Leaving Cert holidays are important for “development’ and “blowing off steam,” according to a leading psychologist.

The state exams officially end on June 25th, but many students have already finished, as exams for the most popular subjects have already taken place.

That means thousands of Irish youngsters will be jetting off for a post-exam holiday with their friends in the coming days and weeks.

On The Hard Shoulder, clinical psychologist Dr Malie Coyne said it might be the first holiday many teens embark on without their parents.

“For a lot of parents, this will be the first time the kids are going to be away with a great degree of freedom,” she said.

“They might have gone off and done the Gaeltacht or went to a French college or something like that, but this is completely different.”

Leaving Cert holiday

Dr Coyne said the Leaving Cert holiday is a “rite of passage” for school leavers.

“They’ve been working really hard, and I think it’s important from a development sense and to let off some steam,” she said.

“I always say to my teens, don’t ever leave your friends on their own, make sure you drink plenty of water, make sure you eat some type of meal and drink plenty of water.”

She also recommended making sure all your documentation is in order beforehand and copies made if needed.

The Praia do Túnel beach in Albufeira. Image: eye35 / Alamy Stock Photo

Jetting off to Albufeira in Portugal next week with eight of his friends is Caden Kinsella.

“It was the cheapest place you could fly to in the sun with loads of nightclubs, so it was perfect for what we were looking for,” he told the show.

“There's plenty of other friend groups in the school that are going off on different holidays too after the Leaving Cert.

“My parents want me to keep the phone on me the whole time, just in case anything happens and to give them a call to make sure I'm safe.

“They said not to take drinks off anyone and make sure you keep an eye on your drinks as well.”

Stick together

Broadcaster Claire Ronan, whose children have also gone on Leaving Cert Holidays, said it’s important to stick with friends.

“Particularly with the girls, I know that sounds terrible, but I was always very worried about the girls getting separated and having to walk home on their own,” she said.

“There’s probably an element of ignorance is bliss as well, you don’t want to know what they’re up to, you just want to know they’re safe.

“You want to know they’re behaving themselves even though you know they are probably going to let loose a little bit.”

You can listen back here: