THE BELVEDERE NEWS
IN THIS ISSUE
BELVEDERE BEAT
FEATURES
DEVELOPMENT
UNION
PARENTS ASSOCIATION
Winter Edition | 2015
AMDG
A WORD FROM THE HEADMASTER
(1-12)
(13-19)
(20-21)
(22-23)
(24)
“Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy. These
words might well sum up the mystery of the
Christian faith.” “Misericordiae Vultus” (“The
Face of Mercy”)
In the document I have quoted from above,
Pope Francis says the Holy Year is “dedicated
to living out in our daily lives the mercy” which
God “constantly extends to all of us.” He also
notes that both Judaism and Islam “consider
mercy to be one of God’s most important
attributes.” And he expresses “trust that this
Jubilee… will foster an encounter” with these
and other religions that will “open us to even
more fervent dialogue” toward greater knowledge
and understanding, “eliminate every form of
closed-mindedness and disrespect and drive
out every form of violence and discrimination.”
This is an important message as we celebrate
Christmas and give thanks for the many gifts
we are able to give and thanks for those we
receive. In an age of terrorism, it’s easy to
make judgments about people of other races
and religion. Only when the image of a child
washed up on a distant shore are we shocked
into the realisation that “refugee” is not some
category that makes it easier for us to forget
that each refugee has a story, a family and
shares in our humanity.
In addressing the school in the assembly after
the Paris atrocity I tried to make the students
aware of the need to learn about the crisis
motivating so many to flee their homelands
and seek refuge. Ignorance is the fertile
ground for fear and prejudice, so it is important
to encourage students to develop greater
knowledge through research and learn the
causes for terrorism and the current refugee crisis.
There have been many wonderful events in the
College this term. I hope you have been kept up
to date by the website and tiqbiz. The ordination
of Fr. Shane Daly SJ was certainly a highlight.
Itwas a wonderful celebration and hopefully it
will inspire others to at least reflect on the vocation
of priesthood. We now have five Jesuits in our
school community: our Rector, Fr. Cassidy SJ
celebrated his Golden Jubilee earlier in the term
and Br. Eamon Davis is as busy as ever; Kamil
Slawinski SJ who is ministering with us as part of
his formation has been joined by Mateusz
Basiejko SJ as a valued member of the College
community, both from Poland they bring the gift
of their talents and service to the College and,
together with Fr. Shane’s arrival from Montreal,
remind us of the truly global dimension of Jesuit
education. Each of these men help ensure we
continue to evolve as a learning organisation in
the Ignatian tradition.
At this time of year, and just before we
celebrate the Christmas season, we pause to
remember loved ones who have passed away
and extend our thoughts and prayers to all
members of the College community who have
suffered loss may the Lord console the
bereaved and bless those who have gone to
their eternal reward.
As we prepare for the Sleep-Out, we hope
that the most vulnerable in society find peace
and comfort and that some benefit from the
significant funds raised. Fasting and sleeping
out is an important act of solidarity with the
homeless and many students are involved in
other works in their parish. If you have an
opportunity, it may be worth considering.
I wish to thank those responsible for this
Newsletter. It’s an excellent snapshot of life in
a vibrant College. Without the generosity of
spirit of so many of our staff, students, past
pupils and parents, we would not be able to
provide such a wealth of educational experiences
and develop outstanding facilities. The Province,
Board, Past Pupil Union, Parents’ Association,
Ladies Committee, all contribute of their time
and talents to ensure students benefit. Thank
you to each and every one.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting
the VdP and for the personal thank-you cards
and gifts to staff. May you and your family
have a wonderful Christmas. May it be a time
of laughter, good fun and some reflection, giving
thanks for all we have and a also time of prayer.
May the New Year bring good health and
happiness and a renewed determination to be
agents of change for the better in our society.
Mr Gerry Foley, Headmaster
BELVEDERE BEAT
2
Playing in the orchestra for Belvedere's
production of West Side Story provided a
very unique experience of the Senior
Musical. By the end of the show's run, I
knew most dialogue-only scenes word for
word, whereas the more musically-hectic
numbers were restricted to my peripheral
vision, as the band battled with Leonard
Bernstein's intricate, difficult score. That
didn't prevent West Side Story from being
the most enjoyable Senior Musical in
which I've taken part in the school.
Written in 1957 by Stephen Sondheim, the
show adapts Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet to a more modern setting, following
the war between two gangs on the streets
of New York in the mid-1950’s. The musical
is renowned for the complexity of both
its choreography and its music, which
revolutionised Broadway when the show
debuted.
As anyone who has taken part in a
production of this calibre will know, it is
the result of incredible dedication and
hard work from an enormous group of
people. Rehearsals began promptly at
the start of the academic year, and ran
from early September until the show's
run - November 25th-28th.
SENIOR MUSICAL - WEST SIDE STORY
Members of the cast rehearsed multiple
times a week, giving up their Saturday
mornings to ensure that the show was the
very best it could be.
The cast consisted of boys from Transition
Year, Fifth Year, Sixth Year, and girls from
various schools, including Loreto College
St. Stephen's Green, Dominican College,
Manor House Raheny, and Mount Sackville.
Each night, I was astounded by the
performances of my classmates, who
brought their characters so vividly to life
that I now cannot imagine them being
played by anyone else.
From my position in the orchestra's pit,
the incredible work ethic and passion of
the whole cast was always easy to see.
Of course, any production of this size
and complexity would fall apart without
proper direction. Speaking for the
orchestra, we were all incredibl y lucky
to be under the guidance of Mr Dan
Dunne, who put innumerable hours of
work into preparing our music, and
then helped us immensel y in our
learning of it. The show's director Mr
Stephen Carey, along with the rest of his
fantastic team, put in more effort than I
previously thought humanl y possible.
Over my six years in Belvedere, I have
taken part in many shows in many
different ways; I could not think of a
better way to end my involvement with
the school's drama than with a show as
iconic and enrapturing and with a cast
and crew as dedicated. With the abundance
of talent to be seen among both
students and teachers, it's safe to say
that drama in Belvedere will continue
to be of an enormousl y high standard
for years to come.
Louis O'Carroll, Rhetoric Scully
BELVEDERE BEAT
3
JUNIOR MUSICAL - ALADDIN
teamjonathanranson.ie
JONATHAN RANSON
A massive thank you to all those who
supported our recent holiday raffle draw. It
was a huge success with ten lucky winners
coming away with overseas holidays
including trips to Dubai and New York.
We have organised a walk for St. Stephen’s
Day starting out at Oulton Tennis club in
Clontarf, down to the Wooden Bridge and
back. The walk is 5 kilometres long and the
tennis club will be open from 11am until 1pm
serving tea and coffee. There is no set
starting time, just a casual social walk to
clear the cobwebs. Hope to see you there!
For information on upcoming events in
support of Jonathan please visit our website
www.teamjonathanranson.ie
SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVITIES
Rhetoric Prefects of 2015 are encouraging
younger members of the student body to
get involved in the Social Justice activities
of the College. In particular, new members
are always welcome to join the V.D.P. who
meet every Friday after school. For more
information on social justice activities
within the school please talk to the prefects.
BELVEDERE BEAT
4
The air of Christmas festivity was ushered
in through a night of music and cheer over
the weekend in Belvedere College Chapel
with the angelic and manly voices of the
Junior and Senior Choirs under the batons
of their very talented choir conductors,
Ruaidhri O’Dalaigh and Fran StokerPhelan. They were accompanied by the
ever versatile musical ensemble consisting
of piano, percussion, string, brass and
woodwind.
In the cosy Belvedere Chapel, illuminated
only by the gentle glow of meticulously
placed candles, a vocal quintet opened
the Belvedere Annual Christmas Concert
with a beautiful rendition of Gaudete. The
first several bars of harmony were full,
tender and had a sombre air, beautifully,
setting the tone for the enchanted 90
minutes of performances that followed. As
they sang, the remainder of the choir
proceeded up the aisle dressed in their
crisp white shirts and ties, neatly ironed
trousers and fresh haircuts, carrying their
precious cargo of lighted candles before
taking their places.
Following Fr. Derek Cassidy’s opening
prayer the choir filled the church with
some beautiful pieces to include, Angel’s
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE
Carol and Personent Hodie. We had our
first reading, “A Christmas of Contrasts”
by Joyce Rupp, so eloquently read by
Matthew Murchan. It was to remind us all
to be grateful for all the many blessings
we have, to include shelter, food, family
and friends and to keep in mind those
less fortunate over this Christmas season.
It was the families turn to demonstrate
their vocal skills as they timidly joined in
singing ‘Joy to the World’. However, by
the last verse all inhibitions were gone
and the church was filled with a beautiful
sound with some notably hidden talent
among us.
The choir closed the concert with O
Come All Ye Faithful. The audiences gave
it their all as their voices stretched out to
the courtyard and could be heard in
Belvedere House I am told. It was a great
community moment that left everyone
with smiles on their faces as the proud
parents and friends gave their sons a
well-deserved hug. We all poured out of
the church and into the crisp cold night
only to be treated with some warm
mulled wine and mini minced pies.
Another successful concert under our
belts leaving us with warm fuzzy feelings,
aided in part by the mulled wine!
The rest of the concert continued with
some familiar pieces to include Christmas
Sanctus and Bells of Christmas to name a
few. We were invited once again to
partake in a Christmas favourite, Silent
Night sang in both German and English.
The boys and young men’s fixated eyes
and
expressions
remained
intact
throughout their entire performance as
they attended to Ruaidhri and Fran’s
direction. What more could one possibly
ask for? Here is a choir of 95 young
singers whose harmonies were fine-tuned.
They obviously have a keen feeling for
rhythm and a love of singing.
A Christmas Blessing - Read by Hugh
Ruane, Syntax Loyola.
“May the coming year be one of good
health for you. May you have energy and
vitality. May you care well for your body,
mind, and spirit. May you keep your eye
on the Star within you and trust this Luminescent
Presence to guide and direct you each
day. May you go often to the Bethlehem in
your heart and visit the One who offers
you peace. May you bring this peace into
the World”
Ann Purtill-Kalk, Parent
BELVEDERE BEAT
5
BELVEDERE COLLEGE CHRISTMAS SOUP RUN
The Christmas Soup Run, now in its fifth
year, will take place in the three days
leading up to Christmas, 22nd to 24th
December. Our Volunteers are made up
of past pupils, current pupils, their families
and friends.
This year it takes on an even greater
importance as a result of the exacerbation
of the homelessness crisis. The Simon
Community has registered nearly 3,000
homeless people living in emergency
accommodation in Dublin this year with
over a hundred people sleeping rough on
our city’s streets every night. Each year,
the Christmas Soup Run aims to help
those living through this hardship.
The Christmas Soup Run works out of a
base at number 3 Parnell Street, which is
used as a venue for volunteers to touch
base throughout the three days. It is also
where sandwiches are prepared and
where bags are filled with all of our supplies.
John McHugh O.B. 2010, RIP
There are seven soup runs planned for
the three days - three on both Tuesday
and Wednesday and a further one on
Christmas Eve. During the soup runs,
volunteers give tea, coffee and all sorts
of food to all those in need who are living
on Dublin’s streets.
Volunteers also distribute clothes and
sleeping bags to help any victims of
homelessness. However, the most important
function of the volunteers is to sit down
beside those in need, chat with them if
they so wish and show them that people
do care about this horrific problem. Many
of those who suffer from homelessness feel
excluded and unwanted by Irish society.
The main aim of the Christmas Soup Run
is to make them feel included and treat
them with the same respect and dignity
as anybody else.
On Friday, 18th of December, there will be
a clothes collection for the Christmas Soup
Run, from 12 til 3 at our venue on Parnell
Street. If you have any adult sized hats,
gloves, socks, jumpers, jackets, bags or
sleeping bags for men or women, that
you don't need any more or wouldn't
mind parting with, please bring them in.
If you would like to get involved with the
Christmas Soup Runnow or in the future,
come down to our base on Parnell Street
on the 22nd of December, or on any of
the days you are free to help out. The
Christmas Soup Run is for anyone who
wishes to lend a helping hand, regardless
of whether or not you have done a soup
run in the past. You will be talked
through all the instructions needed to
carry out a soup run so don’t worry if
you feel nervous. For more information
regarding the soup runs please check
our facebook page or you can email the
[email protected]
Vincent De Paul Society, Belvedere College
Family & friends gather on the occasion of John’s
months mind which took place in the Phoneix Park on the 25 October 2015
BELVEDERE BEAT
6
DUBLIN DIOCESE PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
I will never forget my week in Lourdes.
Along with 11 other Belvedere students and
two teachers, I joined the Oblates Youth
Service (OYS) to assist the Oblates
Pilgrimage 2015 to Lourdes. Our job as
volunteers was to assist elderly and
disabled Oblates guests (pilgrims.)
Throughout my six years in the school I
have heard countless stories about this
trip but nothing could have prepared me
for how powerful and rewarding the whole
experience was for me.
The first thing that struck me when I
arrived in Lourdes was how inclusive the
OYS was. All the senior members were
extremely helpful and supportive and I am
incredibly grateful to them for that.
I will always remember the special night in
Lourdes when the Belvedere community
gathered together at the grotto to
remember and mourn the loss of John
McHugh, a past pupil who had tragically
passed away just days earlier. Many of
the past pupils on the trip knew John
McHugh as a friend so it was a deeply
powerful and touching memorial.
My week in Lourdes was an incredible
experience that I will cherish for years to
come. I had the privilege of meeting
fascinating people from all different
walks of life. It was an exhausting week,
with early starts and long hours, but it
was unbelievably humbling and rewarding.
The main highlight of the trip for me was
the conversations I had with the guests
throughout the week. I was struck by
how open and friendly they all were.
Many of the guests had fascinating
stories to tell and I definitely learnt a lot
from them. I encountered many interesting
guests during the week such as Bernard,
who recited his own poem for us at the
party. Every conversation I had with a
guest was incredibly rewarding. After
talking to a guest, I always left feeling
upbeat and inspired.
I left Lourdes with a deep sense of empathy.
The trip encompasses the 'men for
others' ethos of the school. I would like to
thank Niamh O'Donoghue and Clodagh
Culligan for all their support throughout
the week. I am also thankful to the Belvedere
lads for making this trip so memorable
and enjoyable. I hope to return to
Lourdes next year and I would also
encourage anyone who gets the opportunity
to do so. It will be the best week of your life!
Harry McKiernan, Rhetoric Scully
JACK NOLAN REPRESENTS IRELAND AT INTERNATIONAL CHINESE LANGUAGE COMPETITION
Province, where the competition was
taking place. We stayed in a university in
KunMing and visited different places each
day. We went to different Chinese
villages as well as a high school. We did
many cultural activities and the competition
took place.
In October, I travelled to China with three
other Irish students to represent Ireland in
The 8th ‘Chinese Bridge’ Chinese
Proficiency Competition for Foreign
Secondary School Students. Earlier in the
year, I competed in the national competition
in Cork which consisted of a speech,
talent show and quiz. I finished 3rd in the
competition and won a place to China to
take part in the international competition
along with 400 other secondary school
students from all around the world.
We spent three days in Beijing at the start
of the trip. We visited the Great Wall of
China, the Forbidden City and the Zoo to
see the pandas. We also visited the Confucius
Institute Headquarters in Beijing. We then
flew to KunMing, in the YunNan
The top two students from each country
competed in the competition while the
other two were part of the audience. I was
an observer for the competition. The Irish
team performed very well in the competition.
I really enjoyed it and met so many
people from every corner of the world.
The whole trip was a great success and a
brilliant experience.
For the second year running Jack Nolan,
(bottom right) represents Ireland in China.
Jack Nolan, Poetry Aylmer
BELVEDERE BEAT
LOLLIPOP DAY 2016
7
LOCADOT – NEW APP
The Locadot App was featured at this
year’s Web Summit and designed by
founders of Belvedere’s Coding Club
As part of the third year Social Justice
programme, the students aim to raise
awareness of the symptoms related to
oesophageal cancer and to provide
funding for research into the disease. A
pink lollipop is the emblem for the
campaign and highlights the most common
symptom of suspicion of oesophageal
cancer - difficulty swallowing.
The main fundraising event is the annual
Lollipop Day, which takes place this year
on 26th and 27th February 2016. Yes that’s
right over two days! Our amazing students
will be at hand on the Friday with delicious
lollies for sale throughout the college and
also to the public along O’Connell Street
on Lollipop Day to help raise funds on
behalf of Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF).
This year Lollipop Day will be marked by
TWO street parties in Dublin City Centre.
On Fri 27 Feb you can light up your lunchtime
from 12:30pm with performances outside
Arnott’s on Henry Street. Or you could
enjoy some soul music outside Dunnes
Stores on Grafton Street from 1:45pm on
Saturday the 28th of February.
Behind the scenes after school hours
Ralph Moran & Glenn Brannlley have been
quietly working with younger students,
having set up Belvedere’s first coding club
some years back. They felt strongly that
coding should be offered as part of the
Belvedere experience and with support
from the school, run this Club.
Ralph and Glen have also created an app
called "Locadot" which allows you to
share your location via the GPS on your
phone with a friend or colleague, so they
can track you as you make your way home
after a night out or embark on a journey.
This app can be adapted for personal or
large scale use.
Locadot is for iPhone and android users,
and was designed with a view to preventing
the increasing number of people going
missing every year by tracking via a
secure broadcast mobile code.
“With over 8,000 people reported missing
in Ireland each year, our aim at Web
Summit is to generate further interest and
capital for our new app Locadot in order
minimise these numbers,” said Glenn.
Locatdot caught the interest of AIB who
sponsored both students to attend the
Web Summit this year.
In addition to Locadot, Ralph and Glenn
have also designed Hurry App, for use on
the Apple Watch. HurryApp is a fast, fun
and convenient way to connect with
people, for both Apple Watch and iPhone
users, allowing you to tell your friends to
hurry up, send them custom messages
and even send them your location, on the go!
THE FRENCH EXCHANGE
The French Exchange Students pictured at a museum in Lyon which chronicles
the French Resistance as well as Jewish deportation in World War II.
Now in Rhetoric, Ralph and Glenn will
shortly complete their long service to the
Coding Club in Belvedere. Thank you and
the very best of luck to you with Locadot!
The Editorial Team
BELVEDERE BEAT
8
LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE
LIBRARY SNAPSHOT
It’s been a great few months so far in the
new library… Author visits, Chess Club and
Spelling Bees have brightened up our
library days.
We’ve been lucky to have visits from Oisin
McGann, Nicola Pierce, Dermot Bolger and
one of the judges of our Dempsey Writing
Prize, David Butler.
Oisin McGann
David Butler
Spelling Bee
Chess Club
Dermot Bolger
Nicola Pierce
Chess Club is a staple of Monday lunchtimes
We also hope to enter a number of teams and
compete in a mini-tournament in the New Year.
Huge congratulations to Nicolas Day in
Elements Aylmer, who beat seventy other
competitors to become the 1st year Spelling
Champion. F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C!
Thanks to everyone for their support in
making it such a vibrant environment. We
are all really looking forward to everything
that 2016 has to offer!
The Library Team
GOLDEN JUBILEE
The Student Council presented Fr Derek
Cassidy SJ with an engraved clock
recently to celebrate the occasion of his
Golden Jubilee.
Fr Tom Leyden SJ chats to Fr Derek
Cassidy SJ on the occasion of his
Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit
FRENCH DEBATING
LIFE-SAVING
The French Debating Team has qualified
for the quarter-finals of the Alliance
Française Joûtes Oratoires! Left to Right:
Mr Simon Murphy, Ethan Campbell-Foley,
Oisín Peppard, Fergus McCormack, Chris
Mahady, Ms Louise Curtin & Ms Aisling
Corcoran. Ralph Moran is also a member
of the team, but was unable to take part
in the second round due to clashing
commitments. The team has had two
debates this year: in the first round they
argued against the motion 'That PE
should be evaluated for the Leaving
Certificate' and in the second round, they
supported the motion 'That social
networks do more harm than good'. In
the quarter-finals, they will be opposing
the motion 'That it is good to be young in
Ireland today'. We wish them Bon Courage
for the coming rounds!
Lifesaving is on Mondays and Wednesdays
after school and on Fridays when first aid
training and CPR instruction is provided. There
are new awards called Survive and Save.
A new book came out recently which is
excellent and super value at only €15. It is a
great read and three awards come with it. It has
a host of valuable information on Lifesaving.
In the Lifesaving All Ireland competition, James
Evans and Eoghan Kennedy tied for 1st place in
the U15 section.
In the Speed Championship in November
Belvedere won 4 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze
medals.
Congratulations to all involved!
Bro Eamonn Davis SJ
BELVEDERE BEAT
9
WINNING IN BUSINESS: WINNING IN SPORT
On Wednesday 2nd of December Belvedere
College was invited to attend the Winning
in Business, Winning in Sports Conference
in Croke Park. The conference was part of
Bank of Ireland’s National Enterprise
Week. The event was attended by over
400 people – customers of BOI including
large companies, small businesses and
sporting coordinators. It was an opportunity
for different professionals to connect with
each other.
19 students went with Ms O Donohoe and
Mr McCarthy. Belvedere was the only
school in attendance and we were very
well looked after from the moment we
arrived. Before the conference everyone
gathered for breakfast and a catch up.
Richie Boucher, Group CEO BOI, introduced
himself to our group. Shane Jennings was
“delighted” to see some Belvo Boys!!! We
were brought in first and were seated at the
top of the room with a perfect view of the stage.
Guest Business speakers included Richie
Boucher, Valerie Kingston owner Glenilen
Farm and Ciaran Crean MD, of Micks
Garage. They spoke about their business
journeys, the decisions they made, how
they overcame the challenges they faced
and personal qualities and traits they had
that helped them.
Guest Sporting speakers were Paul O
Connell and Henry Sheflin. They spoke
about the characteristics needed in sport
to achieve success. They shared personal
stories that related to their success on
the sports field and spoke about their
ambitions off it. Whether it is business
or sport, the common characteristics
needed were: Belief; Ambition; Confidence;
Focus and Hard Work.
After the talk we managed to get lots of
photos with Paul, Henry and Micky Harte.
A huge thank you to Ann Marie, Padraig
and Conor from Bank of Ireland who
made sure we had a very enjoyable
experience.
Conor Jennings, Jesse Irdale
& Hugh Sexton
teamjonathanranson.ie
BADMINTON IN BELVEDERE
I play badminton as a main sport outside
Belvedere and thought others might like to
try it too! So I approached our P.E. teacher
Mr McCarthy and asked for permission to set
up a new Badminton club within the school
with the intention of eventually setting up a
team to represent the school.
Mr McCarthy was very helpful and we
started to train on a Thursday after school.
Usually we have about 16-18 students who
attend each session. After a year’s successful
training, we decided to take the plunge and
enter a team into the Dublin School’s League
at U19s level.
Generally a team is made up of four players
and a sub. Our four players are Jamie and
Alex O’Grady, Tim Kelly and myself with
Marc Brazil as the sub.
To date we have completed the group
stages with a number of hard fought
victories, beating the following schools; St
Benildus, Templeogue College, and Ardgillan.
Unfortunately we lost one of our matches to
a very good team from St Aidan’s. It was a
very tight match and we were a little unlucky
on the day. Having secured second place in
the group, we have now progressed to the
quarter-finals which will take place in
January and February 2016.
We are hoping for some success in the near
future which which may lead on to more
people joining, allowing us to enter a second
team in the competition next year
Dara McGrath, Syntax Finlay
BELVEDERE BEAT
10
9
This year’s Inter-Schools Sailing Event
happened on Saturday the 12th and
Sunday the 13th of September. Sailors
from all over Ireland came together to sail
for their schools and compete against
various other schools from around the
country. Again it was hosted in the
humble and friendly, Sutton Dinghy Club.
Representing the College were 11 boys
from Elements up to Rhetoric.
Unfortunately the first day of racing was
cancelled due to extreme winds but
everybody was more than happy to go
back to bed! However, on Sunday, they
managed to get in three races for the
optimists and 2 for the mixed fleet. The
conditions were not as bad on Sunday
but the winds were still tough to sail in
and the Oppie sailors must be
commended for staying out for three
races in the harsh conditions.
This year we had two teams of three
boats entered into the mixed fleet. This
fleet was a mixture of different boats,
ranging from Lasers to Mirrors to 420s,
BELVEDERE CROSS-COUNTRY
Cross Country in Belvedere continues to
rise with up to eighty students training
on the roof track and in the hall on a
Monday afternoons. While the season is
still in its infancy, Belvedere has had a
promising start.
Sixty seven athletes represented the
school at the Brother Invitational Meet at
Santry. The Meet was organized by Clonliffe
Harriers. We were second team in Junior,
Third team in Senior and fourth Team at
Intermediate level. We were third overall
school behind St Malachy’s Belfast and
St Aidans, two powerhouses of school’s
cross country.
Daniel Stone (7th) John Cleary (8th) in
the Junior Division, Michael Murphy and
Ben Guiden were (15th) and (21st) in the
40TH ALL-IRELAND INTER-SCHOOLS SAILING EVENT
with a handicap system. The first team
from the College consisted of two Radial
Lasers and a 420 and the second two 4.7
Lasers and a Topper. In the Lasers we
had Tom Mulligan, Ben Jennings, Tim
Coyne and Alex Kavanagh. Jamie and
Alex O’Grady represented the college in
the 420 class while Max Kavanagh was
the sole Topper sailor from the College.
All the lads raced extremely well with
some fantastic individual efforts. One of
the teams managed to place in the top
five and the lads in the 420 managed to
get a fourth overall.
In the Optimist fleet we had two strong
teams of two boats each who raced in a
separate course close to the club. Sam
Crawford, Ben McDonald, Conor Waddilove
and Dylan O’Grady represented the
College . Although we did not secure the
trophy, the lads raced extremely well
with both the teams coming second and
third overall. Also in the individual results,
Sam and Dylan should both be
commended for coming second and
third overall. Extremely good racing from
Intermediate and Eoin O Dywer (11th)
and Brian Fay (12th) in the Seniors were
the standout athletes.
Belvedere had an extremely successful
performance at the Williamstown Invite
held in Blackrock College. Belvedere won
the Junior (u14) Intermediate (u17) and
finished 3rd in the Senior (u19) races.
Fergus McCormack (Senior), Ben Guiden
(Intermediate) and Daniel Stone (Junior)
were the first Belvedere team members
over the line with all three of them
receiving bronze medals. Congratulations
to all our athletes.
Belvedere continued its recent excellent
success with our 1st and 2nd year teams
performing very well at the Lucan Harriers
Invitational. The boys did themselves
proud with Eric Carroll in Elements in 5th,
the Optimist squad; their results
reflecting their ability and what to
expect in future Inter-Schools Events in
years to come.
Massive thanks should be given to
Sutton Dinghy club for organising the
event. They have always put in a huge
effort over past years to ensure the
smooth running of the event and this
year was no different. Thank you also to
the parents of all the lads who
competed; not only transporting the
boys to and from the dinghy club but
also for the hard work involved in
loading up and taking off the boats.
The future looks very promising for the
school and we encourage more people,
either joining the College in first year or
who are in older years and have never
thought about doing the event, to get
involved in the years to come and represent
the College in this enjoyable and
challenging sport.
Ben Jennings, Rhetoric Kenney
the best finisher and a 1,2,3 Podium
sweep in the Rudiments race.
Attention now turns to Christmas training
sessions and also onwards to the new
year and the start of Championship
racing with the Irish Schools taking place
on March 5th in Sligo.
The Sports Department
BELVEDERE BEAT
P.E. AT BELVEDERE
Term 1 was a busy time in the Sports
Hall. Elements kicked off with a water
safety module. Many boys were
awarded a level 1 / 2 certificate. After
the midterm they took part in skill
related fitness. This module gave them
the opportunity to explore the different
skills required to progress in sport. Their
activity sheets will be displayed on the
walls of the PE Department.
Rudiments began with Badminton and
learned the basic skills needed to play
singles and doubles. They took to this very
well and some boys have even continued
to play after school on Thursdays. After
mid-term they did athletics. They were
guided through, sprint starts, triple jump,
THE CHRISTMAS FAIR
The Home Economics Department held
their first Christmas Craft Fair in Belvedere
House last Saturday evening after the
annual Carol Service. It was a great
success, as the students who had
participated in making the items for sale
were delighted to see so many people
admiring and buying their handcrafted
gifts.
There was a selection of natural organic
wreaths, hand sewn Christmas decorations
including unique Hearts in the Belvedere
College colours. The scented pine cones
and sweets were presented in beautifully
hand decorated glass jars.
The Parents’ Association very kindly
supported the project from the start by
initiating the funds to buy the materials.
11
race walking, shot putt and hurdles. At the
end of the module they took part in a mini
Olympics in which the assessed each
other in the range of activities.
Grammar developed their knowledge of
volleyball during the first half term. This
was a really successful module which
ended with the annual Inter Form Volleyball
Tournament. They played basketball and
football during the second half term.
Syntax students were getting to grips
with their own continual assessment.
Having completed the badminton assessment
they then completed their football
League and Cup. Most groups managed
to submit all of their assignments which
Students worked for 10 weeks in the run
up to the craft fair, staying back after
school every Tuesday to prepare for the
big day!
One of the parents of the students
involved, kindly donated handcrafted
cushions and a doll for a raffle on the
night. We made over €400 on the night
which was donated to the St. Vincent e
Paul Society and gratefully received,
especially at this time of the year.
We would like to extend a big thank you
to all those involved and those who
supported the project.
Our best wishes for a peaceful Christmas
and a happy new year.
Susan McNamara & Divinia Lyons
Home Economics Department
which included team information, fitness
assessments and a national anthem
performance!!!
Poetry students have experienced a mix
of football in the hall, football on the roof,
gym sessions in the weights room and
pool sessions.
Each boy completed the bleep test and
we look forward to seeing them beating
their score next time around.
We all look forward to the sporting
challenges that lie ahead in the new year…
The Sports Department
BELVEDERE BEAT
DEBATING
12
The Belvedere College Junior Debating Mace Competition
Eoin Harrington (SK), Dave Kelly (PK), Chairperson of the Final,
Mr Joe Duffy and Micheál Killarney (PK)
Belvedere’s Junior Debating team has
experienced some brilliant successes this
year, winning two competitions and
contributing four finalists to five Mace
competitions this year.
The Belvedere College Junior Debating
Mace Competition (that’s a bit of a
mouthful so let’s call it the Belvo Mace, as
it is colloquially known..) took place on
Saturday September 26th and was a very
successful event. The Mace was organised
by a mixture of fourth and fifth years, with
myself, Dave Kelly, Daniel Culleton and
Micheál Killarney (Head) taking the roles
of convenors.
There were nine Belvedere teams competing
on the day, with competitors coming from
Elements, Rudiments and Grammar. All of
the Belvo teams did very well, but
unfortunatel y none of them were able to
break to the final of the competition.
The winning team in the final were Jes
from Galway, while the winning individual
was Hannah Gallagher from Loreto on the
Green. John Cleary was the best of the
Belvo Speakers, taking 9th place on the
speaker tab, while David Boylan and Peter
Tumulty narrowly missed out on a place in
the final.
The following week, the Coláiste na hInse
Mace took place in Layton and Belvedere
had great success there, with Dylan
Dimond and Tom Hegarty finishing 1st and
2nd on the speaker tab and reaching the
final, during which Dylan was named as
best speaker.
Dylan and Tom had further success at the
LOTG Mace in early November, winning
the final and finishing in the top 10 of the
speaker tab. Fiachra Nolan and David
Boylan also reached the final of the Loreto
Mace, as they did at the Conleth’s Mace
two weeks later – where Fiachra was
named the best finalist.
JESUIT CHAPLAINS IN WWI
The photography exhibition of WWI Jesuit
chaplains was held in Belvedere House on
the 9th of November and was very well
attended. It was a wonderful evening, Dr.
John Bowman was the keynote speaker.
The photographs are now on display in
the college entrance.
The Juniors have also had great success
in
the
Leinster
Junior
Schools’
pre-prepared competition in UCD. Six
teams from second and third year have
been competing in the competition, with
every team standing a great chance of
qualifying for the knockout rounds!
In
the
Leinster
Senior
Schools’
pre-prepared competition, every Belvedere
team has qualified for the second round of
the competition. The senior team this year
is made up of four sixth years (Leon Langdon,
Saoirse Grogan-Neilan, Michael Dooley
and Dara Kelly), five fifth years (Daniel
Culleton,
Micheál
Killarney,
James
Crumlish, Conor Henry and Donnchadh
Curran) and one fourth year (myself).
Belvedere also had great success in the
Aoife Begley Memorial Competition in NUII
Maynooth, with myself, Ben Ryan, Conrad
Oppermann,
Doug
Suffield,
Cathal
McGuinness, Dan Byrne and Aiden Murphy
all progressing to the semi-finals!
Special mention should also be made of
Donnchadh Curran and Ciarán Heelan’s
brilliant performance in the UCD Senior
Mace, where they reached the semi-finals
against very tough opposition.
I would like to thank Mr Hogan for all his
help and support and to also thank the
convenors and organisers of the Belvedere
Junior Mace for a great experience organising
the debate!
Eoin Harrington, Syntax Kenney
BELVEDERE COLLEGE 1916-2016
To commemorate 1916, we invite students
to enter a special competition themed
Belvedere 1916, remembering our alumni,
family and greater Jesuit family and
remembering Belvedere itself during this
time. Entries from this competition will
become part of a larger exhibition which
will be shown on April 29th and 30th 2016
in Belvedere House. Outstanding contributions
will be considered for the Co Curricular
Award tie next year. Further details of the
competition will be available on the
website and in the Library.
FEATURES
13
ARTS & CULTURE IN THE O’REILLY THEATRE
2015 has been a very exciting year for
cultural events in Belvedere College. From
the arrival of international celebrities such
as Stephen Fry (who is pictured above in
conversation with Senator David Norris on
Bloomsday) and Amy Schumer to the
opening of a new gallery, we have seen
our arts community flourish.
In a year of many wonderful productions
in the O’Reilly Theatre, highlights have
included the Irish premiere of the new
opera ‘The Last Hotel’ by Tony Award
winning playwright Enda Walsh which
received 5-star reviews from critics, as
well as a production of Handel’s ‘Agrippina’
which went on to win Best Production
Award at the Tiger Dublin Fringe Awards
during the summer.
award winning violin and viola ensemble,
the Collailm Duo.
There was great excitement in August
when comedian and movie star Amy
Schumer came to Dublin with acclaimed
director Judd Apatow to promote their
movie
‘Trainwreck’.
When
it
was
announced that the pair would be
interviewed by the much loved Panti Bliss
on the O’Reilly stage, tickets for the event
sold out completely in less than ten
minutes flat!
The recently restored Belvedere House
has attracted many varied events this
year, with Culture Night seeing almost
300 guests passing through the building
to admire it’s beautifully restored
stucco-work. Stephen Fry was greatly
impressed by the house when he visited to
be interviewed by Senator David Norris in
the O’Reilly about Belvedere’s past pupil
James Joyce on Bloomsday 2015.
No. 3 Great Denmark Street opened its
doors this summer to a series of new
tenants from the world of the arts, including
Fishamble: The New Play Company and
the Olivier Cornet Gallery. Since becoming
part of the Belvedere College family
Fishamble have had great success with
theatrical productions in Edinburgh,
Australia and New York. For those who
have visited Olivier Cornet’s gallery they
will know that a beautiful space for
art-lovers has developed right on our
doorstep with exciting exhibitions that are
free to the public from Tuesday to Friday
from 11am to 6pm and from 12pm to 5pm
on Saturdays and Sundays.
Belvedere House has also become a popular
venue for musical events which have
ranged from the Japanese Vibraphonist
Masayoshi Fujita to Ireland’s only international
There has also been a wealth of home-grown
talent on the O’Reilly stage this year with
Belvedere students delighting audiences
in the recent Junior Musical ‘Disney’s
Aladdin Jr’ and the Senior Musical ‘West
Side Story’. Both shows were sell-outs
which received rapturous applause and
standing ovations from the nearly 3,000
audience members who attended over the
course of the performances.
As Belvedere’s reputation as a cultural hub
in Dublin City Centre continues to grow,
we look forward to welcoming many old
and new friends in 2016. Dublin Dance
Festival will be bringing one of their
highlight shows entitled ‘Betroffenheit’
from Vancouver to perform in the O’Reilly
in May and we will also see return visits
from Opera Theatre Company and Wide
Open Opera.
We really look forward to the upcoming
work that will be produced by the staff
and students involved in the drama scene
in Belvedere, with both the Dramatic
Society Play and the First Year Play
performing in the Spring of 2016.
It’s going to be another great year for arts
and culture in Belvedere College and
between the O’Reill y Theatre and the
beautifull y restored Belvedere House
we hope to see all of you during 2016 for
some great events.
Laura MacNaughton, Business &
Theatre Manager
FEATURES
14
This mid-term, I spent a seven days in
Northern Uganda, working with the
teachers in Ocer (He is risen) Campion
College SJ. The journey was at the behest
of the Jesuit Mission Office, as a faith
and development experience, for one
member of staff from each of the four
Jesuit Colleges.
Ocer Campion SJ is a rural school outside
the town of Gulu. There are at present 600
students with classes up to the equivalent
of our Syntax. They hope to develop up to
our Rhetoric in the coming years. What is
special about this area is that there was a
brutal civil war that ended six years ago.
The internal civil war, coupled with the
war in South Sudan, left many of the
people, “caught in the middle”. There was
exploitation and brutality on all sides. Two
of the features were the use of child-soldiers
and sex slaves. To this end many schools
had students and teachers abducted,
either small groups or sometimes entire
classes. Families were abducted too. In
some cases, families who fled in terror
were split up in several directions. Once in
the hands of the militia children were
subjected to many horrors that bordered
on the in-humane; parents murdered in
front of their children, mothers raped in
front their children and husbands.
Children plied with drugs and alcohol “to
fire them up for battle”. Mass killings were
common place. Many abductees who
managed to escape subsequently died
from hunger in the forests. The net result is
that the people in the area live in a
perpetual state of trauma. They want and
need so much to speak of their experience.
Even children, who were not directly
affected, carry the trauma, as a kind of
communal solidarity.
UGANDA WITH THE JESUIT MISSION OFFICE
The Jesuits identified a need and so set
up Ocer to assist some of these children,
and the whole region, in the belief that the
corner-stone of justice is education. They
spoke of the need for education to spread
love and “consolation”. They also want to
act as a model for high quality education
in the region. They struggle on with scant
resources while still doing fantastic work.
They are assisted by a very fine, but
young, staff.
While there the Irish teachers presented a
seminar in the characteristics of Jesuit
education. I spoke on the characteristic
which asks us “to work for humanity and
for the church”. I also spent time with the
math teachers. I shared resources, ideas,
and techniques. By way of example I
visited a class with 61 students (our
Rudiments). The teacher did a little bit of
work on the board and then set the
students to prescribed work. She
managed to see 61 pieces of work and
correct them before the class ended.
Teachers often worked beyond the bell
and into the evening with students. I have
set up a link with the teachers there and
we are continuing to share resources, through
email and Edmodo. Encouraged by what
they have heard from the Irish schools,
Ocer has already begun an outreach
programme. They are looking for ways to
develop this programme. We told the
story of the five Irish schools work here in
Ireland. I was able to speak about, the
Soup-Run, the Youth Club, the Sleep-Out
and VDP in Belvedere.
Running alongside the internal horror that
was the war, the neighbouring Congo has
a perpetual war and again, the refugees
flow in. Uganda has taken in 400,000
refugees which puts an enormous strain
on already stretched resources. These
refugees come with their stories of
unimaginable horror and brutality. The
Jesuit Refugee Service is working in this
area. Knowing that the resources to solve
the problems of refugees are not available
they aim to “accompany” them on their
journeys. They are providing education,
vocational training, emergency aid and
psycho-social counselling. I met two
young women who were forced to flee
from the Congo war. Both had been
victims of multiple rapes at the hands of
rebel-fighters. The fled their homes with
nothing, not even their families. In one
case the lady had seen her entire family
executed, before being raped herself. The
other lady had with her a small child, a
product of the rapes, who she continues to
care for. The last words we spoke were
when I asked; “Is there anything we can
do?” She said. “Tell them there, that we are
suffering”. It is with this in mind that I tell
this story.
Joe Mac Gabhann, Belvedere College
FEATURES
JESUITS IN BELVEDERE COLLEGE
15
Fr Derek Cassidy SJ, Fr Tom Layden SJ,
The six Jesuits in Belvedere College with The Headmaster. LtoR - Derek Cassidy, Kamil
Fr Shane Daly SJ, Bishop Denis Nulty, Mr
Slawinski, Tom Layden (Irish Provincial), Eamonn Davis, Mateusz Basiejko, Shane Daly &
Gerry Foley, Headmaster
Mr Gerry Foley, Headmaster of Belvedere College SJ
JESUIT ORDAINED
JESUITS IN BELVEDERE COLLEGE
Shane Daly SJ was ordained a Jesuit priest in
Belvedere College on Sunday November 22nd
last. Shane, who is originally from Newbridge in
Co Kildare, has been working in Belvedere
College since September last. The College were
delighted to host his ordination in the intimate
setting of the College Chapel, the first known
ordination in the 183 year history of the College.
The ordination was presided by Bishop Denis
Nulty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Shane's
home diocese. Bishop Nulty commended
Shane for the gift of his vocation and
encouraged other young people to consider
such a life. Shane was joined by his family,
relations and former work colleagues from a
number of places he worked in, particularly
Oberstown detention school and Colaiste
Iognaid in Galway. Other guests travelled from
as far away as Toronto in Canada where Shane
studied Theology. Some 40 Jesuit priests and
other guest priests gave Shane their prayers
and blessing during the ceremony before he
joined Bishop Nulty, Fr Tom Layden SJ, (the
Jesuit Provincial) and Fr Derek Cassidy SJ,
(Rector of Belvedere College) in concelebrating
the ordination Eucharistic.
Since September 2015 Belvedere College
SJ is delighted to be a place of ministry for
six Jesuits. “There have not been so many
Jesuits in the school in a long time and it’s
great to have their wisdom and example
in the College for both students and staff”,
said Padraig Swan, Director of Faith and
Service Programmes.
The most recent addition to the team is
Shane Daly SJ, who was ordained only a
number of weeks ago on Nov 22nd in the
College Chapel in Belvedere, a first ordination
in the College in its 183 year history. At his
ordination, Bishop Nulty (Kildare and
Leighlin) commended Shane for the gift of
his vocation and encouraged many more
to consider such a life.
Derek Cassidy SJ, Rector of Belvedere
College, is a wonderful example of what
this life represents. He recently celebrated
his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit. It is this
dedicated commitment to the mission of
the Society of Jesus that our six Jesuits
display each day in the College which we
are grateful for. Whether it’s teaching in
It was a marvellous occasion and one that
hopefully will not take another 183 years to
happen again!
the
classroom,
celebrating
Eucharist,
facilitating a retreat, running the St
Vincent de Paul Society, being part of a
planning meeting, or simply hanging out
over a cup of tea – the presence of our
Jesuits is a gift, and a gentle reminder of
the vision that St Ignatius left us with in
Belvedere College and all Jesuit schools
around the world. They are truly ‘men for
others’. A.M.D.G.
Mr Padraig Swan, Belvedere College SJ
FEATURES
16
THE URBAN FARM AT BELVEDEREDERE COLLEGE S.J.
DISTILLERY ROAD - BETTER LATE
THAN NEVER
Belvedere College’s innovative new Urban
Farm project, which was created this year
as a horticulture and school based project,
consisting of an indoor Grow Lab Greenhouse and a rooftop growing area, is
going from strength to strength. The urban
farm offers students the opportunity to
grow crops, farm fish and cultivate fungi
while also learning about plant life cycles,
green technology, and sustainable farming
practices under the supervision of teacher
Simon O’Donnell, who is the project
co-ordinator.
Creating the urban farm involved the
conversion of the glass roofed science
laboratory at the school into the specialised
‘Grow Lab’ greenhouse complete with
aquaponics and vertical hydroponics that
facilitates the growth of a variety of nutrient
rich produce in an urban environment
including potatoes, oyster mushrooms,
wheatgrass, tilapia and salad crops. The
Grow
Lab
incorporates
advanced
technologies such as LED grow lights and
open source microprocessors that facilitate
both physical and online monitoring of the
environmental systems installed. The
project offers the dual benefit of an
innovative system of teaching sustainability
in the city, and a year-round space which
has the capacity for a wide range of
growing projects.
Belvedere Urban Farm is a combined
community effort to which students, staff
and local businesses have contributed their
time and expertise. The project was developed
with the assistance of Andrew Douglas,
founder
and
project
manager
of
www.urbanfarm.ie who advises on all
aspects of the development including
growing
infrastructure,
curriculum
integration, production and use of
produce. The produce of the farm has
been sampled by staff, students and
parents of the college, while prominent
restaurants
including
‘The
Boxty
House’ have purchased some of the
microgreen products. A micro-farming
workshop was held at Belvedere as
part of the recent Bloom Fringe festival and
the Urban Farm was also featured in
‘The Irish Times‘.
The idea of urban farming is growing
in popularity in Dublin with an increasing
number of underutilised city spaces
being put to use for urban farms which
are fast becoming a fertile ground for
food production while also making for
a greater sense of community and
building a greener city.
The New Year could be an exciting
time in the development of the project
if it is successful in winning the prestigious
Zayed Future Energy Prize. Mr.
O’Donnell will travel to Abu Dhabi in
J anuary with two Rhetoric students to
attend the prize giving and learn
whether they have secured the
$100,000 award for project expansion.
We wish them all the luck in the world!
The conversion of the playing pitch (1995)
at Distillery Road to a G4 Astro Pitch is a
most welcome sports facility development
for the College. While we had hoped it to
be in by September, then mid-term, January
2016 will see us over the line.
The main campus enjoys unique sports
facilities ie a six-lane 30m running track
and a substantial roof top Astro play area
in the city centre. These facilities are used
for both Physical Education classes, sports
training and occasional recreation activities.
The new Distillery Road will guarantee
that training will take place in all weathers
which has not always been the case in
Cabra due to underfoot conditions. First
and Second Year Game Days will take
place down there. Being closer to the
school will give added training time and
the flood lights will be of endless value to
all in the Winter months. Cabra was
scheduled to have 47 games by mid-term.
That’s a lot of matches on pitches that
serve evening training for every rugby
team in the school (21). This facility will
reduce the pressure on Cabra and
increase the training and playing area for
the coaches and boys.
Transition Year activity modules will
benefit as well as modified athletic training.
It is not beyond the possibility that at
some times in the year groups might be
training on it before school!
We must say thank you to the Board of
Management and the Buildings Sub
Committee. Now we can press on and look
forward to the Cabra plans coming off the
drawing board and becoming a reality.
Mr Philip Conway, Sports Department
FEATURES
17
THE GAP PROGRAME AT BELVEDERE COLLEGE SJ
The Gap Program at Belvedere is a gem.
It’s such a brilliant opportunity for any
school leaver to go and experience working
at a college of such prestige, as well as
giving us boys a chance to live within a
different culture.
From Day one us Australians (Nick, Josh,
Charles and Tom), from the humble shores
of St Ignatius College, Riverview and St
Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, both in
Sydney, were welcomed with open arms.
Everyone around the college was more
than happy to assist us in any situation
and hats off to Colin McCarthy, the Gap
Coordinator at Belvedere.
Our work mainly entailed duties in and
around the school, ranging from covering
reception to coaching rugby. At Belvedere,
the program is split into four different
terms for the four Gappies. This involves
reception, which requires answering calls,
delivering mail, and daily duties that are
necessary for the college to run smoothly.
Secondly, there is working with the games
department. This encompasses working
with Colin setting up PE classes, supervising
away games and outings (such as
badminton, basketball, football, etc.) and
assisting with the running of the sports shop.
Gap year students are also expected to
participate in the TY year programme. Mr
Stuart Colohan and Mr Jim Dempsey
administer this and they are great in
organising data entry, photocopying and
phone calls for the assigned Gappie to
complete. And finally, there are admin
duties. This involves filing with the admin
staff, organising and assisting where
possible, to make the school run as
efficiently as possible.
For the four of us, we were heavily
involved in the rugby program at the
college. We all got a taste of coaching and
refereeing for first and second year rugby,
which we all loved.
The bonuses of having a gap year in
Europe are the chances to travel. And at
Belvedere we were given an abundance of
time off for us to go and explore Ireland
and the continent. We all met up with
friends in different places around Europe
and had countless enjoyable craic, we
even found ourselves in Morocco. Which
we would have never have expected to
visit one year out of school.
A special shout out to all the parents who
helped make our year that much easier
and gave us a home away from home. For
anyone considering a gap year over in
Australia, we have knowledge that the
Gap Program at the corresponding
colleges, Riverview and Joeys, are just as
well run. It is an excellent opportunity to
have time off after the intensity of the
Leaving Certificate and twelve years of
schooling, without losing a good work
ethic, as the jobs given are hardworking
and consistent.
We have had the best year of our lives and
shared an incredible variety of life lessons
and experiences which we will cherish.
Special thanks must go to Mr Gerry Foley
for his support of the Gap Program and
corresponding staff at Belvedere College,
especially Colin McCarthy and the games
department.Thank you all so much for the
good craic!
Tom, Josh, Charles and Nick
Retreat for Junior
Union Members (18-35 years)
Can you remember your retreat experience
in Belvedere Coll ege SJ, whether it
was a Kairos retreat or a class
retreat? If you enjo yed th at time and
h aven’t h ad the opportunity to go on
retreat since, well here’s your perfect
ch ance to do so!
A number of staff members from
Belvedere Coll ege SJ are facilitating
a retreat experience in the lovel y
setting of Gl endalough, Co Wickow.
It is a gentl e space for you to take
time out; to stop and breathe; to
refl ect a bit; to avail of an invitation
for prayer; and simpl y to enjo y the
freshness of springtime through
walks in the woods or by the lakes (I
know we are still in the midst of
winter, but ima gine the new life th at
will come with springtime).
Dates: Thursday evening Feb 25th
(7.30pm) to Saturday morning Feb
27th (11.30am). Its essentiall y just one
day away from work or coll ege
(Friday). The idea is to get away on
Thursday evening to allow a fresh
start on Friday, and to be finished and
back home by luncthtime Saturday.
If you are interested pl ease contact
Padraig Swan, Director of Faith and
Service Programmes at Belvedere
College by calling 01 858 6639 or mail
pswan@belvederecoll ege.ie
We already h ave peopl e interested in
coming along and places are very
limited, so sign up fast if you would
like to join us.
The Junior Union
FEATURES
CAREERS REPORT
18
Once again, the first term has been a busy
one in the Careers’ Office, with lots on
offer to students. Rhetoric students have
been busy making decisions for next year
while Poetry students are starting to
seriously consider their options for life
after the Leaving Cert. Syntax students
have been taking their first tenatative
steps into the world of work through their
Work Experience module and Junior
Cycle students have been brushing up on
their Study Skills in preparation for their
Christmas exams.
Parents have been
busy as well with a great turn out for our
CAO Information Evening and the Annual
Belvedere Careers Evening. With so much
going on, it can be difficult to keep track of
what’s on offer so here’s a brief summary.
Irish Times Higher Options
Rhetoric students took the opportunity to
visit the Annual Higher Options event in
the RDS in September this year. Here they
met with representatives from a wide
range of Universities and Third Level
Institutions from around the country and
abroad and had the chance to attend
information talks on the CAO process.
Lunchtime Talks
The Careers’ Office runs a series of Lunchtime
Talks most Mondays and Thursdys from
12.15-12.55. All 5th & 6th years are invited
to attend for this working lunch in held in
the Lecture Theatre. This year’s Lunchtime
Talks Series have been extremely successful
with a great turn out from students. We
have welcomed a wide range of guest
speakers and our topics have included
UCD Sutherland School of Law, Confucius
Institute at UCD, DCU, Trinity College, DIT,
Maynooth University and the Australian
GAP programme. This year, the Lunchtime
Talks have been complimented by some
evening sessions also. We were delighted
to welcome representatives from Princeton
and Harvard to Belvedere College to
speak to students and their parents about
study options in the USA.
TY Work Experience
The Transition Year Work Experience
Programme kicked off this term with a
Work Experience Preparation. Quite a
number of Syntax students ventured out
into the world of work just before their
mid-term break. This was followed by a
reflection session on their return to school
where students had a chance to share
their experience and discuss what they
had learned and what they might do
differently next time. Careers classes for
Syntax students start in January and they
will have another opportunity to go on
Work Experience next term.
Study Skills Sessions
With the Christmas exams fast approaching,
a crash course in effective study techniques
was on the menu for students this term.
Belvedere College welcomed Student
Enrichment Services back again this year
to guide students through the finer details
of effective study patterns. Full of useful
tips and info, these sessions have always
proven to be popular among our students.
The exams won’t know what hit them!
The Annual Belvedere Careers’ Evening
The Annual Belvedere Careers’ Evening is
one of our flagship events and this year’s
was one of the biggest ones yet with
nearly 100 guest speakers in attendance.
The interest and turn out from students
and their parents was phenomenal. The
feedback has been very positive and the
guests were hugely impressed with the
level of knowledge and engagement of
students. The Careers’ Office would like
to thank everyone who was involved in
helping make the evening so successful.
Keep up to date
Remember to Like the Belvedere Careers
Page on Facebook to keep up-to-date
with all the news. If you are a Twitter
user, you can follow us on Twitter
@Belvederecareer. You can also find links
to important information on the Careers
page of the school website.
The Careers Department
FEATURES
19
INTERNSHIP AT ULSTER BANK
SCHOOL INTERNSHIP WITH ULSTERBANK
Most students, myself included, facing the
brute of the Leaving Cert wouldn’t dream
of taking time out of their day, never mind
going through a lenghty application
process. Time is an ominous and precious
thing during the Leaving Cert.
I began my internship in Ulster Bank
shortly after my exams. There were twelve
interns in total, coming from local schools
near Ulster Bank’s headquarters in George’s
Quay. Each one of us were sent to
different divisions and were assigned to
our line managers with different roles and
tasks. After 4 weeks of the internship we
were assigned to new line managers and
new divisions giving us new roles and
responsibilities.
My first stint of 4 weeks began out in
Blackrock with the Ulster Bank Change
Team. I was given my own ID card, desk,
and computer log in. For all intents and
purposes I was starting a full time job as a
new member of the team. The first week
or so I shadowed my manager; attending
meetings and call conferences. He slowly
eased me into my position and as the days
went by my responsibilities increased.
However this didn’t occur without my
manager’s help who was always willing to
answer my questions and run me through
the procedures of all my tasks. Tasks such
as scanning documents and making
telephone calls seem basic but when
faced with some alien machines it does
take some time and thought.
As I started completing my tasks on a
regular basis I also started becomingmore
comfortable in my environment. Jobs such
as doing minutes for a weekly meeting went
from being very daunting to my regular
role. As more people began to depend on
me the more rewarding the job became.
After 4 weeks in the Blackrock Offices I
was transferred to working in Mortgages
in Leopardstown. This was another
extremely appealing aspect within the
internship. I was able to see how different
areas within an organisation work and
how different cultures and methods exist
in other areas. By and large most things
were equal but it gave me a huge understanding
with adapting to new roles and working in
professional environments.
Everyone I worked with in Ulster Bank was
extremely nice. If I ever needed help or
assistance there was always someone
there to show me the error of my ways. But
the main thing about the people in Ulster
Bank is that they treated you with
respected and valued you. Being valued as
part of the team and not just a Leaving
Cert student made for the biggest impact
on my experience.
Overall it was an amazing experience and
showed me what it is like to work in a real
life job. It was a tremendous opportunity for
me and I was delight to able to partake in
it. I would like to say a special thanks to
Roisin O’Donohoe, Keith Hyland and Keith
McGough, Jill Smyth, Linda Ayres and the
rest of her team.
hours per week which proved difficult to
maintain at times due to the high level of
stress and exhaustion felt after the Leaving
Certificate, but we all soldiered on none
the less. I think I am speaking on behalf of
everyone on the program that “Pay Day”
was probably the best day of the week
(Surprising right?) but on the whole the
working week became far more tolerable
as time went on. You get used to working
and I really found the other staff members
were very friendly, helpful and good fun.
My “Line Manager” secured me places in a
number of other teams within the Bank for
one week periods, these teams being
Fraud, Data Management and Financial
Planning and Analysis. I found these
periods particularly interesting as it gave
me a greater insight into what is involved
in running a bank as big as Ulster Bank. My
time with the FP&A team solidified my
belief that I had chosen the right course in
college. I sat in on a number of meetings
involving heads of various departments
working on a number of different projects.
I took ‘minutes in actions’ and assisted
wherever possible, I also gathered
feedback on various initiatives from
Branches located in the North and South
of Ireland.
James Brett, OB’15
To say the least, the Ulster Bank Internship
during the summer break was an experience
to remember. Not only because it was the
first proper work experience for some but
also because everyone involved, came
out with a much better understanding of
working in banking.
I began my internship working within the
Retail Business Improvement Team in the
Ulster Bank headquarters on Georges
Quay. I assisted on various projects,
usually the tasks being assigned to me were
administrative but interesting none the
l ess. My working week consisted of 35
In my opinion the program provided me
with invaluable knowledge on the sector I
hope to work in. It also provided me with
contacts within the financial world and
gave me much prized experience that I
now include on my CV. I would highly
recommend other students to become
involved with the Internship. I may not
have painted an extremely interesting
picture of the program but believe me
when I say it was hugely profitable,
experience and very enjoyable!
James Guckian, OB’15
arch
M
t
s
1
3
edere
Belv
e
Colleg nt
lme
Enro s
Date
REMEMBER THE DATE!
BELVEDERE COLLEGE S.J.
The closing date for enrolment
to Belvedere College S.J. is the
31st March. (I.E.) 31st March 2016
for entry in September 2017.
Please visit the school website: www.belvederecollege.ie for more information on our
Enrolment Policy and application forms. These can be found under About Us or Parents
sections. Or you can also contact the College at (01)-8586600.
PUT IT IN WRITING
ADDING A CODICIL TO YOUR WILL WITH A BEQUEST
TO BELVEDERE OR ITS ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, WOULD
MEAN A GREAT DEAL TO THE COLLEGE
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AT (01) 858 6633
BELVEDERE CAMPAIGN / DEVELOPMENT OFFICE REPORT
21
HEADMASTER'S MESSAGE
any day now. We are also very excited to
be in the process of submitting planning
permission for a comprehensive and
complete redevelopment of the Cabra
Road Pavilion.
Dear All,
It is a great pleasure to share with you the
most recent news from our fundraising
and development Campaign.
As many of you know, we have ambitious
and exciting plans for the continued
development of the College. In our recent
update we outlined the significant works
that have been completed on Belvedere
House, our new Home Economics Classroom
and Study Hall. We also shared the plans
for the new Learning Resource Centre and
All-Weather Pitch at Distillery Road. I am
delighted to inform you that the Learning
Resource Centre/Library has proven to be
a big hit with our students, and that the
new All-Weather Pitch is due for completion
Thanks to your support we have now
raised €3,625,000 in pledges since the
beginning of the campaign. We have also,
once again, made a strong start to the
school year with €645,000 pledged since
October - primarily from our newest
group of parents. We are hugely grateful
for this support, and mindful of the
position that it puts us in with regards to
being able to continue to accelerate our
programme for development.
Finally, I would just like to once again
thank all of you for your interest and for
your on-going support. We are excited for
what the next year will bring and to bringing
you further news of our progress.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
€ 3,625,000
Total Pledged To Date (2013-2015)
€ 645,000
Pledged Since October 2015
Mr Gerry Foley, Headmaster
199
PROJECT UPDATE
The renovation of Belvedere House
(completed November 2014) provided us
with the opportunity to move the Staff
Room from the Kerr Wing, in turn freeing
up the space that has now been transformed into our state of the art Learning
Resource Centre/Library. Similarly, the
space previously occupied by the old
Library has now been transformed into
our new Home Economics classroom.
A request for planning permission for the
new Cabra Pavilion has been submitted,
and we plan to proceed with the build,
hopefully, within the next twelve months.
We are also delighted to confirm that the
construction of the new all-weather pitch
at our Distillery Road sports ground is
almost complete! We are very much
looking forward to seeing the boys train
on it over the coming months.
A request for planning permission for the
new Cabra Pavilion has been submitted,
and we plan to proceed with the build,
hopefully, within the next twelve months.
Campaign Donors
€ 17,500
Average Pledged Gift To Campaign
We will update you on this project and all
our future plans in the summer edition of
the Newsletter.
The Campaign & Development Offfice
€ 2,200,000
Financial Goal For This Year
€ 5000,000
Largest Gift
€ 3.6 MILLION PLEDGED
Architect’s rendering of proposed new pavilion in Cabra Road
The new state of the art Learning Resource Centrer
Enabling: New Study Hall, Library &
Home Economics Classroom; 4G Pitch
In Distillery Road & First Phase of Cabra
Pavillion Redevelopment
BELVEDERE COLLEGE UNION
22
BELVEDERE COLLEGE UNION ST STANISLAUS CONFERENCE
We are the conference of the St Vincent
de Paul, established many years ago by
past pupils to work in the vicinity of the
College. We meet every Tuesday evening
at the College. Through the St Stanislaus
Conference, Old Belvedere, we assist
over 100 families and individuals, who all
live within approximately 400 metres of
Belvedere College. This assistance,
largely funded by generous contributions
from the past, is focused on three broad
headings:
Education
OLD BELVEDERE
VINCENT DE PAUL APPEAL
When we or our children were at school in
Belvedere, we would all have been very
aware of the dichotomy of circumstances
between ourselves and our immediate
neighbours in the surrounding streets. On
the one hand we or our children, as
students, were attending one of Ireland's
top private schools, whilst most of our
immediate neighbours lived in poverty.
Following departure from Belvedere,
maybe the challenges of our careers and
of our family lives naturally clouded the
vista we once had of life in the north inner
city. Christmas 2015 is an opportune time
for us to think once again of the lives of
the generations left behind in poverty in
the immediate neighbourhood of our
Alma Mater.
Past v Present Debate
Winning team Cup presentation
The only realistic way for families to get
out of a never ending poverty trap is
through the education of their children.
For 2016 we will target education and
depending on funding, we plan to support
a multi-year education programme for a
number of children in the area. Our
objective will be to get these young
people through to Leaving Certificate
stage and past the normal drop out age
of fifteen.
General and Emergency Needs
We support people who have emergency
medical or bereavement needs or
heating or lighting costs that they
cannot meet. Some of our clients have
significant issues with moneylenders, the
use of whom we strongly discourage.
However we support those in difficulty
with moneylending (primarily with
guidance) in trying to reach workable
arrangements to discharge their loans.
We also help out at Christmas time,
especially where children are involved.
Shortly before Christmas we visit all of
our standing clients and provide them
with hampers where these are available
and some financial assistance. The ma jor
part of our funds are directed to aid
subsistence living standards.
We are largely reliant on the Old Belvedere
Community to finance our work. If any
reader wishes to support our less fortunate
near neighbours, they can do so by
arranging a credit or bank transfer as per
the following credit transfer details:
New Temporary Homeless
A significant number of people are being
accommodated temporarily (this can be
for up to 9/12 months) in single rooms in
a number of the local hotels. While they
receive normal levels of social welfare
payments during their stay, they have no
access to cooking or laundry facilities
and have to buy more expensive take
away food and use launderettes. This
creates quite significant additional
expense for them. We therefore help out
financially to defray some of this
additional cost. As you might imagine, life
can be very difficult, especially for
families with young children, living in one
room for prolonged periods.
Name:
Society of St Vincent de Paul
St Stanislaus Conference
IBAN:
IE61 BOFI 9000 1717 0674 12
BIC:
BOFI IE2D
Bank:
Bank of Ireland, College Green,
Dublin 2
OR by posting a cheque to Belvedere
College, Great Denmark St, Dublin 1 and
made payable to Conference of St Stanislaus,
Society of St Vincent de Paul.
Happy Christmas to all.
Brendan Heneghan, OB 1978
TIM SHEEHY
REQUIESCAT IN PACE
his presence amongst us, as we go about
daily life in Belvedere.
It is with great sadness that we inform our
wide Belvedere community of the death of
Tim Sheehy. Tim passed away on Sunday,
13th December 2015 surrounded by his
family and in the comfort of his home.
Tim was announced as the recipient of
the Belvedere Union Social Justice
Award on Friday, 6th November 2015
at the Union dinner held in the Mansion
House. The Social Justice award was
established in 1990, by Tim, the then
Union President, and the Jesuit order
Provincial.
Tim was a true Belvederian and played a
pivotal role in many parts of the College,
most significantly in the development of
the Science and Theatre building. Tim was
also a key supporter of the Social Diversity
Programme and worked tirelessly behind
the scenes to support us all. He will be
greatly missed and we will remember his
generosity, his infectious humour and mostly
His family have expressed their sincere
thanks for the kindness and support
shown to Tim by his many friends over the
past number of months.
Rhetoric 94 Class Reunion
May he rest in peace.
Great to see lots of old faces!
BELVEDERE COLLEGE UNION
23
BELVEDERE BUSINESS FORUM
BUILD YOUR BUSINESS AND
CONTACTS WITH THE BELVEDERE
BUSINESS FORUM
The Belvedere Business Forum is here to
help Belvederians generate business for
each other and since the first Business
Forum was held in October 2011 we
have had a wide range of events including
budget briefings and sessions centred
on networking, entrepreneurial success
stories, exporting, digital marketing,
data analytics and topics on the wider
issues facing Irish business and the Irish
economy.
The Forum has provided a platform for
Old Belvederians in business to get to
know one another, to help each other
and to do business with one another. To
date 25 events have been held. Over
600 OBs have attended and the Forum
goes from strength to strength.
In the last year we have had a wide
variety of high calibre business people
speaking at the Forum events. Kicking off
the year we had Neil O’Leary of Ion
Equity on investing in Ireland over the last
15 years followed by David Guest in March
on the IFSC over the last 30 years. In
May, Dr. John Teeling, UCD and Cooley
Distillery looked at entrepreneurship in
the drinks industry and in natural
resources. In a wide ranging presentation,
Dr John Fitzgerald from TCD, ESRI and
the Central Bank outlined the issues
facing the Irish economy and how to best
manage the economic recovery. William
and David Keeling wrapped up the year
by looking at how a family business has
grown through diversification and branding.
This year the Business Forum went on
tour when a number of the Breakfast
events were hosted by various companies
in Dublin and our thanks go to our
friends in Grant Thornton,
Dillon
Eustace, Davy’s, Arthur Cox, William Fry
and Dublin Chamber of Commerce, for
their hospitality. All the events provided
a forum for all OBs to network and do
business with each other.
Another outlet for bringing Old Belvederians
together and offering the opportunity to
invite friends and clients, was the annual
Business Lunch which was held in Fire
Restaurant in the Mansion house in May.
Christoph Mueller, CEO Malaysian
Airlines and ex-CEO Aer Lingus was our
Guest Speaker. Over 200 OBs attended
and old friendships were renewed and
new relationships were developed.
Another Business Lunch is planned for May.
As the Forum goes into its fifth year,
membership is growing, the events are
well attended and we’re always looking
for new members to join us. Membership
is free and is open to all Old Belvederians
and parents of current students. So if
you feel like helping your company grow
and want to connect with a wide range
of businesses, do come along to our next
Business Forum. All details are on the
Union website. Simply register by email at
[email protected]
Many thanks to all our speakers, our
hard working committee and all those
companies that have generously provided
hospitality in hosting these events. If you
have any questions or feedback in
relation to the Forum or any other queries,
please do not hesitate to contact any member
of the Committee.
Eugene Bent, Belvedere Business Forum
BUSINESS FORUM COMMITTEE
Eugene Bent:
[email protected]
BrianDillon:
[email protected]
Brian Terry:
[email protected]
Martin McMahon:
[email protected]
Kevin Lynch:
[email protected]
David Soffe:
[email protected]
CJ Barry:
[email protected]
Daniel Desmond:
[email protected]
UNION SECETARY
Sally-Anne Ireland
[email protected]
Tel: 01 858 6605
PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
24
FROM THE CHAIR
The PA got off to a busy start in September.
Following the AGM, there were quite a few
new members voted on to the Committee.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank the outgoing Chairperson, Ciara
Banks for her trojan work over past two
years and especially over past 12 months
in the Chair. Thanks also to the other
outgoing members of the PA who gave
their time so generously to serve on the
PA for the previous two years and for their
valuable contribution and involvement.
The current Parents’ Association members
are listed hereunder.
So far this year, the PA committee has
nominated a dedicated Student Council
liaison rep, and also a dedicated Sports
Liaison rep. The PA continues to play an
important role in supporting the boys and
their parents throughout their time at
Belvedere College. Most importantly, the
PA manages the parents’ annual subscriptions
to the PA and deals with the funding
applications received either from the
Students council or from other Departments
in the College. All Funding applications are
considered seriously and funds are
usually granted and allocated to those
applications which satisfy the criteria
that the funding/purchases will benefit a
significant number, if not all of the college
students. The Treasurer provides a
Treasurer’s Report at each AGM detailing
the PA accounts for the preceding year
and the various funding allocations
during that term.
The PA is also responsible for hosting
three Parents’ talks throughout the school
term and also hosts the social evenings
for parents. A very successful social
evening for the new Elements parents
was held on Monday Oct 19th, affording
an opportunity for these parents to meet
other Elements parents. The next social
evening for Rudiments, Grammar and
Poetry Students will be held On Monday
March 7th 2016. (A date for your diary!)
The first of the three PA talks was held on
Monday Oct 23rd. The topic was “ Drug
Awareness” and was presented by Mr
Eoghan Keogh, Chaplain, Belvedere College.
Eoghan gave an excellent presentationon
the dangers facing our teenage boys and
provided details of web sites where
parents can get information and become
more aware of the dangers and signs.
Eoghan was accompanied on the night by
a representative from Mountjoy Garda
Station Drugs Unit, who also gave a very
honest, open talk and overview of the
drugs problem and the challenges facing
today’s teenagers. He brought along a
sample display of the most commonly
available drugs types that are in circulation.
According to all present, this proved to be
a most interesting and informative
presentation and at times a “chilling”
account and display.
A special thank you once again to Eoghan
Keogh for presenting this most informative
and engaging talk.
The next PA talk is scheduled for end Feb
2016 and the final talk is scheduled for
mid April. Confirmation and details of
these talks will be circulated closer to the
respective dates.
Brid Pentory, Chairperson, Parents’ Association
BELVEDERE COLLEGE DANCE-OFF!
Lots of smiling faces in the courtyard during Mental Health Awareness Week which took place in September
BELVEDERE COLLEGE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE 2015/16
1
Brid Pentony
Chair
[email protected]
2
Sheera Harmon
Treasurer
[email protected]
3
Annalie Sexton
Secretary
[email protected]
4
Val Jennings
PA Events
[email protected]
5
Catherine Ronayne
Student Council
[email protected]
6
Eithne O Connor
Lost Property
[email protected]
7
Tim Murphy
Sports liaison
[email protected]
8
Aine Sewell
Rep.
[email protected]
9
Ger Oliver
Rep.
[email protected]
10
Kim Hayes
Rep.
[email protected]
11
Karen O Kelly
Rep.
[email protected]
12
Mark Bryans
Rep.
[email protected]
13
Paula McDermott
BOM
[email protected]
14
Mark Yalloway
BOM
[email protected]
Newsletter Team:
Paula McDermott, Trevor Dunne
& Sally-Anne Ireland
Design & Print:
Trevor Dunne
Photography:
Kindly conttributed by
Fionán O’Connell & Seamus Fearon
If you have any feedback; would like to
update your details or include an article in
our next edition then please contact us via
The Development Office by phone: 01 858
6613, or email: [email protected]
The Newsletter is also available to read
or download online at belvederecollege.ie