Vol 31 No 30    22 May 2026

Graduation Ceremony

As another school year draws to a close, we said goodbye this week to the HSD Class of 2026 with a wonderful programme of events celebrating their time at The High School. It was a week filled with music, laughter, reflection, and many memorable moments as pupils, families, and staff came together to mark the end of an important chapter.

The celebrations began on Tuesday morning with the final Form 6 Assembly in The Reynolds Hall. The atmosphere was warm and celebratory, with a number of lively musical performances helping to make the occasion especially memorable. It was a fitting opportunity for the year group to gather together one final time as pupils of The High School.

On Tuesday afternoon the Graduation Service took place at Zion Church. Pupils, parents, guardians, and staff gathered for this meaningful occasion led by the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Glendalough, Primate of Ireland and Metropolitan. The service provided a chance to reflect on the experiences, friendships, and achievements that have shaped the Class of 2026 throughout their years at HSD.

The week concluded on Wednesday afternoon with the Graduation Ceremony in the Gymnasium. Families and staff joined our graduating pupils to celebrate all they have accomplished over the past six years. The ceremony featured music, thoughtful speeches, and the presentation of HSD Certificates of Graduation, as each member of the class crossed the stage to warm applause.

Following the ceremony, everyone gathered in the Dining Hall and Millennium Garden for refreshments, photographs, and the opportunity to share stories and memories together. There was a real sense of pride and appreciation throughout the afternoon, alongside the bittersweet feeling that accompanies any farewell.

We extend our very best wishes to the HSD Class of 2026 as they now turn their attention to the Leaving Certificate examinations and to the exciting opportunities that await them beyond The High School. We are immensely proud of all they have contributed to school life and of all they have achieved during their time here. We look forward to following their future successes in the years ahead.

Farewell Class of 2026 

You came in wide-eyed, backpacks new, 
The halls a maze, the sky still blue. 
You learned the names, you found your way, 
From first bell nerves to senior day. 

You built your dreams in study halls, 
Left laughter echoing down the walls. 
You stumbled, rose, and grew so tall— 
Now silence answers when we call. 

So go. The world’s a wider room. 
Let every ending be a bloom. 
For all you were, and all you’ll be— 
Class of 2026, sail free. 
Eva Lei

Leinster Senior Cup Victory

It was a historic afternoon in Rathgar as The High School Dublin captured the Senior Cup for the first time in 36 years. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the hosts endured a nightmare start thanks to an inspired opening over from Tom Squires. The Wesley College bowler struck twice before a run had been scored, trapping Ethan Clarke LBW for a duck before Eli Clarke miscued his first delivery to point.

Despite the early setbacks, High School regrouped impressively. Rob O'Brien steadied the innings with a composed knock through the middle overs before accelerating brilliantly late on. Supported by an important partnership with Leo Dodd, O’Brien guided his side to a competitive 126/6 from their 20 overs, finishing as top scorer with an outstanding 74.

Any hopes Wesley College had of mounting a successful chase were quickly dashed by High School’s devastating opening attack. Benjamin Dillon and Eli Clarke tore through the batting order with superb spells, Dillon leading the way with figures of 4 wickets and great catches from Ethan Clarke and Jack Wynne. Backed by an exceptional all-round fielding performance, High School dismissed Wesley for just 50 to seal a dominant 76-run victory.

Eli Clarke, Rob O’Brien and Benjamin Dillon were the standout performers on a memorable day for High School. Following the win, the Senior Cup was presented to the victorious team by Brian Kelleher, marking a remarkable achievement for the players, coaches, teachers and officials involved in the club’s long-awaited triumph. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to cricket coaches Jonathan Garth, Dewald Barnard, and Dave Howard for the dedication, guidance, and support they have given this outstanding team.

Leinster Schools Athletics Victories

On 18 and 20 May, the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championship were held in Tullamore. We enjoyed great success on both days. Following strong performances from our athletes at the East Leinster Track and Field Championships, we were delighted to see several medal winners across the two days, all of whom will now progress to the All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championship on Saturday 30 May in Tullamore.

On day one, Ewan Kennedy ran an incredible 4:20 in the 1500m, securing gold and the title of Leinster Champion. Ellen Oldrey achieved a double gold in the 300m and 300m hurdles, while Robert Tallon secured bronze in the pole vault. Brendan Solarin, who had already won gold in the East Leinster Senior Boys’ long jump, had a strong competition and narrowly missed out on a medal. On day two of competition, we had two relay teams competing at minor and junior boys’ level, as well as Luke Jensen running in the Minor Boys’ 800m and Luke Stuart Gleeson competing in the Junior Boys’ long jump. In an incredibly strong field, Luke Jensen achieved a personal best in the 800m to finish fourth, while Luke Stuart finished in sixth place.

The Minor Boys’ relay team of Luke Stenson, Matthew McGrath, Daniel McFeely and Shuqian He competed against very strong opposition and did exceptionally well to finish third on the podium. The biggest excitement of the day came with the Junior Boys' relay team when Luke Stuart Gleeson, Ronan Byrne, Kevin Wu, and Patrick McCrory completed an outstanding run with swift baton changes to secure the Leinster title. They will now go on to compete for national honours at the All-Ireland Finals on Saturday 30 May.

We would like to congratulate all our athletes this season for competing at such a high level and showing great determination and skill while representing their school. We wish all finalists every success in Tullamore and look forward to hearing about their future achievements.
Shuna Hutchinson Edgar and Nicola Fallon

Leinster Schools Cricket Final 

The 1st Year Girls A team have qualified to complete in the Leinster Schools Cricket Final, marking an outstanding achievement for the team. Their hard work, determination, and teamwork have paid off, and they now stand just one step away from claiming the title. The final will take place on Monday at 2.00 pm at Leinster Cricket Club against The King’s Hospital. All support is welcome! This is a fantastic moment for everyone involved and a proud occasion for the school community.
Ms Gray

Form 4 Gaisce Hike

As the final part of our Gaisce Bronze Award seventy of us met at the school and got on a bus to a youth hostel in Glendalough. We had to bring our own food for dinner and make it ourselves. The next day, we cleared up our rooms after breakfast, and got ready for the hike. We began by walking round the far side of the lake and started to climb in altitude. We made sure to take constant breaks for water and snacks and to allow people to catch up. When we reached the peak of our hike, we stopped for lunch, which we had brought and made ourselves. We then split up into two groups to walk along the boardwalk, slowly descending with a great view of the lake. Finally, we walked back along the lake, collected the bags we had left at the hostel, and got a bus back to The High School, having completed our hike.
Karl Findlay

Environmental Sustainability

In March The High School took delivery of our new MyGug - a Irish designed and manufactured digester that will turn our food waste into a renewable gas for use in our Home Economics room and a digestate (a natural super fertiliser) for our raised bed crops. It is a perfect example of circular economy and sustainable development in action.

We are one of only thirty schools in Ireland to receive the ESD grant for this system which we hope will function as a cross-curricular educational and positive environmental practical hands-on resource.  Last week Ms Toolan‘s Form 2 class cooked eggs from our own hens using the renewable gas produced by the anaerobic digestion - a first for HSD.  As we look forward to the next academic year, we hope that every Home Economics class will be able to choose between renewable and non-renewable gas to complete their practical.

We would like to thank all those across our school community who helped make this happen, especially Ken Lawrence, our plumber and Garret O'Donnell, our electrician and the HSD Parents' Association who contributed to its installation.
Mr Langrell

Environmental Innovators

As part of the Transition Year Environmental Innovators programme, Form 4 pupils explored sustainability and environmental conservation through a range of innovative research projects. Over five weeks, groups developed and designed posters highlighting sustainable practices with all entries submitted to the national Peer Day final. Here is a sample of the work that they produced.
Mr Langrell

Form 4 Irish

Excitement is building at The High School as our very own Form 4 pupils are set to appear on the brand-new TG4 quiz show SLÉ Anois Go Cúramach! Be sure to tune in on Tuesday 26 May to catch Caoimhe Gannon, Órla Jepsen, and Saoirse Fleetwood representing the school on screen. The series airs on TG4 every Tuesday from 7.30–8.00 pm and will also be repeated on Sundays at 11.45 am.

Earlier this academic year, TG4, in partnership with Macalla Teoranta, announced that they were creating a new Irish-language quiz show and invited pupils participating in the Transition Year Programme from across the country to apply. Caoimhe, Órla, and Saoirse decided to team up and submit an application video — and it clearly made an impression!

Following their submission, the production company invited the girls to take part in an online casting call. During the call, they introduced themselves before being put through their paces with a rapid-fire general knowledge quiz. The girls performed brilliantly, showing impressive confidence, quick thinking and an excellent grasp of trivia. Unsurprisingly, the producers were hugely impressed and soon confirmed that the trio had secured a place on the show.

More than 60 pupils from twenty different schools took part in the series, and Caoimhe, Órla, and Saoirse did a phenomenal job throughout filming. Their personalities, enthusiasm, and teamwork truly shine on screen, and they should be incredibly proud of themselves. They are wonderful ambassadors for The High School.
Ms Byrne

Form 5 English

Last week, former pupil and Head Boy Gary Meaney (HSD,2017-23) visited The W B Yeats Library to speak to pupils and staff about the publication of his new book Among the Waves. This is Gary’s second book; his first Zoology’s Greatest Mystery was published in 2022 when he was in Form 5. He delighted his audience with stories and anecdotes about the Ecology course he is studying at Trinity College, Dublin, completing an internship in South Africa, and his experience as a self-published author. Pupils in Form 5 also interviewed Gary for the school podcast, which you can listen to here. We wish Gary all the best with his new book and look forward to welcoming him back to The High School again soon!

Form 2 Science

Pupils in Form 2 made tangrams, and played Kluster (and Spanish guitar) to celebrate the end of another year of hard work in Mathematics.
Dr Budd

Freya Fitzpatrick O'Doherty Cup

This year marked the inaugural season of the Freya Fitzpatrick O'Doherty Cup. Over the last few weeks, girls from Forms 4, 5, and 6 came together to play some brilliant games of football. Open to all skill levels, the tournament was a fantastic opportunity to see the players improve each week and grow more confident with every game. On 12 May the semi-final and final matches took place. The knockout stage delivered some incredibly exciting contests, none more so than the final. After a 1-1 draw that couldn't be settled in extra time, the battle between Goals Aloud and Insync went to penalties. With an excellently placed kick, Alex-Anne Kennedy secured the win for Goals Aloud. The trophy was presented by Ms O’Sullivan who was an invaluable help in ensuring the tournament ran smoothly each week. As the very first name is engraved on Freya's Cup, we hope it will be filled with many more in the years to come - celebrating the incredible talent at The High School and honouring the memory of Freya herself.
Mr Hart

The Peter Prendergast Cup

The inaugural Peter Prendergast Cup kicked off following the Easter break, featuring ten teams of Form 5 and 6 boys alongside a spirited (but ageing) staff team battling it out on Friday afternoons.

The tournament began with an eight-match round-robin phase of 8v8, 20-minute games over six weeks. The league phase came down to a dramatic final day where the teachers were decisively beaten 5-1, finishing their campaign with a tough -18 goal differential. One team, Inter MiDan, finished the round-robin undefeated with six wins and two draws. This earned them a quarter-final matchup against the #8 seed, Bayer Neverlosen, who pushed the league leaders all the way into extra time before finally succumbing 1-0 on a golden goal. Ultimately, form held true as all the top seeds won their quarter-final and semi-final matches, setting up a grand finale between Inter MiDan and Iron Dome. In a tightly contested final, Inter MiDan emerged victorious with a 2-1 win to claim the cup.

The cup is named in honour of the late Peter Prendergast who taught at The High School for 35 years. He was a passionate champion of sport—especially soccer and cricket—who created a tremendous sense of belonging in his classes and on his teams. His wife, Ms Bergin, was on hand to present the trophy for the very first time to the winning captain, Daniel McGrath.

Form 4 Croquet

On Thursday 14 May, the Form 4 Croquet team travelled to Carrickmines Croquet & Lawn Tennis Club to take part in a tournament against two other schools. Representing The High School, our team competed with great enthusiasm, teamwork, and determination throughout the day. 

The tournament format divided each school into teams of two, with matches played between pairs from different schools. Each round lasted 15 minutes and was marked by the sharp blow of a whistle at both the beginning and end. From the start of the competition, The High School quickly moved ahead on the leaderboard. However, as the tournament progressed, the competition became increasingly intense, with the gap between the schools narrowing after every round. Despite the pressure, our players performed brilliantly on the pitches and worked tirelessly to maintain our lead.  After a series of exciting matches, The High School achieved an impressive total of 77 points. Unfortunately, our opponents managed to catch up to us in the final stages of the tournament, leaving both schools tied on points. As a result, the outcome had to be decided by a one-on-one playoff match between the two schools. 

Although we were smaller in numbers, this only strengthened our teamwork and determination to represent our school proudly. The playoff was played as a best-out-of-three match, and every player gave their absolute best under intense pressure. The atmosphere was exciting and competitive throughout. In the end, the match finished 2–0 in favour of our opponents. While the result was disappointing, the experience was unforgettable, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day. To our surprise and delight, The High School was also awarded the Round-Up Trophy, giving us a wonderful achievement to bring back to school. 

We are extremely proud of our team’s effort, sportsmanship, and dedication, and we look forward to seeing what next year’s Form 4 Croquet team will achieve in the tournament. 
Jiahui Peng

Form 4 Charity

During the recent Sports Day, pupils sold ice cream throughout the day and raised €645.20 for Oscar’s Kids in memory of the late Freya Fitzpatrick O’Doherty (HSD, 2022-24). We would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped sell the ice cream along with the teachers and pupils who purchased it and supported this wonderful cause. Your kindness and generosity helped us reach a total of €645.20.
Eva Lei

Form 6 Construction Studies

Congratulations to Form 6 Construction Studies pupils who completed their Leaving Certificate projects in April after many months of hard work. The design and carpentry skills at our school are certainly exceptional. As you can see all that endeavour has been well worth it: the results speak for themselves.
Mr O'Sullivan

Form 4 Agricultural Science

Pupils in Form 4 Agricultural Science completed a beautiful planter this week. Doesn't it look well?
Ms Langrell

Form 1 French

Pupils in Form 1 studying French ended the term with a delicious picnic What a delightful way to end the year. Bonne chance pour les examens!  
Ms Roullet

Essay Competition

Congratulations to Thibault Walsh who was a finalist in the Gráinne O'Neill Memorial Legal Essay Competition. 
Ms Scott

Library Book Reminder

All pupils are required to return library books to The W B Yeats Library promptly.  An amnesty is currently in place for late returns, so no questions will be asked! It is important to have them all back before the end of the school year.
Ms Wiggle

HSD Parents' Association

The High School Parents' Association have finalised dates for two events that might be of interest to you as follows:
22 May -  HSD PA BBQ
20 June - HSD PA second-hand book and uniform sale
Peter de Lacy
Chairperson