Vol 31 No 11    28 Nov  2025

Senior Drama Triumph!

Recently the Senior Drama group took the stage by storm to perform the 1980s classic "Footloose." This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and will definitely be the highlight of our time in school. Our eager cast from Form 4 and 5 had a blast! The cast, ensemble, and crew put in countless hours of hard work and dedication into this production. In only ten short weeks, the show came alive. None of it would have been possible without the help and guidance of Mr Milofsky, past pupils Ella-Marie, Beth, Mia, Eoghan, and our amazing choreographer Chloe in making "Footloose" the most incredible show it could be. This was an incredible experience that will never be forgotten.
Leah Murdock

Music Competition Success

On Sunday 16 November, the String Quartet and Chamber Orchestra proudly represented The High School at the Kilcoole Music Festival hosted in Coláiste Chraobh Abhann. This event now in its 67th year continues to recognise musical excellence from schools in the region.

The Chamber Orchestra entered the competition for the Senior Cup, facing three other accomplished orchestras. Performing second in the lineup our orchestra played the I, III, and IV movements of St Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst. After we performed our arrangement the competitive pressure eased and our musicians enjoyed listening to the remaining orchestras.

Then the adjudicator made his decision and it was announced that The High School’s Chamber Orchestra had won the Kilcoole Music Festival’s Senior Cup. Taking home the Senior Cup was more inspiration to practice hard for future success. This experience was more than a competition: it was a reminder of the importance of teamwork and dedication. Congratulations to all who participated for their hard work and commitment to excellence in music!
Sarah-Jane Redmond

ISTA Senior Science Quiz Success

On Thursday 13 November nine Form 6 pupils from The High School took part in the ISTA Senior Science Quiz at Maynooth University. The teams consisted of Maebh Manning, Zoe Sargent, and Matthew Whyte; Jonathan Kirkpatrick, Gerry Browne, and Sadhbh Byrne; and Sourya Munukuru, Daniel Martin, and Annie Needham. All three teams were placed within the top 10. Sourya, Daniel and Annie came 3rd overall, and have earned a place in the national final which will take place at Trinity College, Dublin on Saturday 6 December. Well done to all our pupils on a fantastic achievement!
Ms Finnegan

Form 6 Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)

On Wednesday 12 November Form 6 pupils had a valuable opportunity to explore important topics from their RSE curriculum - including anger and conflict, respectful communication, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and issues relating to consent - through the perspective of practising Barrister-at-Law, Mr Peter Paul Hughes.

Mr Hughes began the session by sharing his educational and professional journey - from working as a police officer in the UK, to university studies, to his training at King’s Inns. Pupils were particularly engaged by his description of day-to-day life in the legal profession, including preparing cases, collaborating with solicitors, and presenting arguments in court. Through using real examples from his work, he discussed the importance of consent, the influence of peer pressure, and the value of strong, respectful friendships. His practical insights helped pupils connect classroom learning to real-world contexts.

The session concluded with a lively Q&A, during which pupils asked questions about studying law, courtroom experiences, and managing challenging cases. Mr Hughes praised the group for their engagement and said he felt “humbled” by their interest. He was also delighted to see so many pupils considering future careers in law, psychology, psychiatry, and criminology. Our Deputy Head Girl, April Lyons, described the event as a “privilege” noting that pupils found the talk both informative and inspiring. She commented that “pupils thought he was a very knowledgeable speaker who gave clear, thoughtful answers to our questions about consent and about his career.”

We are very grateful to members of the Guidance Department for organising this worthwhile event. It was an inspiring experience that our pupils will remember for years to come.
Ms Lowry

Form 1 Home Economics

Form 1 pupils studying Home Economics baked delicious scones as part of their Christmas practical examination. What a sweet test that was! Well done to everyone.
Ms Bergin

Senior Art Excursion

In October, the Art Department organized its annual Leaving Certificate Art excursion. This year, we were delighted to have Dave McGinn from the Black Church Print Studio give a tour of the studios to our Form 5 and 6 pupils. We explored their comprehensive facilities for creating printed artworks, including working areas for drypoint etching, copperplate etching, lithography, and screen printing. The experience highlighted the importance of media and processes in an artist's work, as well as structures to aid in their development.

Later in the day, we visited the National Gallery of Ireland for a guided tour of their collection. It provided a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand the works we study throughout our two-year visual studies course. The same can be said for our time at the National Museum where pupils sketched artifacts ranging from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age. As always, this excursion proved immensely valuable for both our Leaving Certificate Visual Studies course and practical coursework.
Ms Rogers and Ms Killane 

Form 3 Language Excursion

Form 3 French classes went on a school excursion with ‘Dublin à pied’ where we took a walking tour of Dublin in French. We saw famous monuments such as Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral and gardens, Dublin’s most famous street, and many other hidden gems of Dublin. We learned to listen to French which can help us improve our speaking skills and vocabulary. There was a quiz, both verbal and written on a laminated page, based on the various places we visited during the tour. The unique aspect of the quiz was that the tour guide did not answer our questions; we had to rely on our logical reasoning and observation skills to determine the answers leading to some amusing responses. The quiz kept us engaged throughout the entire tour! In conclusion, we tallied points to determine winners who received free T-shirts as prizes - definitely worth it. Overall, everyone thoroughly enjoyed our language excursion.
Ella O’Gorman and Jessica Miller

Junior Hockey 

The High School Junior B team played their debut game yesterday against St Dominican's College and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Ms Jones

Senior 1 Hockey

On Wednesday 19 October the Senior 1 girls' hockey team traveled to Muckross College to compete in the first round of the Senior Cup. Despite the freezing cold during warm-up, the team was ready. Both teams had a strong start, and we knew it wouldn't be an easy game, but we remained determined. Unfortunately, the second quarter didn't go our way as the opposition scored a few goals. However, after regrouping at halftime and addressing our issues, we persevered and played our best without losing morale. We gained valuable lessons from this match and will continue training hard for our upcoming league and plate matches.
Sadhbh Byrne

Junior Hockey 

This week Junior C boys hockey beat Wesley College 3-1. They played the basics well and succeeded in scoring three amazing team goals. Well done!
Ms Gray

Senior Hockey 

The High School Senior 2 boys hockey team lost to St Killian's 3-1. They played with true HSD spirit from start to finish and hopefully will improve throughout the season.
Ms Gray

SCT Rugby Victory

Congratulations to The High School Senior Cup Team on their victory in the first round of the League playoffs in which they defeated The King's Hospital School 33-24 at home.  We started the game strong by scoring two early tries to go up 12-0. The King's Hospital managed to equalize at 12-12 going into half time. Although we fell behind early in the second half, our team held their nerve and managed to make a comeback. The three penalties kicked by Leo Kilroy made all the difference in the end. We are excited about facing Castleknock College in the forthcoming round of the playoffs next week .
Ury Spain

Senior 2 Hockey

We began preparations for our second League game of the season against Rathdown School early on Saturday morning. The team arrived at the pitch at 8.30 am, started to warm up, and 30 minutes later the match began. From the start the team worked very well together. Five minutes into the game April Lyons scored a goal putting us in the lead. The opposition maintained pressure throughout the match, making it tougher, but The High School persevered and endured. Going into the second half, the Senior 2 team was still leading 1-0. We maintained our energy from the first half and continued to work well as a team, resulting in our second goal scored by Kate McDougald in the last few minutes of the match. The Senior 2 team fought hard and played exceptionally well throughout the entire game. It was a fantastic win for our team and we could not be happier.
Maria Darmody

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