CLONKEEN CHRONICLE

PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD SUMMER 2007

from primary school and pre- in the life of the school since pare to face their end of year her arrival all those years ago. school tests. They, of course, Her enthusiasm and affection face the happy prospect of for the boys and the school their first “long” summer holi- during all that time has re- days of secondary school while mained undimmed and she has the sixth years holidays will no been involved in so many of longer provide the same, care- the aspects of the life of the free outlook. To all our stu- school that she will be impossi- dents, and especially the Leav- ble to replace. The staff room ing and Junior Certificate can- in particular will be a poorer didates, we wish a very happy place without her presence and Padraic Lamb of the 2006 leaving summer after their academic for “old hands” like myself, Cert was presented with special endeavours. while we fervently hope and awards at the end of year mass this For two members of the teach- believe that the school will May. Not only did Padraic achieve ing staff, these holidays will prosper in the years ahead, it the best Leaving Cert results in the extend indefinitely as they will never be quite the same. school of that year, he also received contemplate the tranquil joys We extend to Mary, Brian and the Deirdre Clancy Medal for first place in the country in history. Our Graduation Mass, on of retirement. Mrs Somers and their spouses our very best nd Deirdre was there in person to see Tuesday, June 22 saw yet Mr Cathcart leave us after 34 wishes for a long and happy another group of 6th years say the medal presented by Jerry and 8 years respectively in the retirement. Bourke, President of the History goodbye to Clonkeen College, school. Mr Cathcart joined us Finally, thank you to everyone, Teachers Association of . though of course there is the after a distinguished career in students, parents and teachers small matter of the Leaving Sandymount High School and Following in the footsteps of his who have contributed to yet teacher and mentor, Mr J Keogh, Certificate to be completed brought a depth of knowledge, another happy and productive before the finality of their Padraic is now reading English and professionalism and commit- year in the school, to whose French in TCD. Padraid is one of 5 farewell will sink home. At ment to the science depart- vitality these newsletters bear students from the LC class of 2006 this time of year another group ment which was greatly appre- constant witness. who received entrance scholarships of our students feel they have ciated by his colleagues and to Trinity and UCD. crossed a threshold as our first students. Mrs Somers has been years complete their transition Over the last 4 years 16 students one of the central personalities from the college have received such scholarships, an achievement we lost property policy was drawn Noonan for his help and advice can all be proud of. Student Council up, and the First Year Social and Mr. O’Toole and Mr. was organised and carried out. Twomey for their approach- As the year is coming to a This year’s social went with- ability in any situation. close, all thoughts are on ex- out a hitch. It was a huge suc- And finally as the chairperson Church Gate Collection ams whether on house exams cess, and both the girls from of the Student Council I would The collection of the 26th 27th or State exams and the Student Cluny and our boys had a great like to show my appreciation May at Foxrock Church Council wishes everyone the time. I don’t know whether it for the enthusiasm and com- amounted to €2,400.00 break- best of luck especially the 6th was the Music, the Council’s mitment shown by the other ing all records for this annual years. organisation or the fact that it Student Council members. It collection. Monies raised will was dark and loud but even makes my job a lot easier. go towards educational projects The last part of the academic Mr. Lynch turned up for a Happy Summer Holidays eve- in Africa. In the main the year has flown by and the Dance! ryone! money will be distributed Student Council have been through EPEC the charity busy, even if in the back- On behalf of the Council I Barry O’Shaughnessy founded by Agnes Daly who ground. The Code of Behav- would like to thank the 5th year (Chairperson, Student Coun- worked in the school before iour was revised, a uniform RE teachers who generously cil). moving to Ethiopia to oversee committee carried out exten- allowed some of their class to educational projects in the sive research on the possibility Student Council matters, Mr. Gurage region of a warm weather uniform, a Graduation Mass Conor Brennan with M Heddermann and N O’Toole CHESS The Annual 6th year mass on selection from a shortlist in- Tuesday May the 22nd not only cluding; Graham Brack, Alex This year was about getting celebrated the end of the boys Brock, Adam Cole, Paul Cum- chess up-and-running in the education but also offers us the mins, Oisin Gough, Eoin school again. To this end opportunity to acknowledge their Healy, Andrew Kennedy, well done to the Fifth Years special achievements over the Shane Higgins, Brian for their interest. course of their time here. McCarthy, Cian O’Toole and Alex Baker, Alan Daniel Wolfe. Cunningham, Eóghan As on previous occasions the Dalton, Conor Daly, Mark student who achieved the best Once again the choice of stu- Forsyth, Stephen Hanley, results, in the previous years dent of the year was a difficult Ciarán Loughlin, Caolán leaving cert exams, was guest of McCarthy and Michael choice and from a shortlist of honor. On this occasion it was Conor Brennan, Alex Brock, O’Neill, Karl O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan. Keith Raythorn, Gary Padraic Lamb who also achieved Adam Cole, William Doherty, Rigley, Eoghan Shankey- first place in the country in His- For Attendance and Punctuality Kevin Nolan, Neil O’Reilly, Smith and Damian Whyte tory in the leaving cert 2006 awards were presented to; Gra- Cian O’Toole and Glen Polley all took part in trials to exams. ham Brack, Adam Cole, Andrew Conor Brenan was the overall determine our team which Kane, Chris Morgan, Robert winner. Leadership awards were pre- Murray, Killian Polley, Cian went on to win one match sented to Conor Brennan, Adam Medallions and Graduation Cer- O’Toole and Niall Swan. and draw another. Well Cole, Gavin Coone, William tificates were presented to all the done lads. Doherty, Mark Kennan, Andrew Awards for Academic Distinc- students. Kennedy, Simon Lehane, Kevin tion were presented to; Alex Maybe next year we’ll have Nolan, Cian O’Toole and Glen Brock, Adam Cole, William The student Council representa- tives each received a reference teams at different age levels Polley Doherty, Josh Lernihan, Brian as the First Years showed McCarthy Michael O’Sullivan detailing their particular contri- Awards for Social Concern and great enthusiasm in their and Cian O’Toole. butions to the work of the group. competition. G a v i n Third World Support to; Conor Best wishes to all. Cunningham, Ciarán Brennan, Graham Brennan, Kevin Nolan received the sports- McCarthy, Niall Harney, Gavin Coone, John Curran, man of the year award. There D Twomey (Deputy Principal) Adam Marrar, Conor Simon Glynn, Simon Lehane, were many high achievers in the Lehane, Emil Klosinski, Robert Loughlin, Brian sports area and it was a difficult Alex Jordan, Ben Naughton, Adrian Matthews, Luke McMorrow, Kevin Lee, Class of 1987 Please contact Larry O'Gara, there are plenty of eateries on Kevin Coffey, Conor Colm Kelly, or Jonathan O'Con- Baggot St, and golfers can easily 20 Year Reunion nor if you're interested in coming sort out something between McLoughlin, Stephen th Allen, Eamonn Grehan, Friday 15 June from along, and if you have a few themselves for the afternoon. Jack Clinton, James 7:30pm spare minutes it would be a great O’Farrell and Jack Phelan Doheny & Nesbitt on help if you could buzz the net- Looking forward to seeing you, all took part to find the work and round up more heads. Larry. Champion from 2006/07. Baggot Street Nothing OTT is planned but Gavin Walsh and Rory Sullivan lost out at the semi -final stage. Cian Aherne fell at the final hurdle to * TENNIS MINOR CUP WINNERS U-14* Denis Vavasour – First After a very shaky start to the Beirne(S1),Kevin Keenan(S2), Year Chess King for competition ( losing 4-1 to Clon- Jamie Keenan(S3),Conor 2006/07. gowes), theU-14 Tennis Team Lehane (S3) and not forgetting made a brilliant recovery to go super sub Adam McDonald(S1). In September the Second on and win their next four Well done everyone! Years will get a chance to matches. The final ,which took Well done also to the U-16 Team crown their champion. By place in Lansdown Tennis Club, who also made it to the final on then we’lbe looking for a saw Clonkeen narrowly defeat the same day. Despite sterling Panel for our Junior School St.Conleth's 3-2.So congratula- performances from players such teams. Get some practice tions to the players (see picture as Mark Fortune and Simon over the Summer! below) who won the Leinster Grehan we didn't come away (J Lynch) Minor Division 3 with a 'double'. Championship; Emil Klosinski Managers (S1)(Captain),Stephen Moroney (S1),Paul McCabe(S1),Sam O' J.Keogh/J.Clarke Ethiopia 2007 have been many houses in without an inside toilet. The last house in Dublin was only electrified in the 1980’s. In the 1980’s we Last Easter two students (Gavin Coone and Brian McCarthy) from were the third world of the EEC. What made a difference was inward the college had the experience of travelling to Ethiopia to experience investment and support from the EU. We can make a difference and for themselves the way people live and the dif- we are particularly pleased to be working with ferences that their efforts, as part of the third EPEC the charity founded by Agnes. During world support group can make. The Photo Shows the visit we were able to see for ourselves the the 2 boys in a classroom in Maganasse in the different projects funded through EPEC and in Gurage region of Ethiopia particular to see in each case the actual contri- Clonkeen College has a particular attachment to bution from Clonkeen, a classroom at a par- Ethiopia in that a former teacher of the school ticular school, school furniture in another, a Ms Agnes Daly has been working there since the cattle trough at a water project, a grinding mid nineties having given up her position in the stone at a mill, we met a student who is bene- school to work on educational and social projects fiting from a scholarship. Perhaps Charity is there. The visit shatters a lot of illusions we have the wrong word for extending a helping hand. about the country. It is a mountainous country The people we met were always open and with all the resources needed to make it a well developed country. It friendly we always felt safe and secure, walking about Addis at any is developing at an extraordinary pace, roads rural electrification, time of the day felt safer than walking through the capital cities of water projects and education are advancing at an incredible rate. It is “more developed countries” O. Daly so easy for us to forget that as little as 20 years ago there would still

The biggest Skate Park in Uganda Visit Easter 2007 term. Nearly €1000.00was raised in WIN IN POETRY COMPE- the country has just opened in During the Easter vacation Self-Help a street collection in Dun Laoighre TITION Development International brought whilst €240 was raised in Grafton Greytones. So What? How a former student, Chris Corrigan Street. The biggest amount raised in Teaching English is the maga- does this concern the school? and myself out to see their projects a collection came from the Parish- zine produced by the Curricu- Well if you were there for the in Uganda. ioners of Foxrock Parish. €2,400 lum Support Service for Until recently the country has been was raised for our charities and this teachers of the subject at sec- opening you would believe ond level. Every year a po- that half the skateboarders in in the grip of a bloody civil conflict has been earmarked for equipping that has destroyed the lives of mil- the science labs in a school in Ethio- etry competition is held in the country were going to the lions of people. AIDS is also ram- pia. which young poets at junior school. Apart from the skate- pant in the country. Self Help has The raffle this year raised and leaving certificate levels been working hard to rebuild com- €3,200.00. Overall we have raised submit one poem for consid- boarders students from the eration. Eoghan Carrick (6th school (Shane Masterson, munities destroyed in the civil con- €6,800.00 this term. Still to come is flict. They are also involved in AIDS the Women's Mini Marathon. Year) won this year’s senior ….) provided the music for prevention programmes. Over This was a great success and as we section with his poem the occasion. Good to see that 100,000people are beneficiaries of go to press the sponsorship money is “Misunderstanding”. It will the students have a life out- Self-Help programmes. The organi- arriving in. 17 students from the appear in print for the first zation is truly helping people to help College dressed for the occasion and time in the autumn issue of side the school. the magazine. Eoghan has themselves. set a target of €100 each in terms of sponsorship. Again this will go to a been writing poems for a Sad though for the staff who had nothing Fundraising specific project in Ethiopia. Well number of years and is a tal- better to do on a Saturday afternoon The Third World Support Group done to all who participated in the ented young writer. This is than to check out the student involvement has been involved in a number of event. the first time he will see one in this event. D Ed. fundraising projects during the last C McGauley of his poems in print.

Success in the competition will bring Eoghan a com- Past Pupil Golf Outing a bus to bring everyone home. you couldn’t be further from the memorative plaque and a cash This year will be the 10th year of the If anyone would like to take part in truth. Last month a group of 30 staff prize. The college will also Past Pupil Fund Raising Golf Out- this day it costs €800.00 a team, and students were trained in CPR benefit by receiving a writer- ing. Each year we have made money which pays for and the use of a defibrillator. On in-residence bursary worth for the school, and hopefully this the whole day. Otherwise if some- successful completion of the course €1000. Congratulations to year will be the best. one would like to Sponsor a hole by those involved Pfizer have agreed Eoghan and let’s hope this is The outing takes place on the 21st that will cost € 2 5 0 . 0 0 . to equip the school with a defibrilla- the start of a string of publica- Sept, in Druid's Glenn. It will be a Please contact Paula Fry on 086- tor as part of a nationwide program. tions for him. shot gun start at Clonkeen College is proud to be 8939360, as soon as possible. J.Byrne 11am sharp. After there will be Kind Regards -Paula part of this initiative and happy that dinner and prize giving. That eve- the students are learning these valu- ning, Ireland are playing a big match They should all be certified!! able life skills. This is what makes in world cup rugby, so we have If you think this has anything to do the difference between education organized a big screen to watch the with the saying that “you don’t have and schooling. match down in Druids, followed by to be mad to work here but it helps” Golf U-14 and FIRST YEAR Golf Championship Competition This year with a smaller panel than other years we were up against it in our Dublin Old Conna Golf Club was the venue for the Championship matches. Coláiste Eoin - U-14 A champions – put us to the sword Annual Golf Outing where the school’s top away from home, but we had a heroic showing against Coláiste Éanna in March. golfers went head to head. It was a superb They had beaten us on their way to the U-14 B Championship before Christmas, but day with some fine golf played. Brian we matched them score for score before going down to a couple of unlucky goals. McCarthy (6th year) produced a winning Final score: Coláiste Éanna, 6-4; Clonkeen College, 2-8. score of 38 points (O.C.B) runner up was As with the U-14s, we chose an All-Star Team. This was based on commitment to Colm Condon (TYO) 38 pts. Other prize training and to their Class Team. Well done to Stephen Moroney, Luke Foy, Niall winners were: O’Dowd and Robert Maloney who all had 100% ratings despite being involved in Category 1: Conor McCarthy (TYO) 37 , soccer, athletics, tennis and golf for the school. Don’t forget the chess next points and Graham Brennan (6th) 37 points year lads! Hopefully next year all the team will continue their involvement with Category 2: Cian O’Hara (1st yr) 43 points, Gaelic Football, whether at U-14 or U-16 level. Adam Shorthall (1st yr) 32 points and Ciaran FIRST YEAR ALL-STAR TEAM 2007 Feeney (2nd yr) 31 points Denis Vavasour [S1] Best Gross: David Green 78 Ciarán McCarthy [S2] Jack Butler[S2] Niall O’Dowd[S3] Best front 9: Mark Kennan (6th yr) 18 points Seán O’Connor[S1] Tom O’Rourke [S2] Ryan Matthews[S1] Best Back 9; Shane O’Rourke (TYO) 19 Robert Maloney[S2] Mark O’Grady[S3] points Stephen Moroney[S1] Luke Foy[S1] Paul Moffatt [S2] Junior/senior Match play Competition Conor Lehane[S3] Cian Taylor[S1] Scott Mahony[S2] FIR Both games were played at Dargle View IONAD Jamie Keenan [S3] Cian Aherne [S1] Cormac McDermott [S1] Richard Golf Club, Bray Kelly [S2] Ben Errity [S1] The Junior final was an all first year affair S2 won the qualifying round-robin of the Class League. For the final, the All-Stars between Ben Errity (S1) and Jamie Keenan represented their respective classes S1 and S2, with the 4 S3 All-Stars “guesting” on (S3) Ben eventually winning 1 up either team. S1 won a thrilling and fitting finale to the season. Final score: S1, 3-12; The senior matchplay produced some great S2, 3-6. golf with Graham Brennan (6th yr) getting The following First Years also earned certificates for their involvement with the the better of John Murphy (5th yr) 5 and 4 First Year Panel: Seán Galligan, Tadhg O’Connell, Dean O’Donnell, Jack Phelan Congratulations to all who won prizes and and Dylan Shortall [S2] and Jamie Costelloe, Jack Cleary, Roy Dunne and Conor well done to all who took part. Your McLoughlin [S3]. behaviour on and off the court was At the end of year Prize-Giving Ceremonies the U-14 All-Stars received their exemplary. awards. Certificates have also been given out to the U-14 panellists. The new All- Again I have to thank Paula McCarthy and Star scheme did not however fully replace our Top Trainer Prizes. This year we Angela Condon for helping me out. Without gave 3. Between them they missed 4 training/league sessions out of 64 from the first their assistance it would be impossible to week in September to the First Year League Final. 3 of those were due to injury. run all competitions so smoothly. Don’t ask me about the other reason! Well done to our Top Trainers for 2006/07: Reminder all students who wish to be Michael Curtin (R.3), Luke Foy (S1) and Niall O’Dowd (S3). Michael also won a considered for golf next September must Top Trainer Award last year, so that’s putting it up to you Luke and Niall!! Well done lads. submit 3 score cards (signed) so that a rd school handicap can be assigned to you Next session: Monday, 3 September, 12.55 – U-14 training. Hope you have a good golfing summer. (J. Lynch, P Murray -managers) (B. Noonon Golf co-ordinator) Hurling ALL-IRELAND IRISH EXAMINER Another season over and Clonkeen hurling, in spite of the lack of trophies, had a QUIZ 2006/07 good run. The First years put up a great display and came runners up in the Indoor Well done to Thomas Clarke, John Hurling League in Benildus in May. Three teams competed, Clonkeen, Oatlands and Muphy and Ciarán Hickey [5th Yr] and Benildus and there were many fine performances from the lads involved. Well done Colin Egan, Barry Lenihan and Colin to Adam McDonald, Rob Maloney, Tom O Rourke, Jack Butler, Jamie Keenan, O’Shaughnessy [3rd Yr] who came Conor Lehane, Niall O Dowd, Cormac Spain, Mark O Grady and Jack Cleary. We through as the Senior and Junior represen- look forward to seeing you all again next year. Thanks also to TY's Rory Cole and tatives for the highly-competitve All- Kevin O Shea for sharing their experience and assistance. Ireland Irish Examiner Quiz which kicked The First and Second Year league was a great success with many inspired perform- off before Christmas. After a 1st Round ances and some great competetive matches. The final run off took place on 24 May loss, we bounced back well in January to and saw Naoise Greene's team take victory. Well done to Shane Errity, Paul Moffat, qualify for the 3rd Round with a close- Cormac Spain, Jason Mooney and Conor McLoughlin. Greg Clarke's team were gra- fought victory. Each quiz involves 3 cious runners-up. Well done also to Niall O Dowd, Mark O Grady, Scott Mahoney, schools, with students answering individu- Jack Cleary, Adam McDonald and Darragh McGrath. Niall O Dowd, Conor Lehane ally, passing to their team for half marks. In and Conor Hearns were also awarded trophies as Players of the Tournament for their front of an audience it’s a nerve-wracking 100% attendence and committed performances.Once again, thanks to the TY coaches experience! We fell at the next fence but as and mentors for their assistance. always we gave a good account of our- We look forward to seeing you all out again in September and enjoy the summer (of selves. Who knows, some of this year’s hurling). team might make it on next year’s – one Finally, best of luck to the sixth Year hurlers in the leaving and thanks for the years year older and wiser! (J Lynch) of dedication to Clonkeen hurling. (C Collins, M Ryan Managers)