Leaving Cert students have been gathering at schools around the country to find out how they did in the exams.

They also have the option of getting their results online href="https://www.examinations.ie/index.php?l=en&mc=ex&sc=er">here

This year 56,000 candidates sat the exam and much of the attention is on higher level Maths.

A record 11,000 sat the higher level paper with close to 98% receiving extra bonus points.

Overall 3 students earned 9 ‘A1′ grades, 10 scored 8 ‘A1′s, and 150 students around the country managed to get 6 or more A1′s.

Caoimhe Normile is from the Presentation Convent School in Tralee Co.  Kerry.

She was one of 3 students in Ireland to get 9 A1s.

She has been thanking her teachers for helping her get such a great result.

“I just kind of kept studying and tried not panic about it all” she said.

“So I guess it paid off in the end”.

“I’m just delighted – I put the work in for the 2 years, so I’m really glad it paid off”.

“My teachers are all fantastic here in (school) and they helped me along – so I’ve got them to thank for most of it” she added.

Damascus in Syria has been hit by a series of explosions.

They have hit one area in quick succession.

It comes after 3 people were reportedly injured in a blast outside a hotel where UN monitors are based.

Reporter Tim Marshall is in the Syrian capital.

“I’ve counted 19 explosions in the past 15 to 20 minutes” he said.

“There’s another one (just now) – that’s 20 explosions in the last let’s say 20 minutes”.

“From my experience I’m guessing that these are mortar rounds” he added.

The organisers of the civic reception for Team Ireland in Dublin today expect a crowd of up to 20,000 people to turn out.

The hour long event begins at 1pm this afternoon.

It is being held outside the Mansion House on Dawson Street.

Entry is be via Nassau Street and St Stephen’s Green North only.

People attending are advised to arrive early.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise O’Muiri says despite the stormy weather forecast thousands of Irish fans will attend.

“It’s a bit weather dependent – we’re hoping maybe for 15 to 20,000″ he said.

“A bit dependent on the weather, but we’re really asking people to come in if they can at all”.

“These guys – these athletes – have trained through bad weather themselves, I think we owe them even if the weather is poor we owe them that on one day to come in here and see them and give them a thanks”.

“So we’re encouraging people to come in” he added.

A requiem mass is taking place for 3 young brothers killed when the car they were travelling in collided with a minibus in Offaly last Friday.

The remains of Darren, David and Ryan Doyle who were living in Na Cluainte in Portarlington have been brought back to their native town of Tallaght in Co. Dublin.

The brothers aged 27, 24, and 17 will be cremated at Newlands Cross crematorium following midday mass in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Killinarden.

A funeral for the driver of the car – 24-year-old Lee Bryan – will take place in Portarlington tomorrow.

Motorists are being urged to slow down as heavy winds and rain batter the country.

Gardaí have joined in appeals for road users to take extreme care.

Severe winds and heavy rain are forecast for many parts.

Newstalk’s Jack Quann has more.