Coláiste Phobal Naomh Áine

St. Anne’s warmly welcomed their All Ireland sporting champions on June 2nd for a celebration of their All Ireland success in sport. The All Ireland winning Badminton team, the All Ireland winning Camogie team and the All Ireland winning Basketball team from 1996 were all invited back to St. Anne’s in celebration of their wonderful achievements. Much hard work by all the staff took place in organising such a successful event. The hall was transformed into a beautiful venue which hosted the event.

The school badminton team this year was very successful. Both the Girls U16 and U19 teams both won silver medals in a very tough school’s competition competing in Division 1. The girls U14 were triumphant on the day winning Gold medals for the school. This is a great achievement by all involved.

The school Junior Camogie team were also celebrated on the night for their achievement on becoming All Ireland champions earlier this year. The girls, under their coaches Ms. A. Minogue and Ms. C Moloney, trained very hard this year and their dedication to their sport really paid off. The players were presented on the night with beautiful All Ireland winning medals, a team hoodie and a picture collage to remember this very special occasion.

The third celebrated team on the night was the 1996 All Ireland Basketball Champions. 20 years ago along with Mr. Hayes and Mr. Gleeson, the girls travelled up to the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght with the dream of winning All Ireland gold for Clare. The girls who played 20 years ago were honoured for their achievement with medals and trophies. Not much has changed as we heard stories of singing on the buses and the fighting spirit of the St. Anne’s girls.

Thank you to everyone who made this night so successful. For more pictures, visit the gallery or click here.

Emma Flynn 2nd Year is an inspiration to the other students for fundraising for the Mid Western Cancer centre to help support those dealing with Cancer. Here is the story behind her efforts.

Mid-Western Cancer Foundation is an organisation that raises money for the Mid-Western Cancer centre where people with cancer receive treatment and also for the Cancer Support Centre which supplies people who are suffering from cancer or people whos loved ones have cancer with support and also massages. The reason I decided to fundraise for Mid-Western Cancer Foundation was because my dad received many treatments in the cancer centre such as Chemo Therapy and Radio Therapy and I felt I owed them something for taking care of him for the past 13 years that he had cancer. I started this with my dad back in November and we planned 3 bake sales and raffle. At the first and second bakesale we raised approximately €600.  Unfortunately  he passed away on the 14^th of December before we could complete the 3^rd bakesale. The week after he passed away I decided to go ahead with the third bakesale and the raffle, my friends were great help to me and many people baked for it aswell. In total we raised €1025 and the school kindly donated €600 making our total amount €1625. I presented the cheque to Mid-Western Cancer Foundation on the 27^th of May 2016. The money will go towards facilities in the Cancer Cente and also the Support Centre.

Well done Emma for raising money for such a worthy cause.

Our annual Awards Ceremony took place on Thursday 19th May 2016 where over 120 students received an award/certificate in recognition of the successes and achievements across a wide range of activities.

At the end of each year St. Anne’s Community College hosts an end of year Awards Ceremony to acknowledge and reward the achievements of individual students and teams of the college over the year.

This is a very special event in our school calendar and we are delighted to showcase and celebrate the successes of our students.

We recognise academic achievements as well as personal successes, positive contribution to school life and extra-curricular activities.

School Principal, Aideen Walsh opened the proceedings and paid tribute to the students, their parents and their teachers for their work, commitment and support throughout the year.

Students received awards for: Art, Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre, Business, Chess, Community Involvement, Contribution to Charity & School Life, Creative Writing, Culinary Arts, Debating, Enterprise, Film, Information Technology, Innovation & Design, Maths, Mental Health Awareness, Music, Poetry, Public Speaking, School Spirit, Speech & Drama, Sport, Student Council, Student Mentors.

Certificates for good attendance and exemplary behaviour will be issued later.

Students involved in the Gaisce programme will receive their medals later in the year when the results are known.

SPORTS AWARDS

Sport is very significant in the life of the school and there is a strong tradition of success.  Athletics, Badminton, Camogie, Gaelic Football, Hurling, Rugby and Soccer are amongst the sports provided.

SPORT STAR OF THE YEAR:

This year’s Sport Star is Moya Ryan who was recognised for her achievements in Badminton during the year at School and National Level.

TEAM OF THE YEAR:

The Under 15 Camogie Munster & All Ireland Champions were the undoubted winners of Team of the Year.

STUDENT OF THE YEAR:

Each year an outgoing Leaving Certificate student is acknowledged for the positive impact they make on life at St. Anne’s. Ms. Walsh announced the nominees who were Emma Collins, Liza Dundon, Holly Farrell, Liam Horgan, Seán Rainford, Moya Ryan, Seán Vaughan & Dónal Watson.

Moya Ryan is this year’s recipient as voted by the teaching staff, not just for academic achievements but for her overall contribution to the school community.

Ms. Walsh concluded the ceremony by congratulating all the award recipients for their individual achievements and thanked the teachers involved in organising the smooth running of the event.

It was another successful fun run in St. Anne’s today with both teachers and students dressing up under the theme of People who made History in the last 100 year.

The race started at 1pm with a large crowd running it. Niall Moloney (4th Year) was the first boy home closely followed by Finn Looney (2nd Year). It was a family affair in the ladies race with younger sister Sarah (1st year) narrowly beating her older sister Ellen Lane (TY).

Congrats to all who won prizes and who got involved. A huge thank you to Mr. Murray who organised the event.

Pictures to follow in the gallery.

Well done to the school athletics team who competed in the North Munster meet in Castleisland on Tuesday and UL on Thursday this week. The students all competed extremely well bringing home many medals.

Results are as follows:

Jack McEvoy (1st Year): 1st Shot, 1st 100m Hurdles

Cathal McKeogh (2nd Year): 2nd 800m

Joseph McEvoy (3rd Year): 2nd Shot, 3rd Discus, 1st Javelin, 1st High Jump with a jump of 1.95m

Finn Looney (2nd Year): 1st 1500m

Niall Moloney (4th Year): 6th 5000m

Dean Mulqueen (3rd Year): 2nd 110m Hurdles

Minor Girls 4 x 100m Relay: 2nd – Jessica McCarthy Gilligan, Molly Looney, Jennifer Daly and Sarah Lane

Munster U 15 Corn Chaoimhín Uí Mhearáin Hurling Champions 2016

St Anne’s Community College, Killaloe 1-17  PresentationBallingarry 2-4

St. Anne’s Community College, Killaloe claimed their first Corn ChaoimhinUíMhearáin Munster PPS Un.15 Hurling title against Presentation Ballingarryin impressive fashion ona glorious afternoon at The Ragg, Drom-and-inchon Friday afternoon, May 6^th

The final scoreline flattered the winners who opted to play against a slight breeze in the first half. It was a very entertaining game, where with fifteen minutes remaining on the clock a minimum of one point separated the sides. From this point on St. Anne’s dominated the game, scoring 1-6 without reply.  Arguably the turning point in the game was when CathalMcKeogh scored a goal late on in the second period to put the contest out of reach.

St. Anne’s raced into an early lead and were four points up with eight minutes gone compliments of two points each from Conor Power and Dylan McMahon. Presentation Ballingarry registered their first point on the 12^th minute, following this up with some excellent points and a crucial goal scored by their full-forward.  Anthony Ryan. St. Anne’s kept the scoreboard ticking over however over the remainder of that first half, with some well executed scores taken by Liam Hart, Davy Boland,  Evan Connolly and a free on the stroke of half time from Dylan McMahon leaving a minimum of two points between the sides at half-time on a scoreline; St. Anne’s 0-8, Presentation Ballingarry 1-3.

St. Anne’s came out of the blocks quickly in the second half, scoring two points in quick succession on the 36^th and 37^th minute through Dylan McMahon and Sam Loughran.PresentaionBallingarry came storming back scoring a fantastic goal on the 37^th minute. A titanic battle developed between the sides for the next ten minutes  with the minimum of one point separating the sides by the 45^th minute. However, one further point from play and two frees from Dylan McMahon, a point from Dara King and Evan Connolly, two pointed frees from Mike Gough and a well taken goal by CathalMcKeogh saw St. Anne’s score 1-6 without reply in that final quarter to clinch the title. Hugh determination, work ethic, method, fitness and markmanship were the contributory factors to their success.

It was very much a team performance with no fewer than nine players getting on the scoresheet. Liam Hart was named man of the match for his outstanding fielding of the ball, excellent defensive display and even chipping in on the scoreboard. Captain Dylan McMahon led by example from the start putting in an excellent performance, fielding some great ball, linking the play very well which also contributing personally with no less than seven points (4 frees) over the course of the game. Their defence also deserve great credit as a unit. They were watertight in the last 15 minutes, continually heaping pressure on any opposition player in possession of the ball and forcing them into mistakes. Players such as Mike Gough, Liam Hart, Sam Loughran and Patrick Lucas were very solid in defence, exhibiting some excellent fielding while all the half-back line contributed to the scoresheet. Meanwhile players such as Evan Connolly, Conor Power, Dara King and  CathalMcKeogh also made telling contributions in attack, while the link play of David Boland was once again of the highest quality.

Overall it was a very solid team performance where everbody performed. It was a good campaign for the school with victories over ColaisteDúnIascaigh, Cahir, Mount Sion CBS, SMI Newcastlewest, St. Josephs Borrisoleigh and Presentation Ballingarry.

Congratulations also to teachers Mr. Colm Hayes, Mr. Shane Golden and Mr. Mike Casey for all the hard work they put in throughout the year with the lads. Credit is also due to Mr. Seamus Walsh, Mr. Michael Gough and Mr. Kelvin Harold for their valuable input. Well Done to all.

St. Anne’s C.C. Killaloe:Matthew Power (Ballina), Tommy Walsh (Clonlara), Patrick Lucas (Smith O’Briens), Dylan Nolan (Smith O’Briens), Micheal Gough(0-2 (2 frees)) (Smith O’Briens), Liam Hart (0-1) (Ogonelloe), Sam Loughran(0-1) (Ballina), Evan Connolly (0-2) (Smith O’Briens), Dylan McMahon(0-7 (4frees)) (Clonlara)(Capt.), CathalMcKeogh(1-0) (Ogonelloe), Robbie Breen (Ballina), Dara King (0-1) (Ballina), David Boland (0-1) (Broadford), Conor Power(0-2) (Ballina), Dean Lawlor (Smith O’Briens).

Substitutes: Luke Kennedy (Ballina) for Robbie Breen (50min.), Darragh Moloney (Smith O’Briens) for Dean Lawlor (50min.) Alex Mason (Broadford), James Power (Ballina), Niall Helebert (Ballina), Aaron Conlon (Clonlara), Glenn Jones (Ahane), Adam Moloney (Smith O’Briens), Michael McMahon (Ballina), Conor Conway (Smith O’Briens), Nathan Kenny (Smith O’Briens), Cian Commins (Ballina), Joe Howard (Clonlara), Cian McLoughlin (Smith O’Briens), Martin Howard (Clonlara), Evan Coleman (Ballina).

Referee: Eamonn Phelan.

Clare County Library’s annual Teen Week saw a diverse and enjoyable programme of events delivered to teenagers in Ennis, Scariff and Killaloe libraries during the second week in April. As well as the variety of events taking place, the students from the County were also given the opportunity to enter various competitions in creative writing.

Award-winning author Sheena Wilkinson was on hand on the night to give out the prizes to the winning students in the different categories.

Brooklyn Bond (4th Year) and Noreen Kennedy (2nd Year) were joint runners up in the County Poetry Competition.

Áine Rainford (1st Year) was the winner of the creative writing competition. All prize winners read their poems and prose writing for an audience of fellow students, teachers and parents in what was a most enjoyable event for all present on the evening.

Congratulations to all the students who entered the competitions and a thank you to their English teachers, Ms. Shanahan, Ms. Noonan, Ms. Murphy and Ms. O’Brien for mentoring the students.

 Áine’s Creative Writing Piece:

May 1916

Dear Diary,

This journal thing is a wee bit strange. I was just thinking (although it was a student who suggested that I should writing a jorunal) I never really have gotten the hang of it.

I would like to say I have benefited from this writing experiment, but that’s up to wee Helen and her mother to decide.

It’s been a few weeks since the rising.

There is a thought at the back of my mind and it’s been there all week. I feel I must write about it; Michael.

We are all very worried about him.

After Helen went on her wee adventure to Derryward, she came down on the train (the following Monday) with Michael.

I managed to sneak in a wee conversation with Michael the night before he went back to the front.

We sat, cheeks blushed from the burning fire beside us, and we talked and talked.

“Uncle James.” He sighed, “I don’t know what I’m to do.”

He was scared and felt guilty, as any one in the lad’s situation would have felt.

He took a deep breath. Then Michael spilled his heart out…

He killed a man. Not even a man, a boy. Though he had no choice. An order is an order.

I was glad that he had told me.

Michael and I had always clicked, even when he was a wee lad.

When Sean was not behaving himself, or having a moment, Michael would always have a place at our house to stay if he needed it.

It was important he could tell me these things.

If not me, who?

Helen? Maybe.

Though he should be able to talk to me like a papa.

His own papa wouldn’t talk to him.

After our talk, Michael stood up slowly, hands on his knees.

As he started walking towards the door on his way to bed, he tripped over a ruffle in the rug and fell on his knee awkwardly. He jumped up without a bother on him. All that training, I thought.

He had cut his knee. It had started to bleed. He stumbled to the kitchen, trying to avoid getting blood on the tiles. He got some tissues, and pressed hard on his cut.

He was grand, but what surprised me was his reply after I asked him if he was okay.

He said simply,

“It hurt more than I expected. Less than I deserved.”

He looked at me with a meaningful expression before walking off to bed.

He was thinking very hard about something.

Something worse than a sore knee.

We both knew it.

An inner demon? All of his sins? A dead boy lying in a pool of his own blood by the GPO?

I just hope the lad can forgive himself, or by god we’ll all be sinners.

On a compeltely different note…

I have been thinking of Helen a lot lately. Sometimes I think she might feel as though she is playing a giant game of tug of war, Helen being the rope.

Family, friends, parents, cousins, you could say, all on different sides.

Pulling.

Tuggling.

Winning.

I cycled to my dear pal, also a teacher, in Newcastle on Good Friday.

We talked a lot about education for girls and jobs and that kind of stuff.

Helen kept on popping into my mind, as she is fourteen now.

I want Helen to become everything and anything she wants to be.

I hate to see such clever children throwing their futures to waste, going to the mill, or the shipyard at such a young age.

I do hope Helen will go to Belfast Collegiate. I am really trying to encourage all my students to go to college.

Okay, I think that’s enough for today.

I must go now, I really should write more often. I’m happy to say I do find joy in writing this. In these dreadful rebellious days you can’t tell anyone anything without the worry of them snitching. When I write, I feel as if I’m telling someone.

It’s… comforting.

Talk soon,

James.

Helen just walked into my office. She offered me a cuppa.

She really has grown up this past year.

Sometimes I forget she’s only fourteen…

St. Anne’s Community College U 15 Hurling team have reached the Munster PPS final yesterday after beating St. Joseph’s,  Borrisoleigh with a score line of 1-17 to 2-5. The boys were impressive in the match with a great performances by many of the players. The team have been training hard all year and will be looking forward to the final next week.