27 April 2018
Camogie Blitz
On Tuesday, 17 May a panel of twelve 5th year camogie players travelled to D.C.U. to take part in their All-Ireland 7-aside blitz day. The girls played Loreto Kilkenny’s second team in their first game and beat them on a scoreline of 11-6 in this ‘goals only’ competition. They then faced Grennan College and found them physically tough but the goals kept coming for us and we won 11-4. Finally we faced a must-win match in order to avoid a quarter-final and qualify straight into the semi-final. The girls took on Castleknock with absolute conviction winning 17-4 and came away having topped their group.
A thrilling play-off between Presentation Kilkenny and Loreto Kilkenny saw the match go to penalties before the Presentation slotted a goal and became our opponents in the semi final. The girls got an early run on them and with the slight benefit of having not played a quarter final, the girls won on a healthy scoreline of 18-3.
Finally Loreto Kilkenny’s first team were the ones to beat in the final. Half-time saw the teams on five goals apiece but unfortunately our girls’ legs tired a bit heading into the second half and, one hour and forty minutes of camogie later, with just seven girls covering the field at any one time, the girls were defeated 10-8. A fantastic day of camogie and the girls were simply brilliant.
The panel included: Mikaela Lannigan, Anna Hennessy, Niamh Dunne, Caitlin O’ Carroll, Ciara O’ Connor, Ella O’ Connor, Sarah Harding-Kenny, Rachel Bennett, Lettie Whelan, Anna Mulligan, Fiona Kelly and Aine Coleman – picture below.
Poetry Award
1st student Sinead O’ Reilly (1.4) recently came first in the Trocaire Poetry Ireland competition. She was selected from hundreds of entries and topped the 1st-3rd year category to win a kindle and a story-telling prize for the school. Her poem ‘The Olive Tree’ will be published in a number of booklets that will be circulated at various cultural events throughout Ireland.
The Olive Tree
He gazes out the window
Through the shattered glass,
The tree of his childhood
Jagged and broken.
He remembers picking olives with his father
In the warm evening sun.
A distant boom jolts him back to reality.
This town is a ghost town.
Grey shadows slink silently through the rubble,
One eye on the ground, the other on the sky.
A broken people
In this town wrecked by war.
One day this will end.
A new tree will grow
And he will pick olives again.
2.1 CSPE Action Project 2018 – Report by Clíodhna Creane and Hollie Audsley
Our class set off on our CSPE trip on Thursday, 16 March 2018. We visited the new Garda Station and the new Courthouse.
We departed from school at 9:30 a.m. and headed to the Garda station first. We were accompanied by Ms. O’ Reilly and Mr. Mc Ginnity.
We arrived safely at the Garda station and met Garda Murphy who would be showing us around for the day. Garda Murphy introduced himself and explained to everyone how the tour was going to be carried out. We started our journey on the ground floor and worked our way up.
Garda Murphy showed us the different rooms and explained what was carried out in the various rooms. One lady invited us in to her office and she told us about the importance of what you say and do online. She explained how messages you send to a person can be tracked down and can be viewed by her. Even if you think you’ve deleted nasty messages, all those things are really still there.
The whole class was brought into the conference room. This is where the Gardaí sit down and discuss certain topics. The Questioning Committee prepared questions for Garda Murphy to answer.
One room that was interesting to most students was the camera room. There were several computers displayed around the room, linked to security cameras. On each computer, we could see live camera footage from inside, outside the station, and from some parts of Wexford town.
The Garda then brought us to the most exciting area, the prisoner cells. At the start of the tour, we weren’t allowed to visit the cells, as there were still two prisoners inside. We were warned not to touch the blue strips that lined the side of the walls. This would set off an alarm if, for example, a Garda was struggling with a prisoner and bumped into the blue strip. This was the signal for another Garda to come and help. The cell consisted of cushioned, foamed, bed-like mats with a blanket folded on top. In the corner, there was a built in toilet in the floor. Some students were confused as to what “that thing in the corner” was for!
After this, the Garda brought us out to a tiny courtyard. We were told that if a prisoner was to be kept in the cells for more than a week he/she would have to be taken out to the courtyard for fresh air and exercise. The courtyard had high walls and a metal wire at the top to let the air in.
When we were finished in the courtyard, the Garda took us to see a Garda van! He opened the back doors of the van and let us inside. The inside was separated by a black, metal mesh panel and inside the van was tiny. Most people couldn’t even stand up straight and it was very claustrophobic.
After the Garda station, we proceeded on our journey to the new Courthouse. We walked there, eating our lunch on the way. When we arrived, Caitriona greeted us in the dazzling new foyer. We were told that the hearings only take place in the Wexford Courthouse on Monday and Tuesday and, therefore, we were unable to see one (as we were there on a Thursday). She also told us that we were the first people to have an official tour of the new Courthouse.
After our brief meeting in the foyer, we were led upstairs to the area in which all of the courtrooms were. We were told that there were two courtrooms in the vicinity, one of which facilitated a 12-person jury and the other, which did not. We were allowed to see both rooms, but we spent the most time in the courtroom with seats for a jury. In this room we all got to sit in the areas where the prisoner, judge, solicitors, barristers, etc. sit during a court meeting. The tour guide showed us all the new technology that they did not have access to in the old Courthouse. For example, they can now call different prisons live during hearings all over the country, so the prisoners do not have to be transported to the Courthouse for hearings.
When we were finished in the courtrooms, we were taken to the judges’ office. We were told that sometimes, in the case of a small, closed court case, the judge would carry out the meeting in his/her office.
We were now finished with our wonderful tour of both the brand new Garda station and the brand new Courthouse. It is safe to say we all had a fabulous and interesting trip!
We would like to say a huge thank you to Mr. Mc Ginnity and Ms. O’ Reilly for accompanying us on our trip and to both of our tour guides on the day.
Spring General Meeting of Parents
A well – attended meeting in the school on Monday, 16 April heard reports on a range of issues from Mr. O’ Shea, Ms. O’ Reilly and Mr. McGinnity, as well as two 5th year students, Beth Powell and Ava Grant, who gave an inspiring talk on student activities in the school.
The powerpoint presentation used at the meeting is available here.
The National Inter Schools Show Jumping Championships
Congratulations to Eimear Jackman and her pony Imperial Imp coming 6th place in The National Inter Schools Show Jumping Championships in Mullingar Equestrian Centre on Sunday 15th April 2018 representing Loreto Wexford.
2nd Hand Book Drive
1st year students will hold a collection for 2nd hand books for our new school library from Tuesday, 8 May to Friday, 11 May every morning in the foyer.
Books must be in very good condition, age appropriate and can be fiction or non-fiction.
