Vol 29 No 19     02 Feb 2024

HSD Swimming Success

Last week, seven swimmers from The High School participated an Inter Schools Swimming Gala in Athy.  Over twenty schools participated in the gala, with just under 200 swimmers competing.  The High School swimmers had a very successful competition indeed, winning fourteen medals in total: four gold, six silver, and four bronze placing The High School in 4th place overall.

Here is a breakdown of the medalists:

Niamh Mitchell - Senior

Backstroke: Gold Medal
100m Freestyle: Silver Medal
50m Freestyle: Silver Medal
50m Butterfly: Bronze Medal

Daniel Collins - Senior

50m Breaststroke: Silver Medal
100m Breaststroke: Bronze Medal

Lucy Micks  - Junior

50m Freestyle: Silver Medal
100m Freestyle: Bronze Medal
100m Backstroke: Gold Medal

Erin Flashman - Junior

50m Butterfly – Gold medal
100m Freestyle – Silver medal

Chloe McCready - Junior

50m Freestyle – Bronze medal
50m Breaststroke – Gold medal
50m Butterfly – Silver medal

East Leinster Athletics Championships

An enthusiastic group of High School athletes went to the Phoenix Park recently   to compete in the annual East Leinster Cross Country Championships.  When we got there we warmed up.  Then our races began.  We were running against about 200 people.  Though some of us were extremely nervous about the race we didn't want to let The High School down.  We were relieved when we all finished in good positions.   Aidan O'Connor came sixth and has qualified for the next round of the competition.  Afterwards we went to the café and got something to eat.  Overall the day was very good and we all had a really good time.
Lily Lonergan

International Cricket Award

Last week, the Ireland women's cricket team toured Zimbabwe and played a three match 50 over series.  Former pupil Orla Prendergast (HSD, 2013-20) appeared in all three games.  In the first game she was not required to bat.  The girls won that match by 10 wickets on the DLS method.  In the second game, Ireland faced some unusual circumstances as it ended in a tie.  Orla contributed with 15 runs but unfortunately got run out towards the end of the match, resulting in a tie.  This meant that they had to win the last game to secure a series victory. Orla stepped up and ensured that happened by scoring an impressive 41 runs. Her contribution proved to be crucial as Ireland emerged victorious, winning the series 2-0.  Now, the team is looking forward to facing Zimbabwe in a T20 series.  With Orla leading them once again, there is no doubt that they will strive for another series win against their opponents.
Eli Clarke

Form 1 International Fencing

Arthur Heard, a talented athlete in Form 1, will proudly represent Ireland at the Marathon Fleuret Challenge CEP competition in Paris next weekend.  We wish him the best of luck as he showcases his skills and competes against fencers from around the world.  We have no doubt that he will give it his all to achieve success in this highly anticipated event.

Ireland Rugby Team Selection

Congratulations to Ryan Baird (HSD, 2011-14) on his selection to represent Ireland in the Six Nations fixture against France on 2 February in Marseille.  In addition, past pupils Ben Howard-McLean (HSD, 2016-21) will play on the U20 Ireland team against France and Zack Hopkins (HSD, 2018-20) has been selected for the Ireland U19 training squad.  We wish our past pupils every success as they competes for further honours at international level this season.

Form 5 English

Before the Christmas break, I began reading a bestselling novel titled 'Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling' by renowned authors Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen.  The book follows the life of 28-year-old Aisling over the course of a year.  As I immersed myself in its pages, I felt an intimate connection with the protagonist, understanding her thoughts, personality, and enduring both her triumphs and tribulations. 

Imagine my delight when McLysaght and Breen visited the W B Yeats Library at The High School!  Anticipating this opportunity to interview them, I sat nervously beforehand, contemplating the questions I would ask.  Soon enough, the room filled with excited chatter; even the Librarian couldn't contain her enthusiasm.   As silence descended upon us all, the authors treated us to an excerpt from their debut book—an hilarious account of hotel breakfast mishaps.  Low rumbles of laughter filled the room and the book was closed.   

With our first questions asked, we could see the passion of the pair when they talked about their debut novel.  They seemed at ease moving from topic to topic;  clearly adept at such interviews.  For aspiring writers like myself and my classmate Luca Farrelly, it proved to be an incredibly enlightening experience—one that left an indelible mark on us.  McLysaght and Breen fostered a professional yet relaxed atmosphere with us during our interaction while providing candid insights into what it means to write full-time.  I am eagerly awaiting their future works and will forever cherish that day as their book still gazes down at me from my bookshelf.
Faye O'Hare

Art at Eight

Congratulations to the pupils in Forms 4 and 5 who completed a collection of portraits of the current High School Senior Cup Team on the eve of their first round fixture against Blackrock College.  There were plenty of smiles from the team who were surprised by the pop up gallery. 

Leinster Schools Senior Cup

Congratulations to The High School Senior Cup Team who have qualified to compete in the first round of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup by reaching the final of the Leinster Rugby Schools Vinnie Murray Senior Cup.  The fixture will be played at Ollie Campbell Park on Friday 2 February at 2.30 pm and all support is welcome.  We warmly congratulate the team on the significance of its achievements in 2023-24 and wish members of the squad continued success this season.
Mr M McDermott

Form 4 Geography

JCT Rugby

The High School Junior Cup Team participated in a Leinster Rugby 7s blitz in Suttonians RFC recently and played brilliantly! The day was filled with tries and superb wins.  Congratulations to both our junior and senior girls' rugby teams who have received byes into the second round of the Leinster Schools Senior and Junior Cups.

Form 1 Hockey

The Form 1 hockey team emerged victorious with an impressive 6-1 win against Wesley College.  Despite the challenging windy conditions, our talented players showcased their skills and determination on the field.  The match was filled with excitement as our team dominated the game from start to finish.  Erin Flashman scored three goals.  Polly O’Carroll did amazingly saving multiple goals while the rest of the team did well by keeping out wide and finding space.  Our relentless efforts paid off as we scored six goals, leaving our opponents trailing behind with only one goal to their name.  It was a remarkable display of teamwork. 
Ella Percy-O'Brien.

Form 4 Honey

This week The High School donated €300 to charity from the sale of our honey.  We are thrilled to share the sweet success of our buzzing bee hives at The High School.  Recently, we harvested honey from the carefully tended frames, spun it with joy, and jarred the golden goodness.  A special mention goes to Veronica Stroie whose artistic talent shone bright in winning the label art competition for our honey jars.  With your support we raised €300 from the sale of this liquid gold!  The entire amount was donated to the Children's Health Foundation making our endeavour even more meaningful.  A round of applause to everyone who contributed to supporting this worthwhile cause.
Mr J Kingston

Form 4 Photography

Photo Words from the pupils in Form 4 Photography.  Some are a little obscure. Can you figure them out?
Ms Rogers

Karate Victory

Congratulations to Ellen Oldrey who won the Junior National Kumite (fighting) championship this week. 

Mock Examination Timetable 2024

P.S.  If you have some information or news that you think we could feature in our school newsletter, please let us know.  Click here to get in touch.
Ms Burrowes 
Communications Coordinator