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• Feb 16, 2023

Mastering Leaving Cert History: A Guide to Writing Sample Essays

Updated: Feb 17

Leaving Cert History is one of the most challenging subjects for Irish students, especially when it comes to writing essays. The exam requires students to write two essays on topics chosen from a list of options. These essays carry a significant amount of marks and can make or break a student's chances of securing a good grade. However, with the right approach, mastering Leaving Cert History essays is possible. In this blog, we will provide tips and insights on how to write sample essays for Leaving Cert History.

1. Understanding the Essay Structure

The first step to writing a great essay is to understand its structure. An essay has three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should grab the reader's attention and provide background information on the topic. The body should include the main argument, supported by evidence and examples. The conclusion should summarise the main points and restate the thesis.

2. Choosing the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial for a successful essay. The Leaving Cert History syllabus provides a list of options for essays. It is essential to choose a topic that interests you and that you are familiar with. The topic should be narrow enough to provide a focused argument but broad enough to allow for enough research and analysis.

3. Research and Analysis

Research and analysis are crucial for a well-written essay. Start by reading through relevant texts and taking notes. Use primary sources, such as diaries, letters, and speeches, to support your argument. It is also essential to analyze the information and present a clear argument, using evidence to support your claims.

4. Writing Style and Grammar

Writing style and grammar are essential for a good essay. Use clear and concise language, avoiding slang and colloquialisms. Avoid long and complex sentences that can be difficult to understand. Make sure to proofread your work to avoid spelling and grammatical errors.

5. Time Management

Time management is crucial during the Leaving Cert exam. Make sure to allocate enough time to each section of the exam, including essay writing. Plan your essay before you start writing, including a clear thesis statement, main argument, and supporting evidence. Leave enough time for proofreading and editing.

In conclusion, writing a Leaving Cert History essay can be challenging, but with the right approach, it is possible to master it. Understanding the essay structure, choosing the right topic, research and analysis, writing style and grammar, and time management are all essential components of a successful essay. Practice writing sample essays, and seek feedback from your teachers to improve your writing skills. With these tips and insights, you will be well on your way to writing successful Leaving Cert History essays. Good luck!

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Studyclix Leaving Cert Predictions 2024

​​​Every year, in the lead-up to state exams, we are often asked for predictions for Leaving cert subjects. So we've put together some helpful prediction videos, as well as our Topic Analysis Tables for you to try & plan your study as best as possible!

Prediction videos

Gabrielle and Aisling go through predictions & study tips for some of the most popular LC subjects. You can find each video linked below:

+ Business and History coming this week! Make sure to subscribe to get the latest videos.

Topic Analysis Tables

Our Topic Analysis Tables identify recurring topics within subject exams over the last ten years. We do not encourage taking the Topic Analysis Tables for gospel; any topic that is on the syllabus can appear on the state exam. Our predictions are only educated guesses as to what might appear on the exam.

What are Studyclix Topic Analysis Tables?

Studyclix Topic Analysis  Tables analyse all the exam questions for Leaving Cert exams from the last 10 years. This allows you to identify topics that are frequently asked every year.

Looking at the questions asked over the last 10 years, we created one topic table per subject, highlighting every year a topic within that subject was asked. We have given each question a score to allow us to calculate a frequency for that topic, and you can check out the key at the bottom of each table to understand the scores and question length.

How do Studyclix Topic Analysis Tables Work?

Each subject is divided into topics that correspond to the topics on our Questions by Topic page. We then reviewed each topic and noted when a short question or a long question was asked for that year. A result of how often a question was asked in the last 10 years is also given in the "Frequency" column on the Topic Table.

The Studyclix Topic Analysis Tables also allow you to draw your own conclusions on certain areas of each subject.

Here's a list of the topic analysis tables that you can download and print out:

Biology Experiments

Chemistry Experiments

Home Economics

Remember our predictions are only educated guesses as to what might appear on the exam, anything that is on the syllabus can appear on the state exams!

Best of luck with the study 😊

Leaving Cert history: ‘Greatest hits’ give students a chance to shine

Expected topics appear with enough choice to allow candidates play to their strengths.

Today’s higher level Leaving Cert history exam contained expected topics with enough choice to allow students to play to their strengths, according to teachers.

Susan Cashell, a history teacher at the Institute of Education, said students who prepared material in every section were well-served, but those hoping to take two questions from “sovereignty Irish history” might have found it more challenging.

“The history paper is one that always requires students to write with time constraints in mind,” she said.

“Generally, the questions were straightforward. Occasionally a term might be unfamiliar but after a moment of composure and reflection the context of the question would provide the key.”

Mark O’Rowe: ‘The plays were violent and sexual. But I can’t go back there. Everything has to be new to me’

Millennials and house plants: ‘I couldn’t live without plants; they give me so much joy’

There’s a reason why we’ve become blasé about Paul Mescal’s lead role in Gladiator II

Germans don’t like what Euro 2024 has exposed about their country

Jamie Dockery, history teacher at Tyndall College, Co Carlow and Studyclix subject expert, said it is an exam which “very much played the ‘greatest hits’.”

“Students sitting this year’s exam had the option of completing three essays from any two topics on offer – in other words, were able to focus their revision in way that gave them a chance to be much more successful in this exam than would have been possible pre-Covid. Perhaps this could be adopted as normal practice going forward,” he said.

Philip Irwin, a history teacher at The High School, Dublin 6, and ASTI subject representative said that while there was good choice overall, there may have been some disappointment that the Civil War didn’t come up.

“They might have expected that, whereas power sharing coming up 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, I’d say that wouldn’t have been unexpected.”

Mr Dockery said the inclusion of the Sunningdale Agreement as the documents-based question was both expected and welcome considering its upcoming 50-year anniversary.

“The two source documents from Robert Fisk and Olivia O’Leary respectively were interesting. They both captured the tempestuousness of the time. These documents and the accompanying questions offered the ‘tuned-in’ student the opportunity to interact with them in interesting ways,” he said.

With reference to the source documents, Philip Irwin added: “We often say that journalists write the first draft of history and that was a good example of that.  The context question – why did power sharing prove so divisive. I think it is the conundrum of Northern Ireland and is as relevant today as it was then.”

Ms Cashell said many students would have been well-prepared for this question and, thus, well-equipped to tackle the first three questions.

“Some might have paused before question 4′s contextualisation, which asked why the Agreement was so ‘divisive’, but ultimately this would have been manageable by adapting prepared material and reworking link sentences to fit the question,” she said,

On the Irish history topics, he said most students should have been delighted with the appearance of Charles Stewart Parnell, Edward Carson, the 1913 Strike and Lockout, the Gaelic League and the GAA.

“These are topics that will most likely have been covered well in class,” he said.

Ms Cashell said the broad scope of a question on how Cosgrave and De Valera handled Anglo-Irish relations would really allow the practised student to show off their knowledge.

“Those looking to write another essay on the most popular area, sovereignty, might have been stretched to find another question with the same flexibility. The question on the Northern Ireland government and its challenges, or the question on the impact of the Eucharistic Congress and the Irish language, were options but were much less generous in their scope,” she said.

Mr Dockery said the “dictatorship and democracy” topic which focuses on European history between 1920 and 1945 featured the familiar Stalin – much to the delight of many.

However, the lack of a Hitler-specific question on the paper and the inclusion of a question about France between the wars might have limited some students’ options.

Mr Irwin also said the question on Stalin and how he transformed the Soviet economy and/or his use of show trials to consolidate power was a good question because it allowed students to range across that area or to do one or the other.

But he added: “When the question on France in Peace and War, 1920 – 1945 is a really long question and you could be writing for three days on it.”

In the question on the problems in Britain 1920-1945, he said students were asked to write about two of the following John Maynard Keynes the economist, the Jarrow march in 1936 and Winston Churchill.

“It think it would have been tricky to combine those,” Mr Irwin said.

Two of the ‘case studies’ – topics that students study in detail – from the US history section were included: the civil rights movement and the Moon landing.

Mr Dockery said: “While the question which asked how the US was affected by McCarthyism, the military-industrial complex and/or the anti-war movement would only have been tackled by the most confident of students, overall there was enough choice within the topic for the prepared student to achieve good marks.”

Ms Cashell said the question on the characteristics of fascism, which would have been covered at the beginning of fifth Year in many cases, will have been widely welcomed.

“Students who knew the specific examples of fascism could easily refine them into a response for the characteristics in general. Those wishing to focus on specifics were greeted by a very accessible question on Stalin,” she said.

“Many students would have anticipated and prepared for this and been relieved. For those looking to stand out from the crowd by taking the road less travelled, there was a rewarding question on France. While not appealing to everyone, if you had prepared that topic you really had a chance to shine,” she said.

Ordinary level

The ordinary level paper, meanwhile, covered many of the major bases with limited surprises, said Mr Dockery.

“Students will be happy to see topics such as the Sunningdale Agreement, Parnell and the Eucharistic Congress included. Interestingly there was a good bit of commonalities between the ordinary level and higher level exam which would have benefited students in mixed ability history classes where both levels are taught together.,” he said.

“Intriguingly, prominent women in Irish gistory such as Isabella Tod, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and Evie Hone made an appearance at ordinary level, but not in the higher level paper.”

Philip Irwin said that while the Civil War did come up as a short paragraph in the ordinary level paper, it dealt with many of the same topics as higher level, but “in a more straightforward fashion, as it should be.”

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Iriseoir agus Eagarthóir Gaeilge An Irish Times. Éanna Ó Caollaí is The Irish Times' Irish Language Editor, editor of The Irish Times Student Hub, and Education Supplements editor.

Carl O'Brien

Carl O'Brien is Education Editor of The Irish Times. He was previously chief reporter and social affairs correspondent

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Leaving Cert Papers, News, Notes, Tips and Resources

History (later modern)

Higher Level Exam Papers

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

Ordinary Level Exam Papers

Higher Level Marking Schemes

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Predictions for HL Irish essay topics (mocks)

Leaving Cert English Predictions 2024 (Higher Level)

Updated May 2024

Long story short: there are no guarantees with the Leaving Cert, and for the last few years it has been particularly hard to predict the poets. I would do four of Ní Chuilleanáin , Plath , Heaney , Hopkins  (in that order). All of these are covered in this year’s Complete Guide: H1 Leaving Cert English Notes and Sample Answers .

For 2024: COVID-19 Update

Please note that the choice of questions has been expanded with adjustments .

Students will get away with knowing a lesser portion of the Higher Level English course:

Comparative:

– one Mode of Comparison of three rather than two of three (for example, you can just know Cultural Context rather than Cultural Context and Theme or Issue )

– two Comparative texts of three rather than three of three  if you plan to do the one part Comparative question

Since 2023, the obligation to answer on Shakespeare is back.

– it is now necessary to learn four poets of eight rather than five of eight

The rest remains the same and is detailed below.

Introduction

There appears to be a logic to how the SEC structures papers. For HL English poetry, a woman, an Irish person, somebody who hasn’t come up in a while… Yes, that’s right – there appears to be a logic to SEC decisions, but they don’t make any promises.

Are these patterns are too broad to lead to a definite conclusion? Let’s see. Our advice is that you can take risks, but don’t ever risk complete ruin. How to do that? Read on.

The below is based on experience, and it’s not gospel. How you handle your exam is ultimately your decision because you’re the one who will be opening your results in August. Do whatever you feel is best given the full context of the guidance you’ve been given.

The day after the English Papers are finished, there’s always an article in some Irish newspaper or blog saying that the paper wasn’t fair. The only way the paper wouldn’t be fair is if you felt it owed you something. It doesn’t. We are all in the same boat, and what will  definitely  come up on the exam is  unknowable (unless you want to try and infiltrate the SEC – I think they are in Westmeath).

Your very clever teacher may say: “I’ve a feeling Plath will be on”. What you may not be consciously aware of is that next week they may say: “I’ve a feeling that Kennelly is going to come up, sure, Yeats has been done to death.” And so they repeat their clever predictions four times, so that you revise  four poets. With five poets on the paper this year, having revised four properly, you are 100% percent prepared. They are really clever, those teachers.

Every year, there are eight prescribed poets and five are on the paper in 2024. You have to do one.

Likelihood, poet by poet

The table below has every poet that has been on the syllabus since 2011. The guys in bold are the ones that came up. The observations at the bottom of the table identify the patterns.

Admittedly, the SEC has made the exam less predictabl e over the last number of years.

For example, they put 3 women on the paper in 2020, which they haven’t done in recent history (max 2 women for as long as I remember and in 2021).

Note that with the assessment arrangements due to the pandemic, you no longer have to know five poets to be safe, you need four.

There is a bit of a debate about whether there is a “rule” about women poets being on. Well, in effect, they do ask a question on a female poet every year, but there is no official rule. Either way, in 2024 it doesn’t really matter because there are 4 men and 4 women on the curriculum .

It has also been noted that there is “always” an American poet on the paper, this year that’s Dickinson and Plath.

This year we have 4 men and 4 women poets, of which 5 will be on the paper. If you know 4, you are safe whatever happens.

Ní Chuilleanáin seems to be due an appearance. Irish, female, not see in a while. She didn’t come up on the paper the last time that she was on the syllabus (2020) – and hasn’t been on the syllabus since. A complex poet, but well worth it for those who like English because she’s not likely to be a popular choice among most students. Here is a video summarising Ní Chuilleanáin’s essential features we made a few years ago.

Plath is back on the list for the first time since 2021 (when they asked a most exotic question on her). A female, American poet, she would generally be favoured by the historical patterns of the SEC. Of the 8 times she was examinable in recent years, she was on the paper 4 times and once 2 years in a row. She’ll get a chance again in 2025. She is very much loved by students and is likely to be answered on a lot.

Dickinson is up again in 2025, same as Plath. She gets examined a lot: of the 7 times she was on the syllabus in recent years, she was examined 5 times. The odds are perhaps slightly more in her favour being one of the two American poets.

Meehan  is an Irish female poet. As we predicted last year, she made her debut on the paper. It’s not impossible that she would feature two years in a row, but the odds are against it.

Yeats  is the quintessential Irish poet, he was missed on the 2023 paper (it was the centenary of his Nobel prize win in 2023). Of the 7 times he was examinable, he was seen on the paper 4 times.

Heaney came up the last time that he was on the course, in 2021, but none of the previous 3 times. An Irish male poet, he would generally be favoured by SEC paper patterns. He died in 2013, so last year was an anniversary of his death. While in some subjects, for example History, they favour anniversaries, in my experience, they don’t usually in English.

Hopkins – a British male, he has been overlooked a lot of later. Of the 6 times he was on the course in recent years, he only came up once, all the way back in 2013. He is getting another bite at the cherry in 2025.

Donne is a British man who came up last year. The chances of him appearing again in 2024 are slim.

It’s not easy to make predictions this year (I don’t say that every year!). For me, Ní Chuilleanáin is the most obvious candidate. They’re almost certain to ask on at least 2 women, given the adjustments (5 poets vs the customary 4). The other woman is likely to be an American, given the past paper patterns. Plath is marginally more likely to be on than Dickinson. They are likely to have a question on at least one Irish man, that leaves Heaney vs Yeats – Heaney being more likely. I think after that it’s Hopkins over Donne.

Table of poets who were examinable and who came up by year

PDF version of the table may be easier to view, with coloured highlights: Leaving Cert English Higher Level Poetry Analysis and “Predictions” 2024

Track record

To give you some idea, we don’t predict all 4 poets every year because of the exact dynamics of the paper and course.

We predicted

Durcan in 2016,

Boland in 2017,

Ní Chuilleanáin and Montague in 2018 and

Seamus Heaney , W.B. Yeats , Brendan Kennelly and  Sylvia Plath in 2019.

Rich, Wordsworth, Boland and Ní Chuilleanáin in 2020.

Durcan, Heaney, Plath and Bishop is 2021.

Yeats, Kennelly, Dickinson and Rich in 2022.

Meehan, Mahon, Kavanagh and Bishop in 2023.

All of these were spot on except Bishop took Heaney’s place in 2019, Dickinson Durcan’s in 2020 and Boland Bishop’s in 2021.

Revise five (in 2024 – four) poets well

Limit it to women or Irish men if you’re a badass. No promises though. There is no official rule that a female poet must come up. It’s not like you’ll be able to take the SEC to court for sexism/racism should they decide to change up their poetry selection!

Having said that, the SEC probably doesn’t want to be crucified by virtually every newspaper in this country who undoubtedly will take the opportunity to accuse them of setting the paper unfairly should the paper not contain someone Irish or female. Alas, it is a political issue (it is the State examining us after all). Or will they be praised for making the dreaded Leaving Cert less predictable? Or will it be seen as unfair? It’s hard to know and ultimately it is a personal decision that depends on your tolerance for risk: a bit like if you were buying stocks and bonds.

What are the risks like if you go below 5 poets (in a normal year, not 2024)

Even if we assume that each poet is equally likely to come up:

If you only do 4 poets, there is a 1/70 (1.4%) chance that one of the poets you studied doesn’t come up. That’s a ~98.5% chance that you will be fine.

If you only do 3 poets, there is a 1/14 (7.1%) chance that one of the poets you studied doesn’t come up.

If you only do 2 poets, there is a 3/14 (21.4%) chance that one of the poets you studied doesn’t come up.

If you only do 1 poet, there is a 1/2 (50%) chance that the poet you studied doesn’t come up.

When you think about it, the odds aren’t against you no matter what way you play it. It’s a personal decision. Everyone who writes for 625points revised five. Just saying.

Should you do the poet everyone else is doing

Another important point to consider is that everyone is hoping for the same poet . For example, in 2021 everyone wanted Plath to come up. She did. So most examiners were correcting possibly 4 or 5 Plath essays for every non-Plath essay. What does that do?

Well, the examiner (a human being, ultimately) will get tired of hearing the same thing over and over. While a great essay is still a great essay, the people who usually get 70-80% may get lower grades. It’s just harder to engage the examiner if you are (inadvertently) repeating what they have already read 5 times earlier that day. This shouldn’t be the deciding factor in your choice of poet: even if you do an obscure poet, you still need to be excellent to get a high grade.

If all other things are equal, however, go for it. For example, I, the author of the guide , know all eight poets equally well and if one of the more obscure ones came up, I would definitely do one of them. Why? Because I know that their poetry is full of obscure features that are lost on most people and this gives me an advantage. (This year, this logic isn’t as important because the paper is much less predictable than in, say, 2018 or 2017.)

Having said that, don’t do a poet you find annoying for the sake of doing a more “exotic” poet. Your lack of interest is much harder to hide than you might think.

Can a poet come up two years in a row

Yes, though it happened only three times in the above sample of 10 years.

Should you be worried about new essay titles

Almost all LC essay titles are slightly mutated clones of each other. Don’t be thrown. Every single poetry essay title asks you to discuss two things in the broadest sense: imagery  (how things are described) and themes (what is described and what does it mean). You know what to say. You’ve done it before. Lakes-birds-metaphors-alliteration-iambic-pentameter and love-country-childhood-loneliness-satire-philosophy… Ok, there’s more finesse to it, but you won’t be asked to split the atom.

Don’t all these titles below look quite alike?

Try* to mention six poems

*This depends on the poet. In my actual LC I wrote about four of Eliot’s poems . It depends on the depth you go into.

Know your quotations

Engage with the poems, less so with the biography

Don’t obsess about being exactly right

The examiner is required to keep an open mind as per the marking scheme. Make your points and back them up.

“Note that there is not a finite list of any ‘poet’s themes and interests”.

Read more in our Poetry FAQ

Single Text

As for single texts, there really isn’t much point in trying to predict it.

Is a character question guaranteed every year

However, there are almost always somewhat different angles on the same core themes.

Types of questions

There may be a a very specific question that requires in depth knowledge of a character and relevant quotation and at least one broad  question that mostly tests your writing skill rather than your knowledge. We go into depth on that in the Complete Revision Guides for this year  and next year .

“Hamlet”

For people asking for predictions on “Hamlet”:

A broad question can be about general themes and dramatic techniques, loyalty, power, pride, kingship, appearance vs reality, imagery, a key character such as Claudius .

A specific question could be anything really: for example, the role of women in the play, a specific type of imagery or some other very particular question like that. I typically would steer away from the specific question unless it’s very appealing to you – which is fine too of course.

As long as you know 4-5 key themes, aspects of imagery and characters, you will manage just fine with the broad questions. So know the basics and you will be ? Oh, and don’t forget the quotations ! They are key!

Comparative

Is one mode enough – in 2024, yes..

In other years, no. More detail below:

General Vision and Viewpoint (GVV), Literary Genre (LG), Theme or Issue (TI) and Cultural Context (CC) are modes . Three are on every year. Two are asked usually, but all three will get asked in 2022 to give you more choice. 

Which 2 modes? Usually, CC, GVV and TI are “better” than LG.

LG is a lot more technical (you definitely cannot “waffle” there), so it’s usually preferred by people who really like the subject. It’s not harder, it’s just different in a way that may not suit people who don’t enjoy studying English. If you do like your camera angles, soundtracks, metaphors and symbols – absolutely, go ahead, no reason not to do it.

Because the modes on the syllabus change, I don’t think you can narrow it down much more than that by pouring over past papers. Plus, if you did, you would be risking not being able to do a question. So pick one that you prefer, and no point in worrying after that.

Note that TI, LG and CC are on for 2024.

What’s the theme going to be

What difference will it really make if I told you the theme was going to be Peace , Change, Choice or  Diversity,  or whatever? Your writing skill and ability to draw on your reading of the texts and previous experiences won’t be much enhanced if you spend 4 weeks thinking about a specific theme.

Is personal essay/short story guaranteed on the paper

Nothing is guaranteed, but do judge for yourself:

Lastly…

Don’t forget to subscribe for all the latest content and tips!

• Post author: Martina
• Post published: January 10, 2024
• Post category: English / Predictions

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