, I definitely would’ve opted for a quiet dinner with my family instead of going out.”
Emmanuella Omotosho (17), who went to Hartstown Community
School in Dublin 15, also described herself as “more of an introverted person”. She stayed at home on Friday night and reckons only about 40pc of her year went out to a party or a club.
“A lot of people skipped Transition Year, so we’re not all over 18,” she said. “Also, we’re an African family and we’re kind of traditional, so we don’t really celebrate like that.”
Emmanuella and some of her friends will go to church, where she will take a moment to reflect on the last year.
Compared with previous generations, it seems this year’s celebrations were more sedate all round.
However, young people shouldn’t be judged if they choose to go out on the tiles, said 18-year-old Emily Martin, who attended Scoil Mhuire in Trim, Co Meath, and spent Friday night in Lenihans in Trim as well as The Palace nightclub in Navan.
“I feel there’s a really bad stigma about people who go to the pub or to a nightclub the night of Leaving Cert results,” she said.
“Personally, I don’t understand how celebrating the end of such a huge part of our young lives is seen as young people being rebellious and drunks.
“People tend to forget that these actions happen every weekend across the country.”