Sixth Year Graduation Day May 9th 2024
Thirty Two Leaving Cert students attended their graduation ceremony in St. Marks on Thursday May 9th.
The ceremony was very well organised and Deputy Principal Cathriona O’Sullivan was an excellent master of ceremonies. The ceremony featured input from students, parents and teachers including a ceremony of light, speeches and music.
The PPU would like to wish all of the students every success as they embark on the incredible adventure that lies ahead of them.
As I said above, there were many parents of the students present in St. Marks. There were also a few grandparents including myself (Jim Conway, class of 62) to witness my grandson, Euan Ryan, graduate. It was a very nostalgic moment for me as I thought back to the June day in 1962 when I left the ROW. I remarked to Kate Byrne, School Principal, that there were no graduation ceremonies in those days and it felt that we were being thrown out into a difficult environment where jobs were scarce and we had to “sink or swim”
Euan Ryan (class of 2024) grandson of Jim Conway (class of 1962)
School Prizes Presentation May 22nd 2024
The school students and teachers as well as representatives of the PPU gathered in St Marks on Wednesday May 22nd for the annual prize presentation ceremony. The PPU was absent from this ceremony during the Covid years but was pleased to reconnect with it this year and to present the Students of the Year awards. We were ably represented by John Cullen and Brian Duncan for what was a very enjoyable occasion.
There were three awards for each class – Best Pupil, Most Improved Pupil and, most notably, the Pupil who best demonstrated the values of Blessed Edmund Rice. All the award winners and the teachers were acknowledged by the audience with enthusiastic applause. As is noted on the school website, the school provides a wide range of extra curricular and sports activities, and pupils who participated in these activities were presented with individual certificates to acknowledge their achievements.
After a period during which, because of low pupil numbers, there was little sporting activity, it is worth noting that participation in inter schools’ sports is back, even if it is in sports, which were known in the “old days” as “ foreign games”. The girls junior tag rugby team won a junior inter schools team award. Coaching is provided by Rugby Ireland and the current coach is Maz Reilly who has played on the Irish international team. The boys also had success, winning an inter schools shield and reaching another final. John Cullen was disappointed that there was not a hurley to be seen! Other sports activities include chess and pool. Hopefully, we will have another Ken Doherty in the future.
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of the Leaving Certificate Student of the Year awards. These awards are sponsored by the Past Pupils Union. In making the presentations Brian said that John and himself had left the school 60 years ago and still have happy memories of their school days and friendships made that lasted down the years. This was a particularly nostalgic occasion for Brian as he was the recipient of Student of the Year award in 1964. Back in those days it was called An Mir Sciath (the Merit Shield). On behalf of the PPU Brian wished those leaving the school this year every success in the Leaving Cert and in their future lives.
The award for the Leaving Certificate Student of the Year went to Keira Joy Cabamungan and the award for the Leaving Certificate Applied went to Saoirse Sheridan.
Below are a few photos of the prize ceremony 2024 style!
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