TWIN pupils at a top grammar school celebrating another year of excellent exam results have been awarded identical A-level grades.
Amy and Ellen Whitehead were among those to arrive at Dominican College, Fortwilliam in north Belfast early in the morning to find out how well they had done.
Some pupils who converged on the school appeared euphoric after receiving their results slip, while some appeared indifferent and others inconsolable.
And there was double delight for the Whitehead sisters when they discovered they had both achieved three A* grades.
WATCH: Dominican College's reaction to students' results
Ellen Reid went one better by scoring three A* and one A in physics, maths, chemistry and biology.
Overall, close to 89 per cent of pupils at the north Belfast grammar school achieved three or more A*-C grades.
Principal Sally McGahan said the results reflected the girls' capabilities and talents which had been nurtured by the school.
"It is to their enormous credit that our girls have performed so well in a diverse range of academic subjects, whilst also making striking contributions to all aspects of school life," she said.
Nearby, Hazelwood Integrated College was delighted with its best ever A-level results with 74 per cent achieving three of more A*-E grades.
Boys did particularly well with two - Jayson Greenlee and Alfie Gilmore - both achieving three passes and securing places at Liverpool John Moores University where they will study science with football.
Teaching union head Mark Langhammer, who is director at Crusaders FC, congratulated the pair by bringing along the Northern Ireland Football League trophy - the Gibson Cup - to the school yesterday.
The school's reputation for excellence in educating international youngsters continued, with many who arrived with little English achieving A*-C grades. Among them, Ralph Santos scored high marks in biology, chemistry and maths and will go to Queens University Belfast to study biomedical science.
Principal Kathleen O'Hare said the school's partnership with Belfast Metropolitan College was proving to be extremely successful with pupils achieving good results in subjects including hospitality and catering and creative media production.
"We have students getting AAB or students getting Cs and Ds who are going straight into courses - that's where good careers advice comes in," Ms O'Hare said.
"These are our best results ever and it is a fitting way to end our thirtieth anniversary year."
Elsewhere, Irish international rower Aidan Murray put his sporting career on hold during the spring this year to focus on his A-levels.
The decision paid off for the St Killian's College in Carnlough pupil yesterday when he learned he had achieved three A* grades - biology, chemistry and maths - as well as an A grade in French. The young man from Larne will take up a place in Bristol University in September to study medicine.
At Campbell College in Belfast, meanwhile, head boy Ben Taylor finished his year in style with 4A*s. He was joined by Alex Nagar with both pupils achieving their 4 A* grades in mathematics, further mathematics, physics and chemistry.
WATCH: All not lost for those who did not get their grades
