Welcome
This last term in the ERST office was very busy, which included preparing for our international EREBB Congress in DCU. The Congress took place from 11th to 19th May. Nine host schools and the Westcourt Centre in Belfast accommodated over 100 delegates from around the world for the first three days, providing them with incredibly innovative programmes of activities that will remain long in the memories of delegates. I would like to start by thanking these schools/centre:
- Coláiste Rís Dundalk
- CBS Ennistymon
- Ardscoil Rís, Limerick
- Midleton CBS
- Blarney Street CBS
- The Abbey, Tipperary
- Kilkenny CBS
- Ardscoil Rís, Dublin
- The Green, Tralee
- The Westcourt Centre in Belfast
I would also like to thank our schools and Christian Brothers in Waterford and Callan for their roles in organising the pilgrimage:
- Brs Christy Carroll, Denis Vaughan and Ned Hayden in Callan Monastery
- Brs Peadar Gleeson, John Hearne and Raymond Vercruysse in Mt Sion Monastery
- Edward Kennedy and Colette Kearney in Mt Sion
- Padraig Cawley and Aoife Denton in Ardscoil na Mara
- Joe Hagan in Waterpark
- John Moloney in Bunscoil McAuley Rice Primary School
- Anthony Leahy in Coláiste Abhainn Rí
Victoria McQuaid (Synge St Primary) and Br Damien Price (Australia) did a great job of facilitating discussion in DCU.
We are very grateful to our schools that supported us through participation in ceremonies and music as well as those who attended and facilitated attendance by personnel from their schools. In particular, we thank:
- Sean Delap and students from Coláiste Íosagáin
- Proinsias De Paor and students - past and present - from Coláiste Eoin
- John McHugh and students from Ardscoil Rís in Dublin
- Noilín Ní Dhualaing (Coláiste Rís Dundalk), Lucy Ryan (CBS Kilkenny), Helen Hayes (Tralee CBS), Nicola Cunningham (Ardscoil Rís Limerick) and Lisa Howard (Blarney Street Cork)
- Paul Walsh and students from St Vincent's Secondary School in Glasnevin
- Students from Ardscoil Rís Dublin, Arklow CBS and CBS Monkstown, along with their teachers accompanying them
The role played by students at Wednesday's session was remarkable and we thank the following schools for sending students:
- Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore
- Mount Sion CBS Secondary
- Coláiste Éamann Rís Cork
- Gaelcholáiste Mhuire, Cork
- CBS Ennistymon
- Roscommon CBS
- Coláiste Abhainn Rí, Callan
- St Mary's CBS Portlaoise
- Coláiste Eanna, Ballyroan
- Synge St CBS
- St. Paul's CBS Secondary
- St Vincent's CBS Secondary
- Scoil Mhuire Marino
- Oatlands CBS Primary
- Coláiste Mhichíl Sexton St Limerick
- St Joseph's Secondary School, Drogheda
- Blarney St CBS, Cork
We are very grateful to principal Liam Reilly and the students in St Aidan's CBS for their roles in helping with the Dublin tours in various parts of the city.
Our Summer E-Síol is later than usual, because of our Congress, but I hope it can be forwarded to teachers, students and parents.
Thanks to everyone involved in Edmund Rice education. I wish you a very enjoyable break.
Gerry Bennett
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Images from EREBB Congress 2023 |
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This is the last contribution to E-Síol from Ennistymon CBS as the school is amalgamating with two other schools to become Ennistymon Community School, under the trusteeship of ERST, CEIST and the ETB.
We thank Mary Lyons, previous principals and the staff for the work they have done in promoting our Charter in Ennistymon CBS. In particular, we applaud the work that was done this year in exploring the history of the school and making sure that the Edmund Rice story is carried forward to the new Community School.
Kieran Meehan, current Deputy Principal in the CBS, is one of the deputies in the new school.
Best wishes to all of you.
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History of CBS Ennistymon
Edmund
Rice established the Christian and Presentation Brothers in Waterford in
1802.
He
devoted his life to prayer and charity. He sold his thriving business and
founded his first school in a coverted stable in New Street in 1802 and later
at Mount Sion in the city which was opened in 1803 blessed by the Bishop
of Waterford Bishop Hussey.
In
1824 Edmund Rice received a letter from Rev Peter O’Loughlin Parish Priest of
Ennistymon. Rev O’Loughlin had the approval of Dr French, Bishop of Galway, Kilfenora
and Kilmacduagh.
One
of the first Brothers to arrive was the Superintendent Brother Grace. A plot of
land acquired contained two acres, one rood and 20 perches. The Brothers, on
arrival in Ennistymon, lived in a small house called “Athurs Arch” on the now
present Monastery Lane. They would later move to today’s present location of
Ennistymon CBS at Mount St Joseph’s. This occurred in 1827.
At
this time there was no subvention for any school from the government (national
or secondary) until the Stanley Education Act of 1831. This mainly focused on
national schools. The Brothers struggled in early years in terms of logistics
and economically. A small Parliamentary grant was given for new schools which
helped the situation. The trustees of the new school included Fr O’Brien Kilfenora,
Fr O’Loughlin Ennistymon, local businessman Andrew Stackpoole of Lahinch House,
Philip Halley and Brother Edmund Rice of Mount Sion.
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Ennistymon
had a population of around 1500 at that time. The main economic activity was farming and,
therefore, economic support for the new school was indeed very spartan. However,
despite the harsh social economic climate of the 1800’s in North Clare, the
early Brothers Edmund Rice sent to Ennistymon including the imposing 6 ft 6inch
Wicklow man and former solider Brother Francis Manifold ably assisted by
Brother Joseph Mulcahy. They had laid a solid basis for education in
North Clare which imbued the spirit of their beloved founder Blessed Edmund
Rice. The success here in Clare led another Christian Brothers' school to open
in Ennis (Rice College 1827).
A beacon of education and knowledge was lit in Ennistymon in 1824 by the
newly formed Brothers which was declared a congregation in 1820.
These brothers were Edmund Rice's closest friends and supporters. This beacon of
education continues to burn brightly today in Ennistymon some 200 years after it
was first lit in 1824. It has provided an excellent education to the boys of
North Clare still staying true to the principles of its founder, Blessed Edmund
Rice.
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Staff Trip to Mt Sion in Waterford
In a touching tribute to the history and legacy of the CBS Ennistymon Secondary School, the teachers embarked on a memorable trip to Waterford to mark the school's closure in 2023.
The group visited the Mount Sion CBS in Waterford, which is where Edmund Rice founded his first school in 1802. The teachers were given a tour of the school by Br. Peadar Gleeson and were able to see first-hand the impressive facilities that have been developed over the years. It was a poignant moment for the teachers as they reflected on the impact that Edmund Rice had on the education system in Ireland and the role that the CBS Ennistymon Secondary School has played in the lives of so many students.
In conclusion, the trip of the CBS Ennistymon Secondary School teachers to Waterford was a fitting tribute to the legacy of the school and its founder, Edmund Rice. It was a chance for the staff to reflect on the impact that the school has had on the community while also enjoying the sights and sounds of Waterford. The teachers returned to Ennistymon with a renewed sense of purpose and camaraderie, and the memories of the trip will stay with them for years to come.
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Commemoration Events
Commemoration events
Many Commemoration events have been organised this past year to honour the legacy of CBS Ennistymon. There has been a great tradition of concerts in the school and the CBS Ennistymon Legacy Concert was a great way to honour that tradition and what a show it was!
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Musician Jon O’Connell has been a great asset to the school over the years and, with many members of staff, helped to put together an exceptional showcase of the musical legacy of past and present students of CBS Ennistymon.
We were joined by a host of talented musicians from the areas who all have a link to the school. It truly was a night to remember and a great start to our trip down memory lane as our school comes to a close.
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Sports Day
Sports day
Another time-honoured and much anticipated event that took place this term was our annual sports day. As this was our last sports day we wanted to make it one to remember. Teachers took on 6th year students in a fast-paced soccer match. Juniors and seniors joined forces for relay races and puc fada’s were taken. Students and staff were treated to some ice cream and the bouncy castle was another treat that went down well with the students. The day was finished off with a fiercely competitive tug of war, where symbolically the rope snapped under the pressure of the 6th year students. As always sports day brings out the best in our community and gave us another chance to celebrate the spirit of our school.
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Green Walk for water
The Green Schools Committee of CBS Ennistymon had a very successful year as they succeeded in being awarded the Green Flag for Water. They also maintained their two flags relating to Litter and Waste, and Energy. Our Green Schools Officers have worked tirelessly for the past two years to reduce waste and conserve energy and water in our school, and the wider community.
In March, our committee organised the ‘Green Walk for Water’ as our Action Day. The pupils of CBS Ennistymon completed the Walk for Water campaign in solidarity with the people of countries who suffer from water deprivation. The Walk for Water was a 5 kilometer walk in which students walked 5 kilometers with a 5 litre bottle of water. By taking part in this campaign the students gained a greater understanding of Water Poverty, this in turn encouraged students to use their water wisely, reduce water usage and reuse water.
There was a second very important reason that this Whole-school event took place in our school community. The students raised funds for Milford Hospice, and they did this in memory of Selina O Sullivan, our SNA who passed last January. Selina was a joyful member of the staff and always got involved in school events.
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Oral History Documentary
To mark the closing of the school, a team of teachers and students have undertaken an oral history documentary project to capture the memories and spirit of the CBS Ennistymon. It chronicles the strong sporting tradition, musical talent and educational success of pupils past and present with an overarching sense of pride felt throughout the community.
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Support and integration of our Ukrainian students
Like many schools we have opened our doors and welcomed many Ukrainian students in the past year and a half. The arrival, support, and integration of Ukrainians in CBS Ennistymon have been marked by warmth, understanding, and collaboration.
These newcomers have brought with them their unique challenges and the support of the EAL Department was instrumental in providing support to this new part of our community and many initiatives were employed to facilitate the integration process.
The school administration and teachers demonstrated exceptional dedication in accommodating the needs of these students, organizing language support and cultural events. This effort fostered a sense of belonging for our Ukrainian students.
Over time the personalities of these students began to shine and their appreciation for the welcome they received did not go un-noticed. Below is a poem written by 2nd year student Mykola Virchenko, which will no doubt strike a chord with everyone who has witnessed the adversity these students have faced.
By embracing diversity and promoting integration, CBS Ennistymon serves as an example of the benefits that arise from fostering an inclusive community.
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EREBB Delegation from Australia and South Africa
The staff and students of the CBS were delighted to welcome EREBB delegates from Australia and South Africa to the school on May 10th for a three-day visit.
Staff planned a series of events and experiences for the group. On Wednesday our History teacher Mr Galvin accompanied the group on a tour of North Clare visiting the Cliffs of Moher, Ailwee Cave, Poulnabrone Stone Tomb, Caherconnell Fort and Lemenagh Castle.
That evening they were treated to a feast of Irish Music from some staff and students in Friel’s Bar, Miltown Malbay. On Thursday they visited Scattery Island Monastic Settlement and were back at school for the main event of our Sports day, the Tug of War.
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On Friday the 2nd years welcomed the guests to the school. They had a short Prayer Service, some music followed by a demonstration of hurling from the boys.
On Friday evening our visitors moved to Ennis and were given a walking tour of the town by their favourite tour guide, Mr John Galvin.
There were rich conversations about education, the similarities and the differences between the schools in Australia, S Africa and Ireland but the dedication to the students and the Edmund Rice spirit was evident in all schools.
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The Final Chapter
Amalgamation has been on the agenda in Ennistymon for almost 30 years. Now that the three-story new school on the Lahinch Road is nearing completion, we are conscious of commemorating the legacy of the Christian Brothers.
It has been my privilege to work with the Christian Brothers here in Ennistymon for 38 years. The camaraderie and spirit in this small, all boys school has made it a special place to work. The support from my colleagues, previous Principals, Boards of Management and from ERST has been invaluable.
I have loved working with the boys over the many years. Their energy, talents and their creativity have sustained me. There have been challenges and obstacles but lots of joy and fulfilment too. I wish Ms Orla Conway, Principal of Ennistymon Community School, and Mr Kieran Meehan and Ms Karen O Neill, her Deputy Principals every success on the exciting new chapter in education in Ennistymon.
Go n-éirí an t-Ádh libh .
Ms Mary Lyons
Principal.
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Artist Mary Leen, centre with current principal, Brendan Smith on her left and former principals, Denis Coleman and Brother O'Connell on her right. Also in photo, Maggie Smith, vice principal, Brother Fred, former teacher, Noel Burke, BoM chairperson and members of staff and students.
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Stained Glass Installation
Artist, Mary Leen, was given the following brief in designing a stained glass installation at our school:
1. To keep the memory of Edmund Rice alive
2. To create a suitable work of art that will stand the test of time in a school setting.
3. To brighten up the school with rich splashes of colour.
4. To link the old and the new side of the building with one coherent theme that is cognisant of the school architecture.
5. To teach students about the core values of the CBS/ Edmund Rice.
6. To involve the students in the artistic process and to create artworks that the students can have a sense of ownership over.
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The first part of the proposal is a large stained glass installation located on the wall of the central hallway. It features Edmund Rice standing at a pulpit reading a book to children while multi colour bejewelled oval seeds float over a colourful idyllic scene of children playing in nature. This is to represent Edmund Rice spreading the seeds of knowledge, kindness, wisdom and all the other core values and virtues that he bestowed on the communities that had CBS schools. The pulpit is rendered with the old CBS crest and new school logo.
Along with this and linking in with the concept of Edmund Rice spreading the seeds of virtues, I installed a series of six grain/ oval shaped stained glass panels strategically scattered though out the building. Each panel depicts one of six core values of the school. These panels are for the enjoyment of the children and the motifs were created by the students of first to sixth class. Each class had an in-depth class discussion about the meaning of one particular core value and were asked to interpret the value visually by drawing something on the template. I traced these drawings onto the glass and put them into lightboxes.
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Message From Brendan Smith, Principal
As you take in the stunning array of pieces on display around the school, I invite you to consider the unique perspectives and ideas that each piece represents. From vivid colours to subtle shades of light and shadow, each artwork tells a story and invites us to engage with the world around us in new and exciting ways.
“Seeds”- invoking the Edmund Rice characteristics of bravery, caring, honesty, inclusion, friendship and happiness are on display throughout the school and these ensure that the school community witness such characteristics on a daily basis, thus bringing them to life daily in our school.
At the heart of this exhibition is the spirit of creativity and exploration. Mary has challenged us to see the world in a different light, to embrace new possibilities, and to open our minds and hearts to new experiences. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank Mary Leen whose work is on display, whose commitment to her craft is an inspiration to us all, and whose talent and creativity shine brightly in each and every piece.
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Gaelscoil Sáirséal Limerick |
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Cuairteoirí
Bhí áthas orainn fáilte a chur roimh toscairí EREBB nuair a thug siad cuairt ar ár scoil.
Leo, sa phictiúir, tá an tAthair Micheál de Bhál,, Ríona Uí Cheallaigh agus Edel Nic Éanaigh.
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Scoil Íosagáin Sexton Street Limerick |
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6th Class Graduation
Principal Denis Barry with teachers and 6th Class pupils. We wish these pupils the very best as they continue on their journey through secondary education.
Go n-éirí libh.
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School of Sanctuary
We have become the 14th school in the Republic of Ireland to achieve this recognition. Following a visit by a monitoring team from School’s of Sanctuary Ireland, the team commended our schools commitment and initiatives in promoting a welcoming and inclusive environment. A more detailed report will follow in the Autumn edition Síol.
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Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB)
International Congress 2023
The International EREBB Congress took place in Dublin from 13th to 19th of May. The Congress welcomed delegates and leaders of Edmund Rice schools from all over the world to follow in the footsteps of Blessed Edmund. The Theme of the congress was “Educating with Hope in our Hearts and Hands”
This theme was worked on by the delegates collaboratively during the workshops, listening to the Key note speakers and social interaction. Participants also worked on sharing ideas about Irish Culture, spirituality, leadership and educational practice. This will all contribute to long term global partnerships that will enhance the education of our young people.
Walking Tours of the City of Dublin helped immerse the delegates in Irish culture and tradition.
A Gala Dinner took place in Croke Park at which the Minister of Education, Norma Foley was in attendance.
Some members of the RE Department at Ardscoil na Mara, the Senior Management Team and our students took part over the days of the Congress. Many happy memories will have been made and connections forged into the future.
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Mass at the Tomb of Blessed Edmund Rice
As part of the 2023 EREBB Congress, Ardscoil na Mara was delighted to take part along with Mount Sion Secondary School & Waterpark College Waterford, in a Mass, Following in the Footsteps of Blessed Edmund Rice. The Mass, celebrated by the Bishop of Waterford & Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, Fr Tom Rogers & Fr Michael Mullins, was a celebration of the life and legacy of Blessed Edmund Rice.
The delegates to the congress had earlier attended a walking tour of Waterford, led by teacher, Mrs Una Lonergan & students from Ardscoil who also took part in the Mass, to places associated with Edmund Rice.
Please use the link above for a collection of photographs from the celebration.
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EREBB Visitors
We were thrilled to meet 50 EREBB delegates for lunch in our school as they were finishing their pilgrimage, which included visiting Glendalough, Callan and Waterford.
Pictured with Padraig Cawley (principal) and Aoife Denton (Deputy Principal) are Br. Constantine (Tino) D’Abreu, a member of the Christian Brothers in India and Br. Brian Bond, the head of Edmund Rice International .
Br Brian is based in Geneva and is well known to schools that have been involved in Advocacy training and the Ambassador programme.
Music was provided by a traditional music group from the school, led by David Hayes and Muireann Ní Luasa- see video on the link below.
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Soccer
Well done to the senior girls soccer team who won the league final recently, 1-0, against St.Declans. It was a well fought game with Ardscoil scoring in the last 5 minutes of the match.
Well done to all girls involved. Thanks also to Ms. Nugent.
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Athletics
Congratulations to all who took part in the boys East Munster Track & Field at the RSC recently. Pictured above are TJay Flanagan who won the 800m Gold, Juniors: Ciaran O’Connor Gold 800m, Billy O’Donohoe Bronze Triple Jump & Michael Barry Bronze 100m & Silver 800m
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Our outgoing Head Girl, Freya Bolster & Head Boy, Colm Corbett have contributed the following article on their respective roles in Ardscoil na Mara this year.
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Freya Bolster - Ardscoil na Mara Head Girl 2023
The position of Head Girl at Ardscoil na Mara was one I had always hoped to obtain.
Through many years of being on the Student Council at Ardscoil na Mara, I had always found myself looking up to the previous Head Girls who displayed enthusiasm, determination, and open-mindedness towards others in school.
I can only hope that this year I have done the same. The position allowed me to engage in the school community in a different way than I have before, connect with students, and work closely with management who, like myself and Colm, hope to see the school becoming a better place for all every day.
Colm Corbett - Ardscoil na Mara Head Boy 2023
Having the opportunity to act as Head Boy in Ardscoil na Mara for the 2022/23 school year not only presented me with the unique way in which I could engage in the school community, but overall improved my time in Sixth Year.
When our academic work and the stress of exams got too much, I consider myself lucky to have had the position of Head Boy to remind myself that school is a positive place, where I was lucky enough to work closely with management and the students to make the experience better for all.
Through our meetings with Student Council and involvement in Open Days, Parents' Evenings, fundraisers, and much more, I can only hope Freya and I have encouraged the younger years to avail of opportunities to be involved in the school community.
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Transition Year
Our transition year students have been busy with many different activities over the past few weeks.
Below are pictures from the TY camping group. They enjoyed a night of wild camping in the Galtee mountains where they learned some basic survival skills and of course enjoyed the all important marshmallows around the campfire.
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Microsoft Ireland Finals
Congrats to TYs Kian Moore & Cathal Morrissey who qualified for the Microsoft Ireland Finals.
They achieved this distinction for their exceptionally high scores in the Microsoft Excel exam #prodigylearning which took place in #MSDreamSpace.
Kian achieved a perfect score in the final exam.
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Barista Training
Some of our TY students completed a fantastic day of barista training with Dublin Barista.
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Darkness into Light
Well done to our TY students who participated in this year's Darkness into Light at the 12 o clock Hills for Pieta House.
Great morning shared together in fine spirits.
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Meet Your MEP Programme |
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Congrats to TY student Stepan Strok who has also been chosen as one of the winners of the 2023 TY Essay competition with his entry for ‘What has 50 years of EU membership meant for Ireland’ . As a result, he has been invited to Brussels as part of the ‘Meet Your MEP Programme’.
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Le Cheile Day 5
Every year Ardscoil Ris have a ‘Le Cheile Day’. A day where the whole school sign up to a different timetable for this day of togetherness including tug-of-war; dizzy penalties; karaoke; yoga; rounders; meditation; baking; art to name a few. We were lucky enough to have fabulous weather and even had a ice cream van! Students were the winners of the day beating the teachers in the annual soccer and tug-a- war events.
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5th
Year Retreat Lough Derg
Some of our 5th Year students went to Lough Derg for an overnight retreat.
This was a great opportunity to stop and reflect on life, shutting out the unimportant and concentrating on the meaningful.
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1st
Year Retreat
Our First Year students immersed themselves in the Edmund Rice spirit of Ardscoil Ris with a great day trip to Waterford, including some time at Waterford Museum as well as the Edmund Rice Centre at Mt Sion.
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Taekwon-Do Championships
Congratulations to the Irish Junior Boys team who have just won bronze in Team Patterns at the ITF European Taekwon-do Championships in Romania two weeks ago.
Particular congratulations to our TY student David Larkin who is captain of this team.
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National Fossil Art Contest
UCC’s Ireland’s Fossil Heritage ran the second national fossil art contest in Spring 2023.
The theme of the competition was “Irish fossils ALIVE” and was open to children living in Ireland from 4 – 18 years old in four age categories (under 8 years, 9 –12 years, 13 – 15 years, 16 – 18 years).
Prizes were awarded in each age category. The overall winner of the contest was chosen from the top prize-winners in each category and won a once-in-a-lifetime experience of a day out fossil hunting with palaeontologists from UCC, including one overnight B&B stay for the winner and one parent/guardian
Congratulations to our 5th Year student David McPartlin on his wonderful achievement in being the overall winner of the National Fossil Art Contest.
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St. Mary's Academy Carlow |
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National Flag Day
As part of a national programme of activity to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Irish flag St. Mary's Academy CBS were honored to attend a flag presentation to government leaders at SETU Waterford Arena on the 7th of March. Inspired by the French Revolution, Thomas Francis Meagher created our flag to symbolise the inclusion and hoped-for union of the people of different traditions on the island of Ireland.
5th year students Joshua Kennedy and Conall Ferris were presented with an Irish flag that was flown in the same place Thomas Francis Meagher first flew the tri-colour. Both students were honored to meet government leaders, particularly Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. This flag will be brought back to our school and displayed for everyone to see.
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Maths Enrichment Lessons in UCD
Sagar Sapkota from 5th year in St. Mary’s Academy attended Maths Enrichment lessons in UCD on Saturdays beginning in January.
Sagar was successful in the first round of tests and was then invited to continue attending the lessons. He competed in the Irish Mathematical Olympiad on Saturday 6th May. Successful candidates will be chosen to attend the international Maths Olympiad in Japan in July 2023.
We wish Sagar the best of luck in his studies. He is pictured here with his teacher, Ms Murphy.
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1st Year Edmund Rice Trip
On Wednesday 19th of April, all First-Year students went on a highly informative tour to learn more about our founder, Edmund Rice.
The group travelled to Callan, Co. Kilkenny to visit the home place of Edmund Rice.
Brother Christy provided an informative talk on the Edmund Rice Icon to our students. They were introduced, through the various stories depicted on the icon, to Edmund Rice’s life story.
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Brother Denis entertained the students with a hands-on experience of life in Ireland in the 1700’s in Edmund Rice’s home place, Callan, Co. Kilkenny.
The two groups also visited Mt. Sion where they had the opportunity to visit the beautiful chapel and the Edmund Rice Centre which is a prime heritage centre for the Christian Brothers' story.
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Irish Angus Beef
Three Transition Year students from St. Mary's Academy CBS were successful in the semifinals of the Certified Irish Angus school's competition, which was held in Thomand Park, Co. Limerick.
Following on from that the three students Jarif, Brian, Billy and Callum put in a fantastic performance in the finals in Croke Park where they presented their work on the theme ‘Sustainability’ and spoke with Agri-Food Industry Experts.
This exciting competition, which is run by the Irish Angus Producers group and their partners ABP and Kepak, challenges successful students to rear five Irish Angus calves over 18 months while completing a research project. The project themes will cover the important topics of Improving Animal Genetics; Sustainable Agriculture; Farm Health & Safety; and Increasing Consumer Awareness of the Quality of Irish Food and in Particular Irish Beef.
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Blessed Edmund Rice Day Celebrations
Each year, on 5th May we celebrate the feast day of Blessed Edmund Rice, the founder of the Christian Brothers.
It is important for our Edmund Rice school to mark the occasion and highlight our Charter.
This year, each student in St. Mary’s Academy CBS received a ‘Rice’ Krispie bun. This gesture generated discussion on our heritage and provenance.
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Beauty and the Beast
For three nights, Transition Year students took the stage in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre for their TY production of 'Beauty and the Beast' alongside the Transition Year students from St. Leo's College.
The work on stage and behind the scenes was exceptional. Many people put in a huge effort to make the show happen and it is great that the community really supported it, with three sold-out nights.
All the hard work and dedication over the past weeks paid off, and the show was an enormous success. Well done to everyone involved.
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First Year Trip to Edmund Rice Heritage Centre, Waterford.
CBC First Years made their annual trip to Waterford recently. They were accompanied by four teachers on each journey by coach to Waterford City. On arrival, they visited the Edmund Rice Heritage Centre in Mount Sion, and the House of Waterford Crystal. At The ERHC the boys were introduced to Brother Peadar Gleeson, Brother John Hearne and Brother Raymond Vercreusse. The Brothers led the students on an educational tour of Mount Sion, which is a prime heritage centre for the Christian and Presentation Brothers.
It is a place of historical significance and pilgrimage, where Edmund Rice began his great mission for helping the poor and uneducated. He built a monastery and school on this site, and he lived and worked here for many years. It is also where he died and his remains now lie.
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In recent years, the Christian and Presentation Brothers have re-developed this site and invited an international community of Brothers to live and work here. In keeping alive the spirit of Edmund Rice, it continues to be a place of learning and reflection. Young people still come here for training and education, and those on the margins of today’s society find new life and hope here.
On departure a blessing was conferred on the boys in the Oratory. A donation on behalf of the First Years was presented by CBC Chaplain Mr. Simon Kelliher to Brother Peadar Gleeson .
The boys also visited the House of Waterford Crystal during the day. They enjoyed a guided tour and learned further about Waterford’s craftsmanship, history
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Minister for Finance visits CBC
The College was delighted to welcome Minister for Finance Michael McGrath TD to CBC on Monday 24 April. Minister McGrath met with a focus group of student leaders from the Student Council, Meitheal team, Debating Society Committee, Finance Society Committee and Green Schools Committee and discussed a range of issues ranging from challenges facing young people today to social justice issues.
Following this meeting, Minister McGrath addressed a whole-school assembly, sharing his experience of politics and offering advice to the student body on the impact they can make on the lives of others, at home, in school and in the community.
Our School Captain presented the Minister with a copy of the CBC Yearbook and thanked him for taking the time to visit the College.
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Visit to CBC by Prof Laura Lundy
CBC Cork recently welcomed Professor Laura Lundy to deliver a presentation on the importance of student voice in education. As an expert in children's rights and participation, Professor Lundy's insights shed light on the ways in which student voice can be incorporated into educational practice to empower students and improve learning outcomes.
Student voice refers to the meaningful participation of students in decision-making processes that affect their education. It recognizes the value of students' perspectives, opinions, and experiences in shaping the teaching and learning environment. In her presentation, Professor Lundy emphasized that student voice is not just a buzzword but a fundamental right that needs to be upheld and integrated into educational policy and practice.
One of the key takeaways from Professor Lundy's presentation was the need to shift from a traditional hierarchical approach to education to one that is more collaborative and inclusive. She highlighted the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment that encourages students to express themselves and actively participate in decision-making processes. This approach not only benefits students but also helps to create a more democratic and equitable school community.
Another important aspect of student voice is its potential to improve the quality of education. Professor Lundy pointed out that students often have unique insights into their learning experiences, which can help teachers to identify areas for improvement and refine teaching methods. By listening to and acting on student feedback, teachers can tailor their lessons to meet the needs and preferences of their students, leading to more engaged and motivated learners.
Professor Lundy also discussed the challenges that can arise when implementing student voice initiatives, such as time constraints, resistance from stakeholders, and a lack of understanding of the concept. However, she stressed that these challenges should not deter educators from incorporating student voice into their practice, as the benefits far outweigh the costs.
During the presentation, several CBC teachers shared examples of how they have already implemented student voice initiatives in their classrooms, such as student-led conferences and peer-to-peer mentoring programs. These initiatives not only promote student agency but also foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among students for their own learning.
Professor Lundy's presentation was a valuable and insightful experience for staff. It provided practical insights and strategies for incorporating student voice into educational practice, empowering students and improving learning outcomes.
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CBC Cork Erasmus+ trip to Lithuania April 2023.
During the first week of the Easter holidays, members of the Learning and Teaching Committee in CBC travelled to Kaunas, Lithuania to garner firsthand experience in a range of educational settings. Lithuania is a country with a rich history and since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 it has been developing closer links with neighbouring countries in the West. Visits from schools across Europe are an example of how this state of 2.8 million people is developing closer ties with the rest of the European Union.
The opportunity to travel was obtained through the Erasmus+ programme which allows teachers to travel to schools in other EU countries, share experiences, develop opportunities to network and view different educational settings.
The CBC team consisted of Erasmus+ coordinator Edmond Hussey, Vincent Murray, Jane O Connell, Brian Trought, Catherine Costello and Tanya Clifford. The theme of the visit was “The Learner Voice -The Impact of Effective Questioning and Student Voice to the Overall Academic Progress and Wellbeing of the Student.” The project was carried out in conjunction with Kaunas Centre For Education Innovation which has close links with the Cork Education Centre.
We visited Kaunas Simonas Daukantas progymnasium, a school for students aged 7 to 14. We observed lessons in PE, Science and Home Economics. We also observed Ukrainian students engaging in online classes with teachers in their war-torn country. The emphasis was on interactive learning and the use of technology in the classroom, with a great emphasis on students’ emotional, cognitive and social development. We also attended a reception at the Kaunas City Municipality. Here, we were given a presentation on the history of the city, particularly in the context of its membership of the former USSR. At the Kaunas Centre for Education Innovation, we were briefed on their comprehensive education programme. We learned about their activities in supporting teachers with CPD and a very interesting initiative on identifying the reasons for the drop in Maths results; and the innovations taken to improve same.
Our second day began with a visit to Kaunas Vileisiu, a school which has won a European Digital School Award. Since 2012 the school has participated in the Microsoft School Program. There is a major emphasis on STEAM education in the school. Student wellbeing and inclusivity were also evident. The second school visited was the Kaunas “ Saules” gymnasium, an upper secondary school comprising students aged 14 to 18, with a great emphasis on examination success. In these senior secondary schools students choose four subjects in their final year pre-University exams. This is essentially the equivalent of the Irish Leaving Certificate. Interestingly, three subjects are compulsory: English, Lithuanian and a third language. Traditionally Lithuanian students studied Russian but nowadays there is a move towards MFL subjects such as French, German and Spanish.
Our final day saw us visit the Maironio University Gymnasium. This school had wide corridors with sofas and large student social areas. Absolute cleanliness was evident here and indeed across all sections of Lithuanian society. Pride in their school was very evident. We observed demonstrations in Science projects and Enterprise initiatives. Group work, active learning projects and group discussions were very evident. The relationship between staff and students was one of mutual respect, friendship and understanding.
A key learning from this visit was that each school had a clear vision, permeated throughout the school and articulated by students, staff and management. The opportunity to look into various educational settings in a sister EU country was quite the unique and rewarding experience.
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CBC Preparatory School Cork |
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First Holy Communion and Confirmation
Our 6th Class boys celebrated their Confirmation on Tuesday 14th March.
Our 2nd Class boys celebrated their First Holy Communion on Sunday 7th May.
Both were very special occasions for the boys, their families and their teachers.
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Teddy Bear's Hospital |
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Our students in Juniors, Seniors, 1st and 2nd had a fabulous time at the Teddy Bear’s Hospital, run by UCC’s Surgeon Noonan society.
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Cork Pops |
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Our students in Junior Infants, Senior Infants, 1st Class and 2nd Class enjoyed a musical morning in City Hall with Cork Pops in March.
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Congratulations to our Sciath na Scol Hurling team who have reached the final of this year’s competition. We look forward to supporting the team and wish them the best of luck!
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Hurling |
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Cork hurling stars (and past pupils of the Preparatory School) Eoin and Robert Downey joined us for some fantastic training sessions where they passed on some tips and tricks to the boys.
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The final term has been just as busy as always in CBC Preparatory School. Our 6th
Class boys enjoyed their class trip to Bath (this marked the first time students from the Prep have visited Bath as a class since before the COVID 19 pandemic began).
Following a false start due to bad weather, we enjoyed a fantastic morning at the Mardyke Sports Ground for our annual Sports Day in May.
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First Penance and First Holy Communion
Well done to our seven 2nd class pupils who recently received their First Penance from Fr. Jimmy Donnelly.
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The pupils, prepared by Mrs Breen, received their First Holy Communion in May.
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Blessed Edmund Rice Feast Day 5th May
We celebrated Edmund Rice Feast Day 2023 with a ceremony in Doon church. Thanks to Fr. Donnelly for accommodating us and thanks to the parents’ council for the lovely ice cream treat later that day to mark the event.
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Care for the Earth
Thanks to Mr. O’ Connell for teaching the pupils the importance of planting. We planted potatoes and carrots. We are hopeful these will be ready by mid-June to make some delicious potato wedges and spicy carrots.
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All-Ireland Volleyball Champions 2023
Well done to our volleyball team who became All Ireland champions earlier this year. A fabulous achievement!!
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Primary Game 2023
Congratulations to Eoin Murphy 6th class student who was picked to play on the Limerick primary game team vs Waterford. Eoin represented his school with great pride and distinction.
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7-a-Side Hurling |
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Well done to our 7 a side Hurling team who retained their east title and were narrowly beaten in the county finals section.
Maith sibh buachaillí!!
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6th Class pupils at Doon C.B.S. before they graduate after their years in Primary School.
Back Row: Joanne O’Connell, (School Principal), Eoin Murphy, Nathan O’Connor, Tony Arthurs, Junior Owolabi, Thomas O’Dwyer, and Elizabeth Doherty, (Deputy Principal).
Front Row: Ronan Hanrahan, Colm Quinlan, Cian Murphy, Aaron Morris and Michael Dillon.
Class of 2022- 2023.
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Brother James Dormer, Board of Management, Doon C.B.S. Primary School makes a presentation to sixth class school pupil, Eoin Murphy, to mark his excellent attendance on not being absent for one during his time as a student at Doon C.B.S. Primary School, Co. Limerick.
Also present are members of his family;
Caoimhe (sister), Marion (mother). Tom (father) and Cormac (brother).
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Ms. Elizabeth Doherty, Deputy Principal Doon C.B.S. Primary School, makes a presentation to school pupil Cormac Murphy for having a full attendance of school days during the past school year, 2022 – 2023.
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St. Joseph's CBS Drogheda |
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Our Journey to Becoming a School of Sanctuary
This year our Student Council has been working hard to help our school become a School of Sanctuary and we would like to share with you our journey so far.
It began with our getting in contact with the organisation School of Sanctuary. The first step of the process was planning a launch event.
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Our contact from the School of Sanctuary came to our school and we talked to her and went through the steps that we will take in becoming a School of Sanctuary. We then organised an information day for the Ukrainian students' parents that explained the Irish education system to them.
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After this we started planning for the First Year Dodgeball charity event. In this event we raised money that would go towards aid for the people affected by the earthquake that happened in Syria and Turkey. Next we planned culture week in which we had events spanning over multiple days.
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On the first day we celebrated colours day and we had several events over this day. In the morning we had a tie dye for our ASD unit and a colours run in the evening. In the middle of the day we had a quiz based around culture for the First Years. On the second day we had a dodgeball tournament in celebration of culture with guest speakers to give a talk to the students about diversity. As you can see we have made great progress in our journey to becoming a School of Sanctuary and we plan on doing more over the next year.
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Mind Your Mental Health Wellbeing Week in CÉR Cork
Here in Coláiste Éamann Rís we have participated in the Amber Flag initiative for the first time and have successfully secured our very first Amber Flag – we are hugely proud that our endeavours have been beneficial and positive for our school community and that our application returned a favourable result of securing our first ever Amber Flag.
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Furthermore, as part of our Amber Flag initiative, in the lead up to the Easter Holidays Coláiste Éamann Rís was a hive of activity with ‘Mind your Mental Health WellBeing Week’ taking place. Across the school there were many events, activities and workshops that took place. The week was a great success with the entire school community experiencing a range of activities to raise awareness of the importance of looking after their mental health all while having fun in the process.
There were some great events happening throughout the fun filled week, such as….
- Our 60 second movement break at the start of the morning to encourage physical activity through movement breaks all set to some great music.
- Our quote of the day read out over the intercom by Student Council and Amber Flag Committee members.
- TY and Senior cycle talks from Bodywhys, Marie Keating Foundation and Paula Walsh Nutrition.
- A ‘Mind Your Mental Health’ themed poster competition.
Excursions to North Gate Cinema followed by workshops in St. Peters as part of Mental Health Workshops in conjunction with UCC.
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The school community participated in writing a Gratitude note each morning to reflect on something they are grateful for and, these notes are now on display on a Gratitude Tree on the Student Council noticeboard. Student Council and Amber Flag Committee members ran a raffle for Easter Egg hampers as a fundraiser in aid of Pieta House.
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Overall, it was a great week with an array of activities taking place to highlight and promote the importance of Minding your Mental Health.
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Convention Centre Dublin
The Young Environmentalist Awards 2023 Final
Three TY Horticulture students from CÉR Cork are representing the school at The Young Environmentalist Awards at the Convention Centre in Dublin on May 26th.
The topic that our students worked on for this Award was Biodiversity. Our students beat off over 2,000 competitors to secure a place in the final. As part of the Biodiversity project they planted over 400 native Irish trees on the school grounds. As part of their work they collaborated with our local community garden and park to create a wildlife pond. This consisted of identifying a suitable location and planning and digging the pond.
We wish Antonio, Cosimo and Aylin along with Mr. Kenny the best of luck with their Biodiversity project in the Convention Centre on May 26th.
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CER CORK BOOK SIGNING EVENT
Ms. Nolan’s English and RE class held a book signing event for their book of poetry that was published by the very well know C.J. Fallon. The book entitled ‘Our Big Book of Little Poems’ was written by our wonderfully talented students in NF1 with contributions made from staff. The Collection of poems is heavily inspired by studied poets from the poetry course this year. Parents & guardians were invited into CER for some refreshments. The students gave a poetry reading and signed each other's book. Proud parents enjoyed the day immensely.
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EDMUND RICE FEAST DAY CELEBRATIONS AT CER CORK
Our feast day kicked off with 2 separate prayer services, a junior school and senior school service to honour our founder, Edmund Rice . Our students, under the guidance of Mr. Corbett, wrote and composed a song,‘The Edmund Rice Song’, which was sung by our wonderful choir during both services. The song is inspired by the life of Edmund Rice and the Edmund Rice Prayer. The services were followed by an award event and fun and games had by all.
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TY Photography Exhibition
The second TY Photography Exhibition was formally opened in Coláiste Éamann Rís on Wednesday May 10th 2023.
130 photographs were on display on the walls of the downstairs corridor and attracted huge attention from all who witnessed the spectacular images.
Photographic subjects included many beautiful sunsets, some bright and breath-taking flowers and many beach scenes. Other pictures were of local buildings such as City Hall and the Elysian. Many images were colourful, artistic and imaginative. Students also displayed images of their pets, their travels and other countries.
The exhibition was attended by Cllr Derry Canty who deputised for the Lord Mayor and Joe Kelly, President of the Cork Council of Trade Unions.
The very impressive photographs were on display for all students and staff to see following the launch.
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EREBB Congress - ‘Young People's Voices’
We were delighted to play a role in the Walk in My Shoes event, held as part of the EREBB Congress in DCU. We were also delighted to be part of our very active EREBB community and listen to the voices from around the world, as well as participate in the very rich discussions that took place.
The Congress involved representatives of all ERST communities around the world, from South Africa to Australia.
One of highlights of the event was certainly the conversation with Jose Marie who was accompanied by Alberto Olivero and Patricia Tancred from Argentina. Jose talked about the importance of promoting the flourishing of culture of engagement in education, re-telling personal experiences of finding an impressive chain of schools, along present day Pope Francis, in an attempt to give young people a fresh sense of meaning: He saw purpose as the strongest antidote to young people turning towards crime when growing up in an environment surrounded by negative influences and corruption.
Young participants questioned Jose Marie who then explained how education is the pillar of our society and how it must be treated as a priority. He reassured them that the climate crisis can only become resolvable once the children are striated to become listened to and benefit from good education that will not only prepare them for a world of work but will help them to grow spiritually and intellectually, preparing them to face the global problems at hand.
One of the facilitators, Cáit Ní Cheallacháin introduced the section “Walk in My Shoes” and mentioned the importance of the Student Councils at promoting the student voice. She then introduced the moving stories of Mahmud and Muhammed who explained the difficulty of moving from their their countries of origin and arriving in Ireland from Sudan and Somalia.
They also told us about how important it was for them to enrol in schools with an inclusive ethos as this made a hugely positive impact on their abilities to integrate into their new surroundings.
IKristian Vukorepa the second facilitator, delivered a speech on the importance of solidarity in facing the challenges of our globalised society.
The session ended with inspiring presentations of secondary and primary school students who outlined their projects in reforestation, nature education and a holistic re-envisionment of homework assignments.
The EREBB Congress was a thrilling experience and a powerful reminder of education’s ability to bind the world together into a single room. It is exciting to think what can be achieved when people share their talents and insights through honesty, teaching and true learning.
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Shakespeare's Macbeth Gets a 21st Century Makeover
On the 30th of March 6th year students visited the Everyman Theatre to see a modern day production of 'Macbeth' by Cyclone Productions. The play was interactive and provided a thrilling immersive experience into the world of Shakespeare. The actors transported the audience into the twenty-first century through its setting in the world of business where Macbeth, a power-hungry business mogul seeks economic growth, to his own demise. This unexpected twist was engaging from start to finish and both the students and their teachers were hugely impressed!
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Drama Fest
CÉR Drama Fest was a culmination of hard work by students from across the year groups and was spearheaded by Ms. Fanning and Ms. Walsh. According to Ms Fanning, 'it was a fantastic event with great creative efforts made by the students involved - from the plot, character development, costumes and stage directions - they did it all!' Students sang, danced and acted their hearts out and were greeted with thunderous applause from our packed school hall.
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Quaker Meeting House Visit
On 3rd May, Second Year students from Coláiste Éamann Rís visited the Quaker Meeting House on Capwell Road, Cork. Denise Gabuzda of the Quaker community was very welcoming, filling in the students about the rich history of the Quakers in Cork. She explained how the Quakers or Religious Society of Friends provided aid and assistance to the poor of Cork during the famine. This is something they are rightly proud of and, it is remembered with gratitude by the people of the city. Denise also gave an insight into the beliefs and practices of the Quakers, which the students found particularly interesting. Their emphasis on silence at meetings struck a chord with the students, living in this noisy and distracted world. After questions, they had an opportunity to visit the Quaker burial ground, a simple but dignified green space in the heart of the city. The class and school were very grateful to the Quakers for their time and are looking forward to visiting again in the near future.
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Future Workers Forum
The TY students attended a trade union event in Connolly Hall on Wednesday May 3rd 2023.
This event was organised by the Cork Council of Trade Unions as part of their May Day celebrations. 60 TY and fifth year students went to SIPTU offices in Cork and were privileged to attend a "Future Workers' Forum".
They were addressed by several trade union speakers from several different unions and learned about their rights as workers under 18 years of age.
They were addressed by the President of the Cork Trades Council, Joe Kelly, who was delighted to welcome the students to the event, which was the first of its kind, held in Connolly Hall. Other trade union speakers present were from Fórsa, Mandate, Siptu and the ASTI.
Following the very successful conference the students were treated to pizza and each received a bag containing keyrings, torches, rulers, highlighter pens, pens and pencils, sticky notes and more which were sponsored by the trade unions.
The TY pupils and their Current Affairs teacher Ann Piggott are extremely grateful to the Cork Trade Council for organising the very informative forum for students.
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Basketball
Coláiste Phádraig’s 2nd yr Basketball Team enjoyed a hugely successful season, winning all 11 of their matches, culminating in an historic victory in the All-Ireland Junior Boys “B” Final in early May.
The team won the East Boys Region “B” Final on Tuesday 21st March in the most dramatic style possible with the winning basket coming right on the final buzzer! Le Chéile, Tyrrelstown were our opponents in the Final.
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Lucan captain Lewis Adjinakou accepted the beautiful trophy and immediately lifted it above his head as he was engulfed by his ecstatic team-mates as they celebrated an historic achievement in front of their proud family, friends, coaches, teachers and supporters.
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The victory rounded off a memorable unbeaten campaign for this phenomenal group of players who rose to every challenge throughout the season. They have been such fantastic ambassadors for the school throughout the year and we are all very proud of each and every one of them.
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Green Schools
Coláiste Phádraig’s Green Schools Committee held their Day of Action on Thursday 16th March as part of their aim of renewing the school’s green flag, this time for energy.
Students were encouraged to wear green for the day and this raised 300euro for the Committee, to be spent on further green initiatives in the near future.
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The Committee planted a Sorbus Tree in the new orchard area out by the Sports Hall on Thursday. They will water it regularly, especially in the next year or two, to help the tree become established.
A lively and interesting debate for 1st yrs was held in the Classroom of the Future entitled “We should produce our own nuclear energy in Ireland”.
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Transition Year students held Kahoot quizzes with 1st and 2nd yr students. The 1st yr winning team of Conor Gilmore, Shane Brennan, Hasan Al Mini, Shaun Thomas and Elliot Hsiqo each won a 5e voucher for the school canteen. In 2nd yr, Hazem Ahmed.
There were joint winners of the Green Schools poster competition. 1st yrs Nate Crawford and Conor Linnane both won 30e All for One vouchers for their colourful and topical posters.
Clare McDonald, senior co-ordinator of Green Schools, visited the school as a follow-up to the Action Day. She met with the Green Schools Committee and Mr. Keane and enquired about the activities that were organised.
The Committee then had to fill out a detailed renewal application form for the Green Flag for Energy.
They were then informed in April that their application for the Green Flag award for energy was successful. Three of the members, accompanied by Mr. Keane, are to travel to The Helix in DCU on May 23rd for the National Green Flag awards ceremony. The Committee have done fantastic work throughout the year and they thoroughly earned the Green Flag that An Taisce will present them with on the day.
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English
As part of the English Department’s literacy programme, a Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) week was held in the school in April. All Junior Cycle students took part and the principal announced the 20 minute periods every day where the students stopped working in their classroom and took the time to read quietly a book that they had brought in.
The main focus of the week was to remind students of the importance of reading simply for pleasure. If reading is to become a life-long habit, then young people need to see themselves as participants in a school community that views reading as a significant and enjoyable activity.
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Fundraising
A GAA skills and fun day was held in the school in April as part of a Transition Year fundraising initiative to raise funds for Pieta House and Dogs Trust. 2nd Year students got the opportunity to use the playing pitches for the 1st
time since the construction work began last November. They got to learn some GAA skills, play 5-a-side football, take part in a penalty shoot-out as well as play tag-rugby and rounders. The TY students also washed teachers’ cars in the yard while students got the chance to throw wet-sponges at their teachers!
All for a good cause of course!
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Business
The Money Smarts All-Ireland Final took place on Friday 12th May in Trinity College. Four of our Transition Students, Eoin McGarty, Cillian Lawlor, Ben Gilson and Mario Nunis, were representing the school having qualified for the event as a team at the Regional Final held at the RDS in April. There were 16 teams of 4 at the Grand Final (out of a total of 240 teams) so qualifying was already a great achievement by all teams.
Our team performed extremely well on the day but just missed out on the top prizes.
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Athletics
It has been a great year for athletics in Coláiste Phádraig. Conor Abbott, 1st yr student, and 3rd
yr Alex Leonard both won gold medals at the West Leinster Track and Field Athletics Championships held in Tullamore in April. Conor won the 1.1km race in great style while Alex stormed to victory in the 200m Final in a very quick time.
Alex also won u17 All-Ireland 200m Final at the National Track and Field Championships in Athlone in March in a time of 22.70 so it’s great to have a National Champion in our school.
The two athletes competed in the Leinster Track and Field Championship Finals, held in Santry in late May.
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Building work
The new additional modular school building has been completed on time after 6 months of intensive on-site and off-site labour. The two-storey building looks fantastic, with its wide windows overlooking the pitches in every room. It will be a wonderful addition to the school, beginning in September, and the students are really looking forward to using the extremely modern and state-of-the-art facilities inside every room.
There are 10 spacious rooms in total with a library, resource room and a sensory room and two classrooms along with offices downstairs and there are 5 classrooms upstairs.
The first students to use the building will actually be from St. Joseph’s College, Lucan! Our Board of Management approved a request from the school to allow their 3rd
yr students to sit their Junior Cycle exams there in June (as there is significant building work currently taking place as well in their school). This will have no impact on our students who will be sitting their exams in the main building as usual.
Rather than losing space due to the new building, the students will actually be gaining a new outdoor yard space at the top of the Gaelic Football pitch. A new wide footpath has also been put in from the entrance of the main gate right up to the new building which will very welcome due to the number of staff cars and buses that arrive into the school every day while trying to reverse park or pick up students etc. The path ensures that the students have a safe route in and out of the school at all times.
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Ardnacrusha Dam
By Gavin Dorney, 3rd Year
On Wednesday, the 28th of March, the 3rd years went on a Geography trip to the Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric Plant in Co. Clare. It was the first time a year from this school visited this plant, but it certainly won’t be the last. The experience was very enjoyable and we learned a lot from it.
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It was an incredible marvel of human engineering. Construction began in 1925, just three years after Ireland won its independence from Britain.
It cost 20% of the country’s annual revenue. To put that amount into perspective, 20% of Ireland’s national revenue today is €16.4 billion. The German company Siemens was contracted to build the plant by the Irish government.
At its peak, 5,200 people were employed during its construction, with most of them being Irish. Because of the unbelievable feats of engineering being performed, 250,000 people had come to see the plant being built by the end of the decade.
At the time of its completion, it was the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world, supplying 80% of Ireland’s electricity. The Ardnacrusha Power Station, situated in the backroads of southern Co. Clare, served as inspiration for the construction of the famous Hoover Dam in the United States, a 220m hydroelectric dam which holds back the mighty Colorado River.
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First Years Promote Biodiversity
Our First Years are doing fantastic work in their promotion of biodiversity. Care for our planet is part of our Charter and our students are doing their bit, through engaging with the issues and taking practical steps such as building bug hotels and planting seeds.
Well done lads.
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AG. Science Trip
Our TYs, LCAs 5th and 6th year Ag Science students visited Pallaskenry Agriculture College for a farm tour.
The students had a very informative and hands-on tour of the farm.
Students participated in soil sampling and grass plate measuring along with a tour of the dairy sheep and beef facilities.
Thanks to Rachel McNamara for the tour.
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First Aid Training for Transition Years
This term, the TYs completed their first aid training including CPR.
This is one of the most important modules in TY and is a life-long, invaluable skill for the students to learn.
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National Tree Week 2023
6th year LCAs, Junior Cycle students and students from Holy Family School participated in national tree week by planting native trees in our schools woodland.
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Fundraiser for Holy Family School
On Friday 21st March, some 1st, 2nd and 3rd years attended a fundraiser in AIB Charleville in aid of the multi-sensory room in Holy Family School. There was an excellent spread of treats from the AIB for the students and all the students took turns at cycling the stationary bikes. Well done to all the boys who took part in raising money for this excellent cause.
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Second Year Wellbeing Workshops
To finish up wellbeing week, 2nd year students undertook two workshops – yoga and music. Yoga has been shown to lower stress hormones in our bodies while simultaneously increasing beneficial brain chemicals such as endorphins.
These feel-good chemicals help decrease anxiety and improve mood. Many studies have shown that listening to music can lower your blood pressure and your heart rate (both spike when you're stressed), and even lower stress hormones in your body.
The boys had the opportunity to learn the ukelele which was a first for them all.
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CBS Charleville Hurling Academy
The CBS Charleville Hurling Academy Open Day took place recently. Six past pupils – Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Cormac O’Brien from the Cork Senior Hurling team and Paddy O’Loughlin, Míchéal Houlihan and Fergal O’Connor from the Limerick Senior Hurling team returned to the school for the day.
The day began with a very informative presentation for parents and players from Principal, Ms. Murphy and Deputy Principal Mr. Roberts about how CBS supports the development of students both academically but also on a holistic level including sport as they progress through school. This was then followed by Aidan O’Connell, Head of High Performance of Cork GAA explaining the pathway players can take to playing at a high level of hurling and what qualities selectors and coaches look for in players.
The young players then took part in two different sessions. One session was hosted in Thrive Fitness gym where Cathal O’Brien, strength and conditioning coach for the Cork U20s hurling team and Aidan O’Connell showed the players a variety exercises to improve their strength so they can increase their power and durability on the pitch.
The second session was a series of mini workshops held by the inter-county players where the young players had the opportunity to learn about their paths to the senior inter-county teams and take part in a number of challenges.
The day finished off with an excellent Question and Answer session with all of the players where the young players got to learn about their experiences in school and get advice from them on matters such as how to balance sport and study.
A huge thank you to everyone who was involved in the organisation of the day but particularly to the players, Aidan O’Connell and Cathal O’Brien who selflessly gave up their time.
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EREBB visit
The school hosted delegates from Edmund Rice schools in Uruguay and Argentina as part of an EREBB Pre Congress visit in May.
Students from Class 3Q accompanied the Uruguayan delegates from Stella Maris College, Montevideo to St. Patrick's Centre in Downpatrick and they also visited St. Patrick's Grave and Saul Church, the site of the first Church ever built in lreland.
Well done to all the students in 3Q for representing the school so well and helping to make our visitors feel welcome.
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Greenway walk with EREBB Delegates
As our EREBB (Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders) week continues, today all our first year students walked the Greenway from Omeath to Carlingford with the delegates from Stella Maris, Uruguay and Newman College, Argentina. Well done to all our First Year students who represented our school so well today.
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Trip to Dublin Zoo
3rd Year students enjoyed a fabulous time in the sun at Dublin Zoo, on a visit as part of their Ecology section of Junior Cycle Science.
They took notes on conservation and endangered species as well as adaptions of animals in their natural habitats.
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Éinrí meets President Joe Biden
Coláiste Rís LCA2 student Éinrí McMahon was one of the very lucky few to meet President Joe Biden on his walkabout of Dundalk.
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National Tree Week / Green Day
To celebrate National tree week the Student Council along with the Advocacy Committee planted ten saplings in the Fairgreen. For every tree planted, another 10 will be planted in Africa in our School's name. We also had a green day to raise much needed funds for Selfhelp Africa. Thank you to the whole school community who helped raise €310.
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Swimming success
Huge congratulations to Jake Logan, representing Colaiste Ris and Eliza Logan, representing St Vincent’s Secondary School who were selected for the Leinster Senior School Swimming Team to compete at the Irish Interprovincial Championships following their success at Leinster Senior School Championship (Eliza gold 100m butterfly, Jake won 2 silvers in 100m breaststroke & 200m Individual Medley) in February. On Sunday 26th March, Leinster were crowned the Interprovincial Champions at the National Aquatic Centre. Eliza and Jake were delighted to represent their schools and province and to have been part of the winning team.
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Trinity College Entrance Exhibition Award for Dungarvan CBS student Shane Burke
Leaving Certificate 2022 student Shane Burke recently had his outstanding Leaving Certificate results recognised by Trinity College Dublin. Shane’s outstanding results were formally recognised at the prestigious Trinity Entrance Exhibition. The exhibition sees the country’s top scholars from the Leaving Certificate class of 2022 acknowledged. The acknowledgment of Shane’s results is just reward for an outstanding student who contributed greatly to Dungarvan CBS during his time in the school. Dungarvan CBS wish Shane every success in his future studies, with all in the school community certain Shane will go far in whatever field he chooses to pursue.
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Gaisce
A number of students from Dungarvan CBS recently completed the various requirements to achieve their respective Gasice Award. The Gaisce Award is a nationally recognised award presented to young people, it is divided into three distinctive categories : namely the bronze, silver and gold awards. In all award categories participants complete activities in a personal skill (such as baking, learning a language, learning a musical instrument, knitting, art, creative writing), in community involvement (volunteering with tidy towns, being part of the 1st yr mentoring programme, helping with homework club) in physical activity (GAA, swimming, hiking, kickboxing, athletics etc) and finally participants are required to complete an adventure journey.
In CBS Dungarvan this year we had 15 students completing their Bronze Gaisce award and 2 students completing their silver Gaisce award.
For the Silver adventure journey students climbed Knockmealdown (794m). One student made chocolate flapjacks for the hike and after a grocery shop in Dunnes the group travelled to Rathgormack hostel for their overnight stay. Another student cooked a delicious chicken al forne and we played monopoly and cards in the perfect surroundings of the area. The following morning another student cooked breakfast and the group visited the famous Amish shop before moving onto Clonea Power Church to see the spectacular Harry Clarke stained glass windows.
The silver awardees then joined the bronze awardees for a cycle from Dungarvan to Kilmacthomas where the group enjoyed a late breakfast/early lunch. Following our lunch the group continued their cycle before turning back for our return journey, the group briefly stopped at Clonea Beach before returning to CBS Dungarvan and onto Ballymacarbry. While overnighting in Ballymacarbry Hostel the group enjoyed another student cooked meal, this time spaghetti bolognese was had for the evening meal. Following dinner students finished out the evening by played indoor soccer, hide and seek and badminton.
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Dungarvan Easter GAA Camp
Over the 2023 Easter Break Dungarvan CBS ran our first ever GAA Camp, and the event certainly proved to be a great experience for the whole school community. The Camp focused on providing an opportunity for all sections of our school community to come together.
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The camp was exclusive to current and incoming CBS students which ensured that past, present and future students experienced everything that is great about our school community. The camp was certainly a special event as we embraced the opportunity to welcome back former students to act as our camp coaches. Dungarvan CBS are extremely fortunate to have a fantastic group of past students who are always willing to support the school, and the camp certainly highlighted this support.
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We were delighted to welcome past students Patrick Curran, Colin Dunford, Seamus & Padraig Fitzgerald, Darragh Lyons, Michael Kiely, Alan Harty, Joe Booth and Rian Walsh back to the CBS playing fields to coach our young players. Our young players were certainly grateful to have such high-class coaches taking the sessions over the two days.
Overall, the camp was a major success in that it truly highlighted that Dungarvan CBS community is certainly alive and well.
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Dungarvan CBS “Flashback in Time” Series
The “Flashback in Time” is a new school initiative that has arisen in the last number of weeks and has been a fantastic success to date. All credit for the fantastic collection of pictures being used each week must go to our retired colleague Mr. Pat Collins. Mr Collins handed over a treasure trove of material a little while back, which we have been trawling through in recent months. Over the past weeks the school have posted numerous pictures on our social media pages and the reaction to the various pictures posted online has been tremendous. The response from the school community, both past and present has been unbelievable. The images have allowed Dungarvan CBS to reconnect with our past pupils, families and staff members. Due to the success of the “Flashback in Time” series the school decided to continue posting images under a new regular social media feature called “Flashback Friday”. Each Friday the school’s social media team dive into Mr. Collins treasure trove of images and post an image on online.
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Roof Repairs
Extensive work is being carried out on the roof of our building. We look forward to its completion.
The shot below was taken by local photographer, Pat Donnelly.
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A New Boss at the Helm
Since the passing of our late Principal John Ryan, CBS Enniscorthy has been led by Mr. Brendan O’Sullivan. On May 15th, however, he was officially appointed by the Board of Management as the principal of our school.
Mr. O’Sullivan joined the school in 1994, serving as a classroom teacher for the next two decades. It was in 2014 that he took the position of deputy principal, going on to temporarily hold the role of acting principal in 2022 and 2023.
We wish Mr. O’Sullivan the very best for the future, as well as Deputy Principals Mr. Ger Coleman and Ms. Anne-Marie Breen. We have no doubt that the school will continue to flourish under their leadership.
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Celebrating the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice
CBS Enniscorthy celebrated the feast day of Christian Brothers founder Edmund Rice once again this year. Students and staff made their way to St. Aidan’s Cathedral for a mass that commemorated his life and works. The service also served as a memorial for John Ryan, our sorely missed Principal who passed away in March of this year.
Upon return to the school, students participated in various class activities, such as quizzes, wordsearches, creating posters, etc., that taught them more about the life and mission of Edmund Rice. They also took time out of class to enjoy ice creams, which had everybody in high spirits.
Everyone in the school thoroughly enjoyed the day and has an appreciation for the contributions that Blessed Edmund Rice made.
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Under 17 Soccer Team
To say it was a good year for our under-17 soccer team is an understatement. CBS Enniscorthy rode an incredible 11 match win-streak, leading them to an all-Ireland final against Rice College Westport. Unfortunately, the team suffered a 3-2 loss in an ultra-competitive game, but showed themselves to be a force to be reckoned with.
Everyone in the school community is immensely proud of the success that the team found, as well as the tremendous coaching efforts of Ms. Burke and Mr. Murphy. We have no doubt that the boys will continue to reach these heights in the coming years.
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Awards Night
The annual CBS Enniscorthy Awards night came around on May 10th. Hosted in the Riverside Park Hotel, students and teachers gathered to celebrate academic excellence, sporting achievements and much more. We were honoured to be joined by guest speaker Pat Fenlon, a CBS Enniscorthy alumnus who has gone on to hold multiple executive posts in ESB and Electric Ireland.
Though we have pride in every student that received an award on the night, we would like to shine a special light on Jack Byrne and Ryan Donohoe, the winners of the John Ryan Student of the Year Award and the Sportstar of the Year Award, respectively. Both students have excelled far beyond expectations and are fully deserving of their awards.
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Edmund Rice Secondary School Carrick on Suir |
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Blessed Edmund Rice Feast day
On the 5th of May, our school celebrated the Feast Day of the Blessed Edmund Rice in honour of our founder.
We celebrated his life and reflected on the work that he did which inspires us to carry on his legacy in our day-to-day lives by being kind, respectful and inclusive.
We marked this very special day with a prayer service attended by our second and transition year students. In our religion classes, students learned about the life and good work that was carried out by our founder.
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Student Council
As one term of office ends, another one begins. Our current Head Boy, Aidan Wells, congratulating our New Head Boy for 2023/2024 Darragh Cooney. A huge well done to Aidan, and all the Student Council for their tremendous work throughout the year and best wishes to Darragh and the new Student Council for the coming year.
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EPAS Programme
15 of the TY Junior Ambassadors of the EPAS programme travelled to the foot of the Rock of Cashel to attend the EPAS Awards Ceremomy in the Brian Ború Heritage Centre.
Students were addressed by MEPs Billy Kelleher, Seán Kelly and Grace O’Sullivan before taking part in a lovely Q&A. Cormac, Cormac and Conor made a presentation on their experience of the EPAS programme. All 9 schools then gathered for the cutting of the Europe Day Cake and a group photo.
Our Junior Ambassadors were presented with a certificate and our school awarded a plaque to mark the successful completion of the EPAS Programme.
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Scifest
Our TYs travelled to TUS in Thurles to take part in Scifest with many innovative and create projects. Congratulations to Conor Hearne who was awarded the Scifest Life Science Award for his project "The brain body connection, does exercise help our brains work better ".
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EREBB Delegates
We were delighted to welcome a party of Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) delegates from some our partner Edmund Rice schools around the world to CBS Kilkenny on the 11th
and 12th of May.
Over the course of two days, the delegates from as far afield as Australia and South Africa were treated to an action packed itinerary, which gave them a real flavour of life in CBS Kilkenny and in the city. Greeted at their city centre hotel by members of our Student Council, the delegates met with our community partners, Ossory Youth and Teach Tom before being escorted to the Chapter House of St Mary’s Cathedral, where they met with our Principal, Tom Clarke, Deputy Principals Derarca Maguire and Lucy Ryan, our chaplain Fr Jim Murphy and Bishop of Ossory and Kilkenny, Niall Coll.
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They were treated to a short concert by our Senior Choir, fresh from their recent triumph in the Wesley Interschools Music Festival, and our Trad Band, who performed some traditional pieces for them and took time to discuss the evolution of the genre and some of the instruments with them.
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After coffee in CBS Kilkenny, the delegates partook in a walking tour of Kilkenny, visiting the historic sites which surround our school, such as the medieval city walls, The Black Abbey & St Canice’s Cathedral, before heading to the home of Kilkenny hurling, Nowlan Park, to take in an exhibition game involving members of our various junior hurling teams.
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Friday began with a visit to our neighbour, CBS Primary school, where the delegates met with Principal Niall Bergin and the teaching staff before returning to CBS Kilkenny, where they received presentations from our Student Council, Global Schools and Green School Committees, as well as from our advocacy organisations, such as Concern, Ossory Lourdes Pilgrimage and Journey to Taize and engaged the students in discussion.
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After lunch, the delegates availed of the opportunity to visit classrooms, taking in lessons in Irish, History and CSPE before rounding off their visit with a guided tour of Kilkenny Castle.
We trust that they enjoyed their visit as much as we did and look forward to the increased interaction and exchange between our school networks in the years ahead arising from the relationships forged during their visit.
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Rotary Scholar in Strasbourg
We were delighted to witness the continued success of Transition Year student, Rohan Vargas who toured Belfast, Dublin and Strasbourg
with 23 other Rotary Ireland Scholars recently, visiting Belfast City Hall, Stormont,
the Dáil, Europe House, Trinity College and the EU Parliament, where he participated in debates with 1,000 international students. A fantastic achievement Rohan. We are very proud of you.
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Computing Centre of Excellence Award
We were also tremendously proud this term to receive a Centre of Excellence Award, which are presented to the top Certiport Authorised Test Centres across the UK & Ireland, from Billy Breen of Prodigy Learning.
Our Microsoft World Champion, Rohan Vargas, spoke at this year's MOS Irish Finals in DreamSpace Dublin, where he shared his experience and where this year's CBS Kilkenny Irish finalist, Eoghan O' Callaghan
competed. Well done to Rohan and Eoghan and to the Computer Science Department
within the school on their ongoing success.
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Gaelcholáiste Mhuire Corcaigh |
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Cuairteoirí EREBB
Maidin den scoth caite againn anseo san AG. Bhí cuairteoirí againn ó ERST & EREBB. Bhí daltaí agus múinteoirí ó scoileanna ERST timpeall na Chaithreach; ionadaithe ó ERST agus cuairteoirí idirnáisiúnta ón Astráil agus an Aifric Theas linn.
What a wonderful morning we had in the AG when we had a lovely group of visitors to the school. As well as representatives from some of the ERST schools around the city, we were honoured to receive some of the EREBB Congress delegates from Australia and South Africa.
We gave them an introduction to some wonderful Irish music, as well as a short presentation on the significant impact of Edmund Rice’s vision on Ireland in 2023. A short tour of the school took in the Cemetery of the Brothers, as well as a brief history of the impact of our school on the history of Cork, and indeed of the country as a whole.
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Pen Pals
Third Year students along with Lorna the librarian and Ms Hill hosted our new friends from our pen pal school Montessori Lyceum Oostport, Amsterdam in March. We enjoyed hosting them in the library, showing off our school building, subjects and getting to know each other. We had an interesting visit to the National Museum of Archaeology and a walking tour around the city. Friendships have been made and correspondence is on-going.
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Student Council
The Student Council hosted it's annual '5K My Way' with the whole school participating. Some students ran the 5k in amazing times along with Mr Greaney and Ms Cullinane, pictured with Principal Ms Queally recognising their training and sportsmanship. Many students combined walking and running, some chose to skateboard and others cycled the route. Some students grouped their fundraising efforts by asking neighbourhoods for sponsorship, while innovative students performed for donations. The two recipient charities; As I Am and Irish Cancer were grateful to receive €500 each.
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Library
We are very fortunate to have a JCSP Demonstration Library in CBS James's Street and we have an amazing full time librarian, Lorna Vogelsang. The library offers the joys of books on every genre, and varieties of manga, arts and hobby plus amazing clubs daily. As one student said recently- in his first year at the school he held a snake, played chess, took quizzes and even read a book in his first week in the library. One of the highlights of the year are the JCSP Awards, whereby Principal Ms Queally, Ms Lavin and Lorna get to honour all the hard work and achievements by students throughout the school year. First years read over 10 million words and logged Accelerated Reader quizzes earning them a pizza party too. Congratulations to our long standing Library assistants who in their third year received special mentions: Hanzala, Delia, Coby and Mathias.
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School Tour
April saw the return of School Tour since pre covid experiences in 2020 to Paris. 60 students and 7 staff members set off to Barcelona for a full-scheduled tour. Arriving in Barcelona, we were treated to a walking tour of the old city, brought through the Roman streets and architecture explained, the stunning Cathedral and it's surrounds. Cosmo Caixa Science Museum stunned us all with it's internal rainforest, study of the beginnings of the universe, dinosaurs, evolutionary history and an amazing and fun physics section where we got to participate in some experiments. Park Guell allowed us to explore the world of Gaudi's creations with amazing panoramic views of the city and intriguing architecture. Nou Camp, the home grounds of FCB was a highlight for Messi fans, with the displays of balon d'or and trophies. La Boqueira street markets were a delight and feast for all and we sampled local cuisine. Staying in Salou allowed everyone to relax on the beach front each evening while watching the sunset, and enjoying the atmosphere. Another highlight for many was our full day at the amazing theme park of Portaventura, which showcased some of the best and biggest rollercoasters in Europe. We got to practice our language skills while travelling around the 'countries' of the park and having lots of fun. Everyone had an amazing adventure, packed and fun filled thanks to Mr Pettit for organising it all so well and the staff who came along with us. Jamebo on tour will be a lasting memory!
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EREBB Pre-Conference Delegates
Midleton CBS was delighted to be chosen as one of the host schools for the EREBB pre-conference. We welcomed nine delegates from Australia and South Africa for three days. Our school provided a packed itinerary featuring many different cultural, spiritual, social justice and outreach elements. The first item on the itinerary for our group was the Rice Cup Final against Thurles CBS. Two Australian delegates presented the cup to our winning team’s captain, Sam Ring.
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On the Thursday our delegates were welcomed into our school and given tours by some of our 2nd years. During the tours they called into several classes and spoke with our students and staff learning about the differences and similarities in our education systems. They explored the day-to-day experience of being a member of the Midleton CBS school community, experiencing first-hand the student’s participation in their learning. They also explored our art room, and practical workshops.
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Following the tour, they were treated to an exhibition of traditional Irish music by some of our music students. They then had a tour of our ASD ‘Homeroom’ classes. The Homeroom students showed off what they have been growing in the polytunnel. The Homeroom students also presented Midleton CBS hats to our guests, and pottery crosses which had been made by the students in the recently renovated crafts room.
Rounding off a packed morning of activities in the school our delegates next met the victorious u14 Hurling Rice Cup team. The team put on an exhibition match for the delegates before they were invited to try their hand at a few hurling skills.
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Following lunch with the staff our delegates loaded onto the school minibus and made there way to Ardmore to walk part of Ireland’s Camino, St. Declan’s Way. There, retired Deputy Principal Paul Kelly brought them along part of the path that so many pilgrims take, stopping at the burial ground and church. Pilgrims often note that they feel someone walking with them when on the path and here our pilgrims were joined by a robin who stuck with them for part of their journey.
Our hungry pilgrims/delegates went for dinner in White Horses, Ardmore where they tried some of Ireland’s local cuisine, nettle soup and rhubarb crumble! The busy day concluded with a stop in the walled town of Youghal, visiting the house of Walter Raleigh and its many churches and historical sites.
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On Friday, Deputy Principal Tracey Groome brought the group on an open-top bus tour of Cork City. They visited the English Market before visiting the oasis in the city that is Nano Nagle Place. They toured the museum there, exploring the life and work of the woman who was an inspiration to Blessed Edmund in beginning the work that he did.
During lunch at Nano Nagle Place, our group was joined by the group from Blarney Street CBS. The two groups remained together for the rest of the day which included a visit of St. Finbarr’s Cathedral. No visit to Midleton would be complete without a tour of the world famous Midleton Distillery, which included some sampling of the local produce. The evening concluded with Dinner at Ferrit & Lee where the groups reflected on their few days in Cork, what it means to be an Edmund Rice school and to be part of the Edmund Rice network. Representatives from both the Blarney Street and Midleton CBS delegates offered their thanks to their host schools for their hospitality.
We were truly delighted to be a host school to nine international delegates. We have formed lasting links between the many schools from Australia and South Africa. We have already sent a video message to Ignatius Park College, Australia explaining to their students who we are as a school. We look forward to growing these links and hopefully visiting them in the future.
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Jersey Presentation |
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Shaun Clarke, Principal Ignatius Park College, Australia presenting their school jersey to our Principal Niall Ahern.
Overall, this was a hugely enjoyable experience for our school community and we hope all our visitors had a memorable experience with us in Midleton.
We look forward to meeting all of you again in the future.
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Rice Cup
This year our u14 hurling team showed great skill and determination to win their group and progress to the quarter final. Kilkenny CBS and Ard Scoil Rís stood in our way in reaching the final. We progressed after two great battles. Thurles were the opponents in the final where we gained a deserved victory in winning our 8th Rice Cup.
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It was an honour to welcome the international guests, part of the EREBB to share in the cultural experience of the hurling on final day. With a member of the travelling contingent presenting the Rice Cup on the day.
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Careers Fair
Over 800 students from Midleton CBS and St Mary's enjoyed the recent Careers Fair in our Sports hall. The students had a chance to speak to representatives from all the Munster universities and colleges, and from training bodies as diverse as SOLAS for apprenticeships and the Prison Service.
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Students also got a chance to talk about their future career directions with over 20 local companies from Irish Distillers to Stryker. CBS Staff were delighted to meet so many of our past pupils who gave invaluable career and subject choice advice to the 3rd to 6th years.
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Deputy Principal, Tom Casey, and Principal, Niall Ahern, on a tour of Croke Park with our international delegates during the EREBB Congress.
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Blessed Edmund Rice Feast Day
May 5th is the feast day of Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice.
Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice founded our school and his values inspire us everyday. Each year we celebrate the life and teachings of Blessed Edmund with a very special ceremony in The Blessed Edmund Rice Chapel next to our school.
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We were delighted to have Bro. Peadar Gleeson introduce our ceremony and Mr. Walsh spoke to us about the importance of kindness. Bobby, John and Alfie were our MCs for the event and really did a spectacular job.
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Our school mission statement states "Enlightened by the life of Blessed Edmund Rice and in a spirit of partnership, we will proudly inspire, teach, live and learn in a happy, respectful and safe environment, enabling all to be the best they can be.”
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We would like to thank each pupil in attendance at our ceremony today. The reading, singing and participation was phenomenal. Each of our 18 classes designed a poster especially for today.
We would like to acknowledge the work of Ms. Power, Ms. Coady Power, Ms. O' Connor, Mr. Kavanagh and Mr. Finnegan in preparing for this wonderful day.
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The families of Mount Sion followed in the footsteps of Blessed Edmund Rice by holding a "No Uniform Day" and raising funds for Waterford Food Bank. Waterford Food Bank presented with a cheque for €851 from the 5th Class boys.
To finish our celebrations Mr. Walsh arranged for an ice cream van to visit our school and each pupil enjoyed a delicious ice cream cone.
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EREBB Student Leaders Conference
Bradley Penkert, Ezechiel Malonga and Aaron Mackey - members of our Student Council - represented our school at the Edmund Rice Student Leaders conference in Dublin. They contributed in a great discussion with other Student Councils in the Edmund Rice Network as to what advocacy projects the Councils can contribute towards in the future. Well done to the boys on representing the school so well.
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Parent’s Council Bake Sale
We had a fantastic bake sale which took place this month in school. Our Healthy Eating Policy was put on hold for a couple of hours as the boys made light work to what was on offer! Families and staff contributed generously to the baked goods with almost €700 being raised towards a 6th Year graduation dinner to take place towards the end of the year. Ms. Brennan and Aimee Kennedy were joint winners in the best cake display competition with Ms. Kearney swooping the best taste prize for her Oreo cake. Thanks again to all for contributing so generously on the day.
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Waterford Community Safety Partnership
A cohort of our Student Council were invited by the Waterford Community Safety Partnership to be present at the Official Launch of the Waterford Local Community Safety Partnership Safety Plan 2023-2028, by Minister for Justice, Minister Simon Harris TD. The event took place in the City Hall on Monday. It was a very insightful day for our students where they met Minister Simon Harris and also the Mayor of Waterford John O’Leary who informed the boys that he himself was President of his own Student Council back in 1970.
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Waterford Food Bank
Waterford Food Bank were delighted to team up with our school’s Amber Flag Committee and Waterford F.C. to announce the launch of a food drive. Waterford Food Bank deliver food parcels to approximately 220 families per week in Waterford City and expect this number to increase over the Easter period!
The school holidays are times of increased pressure on the food bank so all food donations are very welcome, particularly items such as tinned meat and fish, tinned fruit and veg as well as pasta sauces. A huge thank you to Colin Power Waterford F.C. for his unwavering support and time spent on coordinating ventures of this kind.
Members of the Amber Flag Committee will then join forces with the Waterford Food Bank in the R.S.C. to accept further donations from match goers as The Blues take on Finn Harps!
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International Women’s Day
We managed to get as many female members of our staff as possible together on the 8th of March in celebration of International Women’s Day. It was a lovely opportunity to take a group photo together and recognise all the fantastic work these women do.
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Eid Mubarak
April marked the end of Ramadan for our Muslim students in school and we celebrated Eid with those students and their families. Many families brought in traditional dishes to share which was fantastic for us to get to celebrate with on the day. Thank you to everyone for sharing this day with us.
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Darkness into Light
On Friday, May 5th, Naas CBS’s Amber Flag Committee organised our school’s version of Pieta House’s Darkness into Light Walk. Students in each year group participated in a class walk during a class, giving our school community an opportunity to connect and to bring hope to people who have been impacted by suicide. Students and staff wore the colour yellow and kindly made donations to raise vital funds for Pieta House’s life-saving work which includes free counselling, and free text and phone services all year round.
A big thank you to our school community for supporting this important initiative and well done to our Amber Flag Committee for their organisation of the walk and quiz.
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School of Sanctuary
Naas CBS school community was thrilled on receiving the ‘School of Sanctuary’ accreditation! This is a significant achievement and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff, students and parents in creating a safe and inclusive environment for all.
Being the first school in Kildare to become a Champion School of Sanctuary is a great accomplishment, and it shows our commitment to promoting diversity, respect, and understanding.
The ‘School of Sanctuary Ireland’ recognition is well-deserved and highlights our efforts to ensure that everyone in our school community feels welcome and supported. It is important to create such an environment where everyone can feel valued and respected, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Thank you to ‘School of Sanctuary Ireland’ who have awarded us this prestigious title and Maynooth University for visiting our school yesterday.
Thank you to our School of Sanctuary who helped in organising this fantastic day. Special thank you to our students Evan Dalton, Moeez Tayyab, Conor Morgan and Jakub Bojda who gave our visitors a tour of our school.
Best wishes, Ms. Prendiville & Ms. Ward
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A school for all. Naas CBS becomes a Champion School Of Sanctuary.
By Evan Dalton(5th Year Student)
A School of Sanctuary is a school that is committed to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment that benefits everybody, especially families seeking sanctuary. It is a school that helps its students, staff, parents, and the wider community to understand what it means to be a refugee and to extend a welcome to everyone regardless of their immigration status.
Schools of Sanctuary is not a project, nor a short-term school initiative. It is a culture that schools achieve over time to ensure everyone feels welcomed, safe, and included in the school and beyond. Over the past number of years, Naas CBS has been working towards creating this positive environment within the school community and the weeks, months and years of hard graft to make Naas CBS the inclusive adobe it has become have been officially recognised.
On Wednesday 10th of May, four members associated with ‘School of Sanctuary Ireland’ came to visit the school located on Corbans Lane for the final judgement. After a warm welcome and an amiable cup of tea, the members from ‘School of Sanctuary Ireland’ were shown around the premises and were shown the work Naas CBS has done to become a place of sanctuary for all. Stopping in classrooms along the way, the ‘adjudicators’ so to speak, were shown by students the understanding that the whole community had of inclusion, sanctuary and what it means to be accepted. A demonstration of the welcome nature of not just Naas CBS, but Naas town as a whole.
Finishing off with a song from the Naas CBS Choir and discussion with first year students, the good news was swiftly declared. Naas CBS was officially declared a ‘Champion School of Sanctuary’. One of the main spokespersons was impressed by how well the school worked with the integration of students from Ukraine amongst many other positive elements.
To quote school principal Mr. Ben Travers, ‘Students will forget what we taught you, but you will never forget how we made you feel’. This has now become a fitting description of proceedings within the four floors of Naas CBS and describes the hard work put in by management and teachers. Naas CBS is the first school in Kildare to become a ‘Champion School of Sanctuary’. A fantastic achievement for all involved.
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Naas CBS recently took part in the inaugural ‘Class Act’ Drama Festival
Naas CBS recently took part in the inaugural ‘Class Act’ Drama Festival which was proudly hosted by The Moat Theatre, Naas on Wednesday, 29th March. ‘Class Act’ is a one-act play competition for secondary schools which this year included schools from Kildare as well as Cashel Community School from Tipperary. A delighted audience was treated to a wonderful evening of entertaining and innovative drama.
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Competing groups were challenged to produce short dramas without the use of sets or elaborate lighting plots. Financially, this meant that all groups were competing on a level-playing field, with the focus on dramatic performance and creativity with the use of only props and rehearsal cubes.
The team behind ‘Class Act’ came up with the idea having observed that while there are numerous established extra-curricular events in sport and music, there was a need for a drama-based competition for young people to allow them to express their dramatic skills and have the opportunity to meet like-minded students from different schools.
With ‘Artistic Performance’ now an option on the new Junior Cycle syllabus and with the hope that ‘Drama, Theatre and Film Studies’ will be introduced to the Leaving Certificate from 2024, the organisers felt the time was right to create a competition that gives teachers and students the chance to develop their skills as writers, directors and actors.
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‘Class Act’ is already booked into the Moat Theatre for 2024. The ambitious festival organisers expect the festival to expand to include schools from all over the country over the coming years.
Best Original Play:‘There's been an Accident’, by Tom Noone, Naas CBS. Best Actor: Conor Morgan as Tom in ‘There's been an Accident’. Naas CBS. Overall Runners Up: ‘There's been an accident’ by Tom Noone. CBS Naas.
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Robotics Club
Congratulations to our Robotics team who finished another fantastic year with a friendly competition against Goatstown Educate Together school. This group has shown tremendous dedication and commitment all year round and it was wonderful to end the year on a positive note. Special mention to Eoin Cassidy (1D) and Cian Lawlor (2F) who received individual recognition awards on the day for their excellent contribution to the team.
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Success at Leinster Track & Field
Congratulations to our athletes who had great success in the South Leinster Track and Field Day 2 in Carlow. Daragh O’ Sullivan won the U-15 Pole Vault, our U-16 Relay Team won the 4x300m and Peter Casey won the Senior Triple Jump. Daniel Smith placed second in the U-15 200m and Matthew Shirran placed second in the U-17 800m. Well done to all who participated.
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Kildare U-20 Football
Massive congratulations to the Kildare U-20 Football Team on winning the All-Ireland Title! We are very proud of Ryan Sinkey (6th Year) and twelve of our past-pupils who are on the team and panel. Well done also to Mr. Cribben who is a selector with the Kildare U-20s. A special mention goes to past-pupil Sean Hanafin who was awarded man of the match. A huge achievement from all involved and a memorable day for the county!
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Congratulations to our 5th Year student Jamie Moore
who was chosen to feature in the new Aer Lingus advertisement.
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GALA CONCERT
The Parents Council sincerely thank all parents/guardians who supported our beautiful Gala Concert on May 5th.
We thank our star performers Celine Byrne, Patrick Hyland and the Baldonnel Singers for their remarkable talent, their generosity and their time. Thank you to Musical Director David Lanigan, Pianist Anne Cullen, MC Evelyn Grant, St Mary’s College Choir and to Naas CBS pupil Paul Colclough for adding their talents to help make this an extra special evening.
The concert was a huge success, with each school making over €12k.
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Debating Teams - English & Irish
Last week we had a presentation for our Irish and English debating teams. Debating is a long standing tradition in our school and we are delighted to have two teams this year.
The award for Speaker of the Year is in memory of Cormac Clare. We were delighted to have Lorraine Clare with us to present this award to this year’s recipient, Matthew Davis.
Well done to all the students involved for their commitment and contribution to debating in the school.
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Duathlon
Over 260 Naas CBS students took part in a duathlon event at Naas Racecourse on May 12th. Organised by the CBS Parents Council, the duathlon is one of many annual sporting events hosted by the committee since 2011, when the inaugural Naas CBS Triathlon was launched. Proudly supported by Naas Racecourse, sponsors included Fitzpatrick’s Garage Opel Naas, Made Personal, Fitzsimons Finance, Cross Insurance Ltd, Halligan Transport Ltd., Forestall Risk Management and Boston Access.
The year 2023 has been peppered yet again with an extensive list of tremendous sporting accolades for Naas CBS pupils of all ages, across athletics, basketball, kayaking, tennis, badminton, soccer, rugby and football. As well as retaining the Leinster Senior A football title, students brought home a range of medals from the All-Ireland Cross Country and Leinster Schools Track and Field. Students represented Kildare on the winning All-Ireland U20 Football Championship panel and were team members at Naas Rugby Club, who won the U16 Leinster Premier League for the second year in a row.
Harnessing increasing sporting success and seeking to further develop students’ potential, Naas CBS has been granted planning permission for an all-weather playing facility
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North Monastery Coeducational Secondary School |
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Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders
Thanks to Gaelcholaiste Mhuire A.G. for hosting the wonderful Education Beyond Borders pre-conference event. Thank you to the delegates from Australia & South Africa for visiting us here in the Mon. It was a fantastic morning full of music, speeches and finding out about Edmund Rice schools in other parts of the world.
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We were delighted to welcome Dr. Wayne Tinsey to our school in September as part of the Edmund Rice Trust, Education Beyond Borders initiative. It brought together not only the schools on our campus but from other parts of Cork.
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CPR for Schools
In line with our Edmund Rice values, our main objective is to ensure and foster the advancement of education in different forms and bring something new to our very accommodating, student population.
We are very pleased to announce that, almost all of our student population have completed training in the Irish Heart Foundation ‘CPR for Schools Training’. Those that completed their training received their certificates on the 25th
May.
CPR and Automated External Defibrillator(AED) Training is an essential skill that will be part of our Well-being Programme from this year. Well done to teachers Ms. S. Collins, Mr. S. Bourke and Ms. S. Kelleher for organising and training all our students in this life saving skill.
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Visit to Cork Film Festival
One of the many values of being part of the Edmund Rice School community is that we aim to develop leaders of the future who will work in partnership together to promote social justice, human rights and care for the environment and who will look after themselves and others equally and be inspirational citizens.
As part of the Cork International Film Festival in April our TY Spanish class attended the screening of Mediterráneo. The movie is set on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Mediterranean Sea, an incredible story about a few good men who risk their own life to save many others. Our students had the chance of improving their Spanish listening skills but also learning about the dramatic situation of the Refugee crisis in Southern Europe. Thank you to teacher Ms. Acin for organising and accompanying the students.
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Left to Right: Shane Nwankno, Aran Kelleher, Adam Field
Mi Familia Loca Project
The TY Spanish class designed a 'Mi familia Loca project' in their E-Portfolio. The students had to present the craziest members of their family to the class. Congratulations to the winners of this project. Aran, Adam and Shane. ¡Buen trabajo chicos!
In keeping with the ERST tradition, our school recognises the uniqueness of each individual in caring communities where holistic development is nurtured.
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History Club with Councillor Damian Boylan
The North Monastery History Club was established in 2016 and takes direct inspiration from the ERST Charter Elements of Excelling in Teaching and Learning & Inspiring Transformational Leadership. The Club represents the school in a number of competitions and events and this year has proved to be particularly successful. The Club successfully obtained awards in this year’s Discover Cork: Schools Heritage Project in which the boys secured three prizes for the school. This ensured eight students received awards for their excellent work this year. This was the highest amount of awards secured by any Secondary School this year in this competition.
The History Club also entered the Thomas F. Meagher Awards & Scholarship Programme again this year. President, Shane Carroll submitted a diverse project on what the Irish Flag means to him and was awarded 1st Place, in all of Ireland, in the Social Media Category. Shane’s Tik Tok Video’s and YouTube Video which he created along with Ms. Kelleher and Club PRO Glenn Horgan will be used by the Thomas Meagher Foundation, in their pursuit of highlighting the importance of the Flag as a national symbol of peace & respect. The Club’s TY members are currently hard at work creating an entry for the Malcolm Doolin Memorial Award in co-operation with the Western Front Association and we wish them the best of luck with this endeavour. No doubt they will make us proud!
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Going Co-ed
We were thrilled to welcome Cork City Lord Mayor, Cllr. Deirdre Forde to our school and award her the title of becoming our first female honorary student. The Lord Mayor gleefully received the Mon Jersey in recognition of her new status. Thank you Lord Mayor.
The North Monastery will go Co-Educational in the coming year 2023/2024 but we will retain the values of Blessed Edmund Rice and continue to share and bring these values into the community and beyond.
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Transition Year Bake-Off 2023
Competition was alive and well in the North Monastery when TY French and Spanish classes went head-to-head to attempt to win the first ever TY Bake off title in May.
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Classes were mentored by teachers Ms. Acin and Mrs. Dunlea. Authentic menus were discussed, chosen, cooked and presented by Chefs Mr. Reidy and Mr. Lynch. A trophy was designed and produced by the building construction class. Music and Spanish / French waiters were on hand to impress the four highly qualified judges, Mr. D.Cronin, Mr. M.Brennan, Ms. C.O Connor and Ms. S.Collins who tasted, critiqued, and awarded the title of Bake off 2023 in the presence of the hardworking TY Class.
The result was a fully deserved draw with some judges commenting that the food was Michelin Star quality. Preparations are already advanced for the rematch next year!
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Numeracy Initiative
The DEIS school's excellence fund created an opportunity for a 'numeracy initiative' between our school, the North Mon Primary and Blarney Street Primary School. This project was aimed at 4th and 5th class students in the primary schools and 1st years in our school. It allowed us to create 'active learning' classrooms through the use of chromebooks and manipulatives.
A survey showed that students much preferred this 'hands -on' way of learning. The laptops for Maths were a big hit as it allowed students to learn at their own pace. The manipulatives were fun to use and students were learning without realising it. A special thanks to the staff in all three schools who helped make this possible and continue on this very worthwhile project.
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RTE Online Art Competition
Four of our pupils are representing the school in this national competition. They have submitted work to the competition - their work will be displayed on the RTE- This is Art online exhibition. A prize fund of more than 10,000 euro will be awarded across different categories. Winners will be announced on Cruinniu na nOg on 10th June. Images of pupils with work: 2nd Yr Vladyslav Zolotko Manuel Sandoval Jay O Donovan (Not pictured) 3rd Yr Deniz Han Eren
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Shrek JR - TY Musical 2023
The students staged three performances of the show including a matinee where local primary schools attended. All the students gained great confidence and interpersonal skills from their engagement. A huge amount of staff were involved in coming together on this project. Well done to all the students and staff who made this show such a great experience for all involved! The talent in the North Mon knows no limits!
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The art department worked on making props and painting different scenery, while the woodwork department built and assembled parts of the set. The music department worked on the singing, acting and choreography. While lots of teachers helped in many ways with costumes, make-up, raffle programme, advertising and promotion.
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A big well done to all the students on their fantastic performances as well as to all the students who did the background work also! It takes many people to make it a success. A huge thank you to all the wonderful staff who also helped in any way. A particular well done to Ms. Collins (Music), Mr. Ruby (Art), Mr. Bohane (Woodwork) and Ms. Kelleher for all their hard work!
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Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice
On the 5th May, we commemorated the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice. Educational institutions such as the North Mon and others worldwide remain committed to upholding the principles of Edmund Rice that uphold ethical and spiritual values that benefit society as a whole.
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We celebrated with songs and music and a talk by teacher Mr. Ready on the values of Edmund Rice.
Thank you to Mr. Ready & Ms. A. Collins for organising and to Mr. A. Ruby and the students for the wonderful music.
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Cork Community Art Link
Students from TY and 2nd year worked with Cork Community Artlink on designing, creating and completing various art pieces that will be sure to brighten the halls of the North Mon!
A special thank you to the creative schools committee of Ms. Kerenna Cronin, Ms. Kelleher, Mr. Ruby, Ms de Barra and Ms. A. Collins as well as our creative associate from the arts council Christina Seward for her expertise and encouragement.
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Farewell
A special Mass to acknowledge the ending of the Christian Brothers’ permanent presence at the North Monastery was celebrated by the Most Reverend Fintan Gavin, the bishop of Cork and Ross, at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne in May.
The ceremony was organised by the North Monastery Past Pupils Union to celebrate the contribution of the Christian Brothers to education in Cork from the period of 1811 to 2020.
Retired Christian Brothers joined with representatives of schools and community leaders at the Mass, which was also attended by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Deirdre Forde.
The North Monastery was founded on 9 November, 1811, when Christian Brothers Jerome O’ Connor and John Baptist Leonard were given charge of a school at Chapel Lane, on the northside of the City.
Some 17 students are recorded as having attended school on that first day the Christian Brothers provided education in Cork.
In 1814, a fourteen acre site was donated nearby by a wealthy Catholic businessman, Sir George Gould Bart, and there grew the North Monastery Campus which has survived across the centuries to provide education to thousands of Cork people.
On that campus and across the centuries, a community of Christian Brothers have lived and worked in fulfilling their vocations as educators, and following from the foundation of the North Monastery, other Christian Brothers’ monasteries were established in the city and beyond.
The Brothers would go on and educate the communities that they served, forever shaping and empowering those communities in the spirit of their founder, the Blessed Edmund Rice. The contribution of the Christian Brothers to education in Cork could be considered immeasurable.
In May 2020, during Covid-19 Public Health restrictions, the last Christian Brother left the residential house at Fair Hill, Cork, ending the long and distinguished presence of the Christian Brothers on the North Monastery Campus.
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International Science and Engineering Fair
Oatlands is very proud of its students Oisin and Darragh who represented Oatlands College and Ireland at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas Texas this May.
With the help and guidance of their teacher, Ms Gaynor, our two scientists gained recognition at the Young Scientist exhibition earlier in the year.
They also attracted interest from the Department of Foreign Affairs as they were asked to display their project at the Self Help Africa Showcase.
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The pinnacle of their success was the fact that they were chosen as finalists for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair to showcase their project.
The project, a solar powered device used for desalination of sea water, was a great point of interest at the fair and was viewed by an international audience.
Huge thanks to Ms Gaynor for all of her hard work with the students and congratulations to Oisin and Darragh.
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Darkness into Light
This year, Oatlands College wanted to give further recognition to the importance of mental health in our school. With this in mind, Ms Scully organised a Darkness into Light walk in which a group of students, teachers, parents and dogs part.
The walk started before the sun rose and lasted for an hour. The 5k route started at our school and went around the local area and park.
All walkers enjoyed drinks and breakfast rolls in our canteen afterwards. The event was an opportunity to raise money for Pieta House but, more importantly, it highlighted the fact that our school takes mental health issues very seriously.
A bonus advantage was the chance for all participants to enjoy each other’s company in a non-formal setting.
All agreed that it needed to be an annual event.
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Athletics
Athletics in Oatlands College has really grown from strength to strength this year, prompting the feeling that the halcyon days of yesteryear might not be far away.
What started with the first cross-country event of the year under the Papal Cross in the Phoenix Park last September, will culminate in the pinnacle of the schools' athletics calendar - the All-Ireland track and field championships in Tullamore over the June bank holiday weekend.
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We have seven students who managed to qualify from the treacherous environment of the Leinster championships. In the senior category, we have Robert Hayes (400m hurdles), Jack Breen (high jump), Matthew Conway (pole vault).
Representing the intermediates are Lawrence Gevero (100m), Tadhg Stephenson-Wong (long jump) and joining that duo in the 4x100m relay will be Oscar Ó hAimhirgín and Conor O’Reilly.
Such was our success in that intermediate competition in the East Leinsters in UCD recently, that our overall points tally was enough to guarantee us joint second overall and take our place among the elite school athletes.
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Since September, the competitions, medals and qualifications came thick and fast. More cross-country meetings in places like the Trinity Sportsgrounds, Malahide and Blackrock as well as the indoor arena in Abbotstown, allowed young talented First Years like Leo Richardson, Finn Kealy and Conor O’Brien to emerge.
Qualification for the Leinster cross-country championships in Santry followed and the smooth transition into track and field in March saw the likes of Ruben Marnell, Michael O’Leary, Andrew Hayes, Conor Napper and Kilian Curran to name but a few, along with the aforementioned, to showcase their talents.
In what has been a thoroughly enjoyable and successful year for Oatlands athletics, the best may be yet to come.
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First Year Football
Our First Year football team, under the direction of teachers Gus Lynch and Aaron O’Rorke, had an excellent season spanning October to May. A run into the quarter finals of the FAI Cup was ended only by a penalty shoot-out loss to Clonturk CC.
The journey through Dublin Metropolitan Division 2 consisted of eight fixtures but the lads prevailed, beating Fingal CC in the final 2-1.
Well done to all.
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Taizé Pilgrimage 2023
From May 4th to May 8th, thirteen senior students and two teachers from Oatlands College embarked on a pilgrimage to Taizé in France. This trip was a journey for 5th Year exam students and was organised by their teacher Noel Collins.
The students took part in a range of activities and services including three prayer services a day, art, international Bible groups and choir practice. The students enjoyed many musical sessions with other global pilgrims.
There were events such as a “Prayer Around the Cross” and a “Service of Light” which celebrated the resurrection.
Our group of students was responsible for maintaining the Taizé community wash areas. They all entered into this task in good spirit in the knowledge that in some small way they were making a big difference to everyone in the community.
The group leader, Mr. Collins was surprised by the fact that the students didn’t use their phones throughout the trip. Instead, they played cards in the evenings and took part in musical sessions with other pilgrims. Mr. Collins had the following to say about the experience:
There is a beauty and simplicity about Taizé that’s difficult to put into words. It’s an experience that stays with you, that strengthens you in more ways than one. Ultimately, it’s a place for self-discovery. A place to truly develop your relationship with God and each other.
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Coláiste Mhichíl Sexton Street Limerick |
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Transition Year Activities
The Transition Year students, along with Mr Waters and Mr McCarthy, enjoyed an overnight camping trip to Birr Outdoor Adventure Centre in Offaly. The students participated in kayaking, cliff jumping, hiking, cycling and rock climbing.
The overnight stay and activities gave the students the opportunity to discover new skills, overcome fears, work together in a team and improve their self-confidence.
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These trips are an invaluable means of personal skill development and in developing teamwork and interpersonal skills.
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Barista Training
The Transition Years had the fantastic opportunity of taking part in a barista training course for beginners in a local cafe ‘Hook and Ladder’. Each student went through the process of making a coffee and learning the importance of teamwork.
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Transition year students Mark Keane and Reece Griffin had the fantastic opportunity to take part in the VIP TY Programme in Madrid last month.
This programme is run by the Limerick Sports Partnership.
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Science Field Trip
The 5th Years enjoyed a field trip to the Curraghchase forest. This trip was part of the habitat study for ecology.
All students identified a variety of habitats within the ecosystem. The 5th Years examined a minimum of five flora and five fauna which they recorded and analysed.
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Athletics
Well done to Alan Gladysz in TY who placed first in the North Munster School Athletics Competition.
He won the 400 meter Hurdles at senior level.
Congratulations Alan.
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Congratulations to Coláiste Mhichíl’s Senior Soccer team on the 5-2. win over Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh.
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Colaiste Mhichíl’s cricket team won the first ever Limerick second-level schools cricket championship, the Carleon Cup.
‘Coláiste Mhichíl, a school with a strong sporting tradition, will be officially recorded as the winners of the inaugural Carelon Cup, having defeated their second team in the final. But each of the six teams across the five schools that set out in February to compete in the championship, all made their own special contribution to this special tournament.
After competitive ‘Conference’ rounds, which ran since February, all five schools – Mungret Community College, Crescent College Comprehensive SJ, Villiers, Thomond Community College and Coláiste Mhichíl – gathered at The Factory Southside Youthspace for the final round of the blitz sponsored by Carelon Global Solutions Ireland, which has its Innovation Centre based at the National Technology Park in Castletroy.
The indoor blitz saw ‘Coláiste Mhichíl A’ presented with the title after defeating the school’s second team by 18 runs after both topped their respective Conferences to make it to the final. The shield final saw Crescent College Comprehensive defeat Mungret Community College by 14 runs.’
Richard Lynch from I Love Limerick.
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Art Gallery Visits
The 6th Year Art students enjoyed a visit to the Hunt Museum where they had a guided tour of the Bronze Age and Iron Age artefacts.
All students had the opportunity to explore a new exhibition by artists Debbie Godsell, Fiona Kelly and Sarah O’Flaherty.
The Third Years visited the Limerick City Gallery last month which was a fantastic opportunity to learn about local artists from the gallery’s permanent collection.
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€25.5 million Capital Building Program
The BOM of Coláiste Mhichíl is delighted to announce that planning permission has been granted for the €25.5 million Capital Building Programme for our school.
The project, which will see the full refurbishment of the 1829 and 1860s buildings as well as a significant new build, will now proceed to tender for construction.
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St Vincent's Primary School Glasnevin |
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Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice
On Friday 5th May 2023 we joined together with all ERST schools to celebrate our common bond on Blessed Edmund Rice's feast day.
We remembered and prayed for the students and families of the school.
We remembered in a special way those who are sick and who are grieving.
We offered prayers to the people of Ukraine, Syria and Sudan as they undergo the horrors of war, catastrophic earthquakes, separation, loss and forced migration.
We will be introducing an award here in St. Vincent's Primary School. This award will be given to children who display similar characteristics and values to Blessed Edmund Rice. We are very excited about this.
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Waterpark College Waterford |
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Waterpark helps Jamie fight Brain Cancer
It was very heartening to see the generous financial response from all who contributed to the school’s collection for Jamie. We all watched her inspiring video during Pastoral Care class and were touched by her fight to survive. It’s great to see the cutting-edge technology that is now available and it’s important to acknowledge the financial difficulties involved in accessing the treatments. We wish you the best Jamie and thank students and teachers for bringing the financial fight to the classroom doors.
The picture above shows Dr. Goff, teacher, Pippa Roche and Mia Doherty , students with Mr. Hagan, Principal presenting a cheque for €1080 to Niamh Harold , rep for Help Jamie Fight Cancer Committee.
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Young Economist of the Year
The college Business Department underwent an inspection recently and were delighted to share not only their good practice within the school but also on the national stage.
Saliu Bah and Mia Phelan won silver medals at the Young Economist of the Year National Awards held in UCD. Their project looked at how influencers impact market demand. As the girls are now saying goodbye to Transition Year, it will be interesting to see will they forge a future career path in economics.
Thanks to Mr. Tierney for involving the students and making the opportunities available.
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Green Teen News
The Green Teens are delighted to share the great news that the 2 years plus efforts of the whole community has resulted in our being awarded our First Green Flag.
This has lifted flagging spirits as we face the last academic hurdles. It’s great news and we are already thinking about our plan for the next flag which will be Blue for Water, However, Litter and Waste are ongoing concerns , so we will have to keep up our good habits and keep peer teaching while raising awareness of responsible citizenship.
Sustainability is key and we will be looking to a future where we will be asking all to reduce their packaging and materialistic consumption.
We are currently looking at ways to install water stations in the school to help us go plastic free. Single-use plastic bottles, if unrecycled, take over 400 years to degrade.
Waterpark needs to be part of the circular economy by becoming more sustainable. Thanks to all on the Greenschools Committee, our school community and our Environmental Awareness officer, Ella Ryan.
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John Paul II Awards
Thanks to TY students and JP2 awardees , Rory O’ Grady, Niall Brennan and Bayern Falconer for their help with our First Year E. R. Mass in St. John’s Church
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EREBB
Over 140 international Edmund Rice delegates gathered in Waterford as part of the Homecoming event for their congress based in DCU.
The theme of the Waterford leg of their trip was “Walking in the Footsteps of Edmund Rice” . The weekend’s work was a collaborative effort by staff from Ard Scoil na Mara, Tramore Waterpark College, and Mount Sion.
Much thanks goes to our past pupil , Trevor Cunningham of Lisduggan Farm Foods (see photo above) who provided Sunday lunch for 60 visitors on our school grounds. Our guests were treated to his Blas na hÉireann award winning sausages, burgers , streaky bacon, and black pudding. These were topped with pepper sauce and parcelled in the humble Blaa. When he wasn’t prepping, cooking or serving , Trevor regaled the hungry pilgrims with tales from his student days at Waterpark.
The day was a great success and was finished off nicely with apple tart and cream. Thanks to all who supported and helped!
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Waterpark Trad players, Caoimhe O’ Shea and Adam Mernin with Ms. Corcoran
This was a very special moment for all the national and international travellers and locals who attended the chapel on Sunday 14th May for a pilgrim Mass in the presence of the consecrated remains of Blessed Edmund.
Waterpark students and staff teamed up with our local network schools to form a trad group and others who read the liturgy. Bishop Phonsie concelebrated the Mass with Fr. Mullins and Fr. Rogers. It was an evening of many speeches and very moving words , particularly from Br. Peadar who spoke so intimately about Blessed Edmund , reminding us that they are not without him as his spirit has imbued a huge congregation of followers.
Over 200,000 students worldwide are educated in the characteristic spirit of Blessed Edmund. His schools are to be found in over 200 countries worldwide. This was evident in the body present who were from as far afield as Uruguay, Argentina, India, Australia and the U.S.
The Edmund Rice Influence is widespread and the spirit is very much alive.
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Adam Mernin reads at the EREBB Mass in the chapel at Mt Sion.
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Niall Brennan reads a Prayer of the Faithful.
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On the Rice Trail !
Over the weekend and into Monday May 15th, EREBB delegates were literally walking in the footsteps of Blessed Edmund. The Rice Trail follows the adult life of Edmund as he arrived in Waterford at the age of 16 in 1878 and was apprenticed to his uncle Michael, a ship’s chandler on the bustling quays. Visitors enjoyed the city trail which brought them to original site of the First Presentation Convent built by Edmund.
From there they visited Ballybricken Fair Green, reimagining the trading and hustling at the turn of the nineteenth century. The pilgrimage took them to Newgate Street where the first CBS school was fittingly built in a stable in Elliot’s Yard.
From there the trip wound its way to the cathedral providing a chance for visitors to see the Shrine erected by past pupils of Mount Sion in the founder’s honour. Thanks to Fr. Harris who met us here and spoke about the Penal History of the Cathedral .
There was a visit also to see St. Patrick’s church, Ireland’s oldest post reformation church where Edmund prayed. The pilgrimage ended on the quays with a look down stream to Reginald’s tower, a jail in the time of Edmund where he visited prisoners and used his influence to have them treated humanely. Upstream the delegates could see Rice Bridge, and really comprehend how Waterford is an Edmund Rice City , full of historical significance that make the Rice Trail such an important tourist amenity.
A big thanks to students Aoife, John and Jack Dower for assisting on the walk and to tour guide, Ms Cahill..
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Waterpark Irish Dancers, Caoimhe O’ Shea and Mia Doherty entertain our EREBB guests in Mount Sion School Hall !
The girls were introduced to the pilgrims by our Principal, Mr. Joe Hagan and were given a reel Irish Treat as they performed in the hard shoes and soft shoes. Thank you girls for bringing our culture to the fore and doing us proud!
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All-Ireland Champions
D.Connolly
2023 will forever go down in the history of Rice College for our U17 Soccer team, and indeed for all the soccer teams, students, staff, and supporters.
It was the year that Rice College created history by becoming All-Ireland (Large Schools) champions by winning the Tom Ticher Cup in an amazing game of football against a very tough opposition from Wexford, in the Athlone Town Stadium on 17th April 2023.
On the 27th January 2023, the first game of the knockout stages began with a Connacht quarter final game against St Muredach’s, a game we won very confidently with a 3-0 victory.
The Semi-Final beckoned, and we came up against a tough team from Presentation Athenry. This was probably one of our tougher tests, but we held our nerve, kept our composure, and finally broke the deadlock. With 15 minutes to go, the goal arrived, and we were victorious.
The Connacht Final was our next test, and Summerhill College, Sligo were our opponents. We played excellent team football and achieved our biggest win in beating Summerhill 5-1.
We were Connacht Champions but we knew we could go all the way…..
With this, the preparation, training, team talks and planning started, but with a very fast turnaround for us of only 4 days! We were on the road again to take on Colaiste Spiorad Naomh, Bishopstown, in the All-Ireland Semi-final. It was a tough game from a team who were very defensive, but this did not stop Rice College. Once again, we came out on top with a 3-0 win.
And so, an All-Ireland Final was in our sights. We had drawn Enniscorthy CBS in the Final.
We had the Easter Holidays to plan our game. The team met up regularly for training and strategy preparation. On Wednesday 19th April 2023, we boarded the coach and headed to Athlone Town Stadium to play the most important game of our lives- an All-Ireland Final.
We were nervous, but composed. We knew our capabilities and if we could play ’our game’ and keep the nerves at bay, we would come out as All-Ireland Champions.
Rice College played fantastic football in the first half and did not deserve to be 2-0 down at half time. The boys came out in the second half with fire in their bellies and a real winning spirit. They fought tough and soon it was 2-2. With just 3 minutes of normal time, Rice College got a 3rd
goal, taking control of the game.
The last few minutes of the game were excruciating, but the boys kept their composure. The final whistle blew, and the sounds of the huge cheers and applause confirmed that Rice College were the new All-Ireland Champions. The Tom Ticher Cup was coming West!
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Chess Club
This year saw the introduction of a Chess Club in the school. The club was held at lunchtimes twice a week and saw a lot of students coming in to play against each other. A tournament against the Sacred Heart School was organised in March, with the Rice College boys playing brilliantly and winning. We even had Mayo GAA footballer Padraig O’Hora join us and play a game! In May we played another tournament against St Gerald’s in Castlebar.
We hope to play lots of more tournaments in Mayo schools next year, and the boys will hopefully practice lots over summer!
H.Kelley
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Ukrainian Class - H.Kelley
In September 2022, Rice College welcomed a group of Ukrainian students into the school. And joined a special class called ‘Class 15’. These students were from many different parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv, Mariupol and Kharkiv to name a few. Their arrival in the school not only added a new dimension of diversity, but also highlighted the importance of compassion and support for those who have faced difficult circumstances.
As the year went on, the class size grew with more and more students joining us. Despite the initial challenges of adjusting to a new country, school and language, the students began to find their feet, with some quickly moving into the mainstream classes.
The class learned about lots of Irish traditions, music, and history, with trips to Westport house, Turlough Museum and Galway. They even made St Bridget’s crosses! In return, they shared their own stories and customs with their teachers.
The Ukrainian students not only found a safe haven within the school, but also created lasting friendships with each other. Some students will be returning to Ukraine over the coming months. We wish them the very best of luck.
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Basketball Returns to Rice College
Our 1st and 2nd Year boys made History in Rice College this year as they formed Basketball teams for the first time in over 20 years! The Minor (1st Year team) and Junior (2nd Year team) made their debuts on the court in January of this year. Some were already club players of the 'Westport Warriors' or 'Ballintubber Bulls', while others were keen to take part in a new sport and to learn new skills.
The boys trained every Wednesday with Ms Coulon and Aidan Brogan after school for an hour to prepare them for the upcoming games of the School League season. They learned a lot about the sport and improved immensely over the course of the season. We would like to wish Manuel Balleto the best of luck as he heads back to Spain this summer. He will be hugely missed both on and off the court.
M.Coulon
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Pi Maths
Three teams from 3rd year entered the regional Pi Maths competition that was held in St Joseph's Secondary school in Castlebar in March.
One of our teams came out on top, winning out on the day and progressing to the National final representing Mayo. The team comprised Alwin Jose, Liam Conway, Rían McNamara and Zack Mansour.
The national final was held in Portlaoise in April. An outstanding performance on the day meant a 4th place finish for the Rice College students. An incredible achievement against 39 other teams from around the country.
Well done lads.
S.Hall
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1st and 2nd Year History
For 1st and 2nd Year History students in Rice College, becoming historians and engaging in research skills is a core component of the new Junior Cycle History course. In order to really tap into this method and prepare for the upcoming CBA1, we assigned projects to our 1st year History students and we were astounded at the standard of projects produced.
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Blessed Edmund Rice Memorial Mass
We celebrated our annual Edmund Rice Memorial Mass on the 9th of May 2023. We came together as a community to celebrate and reflect on the people who were no longer with us. The students enjoyed this sombre, reflective afternoon and a recently bereaved family laid the wreath at our Memorial Garden.
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Coláiste Íosagáin & Coláiste Eoin |
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Pupils from Coláiste Eoin and Coláiste Íosagáin provided the opening reflection for our EREBB Congress. They were truly excellent, from the choir, the dancing and the traditional music group. It was important to us that our international delegates got a flavour of our musical heritage and these two schools provided us with an outstanding presentation.
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You will hear more from this group in the future as they have a remarkable style and treated us to some very innovative musical arrangements.
To hear a sample of the arrangements, click on the link below.
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Edmund Rice College Phoenix Park |
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Official Opening
Congratulations to everyone in Edmund Rice College on your official opening in May 2023.
We will include more photographs and an article in our first edition of Síol in the new school year.,
We are very proud of what has been achieved in our newest school in the Edmund Rice network of schools.
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Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire BAC |
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Turning the Sod for new School
Full article in the next edition of E-Síol.
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Wexford.
Tree planning in Memory of Boxing Coach Aidan O’Sullivan. R.I.P.
On Saturday 24 June 2023 a tree planting ceremony took place in Redmond Park, Spawell Road, Wexford Town, in memory of Aidan O’Sullivan, R.I.P.
Aidan O’Sullivan, was a native of County Tipperary, and a primary school teacher at Wexford Christian Brothers School. In 1960 along with Br. Paul Tobin and Br. Louis Mc Hale he started a boxing club in the school. The club went on to become one of the best- and well-known juvenile boxing clubs in the country.
Aidan died in 2022, his life had a big influence on many young boys in Wexford, both as a primary school teacher and as a boxing coach.
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The tree planting and unveiling of plaque in Aidan’s honour was organized by members of the Wexford ex boxers association, many of whom had come under Aidan’s influence. The Mayor of County Wexford, Ger Lawlor and the Mayor of Wexford Town Maura Bell along with members of Aidan’s family attended the ceremony. Special guests included Christian Brothers, Brother Ben Cusack from Cork, Brother James Dormer from Limerick, both of whom were involved in the boxing club during their time in Wexford, and Art O’Brien former Honorary Secretary of the I.A.B.A. and past pupil of Wexford C.B.S. School and Wexford C.B.S. Boxing Club.
Jim O’Sullivan of Enniscorthy and a former Irish Boxing Champion was the M.C. for the occasion.
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