June 2010

The final weeks of the academic year contain much vital activity for many pupils and staff.  Most significantly, of course, those in VI and III forms have just completed their Leaving and Junior Certificate exams. There have also been several interesting expeditions, including V form in the Burren and IV form to Achill Island (they then finished off their year in the Actiontrack Showbuild). Competitive sport with other schools virtually came to an end, but one sporting highlight was the cricket match with the Leprechauns which this time coincided with the opening of the refurbished pavilion. 

We hope you have enjoyed this new e-mail newsletter during the past academic year. We are delighted that it is reaching more and more interested people outside the immediate College community. If your children are leaving the College this year, you will continue to receive it unless you opt out. But, of course, we hope you remain in touch.

Finally, all the best to all our readers for a pleasant summer. Our next newsletter will be in late October.

St. Columba's Day Celebrations

Professor David Dickson FTCD, Old Columban, (pictured on the left with the Warden, Dr. Haslett) presented the prizes on St.Columba's Day, Saturday 5th June 2010. He traced the long connections and similarities between Trinity College and St.Columba's. Lord John George Beresford, for example, funded the building of the cloisters in the College as well as the Campanile in TCD.  

The Warden, in his speech, paid tribute to last year's Sixth form who gained a record average points total in the Leaving Certificate.  Alec Cherry, the Senior Prefect, enchanted the audience with memories of his days in Form Primary and the lessons he had learned as he progressed through to adulthood. Lunch for the many visitors and invited guests was held in glorious sunshine in the Chapel square.

All The Year's Activities!

The most important in-house communication tool we have is the Daily Notice, which is posted around the school before breaktime each morning. Towards the end of each year the Sub-Warden posts a summary of the enormous number of activities which have been noted on the Daily Notice since September. It is a hugely impressive list, including 345 sports fixtures: click here for this year's details, from the Daily Notice of June 16th. Keep up to date with all these events via our Twitter feed on the Latest News page or here.

Expeditions Week

An important week of activity took place after St. Columba's Day, much of it of academic importance. While the state exams started for VI and III forms, V form undertook important course work in the field for biology (group photographed to the right) and geography. The wonderful landscape of the Burren in County Clare was the destination, where groups led by Mr. Jackson, Dr. Stone and Mr. Sherwood examined the coastline, the flora and the fauna. Click here for some photos of the biology trip and here for some photos of the geography trip.

Primary, I and II forms went on history day trips to Tara/Trim (Primary and I) and Wicklow Gaol/Ferrycarrig (II). Finally, on a different note, IV form, accompanied by Ms. Maybury, Ms. Lawson, Mr. Jameson and Mr. Clarke, headed off to the beautiful Achill Island in County Mayo, and spent four days there on outdoor pursuits, before returning to College for their Prize Evening and Actiontrack Week (see below).

Transition Year

IV form always have an extremely busy summer term, having to complete all their academic work before St Columba's Day, and then turning their attention to other matters. As mentioned above, they went to Achill Island after the Exodus weekend for the final element in the Columban Award Scheme. A separate report below deals with the Actiontrack Week.

In between these demanding activities was the annual Transition Year Prize Presentation evening in the Big Schoolroom on Monday 14th June. At this, the TY co-ordinator, Dr Stone, introduced a series of speakers who reflected on their year, as well as several musical items. At the end, the winners of all the academic prizes were announced (pictured, and click here for the full list), and presented with book tokens by the Warden. Congratulations in particular to the overall academic winner, Lingfan Gao (who also won six individual subject prizes) and the Columban Award Scheme winner Lorcan Maule, who joined Shannen Keogan and Aoise Keogan-Nooshabadi in sharing the Spirit of Transition Year Award.

Actiontrack Showbuild

For over 15 years now, the Actiontrack Performance Company from Somerset in England, led by their director Nick Brace, have been visiting us - in March to work with II form in drama 'taster' workshops, but more significantly for the final week of the Transition Year. For six days they work with the group creating a drama from scratch, which is then shown on the final Saturday evening.

This year Nick, Katie, Nathan and Molly helped IV form put together Jaws: The Musical. Day after day (read Michael Kemp's lively contemporaneous blog entries by clicking here ) the whole form worked on rehearsing scenes, music and dance routines, as well as making dramatic props (the BSR was festooned by legs dangling 'under water' from the ceiling, pictured). Finally, on Saturday evening, all of 10 minutes after the dress rehearsal, the pupils swung back into action in front of a packed auditorium. It was another successful ending to an impressive Transition Year. Click here for a video collage of the performance.

The Cricket Pavilion

The cricket pavilion was built in 1866 (for a short history, click here) and holds many memories for generations of Columbans. Its condition had deteriorated in recent years to the extent that a decision had to be made. With the unrelenting energy of Mr. Norman Lush (former Sub-Warden, pictured) as patron, assisted by Mr. Liam Canning, master in charge of boys' cricket, an appeal was launched to fund the refurbishment and repair of this fine building.

The work was completed this summer in time for the short cricket season and it was formally unveiled in its new condition at the annual College versus the Leprechauns cricket match on Wednesday, 16th June.  Donors and other invited guests could view the pavilion and some photographic memorabilia, enjoy some tea and watch some entertaining cricket from the two teams. The match drawn, the teams and guests were treated to dinner in the Lower Argyle. 

Summer Reading List

A bonus! All parents were recently sent the English Department's book recommendations for the summer. Others can download it here or read it online here.

Among the books that you may enjoy during the holiday are Gerbrand Bakker's outstanding IMPAC award winning The Twin, William Trevor's superb Love and Summer, Donna Leon's latest Brunetti mystery A Question of Belief, and Diana Athill's memoir Somewhere Towards the End. Happy reading...

And finally...

The College Prefects have been appointed for the next academic year - Jack Armstrong, Philip Blackley, Mimi von Blomberg, Kate Boyd Crotty, Stephanie Brann, Susannah Cooke, Carl Ibe (Senior Prefect), Florian Lenhart, Patrick McGonagle, Robert Nolan, Olivia Plunket, Miriam Poulton (Second Prefect), Dalton Tice, Imogen Wardell ... Hamish Law beat Conor McCooey in the Beresford Cup Final (the annual boys' tennis competition) ... Leonie Mueller-Methling (girls) and Seyive Hotonu (boys) won the first school 10K run ... CDs of the recent highly successful Summer Concert are now on sale at €10 each ... Sadhbh Sheeran won the annual Junior Public Speaking Competition (talking about her local postman), while Siobhan Brady (iPads and industrial working conditions) and Josh Mathews (being a twin) came 2nd and 3rd respectively, with Ludo Stewart and Emmet Minch also doing well ... finally, on the last night of the whole year, V form went to the Skirmish paint-balling centre, and P, I and II forms to the National Aquatic Centre.