LEAVING CERT ENGLISH PERSONAL ESSAY: IRISHNESS

This is a good essay from a current Leaving Cert student. It's published under our #625Labsection that reviews the strengths and weaknesses of students' essays. Note the corrections and comments: these will point you to common mistakes to avoid and help you increase your grade.

If you are looking for model H1 personal essays, here you go:
Personal Essay Sample Answer: Uncertainty (Sexuality)
Personal Essay Sample Answer: Uncertainty (Social Issues)
Personal Essay Sample Answer: Everyday Treadmill and Gilded Promises of Life
Personal Essay Sample Answer: Not all problems are physical
Personal Essay Sample Answer: A place you consider beautiful

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Complete Guide to Leaving Cert English (€)

Problem one: word count of over 2000 words. That's way too long.

Just below green hills, in front of a glistening blue sea, caught between a field full of sheep and a shed packed with cows, in a village where everyone is either related or about to marry into the family, sits my home. (This elaborate description sets a high standard for the rest of the essay. It would also look good in a descriptive essay.) A picture perfect Irish stereotype. (Varying sentence lengths and structures like this is excellent.) Stereotypes, whilst some bear a sentiment of truth, barely skim the surface of what it means to be truly Irish. The Irish and our culture have a myriad of complexities that can’t simply be summed up by speaking about "the beautiful scenery" or "drinking, singing and having the craic" as some of the answers in my Irish oral would lead you to believe. Being Irish is an intrinsic part of me, something I can’t and wouldn’t ever want to change. The Irish are an entirely unique race onto themselves.