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Transition Year End of Term Report

One might assume Transition Year slows down in the final term but, if anything, our TY pupils seem busier than ever and more eager to “end on a high”. There have been plenty for pupils to engage with this term in sport, academics, physical challenges, career exploration, skill development and more.

Many of the TY pupils took part in a 50km hike over 3 days, along the Wicklow Way, completing their physical challenge for their Gaisce President’s Award. There were visiting speakers, including Conor Harris who spoke to them honestly about his battle with drug addiction. Parents and Old Columbans took part in the annual Careers Evening, allowing TY pupils speak with professionals from a range of career areas; there was a focus this year on speakers who have taken unconventional career paths (many thanks to the Parents’ Association for their support). Some TY pupils visiting Maynooth University’s impressive TV studio and experienced producing, recording and editing their own talk show. There was a trip to Dun Laoghaire for water sports before touring Dublin with the Viking Splash tour. Back on campus, pupils learned how to make (and savour) Italian style pizza, develop their circus skills, practice driving cars and even learned how to safely ride e-scooters and Segways.

The final term is also an opportunity to showcase and reflect on their academic endeavours. The Transition Year Academic Prize saw seven TY pupils present on a topic of their choice. Daniel Moran was crowned the winner by guest judge and former teacher Mr Peter McCarthy for his presentation on …. . The Transition Year Modern Language evening took place in Trinity College; congratulations to Johann Diemert who took home the Alyn-Stacey Cup for Modern Languages after his fantastic presentation on the artist Banksy. Their accomplishments in English were celebrated during the Transition Year English Evening, held earlier this week, with eight pupils reading their work; congratulations to the pupils who achieved premier grades in English this year.

Last night, the final Transition Year presentation evening took place with a series of awards distributed, including the coveted ‘Spirit of Transition Year Award’, which went to Henry Clements. Next week, some TY pupils will head west to Achill Island for a few days of adventure and, after that, a small crew will finish off the year with Drama Week, where the ambition is to write, direct, build a set and perform an original play or musical in just five days.

Many thanks to Ms Lisa Lynch and her team of helpers for building a phenomenal Transition Year programme. Ms Lynch moves onto a new challenge next year, as Housemistress of Hollypark, with Mr Keith Ryan taking over as Transition Year Co-ordinator.

Transition Year 2024-2025
Transition Year 2024-2025
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Transition Year Awards 2025

Last night, the final Transition Year Presentation Evening took place in Whispering House. It’s always a lovely evening as this year’s Transition Year pupils get a chance to reflect on their achievements, experiences and growth since last September. Congratulations to the following pupils who were presented with subject awards, recognising their academic excellence (main photo). Two additional awards were also presented: the ‘College Values Award‘ goes to the pupil who best represents the College values in TY while the ‘Spirit of Transition Year Award‘ is awarded to the pupil who best embraced the philosophy and objectives of TY.

Art – Harry Bowles

Geography and Chemistry – Lexi Hunter

Mathematics, Physics and Computer Studies – Jason Wong

French – Johann Diemert

Spanish – Giulia Soddu

Biology, Classical Studies and College Values Award for Determination – Hugo Russell Connolly

English – Anna Hart

Business – David Cron

Economics – Violeta Mykhalova

Irish – Daniel Passmore

History – Arthur Morphew

Design – Amelie Loehr

Music – Alice McCarthy

Spirit of Transition Year – Henry Clements

Those award winners are pictures above. Ms Lynch, the Transition Year Co-ordinator, acknowledged the pupils who took Early University Entrance courses in DCU throughout the year- Hugo Russell Connolly, Daniel Passmore, Jack-Francis McKeon, William Dai, Harry Hone, Alice Castagna, Ethan Robertson, Zach Kelly, Issac Fang, Sam Germaine, Lexi Hunter. Congratulations also to to Anna Hart and Charlie Clements for their week at the Royal College of Surgeons, and to Ferdia Murray for completing the Look Into Law programme.

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Leadership Awards 2025

Leadership Awards were presented to 14 pupils in chapel this morning, recognising their exemplary leadership shown across various aspects of College life – in sport, music, drama, in house and around the campus. Over 150 nominations were received, from both pupils and staff, with the Warden finally deciding on those pupils who have exemplified the College values (Kindness, Inclusion, Compassion, Determination and Responsibility) in all they do.

This year’s recipients were: Joshua Cron, Archie Moffett, Daniela Casasus-Benetiz, Ciara Roets, Zoe Houlihan, Harry Casey, Alice McCarthy, Kae Ren Ng, Naoise Bradley-Brady, Philomena Schneider, Melina Paulsen, Alison Wang, Shannon Walker-Kinsella and Elliot Warnock.

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Transition Year English Evening 2025

This week we had the 30th Transition Year English Evening, the longest-established TY event in the College. It was planned primarily as a celebration of pupil work across the year, with an external guest speaker. There is no competitive element.

This year we were delighted to welcome back a former teacher, Mr Paul Reidy, who has been working at St Andrew’s College in Booterstown for 26 years, where he is head of Senior Cycle English. The event was compèred by Mr Kirwan.

There were eight readers of their work from the four sets; Mr Reidy’s comments on them follow each in brackets. Anna Hart kicked off with a narrative piece called ‘The Watcher’ (full of atmosphere and detail, tense and capturing fear very well, with a twist at the end). She was followed by Kayra Mbanefo with ‘The City That Dreams’ (a vivid phrase in the description was ‘like brushstrokes on a canvas’). Third was Issac Fang with ‘The Hidden Book’, a dense and interesting piece on body/mind (intriguing, getting across the thoughts of a teeming brain). As a total contrast, Isobel McKinley wrote ‘Testimonies’, an honest and personal piece about her relationship with religion (writing about character growth in a way which was gently wise).

Lexi Hunter’s ‘Underwater’ was a highly descriptive essay (very well written, with a strong sense of colour and cinematic). Alice Castagna’s ‘The Pulse of the Unknown’ on her time in London was next (a strong sense of nostalgia, and very good on the sounds and smells of the city), followed by Alice McCarthy with ‘Animal Farm at School’ (a version of the novel which was very humorous, with a touch of Lord of the Flies). Finally, Ferdia Murray provoked lots of laughter with ‘My First Love’, which started with lots of suggestive images which revealed themselves as references to his air fryer (very funny).

Mr Reidy then spoke a little about his time in the College from 1994 to 1996, his moving on to work for Concern in Rwanda, and then his return to teaching, which has become his career. It is indeed, he stated, a privilege to be a teacher, helping children learn. He concluded by reading out the names of the pupils who were awarded Premier grades this year, 



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Voices of Poetry 2025

As happens annually, and has done for about 40 years since former Head of English Mr John Fanagan initiated the event, Voices of Poetry took place on Sunday evening, the last major event in the BSR of the school year.

And as happens annually, many pupils and a handful of staff read or recited short poems in a variety of languages under a single spotlight in a darkened hall. It is a moment for attention and listening, a pause in the busy-ness of school life, and a celebration of our diversity. Mr Girdham presented the evening and introduced the speakers.

Violeta Mykhalova opened confidently with a Ukrainian poem about summer, appropriately as the holidays get close. An utterly different language is Akrikaans: Kasimir zu Bentheim used to live in South Africa and so read a piece in that language.

The first English poem of the evening was in ‘American’, in the extraordinary style of the great Emily Dickinson, ‘Hope is the thing with feathers’. Moving much further South, Spanish as spoken in Mexico was represented by Eleazar Reygadas Lopez, who read a piece by the 1990 Mexican winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Octavio Paz.

That variety continued in the first poem of the evening in Mandarin Chinese, recited vividly by Rachel Jiang, and it was further emphasised in Polish by Marianna O’Shaughnessy in a piece by another Nobel Prize-winner, Wisława Szymborska.

As Mr Girdham pointed out, it takes some courage to compose and then read out in such an arena your own words, and Nia Jessup was the first of the pupils to do so, with her poem ‘The Wish I Regret‘.

European languages came next, starting with Anna McGrath (French), Allegra Caccia (Montale in Italian), Otto Dalwigk (Bavarian dialect) and Carola Moreno (Spanish). The second composer-reader was Delia Brady, with ‘The Green Island‘, about her family’s relationship to the Irish Famine of the 1840s. Irish was represented by Fleur Green. Then the third composer-reader was Finn Woolsey, who read an affecting personal poem about a friend, ‘Petals in the Wind’.

Four First Formers read short poems: Daniela Casasus Benitez (Spanish), Ella Girdham (German: ‘Wir’ by Irmela Brender), Fiona Zhong and Ada Yutong (both Mandarin). Jason Otolorin returned us to English, with Ian Duhig’s ‘From the Irish’.

The Junior Poetry Prize was this year won by Suvi-Helene Cully, and Mr Kirwan read out her winning poem ‘When the Storm Comes’. As usual, the Warden recited a poem from the store of works he has learned off by heart, this time Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’. Then Mr Canning announced the winner of this year’s Peter Dix Memorial Prize for Poetry, Stella Borrowdale, whose prize-winning poem ‘Penelope‘ (one of a portfolio) he read out.

Finally, Senior Prefect Harry Smith Huskinson closed proceedings with Sylvia Plath’s ‘Song for a Summer’s Day’, which he had read at his mother’s wedding. This echoed the opening poem of the night: another about summer, and its lovely image ‘Sunday’s honey-air’, a perfect note on which to end.                                

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Sports Day 2025

The annual Sports Day took place last Saturday with hundreds of pupils taking place in a wide variety of track and field, skills-based and novelty sports, all in an effort to be crowned the winning team. That honour this year fell to the Green Team, who won the closest competition in recent year with a hard fought victory in the tug of war. Sports Day always brings brilliant colour, positive energy and loud cheers and laughter to the campus and this year was no exception. The weather – a mixture of sunshine and showers – brought a level of unpredictability but it was a fantastic day overall. Many thanks to Mr Havenga and Ms M Carey for organising the day, the team of teachers and coaches who ran the events, the brilliant Form V captains for rallying their troops and to every pupil who took part. Many thanks also to Rev Owen for this brilliant photography, which captured the competitive fun throughout the day.

Sports Day 2025
Sports Day 2025
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Sports Dinner & Awards 2025

Mr Canning report on the recent Sports Dinner and Awards 2025.

Last Saturday, the annual Sports Dinner celebrated the year’s sporting successes and acknowledged the Senior pupils’  contributions to the College’s traditional team sports. The guest speaker for the evening was Arul Anthoni Selvaraj. We were also joined by Gedinka Fair, who we thanked for her thirty years of coaching service to College hockey and athletics.

Mr Canning, our Head of Sport, spoke about the importance of team sport in the College and congratulated the pupils after amazing seasons across all codes. He also celebrated pupils’ successes in their more specialised individual areas.   This year has been phenomenally successful in terms of teams in a wide variety of sports in both the Junior and Senior schools. It was fantastic to see trophies and cups from successful rugby and cricket campaigns, with teams losing narrowly in five hockey finals.

Our Arul Anthoni Selvaraj talked about his experience as a Malaysian hockey international, capped 85 times, before retiring to follow his coaching vocation. Like all sportsmen, he had low points, one being dropped for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but bouncing back with a career highlight of playing in the 1998 Men’s World Cup.

His coaching career is extensive, being the South African and Irish Assistant Coach, as well as being the Malaysian Head Coach for four years until he returned to Ireland last year to be with his family; who had been growing up in Ireland when his job or vocation meant he was away for long chunks of time.

He shared his non-negotiable coaching principles with us. These included: the journey between coach and player as one of sharing, planning and understanding. He said he believed in making things happen and that talent must be harnessed to a determined and resilient attitude.

Awards

Girls’ Hockey Club Person of the Year: Cecile Mellenthin

The Cloister Dash: Boys – Archie Monaghan. Girls – Molly Mann

The Mountain Run Challenge: Boys: Daniel Moran. Girls: Alannah McCoole College sports

Sports Colours

A highlight of the evening is the awarding of “Colours” to pupils who have excelled in every measure on the sports field. Pupils who receive “Colours” have excellent ability and attitude, are committed on and off the playing field, play and practise with consistency, are reliable, resilient and courageous, are leaders or soldiers on their teams, are selfless and put others before themselves. They are true team players. The boys get ties and the girls a necklace and pendant inscribed “SCC in ludo excellentia”.

Twenty “Colours” were awarded to the following pupils for the 2024-2025 academic year:

Athletics: Archie Monaghan

Girls’ Basketball: AJ Ediale, Molly Mann, Holly Murray.

Boys’ Cricket: Sebastian Dijkstra, Harry St Leger

Girls’ Cricket: Sophie Pollock, Safia Walker

Boys’ Hockey: Harry St Leger, Elliot Warnock, Harry Smith-Huskinson.

Girls’ Hockey: Ayodeji Ediale, Molly Mann, Holly Murray.

Rugby: Pelayo Avello Caso, David Chukwueke, Gavin O’Dowd, Rory O’Dowd, Ryan Ovenden, George Priestley.

Sports Persons of the Year

do not always give this award. The reason is that we have a standard, and that standard needs to be met for it to be awarded.

This year, we were fortunate to have a real debate over our Sportspersons of the Year, with three outstanding girls in contention—Ayodeji Ediale, Molly Mann, and Holly Murray. All three have proudly represented the school across our major traditional sports, playing key roles in basketball matches, both hockey finals and the cricket final. Choosing between them was incredibly difficult. In the end, we recognised someone who has not only excelled on the field but also been a passionate ambassador for sport in the school. She’s played on every senior team, inspired her teammates with infectious enthusiasm, and never hesitates in voicing how much she cares.

When considering the boys, we had several strong candidates, but our main debate came down to last year’s joint winners: Sebastian Dijkstra and Harry St. Leger. Both are exceptional athletes—natural talents in hockey and cricket, with great enthusiasm and commitment. In the end, it was Harry St. Leger who edged ahead. After suffering a horrific injury – a severely broken jaw requiring wiring and multiple operations – he showed extraordinary determination to recover; a true example of resilience in the modern era, a core college value, truly stood out. Remarkably, Harry returned not just to play but to excel. He represented Ireland’s Men’s Development Squad at an indoor hockey tournament in Denmark and has also been selected for the Irish U21 outdoor training squad, aiming for the World Cup in India, both phenomenal achievements.

Sports Persons of the Year: Holly Murray and Harry St Leger.

Team of the Year:

The three main contenders for this award were Girls’ Cricket, Girls’ Hockey and Boys’ Rugby. The girls’ cricket team won their Cup at the highest school provincial level for the first time since 2006. Balancing that their season was very short, an eighteen-day, four-match one.

It then came down to the Boys’ Rugby Team winning their McKinley Cup League or the Girls’ hockey team, who were promoted last year and lost both their League final and Cup at that higher level this year. There is no doubt that both teams were extraordinarily committed. The girls edged it for performing so well on the back of the promotion. They played 20 fixtures, losing two finals at what is realistically the top level a school like ours can currently play at. It is no accident that almost the same group of girls carried their resolve, commitment and character into the winning cricket season.

Team of the Year: The Girls’ Hockey Team (for the first time since the 2015/16 season)

Sports Dinner 2025
Sports Dinner 2025
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Junior Public Speaking Competition 2025

The Junior Public Speaking Competition at the end of May each year is part of a continuum of public speaking opportunities which our pupils have, and which help them build confidence and fluency. This starts in the First Form competition in front of their peers in English class, and includes the Transition Year House Speeches and House debating. ‘Oracy’ is the technical educational term: before long, reforms in the Leaving Certificate English course mean that candidates will need to talk to external examiners about literary texts.

Judging by this year’s competition, when the pupils reach that year, they will have no problems. Building on their oral Classroom Based Assessments, eight Second Formers spoke in the Big Schoolroom on the evening of Saturday 24th May on a great variety of topics, and did so very well (and several without any notes). Mr Girdham was the judge; he asked each speaker a question or two after their piece.

Zora O’Rourke was first, making a provocative argument that we should reinstate corporal punishment. As she admitted, she doesn’t really believe this, but she made the audience sit up at the start and think. Emily Su also provoked thinking, as she imagined what it would be like if we never had to speak. She pointed out that we spend about a third of our lives asleep, and this might seem a waste of time. But, of course, the benefits of sleep are considerable, and life without it would be impossible. Next was Marianna O’Shaughnessy, who gave a vivid and detailed account of her great-aunt Helena Pyz, who despite disability has achieved a huge amount in her work in India – certainly, a life well lived. ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’ is also something which could disable a life, and Mirella Pelly explained clearly this complicated and distressing condition.

The second half of speakers was headed by Maureen Deng, whose ‘The benefits of space travel’ contained several quirky scientific facts. She was followed by Bosco Quesada Torrejon on ‘The Power of Small Habits’, those little things which make life that little bit easier, but which also can have negative effects. Then Laurence Sun gave a comprehensive and mostly positive account of the effects of Artificial Intelligence, including possible job displacement. Finally, Georgia Dobbs addressed the matter of teenage girls and sport; her clearly-delivered speech was well-structured and used her own experience effectively.

The winner was Laurence Sun for his polished and knowledgeable address; all other speakers impressed in what was a pleasing evening.

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Foundation Event, London 2025

The College Foundation hosted a wonderful event in a private members club in London last week, with Old Columbans (young and old) coming together to share their stories, celebrate their connection to St. Columba’s and find out about the Foundation’s exciting plans for school development in the years to come.

Foundation Event - London May 2025
Foundation Event – London May 2025
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ASTI award for Mr Jones

Many congratulations to our Head of Science, Mr Jones, on his Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland Achievement Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to education.

In the words of the ASTI:
“Humphrey Jones is a teacher of science, biology, and agricultural science, as well as a career guidance counsellor at St. Columba’s College in Dublin. As Chairperson of the Irish Science Teachers’ Association, Humphrey has established an extensive professional learning community for science teachers in Ireland using WhatsApp, enabling fellow teachers to come together and share best practices and support each other’s professional growth as well as student learning. This has been very successful and the initiative now has a membership of over 1,000 participants contributing to over 30 groups. He hopes that the professional learning communities will translate to more in-person events furthering collaboration and sharing of ideas amongst teachers.

In addition to this, Humphrey is one of the main organisers of ResearchEd Ireland. ResearchEd conferences are organised all over the world by practising teachers. Ireland has held two ResearchEd conferences, both hosted by Humphrey’s own school. These have attracted speakers that are internationally renowned educationalists from all over the world, providing opportunities for teachers in Ireland to update themselves on international best practice.

The Annual ASTI Achievement Awards recognise and celebrate teachers’ contributions both in and out of the classroom and their impact on young people’s lives.”

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Mountain Race 2025

The 2025 College Mountain Race from above the Kilmashogue car park to the Ticknock gate entrance and back attracted twenty two runners. The race was dominated by Transition Year participants. No new records were set but very respectable times were recorded on this 8 kilometre up and down race.

Daniel Moran was the winner in 31 minutes 35 seconds, pressed hard by Kae Ren Loh in 31 minutes and 55 seconds, with marathon runner Archie McKeever taking third place in 33 minutes 55 seconds. Alannah McCoole won the girls’ trophy for the second consecutive year in 37 minutes and 12 seconds (1 minute 32 seconds shy of the record she set last year).

We say goodbye to Sixth Form ‘Mountain Run’ faithfuls participating for their third time: Jamie Casey, Archie McKeever, and George Priestley.

Mountain Race 2025
Mountain Race 2025
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St. Columba’s Senior Girls Win Cricket Final

Congratulations to the Senior Girls Cricket XI who have won the Cricket Leinster Schools Senior Girls final, defeating a strong Wesley side in the final at Railway Union. This was the first time St. Columba’s have won this trophy since 2006.

Wesley opened the batting scoring 155 runs despite some excellent St. Columba’s fielding. AJ Ediale took three wickets, Molly Mann two wickets, Sophie Pollock also took two while Safia Walker nabbed another.

As they began the chase, St. Columba’s lost an early wicket but rallied with Safia Walker scoring 44 runs and Sophie Pollock 30. Hollie Murray came in at number four, scoring a hard hitting 42 unbeaten runs to secure victory with an over to spare. Safia Walker was awarded the Player of the Match Award. Congratulations to all the players and their coaches.

It was a poignant win for St. Columba’s. As a small school, it isn’t surprising to learn that most of the team were involved in two hockey finals, in both league and cup, earlier in the season and sadly lost both, so it was fantastic to see them achieve success after working so hard all year, across multiple codes.

Senior Girls Cricket Final
Senior Girls Cricket Final
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Lionel Munn Trophy 2025 Round Up

Last Friday (May 16th), forty eight young 5th and 6th Class golfers from twelve local National Schools excitedly assembled outside the Kilmashogue Golf Club clubhouse on the St. Columba’s College nine hole course. Despite the organisers’ intention of this being a fun filled occasion; the positive but nervous energy was evident from both participants and parents. It was great to see young like minded people playing competitively on a sun soaked day; sharing a fun, camaraderie and competition while making new connections.

The Lionel Munn trophy goes to the two person team with the best combined nine hole better ball gross score.

This year was again closely competitive, with four representatives from Rathfarnham Parish National School scooping up the top two places. The Lionel Munn Trophy went to Max Correll and George Campbell with a combined gross score of 39 (3 over par); second place went to their classmates Matthew Gill and Jamie Mulhall with a score of 42 (6 over par). We were delighted for Max Correll, who was participating for the third time in the event.

Max Correll and George Campbell, photographed with the Warden Mark Boobbyer.

Very well done to all participating schools and players; their parents, accompanying teachers and the well maintained and conditioned St. Columba’s golf course. Thank you also to Kilmashogue Golf Club for facilitating this competition and the use of their clubhouse facilities. The accompanying teachers and parents certainly deserve a mention as they are the ones who take on the tasks of driving, waiting around and supporting their young charges and children.

The day would not have been possible without the administrative input of Lorna Wynne. I would also like to thank all our college student academy members for guiding our visitors around the course, as well as Mr Glutz and our resident PGA professional, Josh Adams for helping make the day a relaxed but organised environment. Also, thank you to the Warden for presenting the prizes.

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Columba’s Carnival

The first ‘Columba’s Carnival’ took place in glorious sunshine on Saturday, May 17th. The event was organised by the Pupils’ Council, with support from the Parents’ Association, and saw pupils (and even some staff) taking part in a range of fun activities near the cricket pitch. There was live music, a charity raffle, face painting, novelty games, an ice-cream truck, tasty crepes and even a “slip ‘n slide”. Everyone got in the spirit of the event and the weather played its part too. Many thanks to the Pupils’ Council for their vision and organisation, and the Parents’ Association for their support too. Hopefully, the ‘Carnival’ will be an annual event.

SCC Carnival 2025
SCC Carnival 2025
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Grace Cup Lunch 2025

Our annual Grace Cup Lunch was held on Wednesday 14th May 2025 at the College. This year the guest list was to Old Columbans who entered the College on or before 1974. Some had not have visited the College for many years. Again this year, we were bathed in sunshine!

The Warden, Mrs. Sarah Love, Chair of the Fellows, and Roisin Mills, President of the Old Columban Society, welcomed guests. Many thanks, again, to Michael Essame OC for taking these photos – a lovely record of the event.

Grace Cup Lunch 2025
Grace Cup Lunch 2025
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Careers Evening 2025

We are thankful to the parents, Old Columbans and friends of the College who spoke at the recent Careers Evening for Transition Year and Form V pupils. The year’s speakers, assembled with the help of the Parents’ Association, all came from diverse careers areas and many would claim an unconventional route to their current role. Pupils rotated between speakers, engaging in a more intimate form of discussion. Later, all speakers and pupils reassembled in the BSR for a question and answer session. We are thankful to the parents who volunteered to supervise the sessions and to the pupils for engaging so positively in the event.  This year’s speakers included: Sophie Warnock, Áine Denn, Michael O’Brien, Nicole Cosgrove, Richard Morphew, Billy Sweetman, Ally Bunbury, Sarah O’Neill, David Lynch, Astrid Casanave.

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