StJoseph’sSecondarySchool,Castlebar.
SummerNewsletter,2016
Junior Cert & Leaving Cert Classes 2016
We wish you all the best of luck with your exams. The best of
luck to our Leaving Cert. students in your future careers.
Parent’s Council
The Parent’s Council would like to thank the many parents
and TY students who helped out recently with the successful
flag day. Thanks also to those of you who supported the
council and helped out at many events throughout the year.
Achievements Day
A wonderful afternoon was had by all for the school’s annual
Achievements Day on 18th May. Ciara Murphy, Sinéad
Mylett, Manmeet Kaur, Sarah Jane Hamilton, Hanna
Bargouty and Erica McMorrow were the Masters of
Ceremonies who carried out an excellent job. There was a
huge array of achievements from attendance, Student
Council, Mentors, art competitions, sports awards and music
awards to name but a few! Mr. Keith Higgins, Mayo Senior
Footballer, presented the awards on behalf of Bank of
Ireland or Junior Sports Star of the Year to Maeve Gallagher
(2nd Yr) and Senior Sports Star to Gráinne Flynn (5th Yr).
The award for the best Junior Cert. 2015 was presented to
Niamh McDermott. The 3rd and 5th year choirs received
perpetual cups for winning the choir exams. Year Heads
awarded the staff nominated student achievement awards to
the respective students. The CEIST award was presented by
Mr. Gerry McGuill to Clodagh Mae Coll, 6th year. Last but not
least, Mrs Mac Cabe presented the Student of the Year
award to 6th year student Chloe McMorrow. We were
entertained throughout the afternoon with a variety of
musical treats from choirs, traditional groups, various soloists
and the school orchestra.
Music & Choir
Junior and Leaving Cert . Music practical exams took place
in early April. All students performed to a very high standard
and were very happy with their performances.
Congratulations to our 3rd year Choir who were winners of
our Junior Choir Competition. They were presented with the
Aisling Hynes Memorial Cup at Achievement’s Day by the
Hynes family. Congratulations to our 5th year Senior Choir,
they were presented with the Sr. Cecelia Perpetual Cup by
the Mercy Sisters for winning the Senior Choir Competition.
Both choirs performed at Achievement’s Day, as did our
school orchestra, traditional groups & soloists.
Leaving Cert Graduation
6th Year Graduation liturgy was celebrated on the 25th May.
The occasion was a beautiful celebration of friendship,
talents & creativity. We thank Fr. John Murray, our chaplain,
for celebrating the liturgy with us.
6th. A memorable and enjoyable experience was had by all
the Leaving Certificate students. Thanks to the Mustard
Seed Team for facilitating the retreats. TY Parish Project
TY students participated in the Tuam Diocesan Parish
Projects. The initiative aims to give TY students the
opportunity to become involved in some aspect of their local
parish. Some of the projects they got involved in include
Peer 4 Peer Programme, the Confirmation Preparation
Programme, visiting the elderly in the Social Service Centre,
training as Eucharistic ministers and organising a Wellbeing
Week in school. The project culminated with an appreciation
day in Knock on 25th April. All participating schools presented
their projects in written and spoken form. Archbishop Michael
Neary was in attendance and took time to view the stands
and to speak with all the young people present. Thank you
to their teacher Maura McHugh, Mary Connell, Parish Coordinator; Yvonne Horkin, Peer 4 Peer & Deirdre Waldron for
helping the girls with their projects.
Awakening Concert
The Transition Year choir took part in Awakening 2016
hosted by the Archdiocese of Tuam on the 5th of May in
Breaffy Sports Arena. Awakening 2016 was an amazing
concert with more than 370 young people coming together
from a large number of secondary schools across the
diocese to perform a concert of uplifting Church and
contemporary music. The proceeds from the concert went to
Pieta House. Well done to Ms. McHugh and Ms. Barnwall
who orchestrated the event.
Wellbeing Week
We held a Wellbeing Week in our school from 18th – 22nd
April. The focus of the week was on positive mental,
emotional & physical health. During the week students had
workshops and talks and the emphasis was on happiness &
positivity. We painted a wall orange to signify the school’s
ambassador status in the Cycle Against Suicide programme.
Each student & staff was reminded of the importance of
minding their mental & emotional health. Thanks to the R.E.
& S.P.H.E. Departments for co-ordinating the week and to
the TY students for all their work & co-operation.
Green Schools
We are proud to have successfully received our 7th Green
Flag this May. The theme for the past two years focused on
global energy awareness. St. Joseph’s is the only secondary
school in Mayo to have achieved this 7th flag. Well done to
our green schools team with representatives from each year
under the instruction of Ms. McGrath and Mr. MacMonagle.
Lourdes
On Easter Sunday, ten girls from St. Joseph’s, along with Fr.
Mike Murphy (our former chaplain) and students from Mount
St Michael in Claremorris, travelled to Lourdes for the trip of
Retreats
The Mustard Seed Retreat Team facilitated the 6th year
retreat which was held in the Parish Centre on Friday March
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a lifetime. While there, they looked after children and young
adults with special needs. For the students, it was an
experience they will never forget. We thank Fr. Mike for
giving the girls this opportunity.
Mentors
Well done to the 5th years who were mentors to our 1st year
students for this school year. We thank you for your
commitment and leadership. The mentors for next
September have already been selected and they will
commence their roles at the 1st year Induction Day in August.
1916 Commemorations
On March 14thwe held a flag raising ceremony to honour
those who fought in the 1916 Rising. Emily Jennings, 6th
year, and Susan Ralph, 1st year, read out the Proclamation
on behalf of the school to all students. This was followed by
a rousing edition of Amhrán na bhFiann accompanied by the
school orchestra. On April 26th we held a commemoration
day where students and teachers had a competition to dress
up in early 20th century style clothes. Prizes for the best
dressed students were awarded by the Parents’ Council.
During the day we had a ceremony whereby personal
accounts, articles and facts from Easter 1916 were read out
to all students. Several Irish dancers, singers and trad
players preformed at the event making it extra special. The
day was enjoyed by all and gave great recognition to those
who fought in 1916.
TY History Trips
Our Transition Year students had the opportunity to take part
in the Glasnevin Cemetery Tour Guiding Programme. This
consisted of two trips to Glasnevin as the students stepped
into the shoes of a tour guide and presented to their class at
the grave of a historical figure. They were presented with
certificates on completion. The programme is designed to
give students an experience of the real life world of tour
guiding. Transition Years also made a trip to Collins’
Barracks and the GPO in Dublin on May 4th. These
exhibitions explore Irish military history, including the 1916
Rising. The GPO’s highly immersive and engaging exhibition
puts you right inside the GPO during Easter Week in 1916.
The girls loved the experience as did Ms. Cosgrove who
organised the outing.
Social History Projects & Turlough House Art Projects
Transition Year students were given the fantastic opportunity
to have their history projects exhibited online through a
project offered by Turlough House. The girls visited the
museum to select an object of their choice to write a project
on and were also offered a video editing interview workshop.
11 projects were selected to be displayed on
www.ouririshheritage.org. Well done to Ms. Harrington, Ms.
Berkeley and Ms. Cosgrove who co-ordinated the work.
A group of Transition Year art students worked on a project
in conjunction with Turlough House whereby they created an
art piece based around the theme of their Turlough House
history project. Ms. Flannelly was the co- ordinator. Their
artwork was exhibited for 3 weeks in the museum which was
a great achievement for the students.
TY Presentation Night
On Tuesday 24th May, the TY presentation and awards night
took place in the school hall. The evening began with a short
prayer service of music and reflection. This was followed by
a display of the TY portfolio boxes. It gave people present an
opportunity to view all the wonderful activities that the
students took part in during the year.
TY Effective Communication Exams
In early May, TY students were examined by Leinster School
of Music and Drama for their Effective Communication
Certificates. The examiner praised the students for their
outstanding performances, with many students receiving first
class honours. Four students were awarded medals for their
exceptional results. Well done to all concerned.
TY Trip to Barcelona
The Transition Year group travelled to Barcelona on 29th of
March until the 2nd of April, accompanied by Ms. McGrath,
Ms. Broderick, Ms. Cosgrove and Ms. Barnwall. The group of
45 students visited many sites over the three day trip
including Sagrada Familia and Park Guëll. They were
entertained with a tour of the city, the Sound and Light Show
and a Montjuic cable car ride, trips to a science museum and
La Aquarium. The highlight was a trip to Portaventura, one of
Europe’s best amusement parks. The tour was a great
success and an unforgettable experience.
Pretty Little Bank
TY students opened their school bank last January through a
Bank of Ireland Initiative. The school bank held its final
opening on May 12th where they held a party for all bank
account holders and a draw for an i-Pad. The bank team
consisted of Ciara O’Malley, Niamh McDermott, Rachel
Doherty, Carla Lyons, Saoirse Burke, Dearbhla Keane, Aine
Monaghan, Laura Corcoran, Roisin Gavin, Laura Grady,
Aoife Gormally, Aisling Flannery, Sharon Walsh and Niamh
Cunningham.
Junk Kouture
The Junk Kouture Grand final was held in the 3Arena, Dublin
on April 14th with one team from St. Joseph’s making it
through to the final. The name of the dress was ‘Becarra
Bandini’ and the team included Una Togher, Rachel Barrett,
Niamh McDermott, Jennifer Morrin and Anna Coll. The dress
was made of the inner tubes of recycled tyres and old copper
wire. Congratulations to the girls on their achievement and
also to their teachers Ms. Geary and Ms. Flannelly.
Seachtain na Gaeilge
We had a very busy & exciting Seachtain na Gaeilge week
which began with the annual Tráth na gCeist quiz, organised
by Conradh na Gaeilge Castlebar. The quiz was held in St.
Joseph's & we had the highest turnout in years. St. Gerald’s
team won, with St. Joseph’s coming second with two junior
teams. A huge thank you to Fear an Tí Sean Kennelly and all
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from Conradh na Gaeilge for such a great night.
Congratulations to Ciara Murphy, Orla Condon and Hanna
Bargouty who took part in the Labhairt Phoiblí on the same
night. The students spoke about social issues in our
community. On Wednesday the 16th of March we had a Lá
Gaelach for 1st and 2nd year students. It was organised by TY
students and Ms. Cosgrove & Ms. Sweeney. The afternoon
kicked off with a few cluichí, including ‘The Cube’ and ‘Family
Fortunes’. We also had Seó Faisin Junk Kouture with
commentary trí Ghaeilge. Finally we taught set dancing and
had a céilí to end the event on a high note. The afternoon
was a great success, well done to all.
Gaelbhratach
We successfully earned our first Gaelbhratach flag this year.
This is a scheme which awards schools for promoting the
use and the awareness of the Irish language throughout the
school and in the local community. We set up a Club
Gaelach for first years, held a Christmas Concert and
promoted Seachtain na Gaeilge. This was co-ordinated by
the Coiste don Ghaelbhratach, Ms. Sweeney and Ms.
Cosgrove. 1st & 2nd Year Club Gaelach students enjoyed a
day out in Coláiste Uisce on May 25th. Well done to all
concerned.
Scholarship
St. Joseph’s, in conjunction with the generosity of a local
entrepreneur, is offering a current Leaving Cert. student a
bursary of €1,000 to provide financial assistance in their first
year of 3rd level study. We are very appreciative of this generosity shown by the local benefactor.
Architecture module
Orla Murphy, architect, carried out the IAF programme with
our Transition Year students in January. Devised and delivered by the Irish Architecture Foundation, this new initiative
provides students with first-hand experience of the design
process under the guidance of a design professional. The
girls loved the six-week module and got a great insight into
the world of architecture and design. Thanks to Ms.
Sweeney who organised the programme
Song for ‘16
Well done to Caoilinn Gaughan, who performed her song
‘Éire – Mo Chuisle, Mo Chroí’ in the Song for ’16 competition
in the National Concert Hall on May 15th. The competition is
an All-Ireland competition for primary and secondary schools
and is held in conjunction with the National Concert Hall,
Disney Music Group and the Department of Education &
Skills. There were over 150 entries and Caoilinn’s song,
which she wrote & composed was one of only seven songs
to be selected for the final. Caoilinn was accompanied by
Maria Ruddy on piano.
European Youth Parliament
Well done to Erica McMorrow & Ciara Murphy who were
Connaught/Ulster delegates at a European Youth Parliament
National Conference held in Cork in March.
Junior Spiders
Congratulations to Meadhbh Murphy and Laura Grady, TY,
who were qualifiers for the best Transition Year Project and
Best Project trí Ghaeilge for Giga Spiders at the Eir Junior
Spider Awards. They were invited to the final on the 25th
April in Croke Park, Dublin. Their creative website ‘Tradbiscuits’ was designed by the students under the supervision of
Ms. Calvey & Ms. Healy.
CEIST Leadership Conference
On March 15th 2016, 5th year students Orlaigh Condon, Maggie Heneghan and Emer Caulfield attended the Second
CEIST Leadership Conference in St Patrick’s College
Drumcondra. Following the opening liturgy the students from
80 schools around the country worked in workshops where
they heard presentations from students who had displayed
leadership in their own schools. They also explored the concept of being a leader in a Catholic School. The event was
addressed by the youngest member elected to the 32ndDail,
Jack Chambers T.D. for Dublin West.
A Date for your Diary
Festival Folk will take place again in Castlebar, on Thursday
27th October. More details later on our website.
All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad
Over 100 students from 1st to 5th year participated in the Linguistics Olympiad this year. It is a contest in which students
develop strategies for solving problems in fascinating languages from around the world. This requires logic, patience
and thinking outside the box. Round 1 was corrected by the
ADAPT Centre at Trinity College and Clarissa Biondi (5th
year) achieved a score which qualified her for the All- Ireland
final. She achieved bronze standard in the competition and
was awarded a certificate. Congratulations and well done
Clarissa!
German News
Congratulations to Aoife Madden, TY, who was presented
with the perpetual Dubsky Environment Trophy and won a
two week scholarship to ISK- Internationale Sprachkurse in
Salzburg, Austria. Her essay on climate change in the Alps
was the winning entry in the Irish Austria Society German
Language Essay Competition. Aoife’s German teacher is Ms.
Loftus. Congratulations to Emma Horan, Khulud Bennani,
Megan Devaney and Bridín Joyce who participated in the
Goethe Institute organised German language debating competition.
School Chaplain
Best wishes to Fr. Murray, school chaplain, who will be moving parish and will no longer be serving our school. Fr. Murray was a great addition to our school over the last number
of years. We wish him the best in the future.
Trips to the Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo
Leaving Cert. English students travelled to Sligo to enjoy an
innovative production of Hamlet in April. 3rd year students
also travelled to Sligo to see a production of Romeo & Juliet
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and The Merchant of Venice. Students benefitted hugely
from seeing the productions which form part of their Leaving
Cert. & Junior Cert. English course content.
Italian Student Visit
On Wednesday 9th March, St. Joseph’s welcomed a group of
10 Italian students from Italy along with their teachers. The
students were part of a group that travelled from the Istituti
Paritari Filippin, Paderno in the north of Italy to St Gerald’s
College and St Joseph’s as part of a cultural exchange programme.
Spikeball
Transition Year students of 2016 took part in the VAI TY
Girls Spikeball Leaders Award Programme which involved
coaching their younger peers how to play volleyball. On
Wednesday, the 27th of April, they held a well anticipated
Spikeball Blitz. Team Green from 1(A) and Team Red from
1(D), two very skilled teams, qualified for the final. Team
Red, which consisted of Niamh Kennedy, Emma Ginnelly,
Deirdre Quinn, Alannah Carson and Leah Fadden, were
crowned as St. Joseph’s Spikeball champions. Team Green
with Kelly McNeela, Rachel Gallagher, Elise Dolan, Laura
Ainsworth and Roisin Murphy, were the gallant runners up.
Camogie
Thanks to Mary Kennedy who coached the 1st year team.
The girls won the final of the county first year blitz. Well
done!
Gaelic Football
A huge number of students represented the school in Gaelic
football this year. The 1st years took part in two fun blitzes
and the U14, U16 and senior teams played against schools
from all over the province. We extend a sincere thank you to
coaches Wally Flynn, Ray Walsh, Conor Waldron, Fiona
McCarthy Ms. Keaveney, Ms. Brennan & Ms. Barnwell.
Swimming
On the 5th of January 2016, 12 girls from our school swam in
the Connacht Schools Championships in Longford. Individual
medals were won by Niamh Heneghan, Laura Fahy, Hannah
Grady and Heather Fadian. The intermediate relay – Laura
Fahy, Niamh Heneghan, Siofra McHale and Edel Egan won
two gold medals. The junior relay – Hannah Grady, Heather
Fadian, Megan Deely, Rachel Henehan and Niamh Egan
won gold and silver medals. Niamh Egan swam in the AllIreland inter-provincials schools competition and did
extremely well.
of students over 14 years of age take part in the minimarathon. Thanks to the students and staff who supported
our fundraising for these three worthy causes and to Mrs.
McGrath for encouraging us to take part in the 10K.
Basketball
St. Joseph’s basketball teams had great success again this
year. The highlight was our U19 team reaching the AllIreland semi-final which was played in the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. They unfortunately fell short to a better
team on the day. They certainly did us proud representing
our school at that level. Our U16, 1st and 2nd year teams, all
put in a lot of hard work since September, improving with
every game they played. All three teams reached the regional semi-finals. Our future in basketball certainly looks good
with these teams coming up the ranks. Thanks to Ms. Kilkenny who coaches the teams.
Soccer
St. Josephs’ soccer team had a very successful year.
Training took place on Thursdays at Castlebar Celtic
Astroturf for both first years and second years with games
beginning after Christmas. Both teams progressed well in
group stages. The U-15 team got through to the semi-final of
the Connaught School Girls Cup and were unfortunately
beaten by Kiltimagh. First years made it to the final of the
same competition and narrowly missed out on a win against
a stronger Ballinrobe team. Many thanks to all students
involved, Ms. Keaveney, 2nd year trainer Richard Berkeley,
TY and Fifth year trainers and Joey Burke at Celtic who gave
the girls great advice at matches.
Horseriding
Well done to Colleen Ralph, Lyn Rochford, Mary-Ann
Cresham and Kiera Conway who were placed 3rd in the Hanley’s Interschools Showjumping competition held in Claremorris in April.
School triathlon
Well done to Maeve Gallagher who came first in the School’s
Triathlon championship which was held in Sligo recently.
Athletics
Well done to Katie Gibbons, Meave Gallagher & Meadhb
O’Shea who represented the school at the All-Ireland qualifiers on the June Bank holiday weekend.
World Duathlon Silver Medalist
Congratulations to Ms. Carey who took the silver medal in
the ITU World Duathlon Championship in Spain recently.
West of Ireland Mini-Marathon
This year 60 students, from 1st to 6th year, and teachers took
Second Hand Book Sale
part in the 10k mini-marathon on the May Bank Holiday
Book sale takes place on 22nd June in the school canteen
weekend. We decided to fundraise by holding a ‘Wear Pink
from 3 – 4.30pm.
Day’ in the school and have recently presented a cheques to
Rock Rose House, Breast Cancer Research & the Social
Sympathy
Services Centre. We are delighted to have won the ‘It’s For
We extend our condolences to families and staff members in
Girls’ competition organised by Mayo Sports Partnership in
our school who have been bereaved recently and who are
conjunction with Mayo Adventure Centre for having a high %
experiencing sadness at this time.
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