ITCZ, is the Class 1 Medical half as bad as it's made out to be; do most people walk out of it happy with their physical condition?
I'm in Australia, which has slightly different rules from IE which is under JAR rules. I can get an aussie Class 1 initial issue or revalidation at an approved Designated Medical Examiner. So I can make an appointment, hop in the car, spend AU$150 and half an hour and be done.
JAR FCL 3 require you to go to IAA examiner at Dublin...
AeroMedical Centre,
Mater Private Hospital,
Eccles Street,
Dublin 7
Tel: 01 885 8615
I have no idea how much that costs.
You can get a Class 2 done by a Dr Kieran Whyte, 42 Father Griffin Road, Galway, Telephone: 091 522011.
He may be closer and possibly cheaper, but I don't know if he can give you any insight as to your suitability to hold a Class 1. He would certainly be working off the same JAR FCL 3 rules for initial examination - as you will see from the extract I found, it seems to be the same examination, with higher standards required of the Class 1 applicant.
However..... I would be quite surprised if a sixteen year old lad like yourself was disqualified.
Why not go see the fellow in Galway? He might give you a clean bill of (aviation) health!
Go to....
http://www.jaa.nl/licensing/manual/14%20-%20ORL.pdf
and read..
3.5 Examination of the tubal function
3.6 Guidance regarding assessment.