NEARLY 12o students and their families gathered at the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night for the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year annual awards.
It was a night where the students also put on a performance of song and drama and where 60 of them received the President’s Gaisce Awards, the most ever from the school.
The Student of the Year awards were won by Ciara Holmes and Conor O’Donoghue and the students can now look forward to the summer holidays before the preparation for the Leaving Cert begins in September.
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Winners of Students of the Year at the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Ciara Holmes and Conor O’Donoghue. Photo Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Ciara Murphy, Ellen O’Brian, Megan Fort and Aoife Leahy. Photo Gavin O’Connor.At the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Derval O’Ryan, Maeve O’Donoghue, Tamsin Stack, Jesse Brosnan. Photo Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Maeve Burke, Christine O’Sullivan, Jamie Bourke and Ciaran Ryan. By Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Billy Donovan, Leandra Nana and Elizabeth Hayes. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Ann Marie Heaslip, Voronika Heaslip and Clodagh Byrne. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Cathal O’Reilly, Alicia Finnerty and James O’Connor. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Sinead O’Mahony, Sean Tansley, Cian Lehane and Maeve O’Donoghue. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Paul Rusk, Elaine Rusk, Mary O’Mahony and Helen Rusk. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk Transition Year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Willie Slattery, Margaret Slattery, Breda Byrnes, Carmelita Ryan and Dennis Ryan. Photo by Gavin O’ConnorAt the Mercy Mounthawk transition year awards night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday night were, from left: Mags Quill, Linda O’Reilly, Jerome Lehane, Maeve Higgins and Jackie Lehane. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
Presentation Tralee students Kate Moore and Katie Ahern at the awards ceremony on Tuesday.
SCHOOLS from all over the Tralee area were presented with the prestigious Green Flag at an awards ceremony in Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Cork on Tuesday.
Sixty schools from Kerry were awarded Green Flags by An Taisce at the ceremony.
Nationally, 205 schools will be awarded their first Green Flag in recognition of their hard work on the Litter & Waste theme while 949 schools have successfully renewed their Green Flag under the themes of Energy, Water, Travel, Biodiversity, Global Citizenship and Climate Change.
The Green-Schools programme continues to grow at a remarkable rate with over 3,700 schools now registered with the programme, representing over 90 per cent of all schools in Ireland.
Schools from Tralee area receiving first flag for Litter and Waste
• Scoil Lios Teilic, Tráigh Lí
• Presentation Secondary School, Tralee.
Schools from Tralee area receiving second and subsequent Green Flags
Leandra Nana and Nina Duggan of Mercy Mounthawk school.
TWO Tralee students lived through what many of their peers would consider their worst nightmare at the weekend.
Leandra Nana and Nina Duggan, Transition Year students at Mercy Mounthawk took part in the experiment for Radio Kerry’s Talkabout programme to give up their phones for 72 hours. And they lived to tell the tale!
“I kept reaching into my pocket every few minutes,” Leandra said. “I kept forgetting that I didn’t have it. I missed it a lot and realised I really depended on my phone. I thought I could go without it, but now I realise that I can’t,” Leandra told Deirdre Walsh of Radio Kerry.
“It was kinda nice for a while not having it. You felt disconnected from everything, but in a good way. You get a bit of time to yourself. You can do your own thing,” Nina said.
“I had a lot of missed calls from over the weekend. I’d be on the phone every few minutes, playing games and on the internet a lot,” said Nina.
It was an interesting experiment but Leandra said she wouldn’t do it again. Nina, however, said she wouldn’t mind.
Mercy Mounthawk students, Sharon Reidy and Laura Rogers, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot Crean
OUR Lady and St Brendan’s Church was packed on Friday afternoon as sixth year students from Mercy Mounthawk got together with their families for a special graduation ceremony.
The young men and women, who started at the school back in 2008, are busy studying for the Leaving Cert, but this was a last chance to celebrate before the hectic month of June ahead.
About 200 students attended the Mass which was followed by an address from Principal John O’Roarke and Vice-Principal Mr Fleming. Then, Head Boy and Girl, Liam Gannon and Vanessa Dineen, both spoke on behalf of the students.
After the ceremony, students posed for photos with their families before going on to further celebrate their graduation.
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Mercy Mounthawk students, Oliver Thornton, Anna Ryan, James Kelly, Niall Carroll Cane, Jordan Foley, James Clifford and Patrice Scirakova after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Catherine Murphy, Edel Carmody, Rebecca O’Sullivan and Shannon Dowling, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Dervla O’Connor, David Kavanagh, Mairin Maher and Ciara Cusack, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Chris O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Connor, Christopher Kirby, Tommy Turner, Kevin Shanahan and Michael Grimes, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Cathal Rogers, Eoin O’Carroll, Claire Brennan, Deirdre O’Shea, Matt Finnerty, Cian Sayers and Paul Ruane after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Aoife Foran, Emer Cantillon and Karina Quilter, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Deirdre Donovan, Vanessa Dineen and Josh Barnes, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk student, Danielle Horgan, with parents Noreen and Phil, after her graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Jonathan O’Brien, Cillian O’Brien, Sean Ryan and Niall O’Brien, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Shauna Fitzgerald, Fiachra O’Connor, Rachel Byrne and Lauren Tobin, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanSylvia Jalusf (left) with Mercy Mounthawk students, Lydia Walsh and Patrice Scirakova after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students, Jacyanne Yvanez and Ronan Buckley, after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanMercy Mounthawk students Clodagh Bissett and Shauna Moriarty after their graduation ceremony in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot Crean
Ronan Carey, Alan McEllistrim and Maeve Burke, Transition Year students in Mercy Mounthawk who were part of the class who won the ECO-UNESCO prize in Dublin on Tuesday. Photo by Dermot Crean
GREEN Teens from Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk scooped the Senior Water Prize at ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards.
The awards ceremony was held in the Round Room of the Mansion House, Dublin on Tuesday, May 20.
In attendance were over 600 young people, Mr. Han Qunli, Director of the Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and the Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere Programme, Minster for Children and Youth Affairs Charlie Flanagan, Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisín Quinn and the master of ceremonies, Aidan Power.
The group won the category with their project ‘Don’t go with the Flo’ who examined the negative effects that fluoridating our water has on human health.
Their project was two fold; the short term aim was to raise awareness about the dangers of fluoride; their long term aim is to rid Irish water of fluoride.
The group began their awareness campaign by surveying the public to assess their knowledge on fluoride. They then gave talks in their local community on the dangers of fluoride, held public taste tests on fluoridated and unflouridated water, handed out information leaflets and held a bake sale to help raise funds to continue their project.
Their main action plan is to make a series of videos which will appeal to the public and highlight the problem. They also hope to encourage local businesses to go fluoride free by purchasing reverse osmosis filters.
The group was just one of the 75 lucky groups who were selected for the finals from almost 4,000 young people throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland at regional ‘‘Dragons’ Den’’ style ECO-Dens in March.
The annual awards programme run by ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s environmental education and youth organisation, recognises and rewards young people that carry out local environmental action projects.
The programme has provided thousands of young people, aged 10 -18, an opportunity to take action and raise awareness in their own community on issues that matter the most to them.
THE Brookfield College Leaving Cert class celebrated their graduation last night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel.
The school, which opened its doors in 1988, has a long history of providing education to senior level students in Tralee.
They are 26th alumni to finish the school, based in Oakpark.
“They’re a great class and tonight was just a celebration of how hard they had worked all year. We’re very proud of them and this is our opportunity to wish them the best for the years ahead,” said school principal Elisha Dowling.
On the night students performed music they specially rehearsed for the night along with awards being given out.
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Attending the Brookfield College graduation ceremony at the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday evening were, from left; Aisling Kelly, Jack O’Connor, Matthew O’Connor, Roisin O’Connor and Bethany Stack. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Attending the Brookfield College graduation ceremony at the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday evening were, from left; Aoife O’Herlihy, Liam O’Herlihy, Siobhan O’Herlihy and Don O’Herlihy. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Attending the Brookfield College graduation ceremony at the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday evening were, from left; Maura Slattery, Andrew Grey and Louise McAuliffe. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.Attending the Brookfield College graduation ceremony at the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on Wednesday evening were, from left; Darragh Collins, Scott O’Leary, Brian O’Sullivan and Jack O’Gara. Photo Gavin O’Connor.The Brookfield College leaving cert class that graduated last night in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Victoria Agwu and Blaithnaid Quirke after the Presentation graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT was a special day for over 130 Presentation girls on Friday as they celebrated their graduation after, 1,825 days in the school.
Hundreds of students, parents, siblings and friends attended the ceremony in St John’s Church for a Mass followed by speeches from Principal Sheila Pontillo, Chairman of the Board of Management Bill Looney and from Head Girls, Niamh Fitzgerald and Leah Kelly.
The students paid tribute to their parents, teachers and to Principal for all their support down the years – as well as keeping track of that days of attendance figure mentioned above!
After the ceremony there was a reception back in the assembly hall at the school, where the students opened letters they penned to themselves when they began their education at the school all those years ago.
Back; Leah Kelly, Saoirse Brosnan, Zoe Newsome McDonnell, Aysa Quane, Feenagh Mulligan, Yasmin Ghardazi, Catherine O’Halloran, Shauna Hanafin. In front; Amy Phillps, Emma O’Halloran, Caoimhe Crowe, Sinead Brosnan and Mary Doody after the Presentation graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanSharon Mujokoro, Diane O’Carroll, Siobhan Long, Bobbie O’Brien and Jackie Dodd after the Presentation graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanAlison Shaughnessy, Rosie Wheeler, Keelyn O’Brien and Becky O’Sullivan after the Presentation graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanOlga Ofiarn, Chantelle McDonagh and Ramona Scur after the Presentation graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot CreanAileen Murphy and Doireann O’Carroll after the Presentation graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. Photo by Dermot Crean
MERCY Mounthawk proved to be the big winners in Kerry Final of the Irish Junior Mathematics Competition following an hour long battle of mathematical knowledge.
The Kerry Final for First Years student took place last Friday evening May 9 in the South Campus of IT Tralee.
In total, four Kerry schools were represented; Meanscoil Nua an Leith Triuigh Castlegregory, Mercy Mounthawk Tralee, Millstreet Community School and Presentation Listowel.
The 14 students competing on the night had previously qualified from their respective schools as the highest scoring students from all participating schools and each received a certificate of attendance at the final.
Matus Lukco of Mounthawk was declared the overall winner beating his fellow student Tiernan Brosnan into second place by only two points.
Lucy Walsh from Meanscoil Nua an Leigh Triuigh finished in third place just one point behind second place. Each received specially commissioned trophies signifying the origins of mathematics.
Competition co-ordinator, John O’Regan, praised the students.
“Each of them was a winner having qualified for the final from their respective schools and I hope that they would each continue to develop their interest in mathematics,” he said.
Competitors at the Kerry Final of the Irish Junior Mathematics Competition for 1st year students held at IT Tralee South Campus last Friday May 9.
IT was a miserable day weather-wise, but that didn’t bother Spa National School pupils as they made their First Holy Communion on Saturday.
Thirty-four youngsters from Miss O’Donoghue’s class celebrated the special day with their families and while they couldn’t take any photos outside in the wind and rain following the service, they all retired back to Spa school for reception organised by parents.
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Children from Spa NS making their First Holy Communion in the Church of the Purification, Churchill on Saturday, May 10 with, at back, Cathy Hogan, Principal Peter Linehan, Fr. Eamon Mulvihill and teacher Miss Eilise O’Donoghue. Photo by Digimack Photography, FenitGearoid O’Connor, who made his First Holy Communion on Saturday with his brothers Darragh and Marc and parents Paul and Louise O’Connor. Photo by Digimack PhotographyRachel Feeley on her First Holy Communion Day with her brother David, parents Sharon and Ken Feeley and grandparents Des and Frances Feeley. Photo by Digimack Photography, FenitCiara Dowling on the day of her First Holy Communion with her sisters Leoni and Sadhbh. Photo by Digimack Photography, Fenit.
SO now the pupils of CBS Primary School are getting in on the ‘Happy’ vibe.
With the huge success of the Ballybunion ‘Happy’ video on Youtube, the pupils of Michelle Culloty’s third class decided to make their own version in the school on Friday last.
“They had an absolute ball making it, they really let loose” said Michelle, who put the link on the CBS facebook page on Monday morning, where it had been shared nearly 30 times by the end of the school day.
“One of the pupils was talking about the Ballybunion video and suggested we make our own. It took about two hours to film and I edited it down on my iPad,” continued Michelle.
“The pupils were absolute stars and some of the staff, including the principal, took part as well. They’re mad to make more videos now!”
“We shot some of it in Applegreen across the road and the staff there were great. Martin Ferris was there at the time but we couldn’t convince him to take part,” she said.
OVER 300 cyclists rolled into CBS The Green on Friday afternoon for the Donal Walsh Memorial leg of the nationwide Cycle Against Suicide.
The students and staff of CBS were joined by Labour Deputy AJ Spring, local councillors, well-wishers, and students representing other schools from the town, who gave them a rousing guard of honour as they arrived after making the journey from Killarney that morning.
The cyclists were treated to refreshments before they all congregated in the school gym with the students where there was a great atmosphere (see video).
The main organiser of the cycle, Jim Breen of Pulselearning at the Kerry Technology Park, was MC in the gym and gave a talk on how students should always seek help from family, friends and youth groups if they are feeling suicidal or depressed.
He also paid tribute to Donal Walsh and the immense impact he made on people in his short life.
“One young man has done more to prevent suicide on the island of Ireland than anybody else in Irish history. Today is a celebration of Donal’s zest for life and I am so proud that we’re doing this today,” said Mr Breen.
He interviewed students and teachers from the school and also spoke to local taxi driver, Kevin Finn, who has been taking part in the cycle around the country. Kevin informed the audience that he was 18 stone this time last year, but since he has been cycling in the past year he is down to just under 15 stone.
Fionnbar Walsh then spoke to the crowd, beginning by reading Donal’s now famous letter which brought him to national attention. He went on to recall visiting the school soon after his son’s passing and also reiterated Donal’s anti-suicide message and asked those who are feeling depressed to seek help from family and friends. (see excerpt from Fionnbar’s talk in this video)
The cyclists then got back on the road for the next leg which finished in Newcastlewest on Friday evening. The cycle finishes in Dublin next Sunday.
Scroll down for photos of the CBS visit…
The huge crowd gathered in the CBS gym on Friday. Photo by Dermot CreanFrom left: Eoghan O’Brien, Oisin Fitzgerald, Seun Duyine at the CBS on Friday. Photo Dermot CreanParticipants in the Cycle Against Suicide, Damian Morrisson Jackie Ruttledge, Leanne McCarthy and Lorraine O’Halloran at the CBS on Friiday. Photo Gavin O’ConnorLocal cyclists Liam Cahill Robert Flaherty Cian Kennedy Jack O’Shea at the CBS on Friday. Photo Gavin O’ConnorTaking part in the Cycle Against Suicide were locals Cormac Coffey, Hugh Stewart, John Kelly, Des O’Connor, Jesse O’Sullivan, Ger O’Connor, James O’Callaghan. Photo Gavin O’ConnorPresentation students Alice Jaeger, Anna Farrell, Saoirse Ferris and Rose Linney at the Tralee CBS on Friday.Tralee cyclists Andrew McEllistrim, Jack Murray, Marcus Prendeville, Mitchell Holland and Padraig O’Connor at Tralee CBS on Friday.Jim Breen (right) interviewing local taxi driver, Kevin Finn at the Tralee CBS gym on Friday. Photo by Dermot Crean
