With the rise of Buskers’ Corner and the now

Glastonbury-like line-up of the annual

School Concert, it is clear that music is now

at the heart of what we do at St. Conleth’s,

and it is fitting that it played such a signifi-

cant role in our Graduation Ceremony, with

maestros Ms. deBhal and Mr. Sheridan once

again pulling the strings. In both the religious

ceremony and the awards and speeches event

that followed, music was the perfect accom-

paniment for the prayers, thoughts and mem-

ories, from the opening dependable delicacy

of Pierce's cello solo through the raucous

riffs of Gav and Daragh with 'Uptown Funk'

and the vaudeville antics of Oisin and Daniel,

to the various incarnations of our school si-

rens, Megan and Sadbh, with their ever-

faithful and ever-exquisite guitar and bass

boys, Daniel, Sean and Conn. Of course, this

being St. Conleth’s, the musical challenge

was more than met on the rhetorical front by

Captain Conor White, Girls’ Captain Isabelle

Connolly and Principal Donal ODulaing.

Their speeches captured perfectly the bitter-

sweet nature of the evening. (PTO) →

St. Conleth’s Times June 2015

Voices Guide Them Home

→ And the students' carefully composed slideshow provid-

ed the perfect backdrop for their musings. Especially

poignant were the tributes to Neil Quinlan and Francoise

Brotelande, two people who so close to this class in partic-

ular, and whose loss was so evident on the evening. The

serious business of awards also had to be decided, and this

year the usual painful decisions were compounded by the

fact that there were multiple contenders for each award,

and some worthy students finished second or third in

several competitions. Alas, without a PR-STV system in

place, it is first past the post! Emcee Mr. Carvill brought

the suspense to new heights by incorporating some Oscars-

like razzmatazz: Oscar McAuley won the Maiden Debater

Prize and Conor White and Daniel Barry won the Gardner

Cup, with Conor also sharing the Bouchier-Hayes Plate

with Daniel Gilligan; Robert Duff was honoured with the

Woods Bowl for his stirring essay on Irish History. Conor

White earned some recompense for two years of early

morning Latin and scooped the John Kelly Award with a

exposé on the delightful personal lives of the Roman em-

perors; Paul Mooney- confounded the stereotype of the anti

-social lab rat Science ‘type’, winning the Galileo Ther-

mometer with good grace, as well as considerable

knowledge; Pierce Cambay spoke as well in Irish, French

and Spanish as he does with his cello and accepted the

Linguist Award; Daragh O'Connor doffed his sunglasses

and took home the Geography Prize; Mark McNulty, mad

classroom doodler that he is, won the Art Prize; and Sean

Allen has to be the best-mannered winner of the Math

Prize; our sports captains Gavin Sheridan, Saskia Dooley,

and Harry Morris were joined by Michael Raftery, who

actually scored against the staff in soccer, and added the

Sports Award itself. Robbie Glynn, belatedly, was recog-

nised for his School Spirit. And it was rather appropriate

that the biggest prize, the Bank of Ireland Pupil of the Year

Award, was won by the maestro who also took home the

Music Award: Daniel Barry!

The variety of talents and personalities contained in the

following list of awards is proof that St. Conleth’s rec-

ognizes, no, celebrates Gardner’s Multiple Intelligenc-

es! (clockwise) Students of the Year Award: 1st

Yr: Frank Knowles, Michael Cooke; 2: Daniel Lawless,

Tomas Clancy; 3: Jack Andrews, Conor Power;

5: Marina Bourke, Eavan O’Riada; Other Student

Awards: Endeavour Award: Elliot Browne; Junior

Music Award Ronan Connor ; French Award:1st Yr.

Suyash Patidar, Junior Science Award: Simon Pettitt,

Hugh Etchingham-Coll; French 3rd Year: Oisin

Dowling; 2nd: Hugh Downes; 5th Yr. Maths Week

Prize: Francesco Lopez (pipping dodgeball assassin and

all-around nice guy Paddy Cahill, and Simon Ghose);

Junior Art Prize: Alex Murphy; Technology Prize: Saul

Burgess; Junior Linguist Award Aonghus Hegarty; and

the Maths Prize for 1st Yr: Jamie MacMahon, Oisin

McGinley. Many of these students are also featured on

our sports pages but we will mention here that Suyash

also won the St. Conleth’s Chess Trophy, vanquishing

Sixth Year Ryan O’Leary, despite it seeming quite a

miss-match the other way at the pre-game weigh-in!

Wall of Fame

When Peter Gallagher, princeps emeritus, first

envisioned an annual school concert, he dreamed

big, but started small: his first signed act was a

whiskey jug and washboard band from the hillbilly

hills above Stepaside. He then gradually built up

his stable of stars and supporting acts, handing

over an established annual network staple to Ms.

Fay and Mr. MacMullen. Cable deals and pay-per

-view soon followed under those maestros, and

Mr. Sheridan and Ms. deBhal definitely felt a bit

of pressure taking over such a monster of a tradi-

tion. But having witnessed their dazzling edition of

this extravaganza, we can now proudly say that the

St. Conleth's Spring School Concert still rocks,

raps and rolls better than anyone! A Second Year

Supergroup, with Jumpin’ Joe Gallagher, ‘Sl-eoin’

Fitzmaurice, 'Stompin' Stephen Allen, John

‘Killer’ Kelleher and ‘Gaeilge’ Gavin Roche-

Griffin, and expertly accompanied by Ms. De

‘Wonder-Bhal’, got us going with ‘Riptide’ as

Gaeilge. That now-legendary TY trad duo of Sean

Keane and Cian O’Connor then beguiled us with

traditional ‘jigs and reels’ and a ‘March Medley’,

confirming the rumour that the two are cutting

quite a swath through the Comhaltas crowd, be-

cause of both their musical talent and ...→

Music Incorporated

→ … matinee looks! (We then expected to have an arresting performance by Third

Years, but they failed to show… perhaps they were loitering nearby?) Nevermind… as our

diminutive diva, Eavan O’Riada, quickly took the stage and channelled Taylor Swift doing

‘Safe and Sound’. Jacq Herbots brandished his clarinet and with flautists Bob and Kyun,

recently arrived from Korea, performed a beautiful, all-woodwind performance which

transported us ‘Over the Rainbow’. Jack Topliss on classical guitar and Ronan Connor on

jazz piano provided a clazzy interlude before the Second Year rockers retook the stage to

perform that bluesy N’orleans standard, ‘The House of the Rising Sun’, with hopefully no

knowledge or experience of said house’s line of business. We then found out what Finn

Mulcahy has been doing instead of his English homework- practising guitar- as he provid-

ed perfect accompaniment to Hannah Collins on ‘Somewhere Only We Know’, setting the

arena abuzz in the process with their obviously fizzing chemistry. Pierce Cambay, old

reliable, did what he always does: without fanfare or fuss, deliver a world-class cello per-

formance. Edmund Tucker chose a different type of composer, but his Metallica guitar

solo was just as mesmerising and Luke McKay did likewise on piano. Conn O’Cleirigh

plugged in for an electric guitar solo and Tony Barry unplugged his instrument but

jumpstarted our hearts with his winsome ‘Counting Stars’. Pierce returned to accompany

sirens Hannah, Eavan and Maryrose Counihane on Beyonce’s ‘Halo’- and then the one-

and-only Sammy Butler stormed the stage,

sporting denim and leather, and dishing dollars

left and right. He certainly was ‘Fancy’ and

finished with panache, stage-diving into a deliri-

ous gang of Fifth Year fans. How do you follow

that? Well, when in doubt, go straight for the

juggler- yes, Oisin Carroll returned to the stage

with his compendium of amazing circus feats,

this time accompanied by Daniel Barry, who

served as Hardy to Oisin’s Laurel, Laurie to his

Fry, and as the act carried on, Vladimir to our

Estragon. Noah Brabazon and Daniel Gilligan

tinkled the ivories and surely tickled the lasses’

fancies with their charming piano duel/duet and

the curtain was brought down by a rather inno-

vative version of Chuck Berry’s ‘Johhny B.

Goode’ with Daniel on lead, Sean Allen holding

the line and Elliott Browne banging away on the

drums! We also see here snapshots of our musical

and charitable adventures at Christmas-time.

Mr. Bolger 's Transition Year have tried everything this

year, from greedily devouring Chinese vocabulary (and all

-you-can-eat buffet) to bravely flirting with the Dark Lords

of the Sith (and Disney's lawyers) when they formed the

award-winning 'Empire Strikes Bank' student bank, but

they saved the best for last, wowing parents, teachers and a

few Fifth Year girls with their willingness, nay their eager-

ness to don green paint and comely frocks in their stunning

adaption of Shreks I and II. Mr. Gallagher and Ms. deBhal

were the Gilbert and Sullivan of this year, and never have

we heard such well-timed jokes or well-warbled tunes, and

Ms. Halpin and the boys themselves provided the spectac-

ular background and hilariously appropriate props and cos-

tumes. Of course, the actors themselves were the real stars

with Oscar Harley-Monks, Eoin Collins, Cian O'Connor,

Matthew Hassett, Dara Casey, Jamie Lawless, Sean Pettitt,

Harry Swords and the inspirational Mati Remi, winner of

both the JP McGilligan and the Neil Quinlan TY awards,

amongst the leads. Everyone, however, played their part

whether in the chorus or in production, and there were too

many highlights to mention here, but who will forget Ishan

Prasai's brave and pitch-

perfect solo rendition of

Hallelujah? Check out

our pics of the play and

our award winners, in-

cluding Mati, Sportsman

of the Year Ross Murphy

and Merit Award win-

ners Sean Pettitt and

Sean Keane. Boys, well

done, but now find those

mislaid books and get

ready for Fifth Year!

T

(R)

Y

TY Raises 3,445€ for Nepal!

Remember how we reported that Nepal native Ishan

Prasai and his fellow TYs organised and ran a Cake

Sale and Raffle for the victims of the recent devastat-

ing earthquake? Well, they are just back from Red

Cross Irish Headquarters in Merrion Square, having

dropped off a cheque for 3,445€! Ishan, spurred by

the plight of relatives and friends back home, was the

man in charge but he was greatly aided by fellow

Transition Years Mati Remi, Sean Keane, Dillon

Collins, Dean McElree, Sean Pettitt, Dara Casey and Cian O'Connor. The rest of the student

body eagerly participated by obeying to both their consciences and their taste buds. Thanks to

all the students involved and the baker parents and staff who made this

event one of the single biggest fundraisers for Nepal in Ireland. Here we

see the boys involved at the sale and with the grateful Red Cross staff.

Agenda Fulfilled: A Partial List of TY Accomplishments

Overnight trip to Carlingford Adventure Centre; Sailing in Dun

Laoghaire (INSS); Certified First Aid Course; Participation in

Christmas Fair; Reached the final eight in AIB Build a Bank

programme; Storytelling with students of St. Bridget’s National

School on Haddington Road; Photography Course; Self Defence

Course; Thursday trips: During the year, the TY students were

taken out on alternative Thursday afternoons to learn about and

explore many educational attractions that are on their doorstep.

Trips included: Kilmainham jail; The Guinness Storehouse;

Skyline tour of Croke Park; The National Gallery; A hike up the

Sugarloaf; Dublin Castle;The Wax Museum;The Book of Kells,

but to name a few!! Gaisce: Throughout the year the boys have

been working hard to qualify for a Gaisce medal. They have

been learning a new skill, helping out in their community, being

physically active, as well as completing a 26k hike in the Wick-

low mountains. Over half of the TY group have now qualified

and were awarded with the medal on graduation night.

Sporting Shenanigans St. Conleth's Senior School

Sportsday usually involves a

trek to the outer reaches of

Dublin 4: We all head off

down the meandering back

allies and cowpaths of Rings-

end and Irishtown. Those of

us who survive do enjoy the

splendid facilities of Irishtown

Stadium and we look forward

to a return to the revamped

tracks and jump-pits next year.

But we certainly did enjoy this year's interlude,

which occurred at Old Belvo', smack down in the

middle of proper Dublin 4, where the leafy streets of

Donnybrook segue into the leafier lanes of Balls-

bridge. We are all for high jump and shot-put appa-

rati and all that, but en route to Old Belvo' one can

so easily drop into DF or the Pantry for a latte ... and

Kiely's for an apres-match! All the usual suspects

were there: Mr. Keenan, our strong but silent Com-

mander of All Sports; Gavin 'Gav' Maguire, witty

yet deadly efficient Master of Ceremonies; the Par-

ents' Association, providers of protein; various

teachers, now old hands at their various athletic sta-

tions; and, of course, hordes of Tuck Shop-fuelled

adolescents, bouncing up-and-down with adrenalin

and competitive zeal. This last group spent the day,

or at least till mid-afternoon, running, jumping and

throwing things with glee and then cheering (and

laughing) as others took their turns.

The maestro has

moved upstairs.

Pat McGrath was

calmly sipping

margaritas in

Marbella while

his worthy min-

ions on the staff

team continued

his winning tradi-

tion, vanquishing

a spirited but ulti-

mately doomed Sixth Year soccer team and securing the fabled 'Goblet of Fire' for

another year. The cocky crowing which we heard all year quickly morphed into

milktoast moaning about 'eligibility' issues but surely our team was at least as 'staff'

as Jack Charlton's heroes were Irish! Our only 'additions' were Alex Hamilton, for-

mer Conlethian school captain, substitute teacher and lifestyle guru, and Jack Nolan

who serves as AV technician for the PPU when not doing Medicine at UCD . And

one of our goals was scored by a Mr. Latvis, a name which has been on our staff list

for years! We would never cast aspersions about our opponents' acquisitions, even

though there was a dodgy midfielder in an old, tattered Arsenal jersey...who was

that? Chamakh? Anyways, it was a thrilling and good-spirited match with all the

hallmarks of a staff classic: Mr. Bolger, that strange but effective cross between Sean

O'Brien and Lionel Messi, leading and scoring from the front; Willie Malone turning

aside shots with merely his intimidatory glare; Mr. Trenier delicately dispossessing

everyone who entered the 18 yard box; Mr. Sheridan leaping like a gazelle over ra-

ther badly-timed student tackles; and Mr. Kilcommons, strong as an oak, heading

everything, and everyone, clear. The newcomers also shone: Mr. Tonry, employed in

a loose Hungarian 3-2-3-2 formation as a man-marker, got so close to Jordan Doyle,

that they felt obligated to get engaged and were eagerly awaiting the results of the

referendum. Mr. Manners showed some Gallic flair and Gaelic flint, scoring a goal

and breaking up many of the op-

ponents' fancies. And Chef Mark,

supersub for years, was more than

just garnish to the victory, serving

up some tasty crosses on the late

shift. Let us close with a message

to Fifth Years: Get training now.

You do not want to end up like

these posers! →

We want to at least break a sweat

next year!

Staff Soccer Team Stylishly Silences Sixth Year Squawkers

The classical Romans and Greeks possessed an honest mate-

rialism which was as refreshing as it was intense, and the

Classical Association of Ireland Teachers' Annual Speech

Competition follows suit by giving real cash monies as its

prizes. Leave those cheap medals to the 'everybody wins'

sportsdays of Educate Together schools: classicists can han-

dle the rough-and-tumble competition of the gymnasium, the forum and, most lucratively, the

rostrum. Our small but mighty team was welcomed to the august halls of Trinity College by

Alistair Daly, former Conleth's Classics wizkid and current TCD Ancient Greek student and

inveterate herbal tea drinker. As usual, the Gonzagans were strutting around exchanging

pleasantries amongst themselves in Etruscan and texting Sanskrit to their relatives hunting

tigers in the Punjab, but the Conlethians, two-time returning champions, were not to be intimi-

dated. Saul 'Damascus' Burgess adopted a split personality to recreate the infamous last con-

versation of Achilles and Hector, channelling the anger of the former and the poignant resigna-

tion of the latter perfectly and finishing 2nd in a tough JC Classics Division. Philip O'Hanra-

han portrayed the wrath of the grieving father and vengeful husband Jason from Medea so

fervently that we feared there was some method in his madness.... but, thank goodness, Philip

quickly personally disavowed the expressed sexism of his tour-de-force performance, after

picking up his prize for Second in LC Classics, that is! Some times it pays to be the bad boy!

Eavan O'Riada refused the predictable route of Aeneid Book IX

and chose the trickier, battle-strewn passages of Livy for her LC

Latin recitation piece, and promptly took 2nd place, proudly

wedging herself between two jumped-up Jesuits! Let us not

forget Francesco Lopez's heartfelt identification with the heroes

Nisus and Euryalus and Rian Boyle's stoic stand-in as praetorian

guard, keeping everyone calm and safe in a rather hectic atmos-

phere. Above we see the team, joined by Alistair, lurking with

purpose in the shadows of Trinity. And later in March… After the disaster of Varus in the

dark Teutoburgian forest, Roman commanders were careful to set up their marching formation

with some foresight: strong shock troopers in the vanguard but also some trusted stalwarts in

the rear. The Classics Quiz Committee did likewise when formulating our strategy for the

'Ides of March' Table Quiz. Sadly, two of our single combat champions, Philip O'Hanrahan

and Conor White were out of action. Philip was away on another mission on the night, bravely

battling at the rostra of the L&H, and Conor succumbed to debating training-ground injury.

But like the brave gladiators when faced by Crassus's legions, many a hand was raised when

asked 'Qui est Spartacus? Qui est Hanrahanus? Qui est Conorwhitus?' Rian Boyle took on the

challenge of being Centurion and with him at the front marched Sean Moiselle, Johnny Barry

and Enda Byrne. They defined chryselephantine, located Actium and named Neptune, finish-

ing 6th out of 30 teams. And the tough, young recruits at the back of the phalanx, Saul Bur-

gess, Manus MacGerailt, Seanan Byrne and Ben Lynch, did their job, too: intentionally finish-

ing last, protecting our rear from creeping barbarians. Speaking

of creepy barbarians, Dean McElree, surplus to phalanx require-

ments, was assigned an intelligence mission and lodged with a

table of three garishly attired local females. We think they were

Picts. They did not win either but Dean did not seem to mind!

And just recently, Second Year Classics and Latin students put

aside their differences to visit the Classics Museum at UCD.

Here we see the boys getting a close-up of a Greek vase.

Classics and Latin Teams Take Lucre

Do cry for us, Argentina, as once again you have called

home your best and brightest and we are left with only

memories (and a few photos) of such intelligent, indus-

trious and mannerly young men. Sporting maturity (and

facial hair) well beyond their years, the Argentines had

made themselves at home in the most pleasant and en-

gaging of ways. Academically, athletically and socially,

the boys fit right in and fulfilled that ancient contract of

hospitality with both guests and hosts benefitting from

the union. They made an impact on the rugby pitch, in

the hallways and in the classroom, politely pushing

team-mates, fellow students and teachers to challenge

them. Here we see them getting hands-on experience in

the lab with Ms. Phelan and enjoying the craic at Ms.

Killen's farewell fiesta! We will also miss our two de-

parting 5th years, Trixie and Franceso, who return to

Germany and Italy after a full year at St. Conleth’s.

Both left their marks, with Trixie doing it literally: she

hand-drew caricatures of

all her fellow 5th Years

and gave them as a part-

ing gift. And there is one

more: Juan, who returns

to Spain, leaving 2nd

Year bereft of a charming

raconteur!

Gotcha! Argentines Capture our Hearts

We all knew that Ms. NiAonghusa was up to something: She and a select group of Transition

Year helpers had been acting furtively for days... cutting cardboard, fashioning globes, bending

wires and laminating everything that would fit into the laminator. We were afraid that we were

about to suffer through some diorama competition, but thankfully it was just preparation for the

solar eclipse and when the moment came, we were all appreciative of their efforts. Ms.

NiAonghusa and her team had fashioned several viewing boxes, many explanatory diagrams

and a general sense of occasion for this rarest of astronomical phenomena. And at about 9:10

on March 20th, we all headed down to Herbert Park where a festive atmosphere prevailed and

the weather actually partially co-operated. We were all warned not to look directly at the sun,

and though such advice seemed unnecessary with the overcast skies, at the last minute, the

winds blew, the clouds parted and a perfect halo of light lit up

our retinas. We witnessed some-

thing special and the significance of

its rarity was driven home by the

fact that the next one would be in

August 2026, when current Second

Formers in the Junior School will be

receiving their Leaving Cert results!

Don't Look Now!

Conlethians are famously

tough on the rugby pitch, but

off the field we are notori-

ously reluctant to engage in juvenile fisticuffs when local

toughs accost us at the DART station or ambush us in the

darker recesses of Herbert Park. Many a time, primary

schoolers from the other side of the tracks have been able

to bully even our hulking back rows from the preferred

perches along the duck-pond. We are just too well bred to

sink to that level of carry-on! Now, draw your epee and

let us settle us this like gentlemen. Or, even better, wield

your mace... I am sorry, you do not have one? No won-

der, as nearly every debating mace awarded these last

few years in Ireland is lying in our trophy case, which now resembles a veritable medieval

armoury! Conor White and Daniel Gilligan continued a proud St. Conleth's earlier this

year, winning the UCD Mace over hordes of competitors. They follow in the footsteps of

legends such as Christopher Costigan, Matthe Collins, Conan Quinn, Paul O'Dwyer, Mi-

chael O'Dwyer.... A few years back, Michael even got his gloves on the venerable Cam-

bridge Mace, after vanquishing competition from across the British Isles. With weaponry

like that, we will surely win any donnybooks in Ballsbridge. And at the World Champion-

ships last summer in Bangkok, the Irish team stormed

through the early rounds, winning six of six debates

against such luminaries as Germany, Denmark and Mexi-

co. The Conlethian trio of Matthew Collins, Christopher

Costigan and Daniel Gilligan (ably aided by two team-

mates from the rest of Ireland!) then tackled tricky mo-

tions on defamation and labour unions in the octo- and

quarter-finals, winning both, over the Philippines and the

Netherlands respectively. Then it was the 'auld enemy of

England in the Semifinal, and the Irish team bravely bowed out by the score of 5-2, debat-

ing a motion on the use of drones. Well done to all, especially the Conleth's Three, their

coaches and Mr. Carvill, who have taken our debating reputation to an even loftier posi-

tion. And this summer Daniel again will be a member of the Irish team. Best of luck!

Domestically it is getting difficult these days to distinguish between St. Conleth's in-house

debates and the Leinster championships, primarily because they involve the same contest-

ants! In the Leinster Debating Championships, a competition which is to St. Conleth's as

the Rugby Senior Cup used to be to Blackrock, Fifth

Years Philip O'Hanrahan

and Daniel Gilligan fin-

ished second in the finals

of this most prestigious

of debating competitions.

And Harry Mansfield,

Simon Pettitt and Tomas

Clancy made it to the

Junior Finals at UCD.

World Class!

Back in our own hall, the speechifying was just as intense. The annual St.

Conleth’s College Junior Mace Debating Competition took place in January

with schools from Dublin, Galway, Wexford and Dunleer, among other plac-

es, and over 100 students, taking part. There were four initial rounds, with

14 debates running simultaneously throughout the school. The students all

dextrously debated diverse topics, such the ethics of eating animals, to the

payment of housewives and househusbands, and the topical issue of blasphe-

my in the media. The top four teams made it to the Grand Final, which was

expertly chaired by the Honourable Mr. Justice Seán Ryan, President of the

Court of Appeal. The judging panel was composed of an illustrious array of

distinguished adjudicators, with the panel being chaired by Kieran O’Sulli-

van, a recent Irish Times Debate winner. Orla Barry and Aisling Carthy from

Loreto High School Beaufort were the eventual team winners on the motion

that This House Would Not Imprison People Found Guilty of Violent

Crimes. The Matheson Junior Mace is a national competition of 1st to 3rd

Years who compete in regional rounds to reach the National Final. This is the

third year that St. Conleth’s has hosted a regional round, and continues to be

extremely popular and well attended by schools from throughout the country.

Let’s not forget our bread-and-butter: the veritable cauldron of Conleth’s in-

house debating competition. Frank Knowles won the McCarthy Cup from a

tough and talented First Year; Oisin Dowling gesticulated with style, win-

ning the O’Connor Cup for Second and Thirds, and Conor White shared the

Gardner with Daniel Barry and the Bouchier-Hayes with Daniel Gilligan.

Oscar McAuley bravely took the Maiden’s prize.

Mr. Bolger and Mr. Maguire’s Business boys bought

low.....and, unfortunately, sold lower! The Aviva Stadium was

the venue for the Bank of Ireland Bond Trader Challenge, where three teams from Mr Bolger's

Business classes competed against schools from across Leinster. The customary introduction

to corporate life included a tour, posing for photos, a dip in the conscience-removing tank and

substantial finger food. But as Milton Friedman famously asserted, there's no such thing as a

free mini-pizza circle! Our Conleth's capitalists were given a crash course in bond and stock

trading where the aim of the game was "to make as much money as possible". Inspired by this

encouraging sign of confidence in the future of Irish bond trading, the three teams passionately

negotiated animal instincts and intra-mural rivalry. By the penultimate round, one team com-

prising of Messrs. Morris, Kavanagh, O'Connor, Ó Cleirigh and Rooney were in second place.

The final decision was controversial - how would you manage your portfolio in a world oil

crisis? Cries of "stagflation" could be heard ceaselessly throughout Dublin 4 when Sixth Year's

resident 'Keynes' Harry Morris and Hayak in situ Conn Ó Cleirigh shared a rare moment of

agreement in openly disputing the benefits of investing in

2044 U.S. Treasury bonds if

there were protests in Ri-

yadh. There was a valuable

lesson in all of this - alt-

hough you don't win, the

corporate world will still

furnish every team with

complementary tickets to a

Leinster rugby match.

(by Conor White)

Greed is Good!

We knew that the band of cut-throats, adventurers

and 'entrepreneurs' known as the French Foreign

Legion were infamous for marauding through the

wildest and most distant reaches of the globe, but we

never knew that they actually made it all the way to

Donegal! Apparently, a wayward company landed

on those shores and found the beaches so clean, the

locals so liltingly accommodating (Mr. Gallagher,

Mr. Tonry) and the Guinness so smooth, they

stayed! A few years ago, those same traits drew Ms.

Brotelande and Ms. Sheppard of the St. Conleth's

French Department to Donegal and when they found

that the descendants of those legionnaires had estab-

lished a ‘Région de Langue Française’, a happy

tradition was borne. Our latest dynamic duo of

French, Ms. Crowley and Mr. Manners, recently

continued that tradition and brought a motley band

of Third Years off to the soft county for some inten-

sive language lessons, with a good bit of outdoor

pursuits and water-sports thrown in to make the

vocab and grammar go down easier. It was so suc-

cessful, the Spanish Department is considering a trip

to Belmullet, County Mayo, where the 'dark Irish'

descendants of the Armada crew apparently hold sway! The Francophiles amongst us also

enjoyed the visit of an interactive French theatre troupe. Here you see Finn trying to maintain

his notoriously cool demeanour while acting en francais!

Somewhere back in the mists of time, not long after the

Norman invasion itself, Mr. Peter Gallagher inaugurated a

Castle-building Competition amongst the First Years at St.

Conleth's and over the subsequent centuries it has developed into one of the most prestigious

competitive events at the school. The rules are simple: build a castle (yourself!) and be award-

ed points for historical accuracy and creativity. We always enjoy the influx of inspired and

even outlandish concoctions which for a few weeks take up every horizontal surface in the

school. Apparently, not all Conlethians build their castles merely out of air! This year, Mr.

Tonry was in charge and, having been raised in a fortified tower house in the badlands of Don-

egal, he certainly knew how to draw the best from the boys. We had castles made of Lego,

wood, Styrofoam,

cardboard and bis-

cuits.... and the win-

ners were: First

Place: Joseph

Caruana, Second:

Adam Fanning and

Third: Josh Mullen.

French Foreign Legion

Returns from Donegal

Grand Designers

Like Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, Gavin

Maguire's rugby teams may not win eve-

ry match but they always win over the

neutrals for their stylish play, good

sportsmanship and undeniable heart. In

the Leinster A League Final in the gran-

diose settings of Donnybrook Stadium,

the SCT dominated possession, passed

with aplomb and fought valiantly to the

end, but the ball just refused to bounce or

fly our way. There was no shame in be-

ing runners-up, after winning two JCT

league titles in succession and heading

into next season with 90% of the team

returning. We could not match the sheer

inertia of Fintan's behemoths on the day, but several Conlethians, including Captain

Kevin Dolan, hard man Brendan Connor and rampaging Robert Cripwell, laid down

impressive markers for next year. Gav is justifiably proud of our teams at all levels as

coaches Sheridan, Kilcommons, Manners and Bolger all have reported marked

improvement in both the skills and spirit of their respective charges. Such is the

dedication of the boys that the coaches found it very difficult to choose their Most

Valuable and Most Improved Players, but since this is not Ultimate Frisbee, they

did and the winners were: MVPs: 1st Yr : Michael Cooke, 2nd Yr: Joe Hy-

land, JCT: Luke

McKay, SCT:

Michael McKay;

MIPs:1st Yr:

Liam Carr, 2nd

Yr: Tom

Finn, JCT: Cian

O’Mahony, SCT:

Cameron Ross-

O’Reilly. With

these guys on the

team we can see

some more metal

coming our way,

whether it be

plates, shields or

cups!

SCT Play Pleases Hook

As Gavin Maguire readies his

next gang of intrepid travellers

for the journey to India, this

report from Uganda will reas-

sure all of the value of these

expeditions: "I want to thank

you so so much for everything

you have done for us in Uganda,

in particular at Kitatya Second-

ary School. There is a very big

difference now in the lives of students at Kitatya! Before interaction with students of

St. Conleth’s they were not really exposed, knew very little about ICT and their Eng-

lish speech was not as polished as it is now. There is a big improvement in the

school’s structures due to the funds you gave us to construct the staff house and the

solar panels which have given light to the students especially at night and also in us-

age of the computers. Here are some students who would not have completed their

secondary education , but due to your input they are now at the University. One of

such is Kevin Serunkuuma who is now in his 3rd year pursuing a course in Procure-

ment and Logistics. I'm so grateful too you for all you have given us. Thank you so

much for the laptop you gave me the last time you came, words cannot be enough to

express my gratitude to you." Former Principal of Kitatyia Secondary School

Continuing an honoured tradition

started years ago by Mrs. Kelleher,

Ms. Sheppard invited Sixth Years

along to see Madama Butterfly at the Bord Gais Theatre last Friday, and the startling array

of costumes and antics on stage was matched only by that which was brought by the Con-

lethians themselves! When the Russians decide to do something, it is no holds barred

(just ask the Ukrainians!) and the Moscow State Opera is no exception: it was a barn-

storming performance, and no less of an authority than Peter Gallagher was on hand to

judge. Mr Gallagher, a noted expert on all things musical and theatrical, hummed along

with every tune, and pointed out the small discrepancies in the subtitles translated from

the Italian. And Mr. Carvill was so taken by the music, he had to be forcefully restrained

in his seat! The boys and girls, of course, were in their finery, perhaps having been in-

spired by the recent fashion show at the '40 Years of Girls' Night. It was a perfect even-

ing, well-enjoyed

and well-behaved

by all, and the

perfect last hurrah

for the Sixth Years

before the stretch

run into the Leav-

ing Certificate.

Bedazzled by Butterfly!

Uganda Update

Led by captain Shane

Byrne, the U16 Bas-

ketball team put on a late season rally, beating St.

Mark's CC and Castleknock College, en route to a Semi-

final date at Donabate CC, where they lost heart-

breakingly on a last second shot. Shane was ably assist-

ed by fellow TYs Christian 'Rubio' Farrell and Jaime

Romero, with Third Year sharpshooter Oisin Gilligan,

as well as Harry Mansfield, Tim 'TO' Leary, and Garret

Ivers all making important contributions. First and Sec-

ond Years made it to their respective Dublin Quarterfi-

nals, but it was a regular season road trip which really

captured the flavour of Conleth’s basketball. Our report-

er was there: Thrilling Double Victory in the 'Noggin!

Holy Child, Sallynoggin, has been the site of many a

memorable basketball battle for St. Conleth's over the

years, both on the court and off. Legendary characters

such as 'Beans', the 6' 4" and 20 stone Holy Child centre-

full of pump-fakes and jovial malice, and Lil' Scottie

Butler- the only Conlethian who could converse in the

local tongue, have long since moved on... but a new set

of characters and heroes have emerged to take their

places. The games are always close and this time, they

were even closer: Jamie MacMahon led a spirited First

Year Team into overtime, where the battle continued to see-saw until our captain dramatically

dropped a jumper at the buzzer and all and sundry stormed the court. Second Years seemed to

be en route to a hiding, down an impossible 13-0 after the first quarter. But Eoghan Fitzmau-

rice and cohorts such as Pierce Roberts and Gavin-Roche Griffin took on the responsibility for

a fight-back. Jamie, one of several First Years playing up, hit a dramatic trey and then John

Kelleher, ice in his veins, sank both free-throws to go ahead by 1 with 14 seconds left. Eoghan

forced a turnover to seal it and the basketball lore of the 'Noggin had just been lengthened two

more worthy chapters! Let us not forget our girls, who, led by Captain Saskia Dooley, once

again overcame our small selection pool and competed manfully against much bigger and scari-

er schools (and girls). Our Most Valuable and Most Improved Players: MVPs: 1st Yr: Jamie

MacMahon, Jack Doyle; 2nd Yr: Eoghan Fitzmaurice, 16s: Shane Byrne, Jaime Romero, 19s:

Richard Hogan; Girls: Marina Bourke; MIP: 1st Yr: Daire Henry, Sean Woods, 2nd Yr: Juan

Rodriguez, 16s :Tim Leary,19s: Oscar Harley-Monks, Girls: Trixie Schulte-Huermann.

Hoop de l'annee

Many a male Conlethian would grumble that everyday is 'girls' day' at St. Conleth's, with the

fairer sex reputedly benefitting from a traditional and decidedly beneficial 'double standard'.

Male teachers are apparently the worst offenders: prone to accepting all sorts of half-excuses,

as longs as they are accustomed by a smile, whisper, eye-lash flutter or, god forbid, even the

faintest threat of a tear. Well on Friday, April 17th, there was no need for subterfuge: the

women were firmly in charge as Ms. Sheppard and Mr. Kelleher welcomed back 40 years of

women Conlethians to celebrate their profound effect on the history of the school and to wel-

come the dramatic announcement that girls are soon to be welcomed into all classes, starting

with Junior Infants this very September. As you can see from the photos, smiles were the

order of the evening and the only tears shed were authentic and spurred by the joy of reunion

and renewed friendship. A few trusted male teacher alumni, such as the distinguished Pat

McGrath, Peter Gallagher and Michael Manning, were on hand but it was definitely ladies'

night, and alumnae from all years converged to catch up and reminisce and be treated to a

special fashion show by the current Fifth Year girls. The night revealed what many of us al-

ways suspected: that special bond which all Conlethians share with their school, is even

stronger for the girls. Fittingly, our first female School Captain, Hannah Collins, was then

elected in May. As Mr. Kelleher always says, ‘Girls to the front!”

Our Principal Mr. ODulaing

and Deputy Principal Ms.

Hopkins were thrilled to once again be invited to attend the ceremonies honouring Entrance

Scholars at Trinity and UCD. Mr. ODulaing accompanied Robert Byrne, who was feted by

the Faculty of Science at UCD, where he has just begun a degree specialising in Physics.

Ms. Hopkins went along to Trinity College where Matthew Collins was awarded a scholar-

ship by the Faculty of Law. Each year we are thrilled to announce our latest class of en-

trance scholars, but this year we are particularly chuffed, as both Matthew and Robert were

also model 'complete' Conle-

thians during their time with us

and took full part in all aspects of

school life, while somehow find-

ing the time to accrue over 600

points each along the way! Da-

vid Hassett, however, went a few

points further, earning the max

625 and being granted UCD’s Ad

Astra honour and scholarship!

Conlethians Honoured at Trinity and UCD

Girls' Night!

Receiving an invitation to

speak at the Annual Past

Pupils' Union Dinner is like receiving the black spot on a

pirate ship: You know you are about to face a scurvy crew of

rum-soaked scallywags and it might be better just to walk the

plank immediately. This year things were different, and

appropriately so, as kind words were said in remembrance of

Francoise Brotelande, a beloved teacher, friend and mentor

at St. Conleth's for 30 years, whom we lost so recently, and

kind words were also said, with a good, few jokes thrown in,

about the retirement of Pat McGrath, an inspirational teacher and legendary character at

St. Conleth's for 40 years. Ronan O'Kelly, PPU President, once again ran the show with

aplomb (and a great deal of effort) and Barry Ward, a hardened veteran of the bar-room

politics of SoCo Dublin, hit all the right spots in

his tribute to the Great McGrath. The man him-

self, however, stole the show and, after deliver-

ing a few well-aimed and well-deserved zingers,

he said good-bye with the style, grace and good

humour with which he always did everything at

St. Conleth's. No-one personifies the spirit of St.

Conleth's better, and no-one is mentioned more

often when alumni of the last 36 years return for

a visit. They come in the door of 28 Clyde

Road, and then they immediately say what we

ourselves will now often find ourselves wistful-

ly wondering: '...and where is Pat

McGrath?'…..well, why not try the Cavalry and

Guards Club in London, where Pat showed up

to grace the First St. Conleth’s London Alumni

Dinner. The style was sumptuous and rightly

so, as guest speaker and honouree was Major

General Richard Cripwell, alumnus and now

chief European military attaché in the USA.

Earlier this year, the Irish Times

conducted a national competition

in preparation for the publication of a literary magazine

dedicated to juvenile creative writing. Several Conlethians

entered, and one, 5th Year Rian Boyle, had his story select-

ed for inclusion. Rian explores the themes of mental illness

and identity in 'Empty Mirrors', a psychological tour-de-

force, which took pride-of-place on the magazine’s back

cover. Rian, an avid, reader writer and Pokemon collector,

has been on a roll lately, having recently captained the Clas-sics Quiz Team and served as lictor for the Classics and

Latin Speech Team. We look forward to further magna

opera from him in the future!

Past Pupils Honour Pat McGrath

The Write Stuff!

It was a dark time for

Europe as a whole on

September 4th, 1939, but

on leafy Clyde Road in

Ballsbridge, Dublin, a

green shoot of promise

sprung to life as Bernard

Sheppard opened the

doors of St. Conleth's College to its first class of six

pupils. On September 4th, 2014, we began our year

of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of this

pivotal event in the annals of progressive education

in Ireland. Of course, Headmaster Mr. Kevin Kelle-

her, who joined the school just a few years into its

existence, was on hand to lead the festivities which

included cake, ice cream and a keynote speech by

Councillor (and alumnus) Frank Kennedy. And then

later in September there was the big party itself: It is

not often that Mr. K. has to give way to his elders,

but on this very special night our esteemed headmas-

ter was able to plead his youth and inexperience, as no less than four more senior members of

the inaugural 1939 class of St. Conleth's were on hand for our Gala 75th Celebration. Of

course, 'Mr. St. Conleth's' was still the star of the show, as he used his customary wit and

warmth to transport over 265 guests back to the early days of the school for the sons of Catho-

lic gentleman. St. Conleth's CEO Ann Sheppard matched Mr. K's eloquence, proudly identi-

fying our current successes with the legacy laid down by by her parents, Bernard and Patricia,

all those years ago. Special guest, and proud parent alumnus Ruairi Quinn, left politics aside

and delivered the keynote speech, confirming St. Conleth's holistic

'moulding' of its pupils as a unique Irish education story. The

audience was an enthusiastic mix of current and alumni staff, pu-

pils, parents and friends, and the exquisitely catered meal had a

very pleasant apertif: the latest St. Conleth's Quinquennial, a com-

pendium of memories, visual and verbal, gathered from across a

very colourful 75 years.

Happy 75th, St. Conleth’s!