Applications are up 11% since last year
Who knew 'Normal People' would have such an adverse effect on our young people? Yeah, we saw it a mile off too.
The Irish Times reports that Trinity College applications have seen a surge in uptake this year. The world-renowned university has had an extra 40,000 applications through the CAO system, which is an 11% increase on 2019.
The series followed the story of Connell and Marianne, two teenagers in their leaving certificate who both end up attending the pristine campus to study. Airing on our screens in the height of lockdown, and during the essential "change of mind" window for Leaving Cert students, the drama series was a definite thinking point for many the applicant.
The 12-episode series of 'Normal People', starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, was based on the novel by Sally Rooney, and the series was directed by Lenny Abrahamson - both of which studied at the college.
The Dean of undergraduate studies, Professor Kevin Mitchell, said: "It was such a wonderfully made series from a fantastic novel from Sally Rooney who’s one of our alumni, and directed by Lenny Abrahamson who’s also one of our alumni. So it painted a really positive picture of what being at Trinity is like, and gave a chance for students to see themselves there."
A spokesperson for Trinity said that while it's difficult to say 'Normal People' definitely played a part in this surge, it does seem like the most probable cause. They said: "It’s hard to quantify what exactly influenced students’ decisions, but it seems likely that all the exposure may well have played a role."
So, there we have it - who would have known a drama series might play a key part in many viewer's lives in the future. Next up in the news, there's been a sharp decline in those wishing to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the past few weeks, due to J.K. Rowling's Twitter comments.