Castleknock Community College

2018 - 2019

Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha

 Message from Principal
Mr. John Cronin

Tá an-áthas orm deis a bheith agam arís chun labhairt libh san eagrán seo. Táim an-bhródúil as ucht na hoibre
iontach atá ar siúl i gColáiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha. Is mór an sólás croí dom féachaint ar an éacht oibre a
chuireann an fhoireann múinteoireachta, daltaí agus tuismitheoirí uilig isteach lá i ndiaidh lae.

Is údar mórtais dom chomh maith agus a éiríonn le daltaí an Choláiste go hacadúil, in imeachtaí eischuraclaim
agus go sóisialta. Nuair a bhreathnaíonn tú ar an leabhrán seo, tá mé cinnte go rachaidh an méid imeachtaí atá
ar fáil anseo go mór i bhfeidhm ort.

2018-19 has been another wonderful year for the College with so many success stories to celebrate:

• Senior Hurling Dublin Champions & Leinster Finalists

• U14 Hurling Dublin Finalists
• Senior Gaelic Football Dublin Semi finalists
• U14 Gaelic Football Dublin Champions
• Senior Camogie Dublin Finalists
• Junior Camogie Dublin finalists
• Senior Girls Basketball East Region Finalists & All Ireland Qualification
• 2nd Year Girls Basketball East Region Champions & All Ireland Qualification
• 2nd Year Boys Basketball East Region 3rd & All Ireland Qualification
• Senior Boys Basketball East Region Plate Champions
• Cross Country Inter Boys Leinster Schools Championship Qualification
• Cross Country Minor Girls Castleknock College Invitational Champions
West Leinster Champions
Leinster Champions
All Ireland Champions
• Athletics Twenty students qualified for the Leinster Finals
• Hockey Junior Girls North Dublin Runners up
• Junior Rugby Development Shield Semi finalists
• Senior Soccer Dublin League & Metro Cup Champions

This booklet celebrates the many achievements of our students over the last year. I know that so many of our
success stories are as a result of the commitment and dedication of our parents and local clubs. We greatly
appreciate the support of all our local sports clubs who have trained many of our sports stars to a very high
standard. We acknowledge, in particular, the contribution of Castleknock Hurling & Football Club who
celebrated their twentieth anniversary this year.

This year the Music Department collaborated with the Celtic Tenors for a memorable evening of music in St.
Thomas The Apostle Church. The concert was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the enormous
musical talent at Castleknock Community College. It was fitting that the concert was hosted at the very heart
of the community in the parish church in Laurel Lodge. It was a timely reminder of the support given by
the late Fr. Eugene Kennedy to Castleknock Community College when it opened in 1995. Next year we will
celebrate our silver anniversary and no doubt we will remember the wonderful kindness that was shown to
us by Fr. Kennedy.
The College’s core values of Courtesy, Respect & Responsibility are honoured on a daily basis at the College
and none more so than our student leaders. This year we were delighted to receive the news that Adara
Garcia was one of twenty winners of the Pramerica Spirt of the Community Award. The students of the
Diversity Committee also honoured the College’s core values when they secured the Yellow Flag for
Diversity for the College. It was a great honour for the students to have had the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visit
the College in early May to raise the Yellow Flag in the presence of the Diversity Committee.

As the academic year draws to a close, we can look back on another successful year at Castleknock
Community College. Despite the many challenges that exist in our world today, it a source of enormous
pride to work with a team of teachers who continue to honour their profession on a daily basis. We are
also blessed to be entrusted with students who remain so full of hope, enthusiasm and ambition. In
partnership with the parents of the College we will continue to work together to provide the best
education for our young people.

John Cronin. Principal

Deputy Principals:
Carmel O’Neill
Mairéad O’Halloran
and Christina Clarke

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar’s visit to the College, pictured here with the Board of Management.
 Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha
Adara Garcia who was one of 20
Finalists in the Pramerica Spirit of
Community Awards. The College
nominated Adara in recognition of
her voluntary work with the Youth
Group Localise and for her
contribution to fundraising
activities for the Fr. Peter McVerry
Trust, Special Olympics and St Francis
Hospice.

Maths Team:
Ellen Li (TY), Diarmuid Fallon (TY),
Niamh Grimes (Third Year not
pictured) & Eva Mulholland (Third
Year) who finished third in the
national final of the Junior Problem
Solving Competition. The event was
hosted by the Irish Applied
Mathematics Teachers’ Association in
Athlone on Saturday 23rd March and
the team achieved great success by
finishing third out of the 100 teams
that entered the competition.
 Ellen Li, Junior Certificate Gold Medal
winner

The Spirit of the College was awarded to Castleknock Hurling &

Football Club. Photo: Seán McLaughlin (Club Secretary), Finn McKay,
John Cronin, Charlie Spillane (Chairman), Nina McCartney and
Councillor Howard O’Mahony BOM.Gold Medal Winner
Leaving Certificate 2016
Eoin Devlin

Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha

 Lauren O’Brien, LCA Fergal Quinn Award
with Ms. Cathy Bass and Dr. John Walsh.

Academic Achievement
 TY Follow the Camino
During Easter, eighteen students and
three teachers travelled to Porto to
embark on the The Portuguese
Camino, starting in O Porriño and
finishing in Santiago de Compostela.
The group walked 100km over four
days. The trip was great fun and a
fantastic experience for all.

Paris Trip

This year, senior Art students visited Paris for

the second successful Art History trip abroad.
The Art and Woodwork teachers
accompanied the students during the February
midterm break where they visited many
historical sites such as the Arc De Triumph,
the Eiffel Tower and various art galleries such
as the Louvre. Other activities included a boat
cruise, a city bus tour and many outings where
students engaged in photography to inspire
both their Practical and Art History projects.
 Gael Linn Debating Competition

Ms. Sarah Bartley with the Irish language Junior Debating Team; Caoimhe Sawyer, Seán Óg Mac Seoin and
Emily Harkin who reached the Regional Leinster Final of the Gael Linn Debating Competition.

Debating Society

It has been another successful year for the College Debating Society under Auditor Shane Tully and Deputy
Auditor Nina McCartney. We hosted the Matheson National Mace Competition at the College and were
represented by five students, Alex Brassil, Sonia Tully, Dearbhla Peelo, Rachel Fogarty-Keane and Precious
Adeyoye who reached the Leinster finals. At Senior Cycle, Nina McCartney, Maeve Durand and Shane Tully
reached the semi-final of the PhilSpeaks debating competition at Trinity College. We are especially proud
of society member Meghan O’Driscoll who will be travelling to Thailand this summer to represent Ireland
in the World Debating Competition.
 ART

Texaco Art Competition:

Eve McCann, Second Year, who re-
ceived a Special Merit Award in this
year’s Texaco Art Competition with her
entry; “Modern Woman”.

Poetry Book Illustration:

Rebecca Caffrey with a copy of her
illustration for Pat Shortall’s poetry
book, “An Excursion with Words”

Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha

 Chaplaincy Team
This year, our Student Chaplaincy Team continued to express our multi-faith tradition. Together they
helped to create memorable celebrations including the Interfaith Ceremony, Remembrance Service, the
Ecumenical Carol Service and the Graduation Ceremony. The team gathered in May for the Annual
Interfaith/Intercultural meal to mark the end of another very successful year.
 Library Lit Club
This was a busy year for the Literacy Team and the Lit Club:
• The Library received a makeover with new furniture including new tables, tub
chairs, shelving and a sofa.
• A new layout as designed and recommended by students has transformed this
space.
• New books ordered for the Library and book displays were regularly updated
by the Lit Club.
• Student access to the library was increased during lunchtime four days a week.
First class students from St Patrick’s NS spent an afternoon in the Library where
the Lit Club read the Christmas classic, ‘The Night before Christmas’.
• Second hand books were carefully gift wrapped and distributed to staff for
Christmas.
• Transition Year Students enjoyed a Blitz Poetry Competition.
• DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) took place during Literacy Week and on
National DEAR Day.
• A Bookmark competition was organised for 1st and 5th year students.
• Our Short Story writing went on display in Insomnia Coffee Shop.
• ‘Take one Leave one’ bookshelves established throughout the College.
• The Book Mobile returned again this year and accepted World Book Day
Tokens. Students were also free to choose books that they thought should be in
the Library and add them to a list to be purchased.
• A small ceremony to officially open our ‘new look’ Library took place and
special guest speaker, poet Pat Shortall, read a selection of his poems to
students.
 Yellow Flag School
The hard work of our Yellow Flag Committee in promoting diversity was rewarded with the presentation
of the Yellow Flag on On Wednesday 28th November at Liberty Hall Theatre. We were delighted to
welcome An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to the College on Tuesday 7th May to raise our Yellow Flag at a
ceremony in the College.
Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha
Design, Materials & Technology
Examples of the projects completed by students of Design, Materials & Technology this year.

Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha

Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha
 Music Department
The students took part in the annual DDLETB Festival of Music in the National Concert Hall in March. Eva
Watters, Lucy McCarthy, Laura Armstrong, Megan O’Driscoll, Kate Harkin, Jane Sheridan, Miriam Frim,
Lucy Donohoe-McPartlin, Sarah Joyce, Ayva Santamaria, Jessica Collazo, Amy Brady, Mark Byrne, John
Oguntuase and the College Choir were involved in solo and group performances on the night.
Performances were of a very high standard and they were wonderful ambassadors for the College.
 The Celtic Tenors
On Friday 19th October 2018, in the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, Laurel Lodge, The Celtic Tenors and
the Castleknock Community College choir joined forces to provide a wonderful night’s entertainment to a
large audience. The collaboration between the Tenors and Castleknock Community College began a year
ago and gave students an invaluable opportunity to work alongside three wonderful professionals, Matthew
Gilsenan, James Nelson and Daryl Simpson and learn from their expertise. The programme ranged from
operatic and folk to Irish and pop. It was a truly wonderful night’s entertainment with students achieving
a very high standard of performance of which they can be justly proud. Congratulations to all involved in
CCC and to The Celtic Tenors for a truly memorable evening.
Sporting Success Stories
Senior Hurling: Dublin Champions & Lienster Finalists

Dublin Champions
U14 - Gaelic Football Team Coach: Brian Redmond
 Coaches: Conor Dempsey & Séan Gildea
Sporting Success
Senior Camogie: Dublin Finalists

DCU-7’s Finalists
Senior Gaelic Football
 Coach: Ms. M. Shortall

Judo Champion:
Fintan Dooley
Sporting Success
Camogie: Coach: Ms. M. Shortall

Dublin Finalists
Junior Camogie Team

Dublin Semi-Finalists
Minor Camogie Team
Rugby: Coaches: Mr. R. Harper & Mr. D. Breathnach

Senior Rugby Team

Development Shield Semi-Finalists:

Junior Rugby Team
Sporting Success
Sporting Success Stories
Dublin League &DUBLIN
MetroCITY
CupUNIVERSITY
Champions: Senior
- SEVEN ASIDESoccer Team
FINALISTS
 Coaches: Mr. Diarmuid McCluskey & Maurice Collins

The Future of CCC soccer:

First Year Team
Coaches: Ian McColgan & Alan Keenan
Sporting Success
Hockey Junior Girls: North Dublin Runners-up

Castleknock Community College Rock Climbing Team:

Conor Gurhy, Ariana Mondero, Robert Gontaru and Aoibheann Mc Guinness.
The Team represented the College in the Rock Climbing Finals at Awesome Walls where
they finished in third place.
 Coach: Barbara Larkin

First Year Hockey Team:

Coach: Barbara Larkin
Sporting Success
East Region Plate Champions: Senior Boys Basketball

1st Year Girls Basketball: Coach: Aoife Daly

 Coach: Mr. Frank Smith

East Region Champions & All-Ireland Qualification:

2nd Year Girls Basketball: Coach: Aoife Daly
Sporting Success
East Region Finalists & All Ireland Qualifiers: Senior Girls Basketball
 Coaches: Ms. Shiela Cotter & Ms. Aoife Daly

East Region 3rd & All Ireland Qualification:

2nd Year Boys Basketball Coach: Shiela Cotter
Sporting Success
Athletics Coach: Mr. Shane Davey

Leinster Medal
Winners:
Maddie Buckley,
2nd place 1100m
Aoife Brown,
3rd place 800m
Gara Williams,
1st place 1100m
 Winning senior team 4 x 400m,
Leinster Schools Championships

Girls Athletic Team

Winning senior team 4 x 300m,

West Leinster Schools Championships
 Extra-Curricular Activity
Well, what a year it has been for Castleknock Community College Extra-Curricular Activities. More staff than
ever before became involved in our extracurricular programme this year. This resulted in a wider choice of
activities for students, for example, First Year boys soccer returned to the programme after a number of years
absence.

With more student involvement, it was hoped that more successes would follow. And follow they did!

While it is obviously brilliant to have amassed a treasure trove of trophies, there are many other activities,
clubs, teams and associations offering students the chance to participate, compete and make new friends such
as the Fitness Suite, Table Tennis and Zumba to name but a few. Other activities include the Choir, Debating
Society, Ukulele Club, Irish Club, Book Club and Film Club.

We hope everyone enjoyed their activities this year and will return in August ready to get involved again!

Sheila Cotter
Co-ordinator of Extra-Curricular Activities.
Castleknock Community College
Coláiste Pobail Caisleán Cnucha

Carpenterstown Road,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15
Phone: 01 822 1626
email: admin@castleknockcc.ie