here - Portmarnock Community School

PORTMARNOCKCOMMUNITY SCHOOLYEARBOOKCuimhní2010 - 2011

MocksP O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Friendship Week6th Year GraduationInternational SoccerEaster Cakes CompetitionDebatingMoodleItaly TripPortmarnock Community SchoolPlayboy of theWestern WorldYearbookSouth African ProjectTurnover DayCuimhní 2010 - 2011SpikeballSurf TripChristmas ConcertSponsored Walk1

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1So what’s in here then . . .TABLE OF CONTENTSThe Year That WasForeword – Mr. P. O’RiordanForeword – Ms. E. DeeneyStaff and the Board of ManagementStaff PhotoFarewell to Ms CahillFarewell to Ms MurrayFarewell to Mr RattiganA note from our School Chaplain – Sr. G. MullenLibrary Life – Ms .M. KeaneA Year in the Life of PCSTo the Class of 2011 - Ms .M.NorrisA note from the Head Boy & Head Girl(Ian Connolly & Laura Byrne)Sixth Year Class PhotosMaking of a Prefect – Aoife McGovern & Group PhotoWhere are they now? - Colum ClarkeFirst Year (Lucy Archbold) & Second Year(Rhiannon Curtis Davis)Third Year (Mark Nolan) & Fourth Year (Evan Davis)Fifth Year (Dean Grffin & Sarah Hawkshaw) & SixthYear (Joseph McCarthy & Caoileann Mulcahy)Entertainment Survey – Fourth Years‘Turnover Day’ – Aisling Glover‘Let Them Eat Cake’!School Walk – 1ONDebating – Orlagh GeogheganMy Personal Achievement – Adam Costello-DohertyChristmas Concert – Jamie SkeltonAnimation Club – Mr Maynes & Ms TynanCourt Trip – Sean Egan & Amy RyanIrish Play – Sarah RowePlayboy of the Western World – Laura O’LearyWestside Story – Ciaran O’ReillyTransition Year –Angel LoMini Company – Christina FitzsimonsWork Experience – Caoilfhionn CrowleyGlendalough Trip – Conor McLoughlinSouth African Project – Emma Kielty & Shane O’ReillySki Trip – Paul ScullySurf Trip – Holly HerbertScotland Trip – Colin DunneItaly Trip – 2OBJudo – Ion RusuThe Green Jersey – Conor PepperSports Awards NightSports Foreword / Past Pupil remembers his roots –Mr. P. O’CearraRugby – Mr MacDermottHurling – Mr DowdBoys Basketball - Mr Isaac WestbrooksGirls Basketball – Ms Bolger & Ms DeeneyGolf – Mr Fitzgerald / Hockey - Ms Geoghegan & Ms DunneSwimming – Ms Costello / Girls Soccer – Mr BedfordBoys Soccer - Mr Bedford & Mr Murphy & Kevin PeeloGaelic Football – Mr McGovernVolleyball / Spikeball – Mr McNeive & Sara BoyleAthletics / Cross Country – Ms MaloneFirst Year Class PhotosSecond Year Class PhotosThird Year Class PhotosFourth Year Class PhotosFifth Year Class PhotosAutographs / NotesACKNOWLEDGEMENTS• Fionan O’Connell for all his assistance with the photographs• All students and teachers who offered (agreed!) to write articles• All students and teachers (especially Mr Dempsey, Mr Fitzgerald & Mr O’Mahony)who donated and helped with photographs• All Fourth Year students who provided invaluable help on the day of the classphotographs• Paul Byrne and all at Santry Printing for all of their helpMs. A. O’Dea2

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1THE YEAR THAT WAS . . .Nationally in the headlines & in Portmarnock Community SchoolSeptember: 1st September 2010 ‘Taxpayers put €210m a week into toxic bank’● Mr Maynes welcomed his group of 143 First Years through the doors of PCS● New teaching staff were welcomed to Portmarnock Community School● First and Second Year students headed off around Portmarnock on their sponsored walk● Fourth Year students make waves on the West Coast on the Surf TripOctober: 1st October 2010 ‘Four 'hairshirt' Budgets price of bank rescue deal’● Friendship was in the air during ‘Friendship Week’November: 1st November 2010 ‘Gilmore wife got €525,000 for school site now worth just €100,000’● A very successful production of ‘Playboy of the Western World’ ran over three nights● Students started collecting for the annual Shoebox appealDecember: 1st December 2010 ‘Fianna Fail fear exodus as Ahern calls it quits’● Annual Carol Service● Staff put together Christmas Hampers which were presented to the St Vincent de Paul● Christmas exams for First, Second and Fifth Years● Staff become students and students become staff on ‘Turnover Day’January: 1st January 2011 ‘Goodbye to all that - and hello, 2011’● Two very busy weeks for Third and Sixth Years as they began their mocksFebruary: 1st February 2011 ‘Cowen quits as €300,000 'golden' deal eases blow’● Another successful South African Project head off to work for 2 weeks● Annual trip to Scotland to see Celtic playMarch: 1st March 2011 ‘Gilmore gets the green light to carve out deal’● Fifth Year music students perform for the First Years with a concert.● 40 enthusiastic students and 7 teachers departed for Andalo in Italy for a week of skiing● All staff and students were happy to support Lollipop Day● West Side was the story for four very successful nightsApril: 1st April 2011 ‘new era for banks after €24bn bailout’● Third and Sixth Year students were once again kept busy with practicals and oralsMay: 1st May 2011 ‘Enda vows no public pay cuts 'at all costs'’● A very busy Sports Awards Night saw our talented sportsmen and sportswomenapplauded for their efforts on the playing fields. John Treacy was the special guest.● Students take on teachers during Activity Week● ‘Ship of Hope’ was the theme for the Sixth Year Graduation and a very fitting end toSecond Level education for Sixth year students and their parents.3

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FOREWORDThe year opened with the retirement, after 30years, of Deputy Principal Vincent Rattigan andthen at Christmas two more ‘institutions’ moved tothe next (and hopefully more restful) stages of theirlives, Ms Marie Cahill and Ms Clare Murray. Thewinds of change really seemed to be whistling upCarrickhill road with all the mixed emotions theybring. Of course we were delighted to celebratetheir amazing careers but wondered, wistfully, howwe would fill the vacant chairs.Change is always challenging for, as Anatole France reminds us “Allchanges, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what weleave behind is part of ourselves”. I think that we all felt a little part ofourselves went out the school door with Vincent, Marie and Clare, andyet we know that out of change springs growth and renewal and we arenaturally compelled to look to the future.If our animation club is anything to go by, the future is looking bright– talent in abundance and awards galore!! This year saw the completionof the South Africa Project and once again a fresh look to fields far andvery new in Lesotho. Another new development was the academicaward night which greatly added to the school calendar.And so…… enjoy the pages that follow as they open your eyes to theever changing, ever new world of PCS agus go mbeirimid beo ar an amseo arís.Pat O’RiordanPRINCIPAL4

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FOREWORDCONNECTING THE DOTSSteve Jobs, the American innovator and entrepreneur, died on5th October 2011 . In tributes paid worldwide to thecharismatic technology pioneer, his celebrated Stanfordcommencement speech in 2005 was widely quoted. Back in 2003,Jobs had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the speechhe delivered to the college graduates focused on his personalphilosophy and the essence of human existence – death, love, lossand the connectedness of life. Jobs urged the students not towaste time living someone else’s life –“follow your heart and intuition. Theysomehow already know what you truly want to become.”The speech has special resonance for today’s world caught in the grip of globalrecession with austerity measures and negativity being the order of the day. Jobsillustrates how much a single person can accomplish in a lifetime while his life storyis also a reminder that failure often precedes success. It is an uplifting, powerfulspeech about hope, courage and belief. At one point Jobs tells the students “youhave to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. The dots youencounter in life will eventually connect.”Jobs should know. From inauspicious beginnings and having dropped out of collegeafter a few months, he went on to become co-founder of Apple Inc. and become themost influential technology leader of our times. Jobs’ legacy of selling gadgets to themasses including the iPod, iPhone and iPad as well as his other firm Pixar whichrevolutionised computer animation, has changed the way we live and learn.The Stanford commencement speech has a lesson for all young people the worldover. I leave you with Jobs thoughts on joining the dots, of following a simple planto a logical conclusion.“You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them lookingbackwards so you have to trust that the dots will connect in your future.”STEVE JOBS (1955-2011)Eithne DeeneyDEPUTY PRINCIPAL5

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1TEACHING STAFFMr. P. O’Riordan(Principal)Ms. E. Deeney(Deputy Principal)Mr .W. BedfordMr .D. BianchiMs. G. BakerMs. L. BlakeMs. F. BolgerMr. G. BreenMs. M. CahillMr. D. ClarkeMs. J. ClynesMs. O. ColemanMr. A. ConroyMr. B. CoreMs. C. CostelloMr. R. CurranMs. N. DestefanoMr. S. DempseyMs. C. DixonMs. E. DohertyMs. L. DolanMr .A. DowdMs. E. DrewMs. A. DunneMr. F. FarrellMr .G. FerrickMr. N. FitzgeraldMs. C. FitzpatrickMr. D. FordeMs. E. FreemanMs. C. GaffneyMs. G. GeogheganMs. M. GloverMr. C. GreeneMr. D. HigginsMs. M. HughesMs. M. KeaneMs .S. KelleherMs. G. KennyMs. A. KernanMs .A. KingMs .C. LeggettMs. M. MaguireMr. J. MaherMs. M. MaherMs. J. MaloneMr. H. MaynesMr. P. McCarthyMs. C. McGlynnMr. J. McGovernMr. P. McDermottMs. T. McDonaldMs. C. McNameeMr. M. McNeiveMs. O. MolamphyMs .A. MooneyMs. M. MooreMs. L. MorrisseySr. G. MullenMr. D. MurphyMs. C. MurrayMs. M. NorrisMs. C. O’BrienMs. D. O’BrienMs. S. O’BrienMr. P. O’CearraMs .M. O’ConnorMs. A. O’DeaMs . C . O’DriscollMs. M. O’KaneMr. D. O’MahonyMs. J. O’ReillyMs. O. O’TooleMs .P. PirroneMs. A. RichardsonMs .L. ShanahanMs .A. SheilsMs .J. SteedeMr. M. SweeneyMs. P. SweeneyMs. K. TynanMr. J. WestbrooksMs. Y. WhiteMs. S. WoodsMs. A. YoungAdministration Staff:Ms. A DaltonMs. C. LyonsMs. A. O’ConnorMs. E. RedmondCaretaking Staff:Ms. A. CromieMs. A. DonohoeMs. C. HarringtonMr. J. HoffMr. M. KeoghMs. A. KennyMs. F.TobinBOARD OF MANAGEMENTThe new Board of Management of Portmarnock Community School started its term ofoffice on in September 2010. The Board comprises of ten members:Religious Representatives: Sr Marie-Celine Clegg, Ms Mary DunneVEC Representatives: Cllr Anthony Lavin, Cllr Peter Coyle, Cllr Gerry McGuireParents Representatives: Ms Marcella Ryan, Ms Anne SpollenTeacher Representatives: Ms Margaret Moore, Ms Margaret HughesSecretary:Mr Pat O’RiordanRecording Secretary: Ms Eithne Deeney6

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1STAFF PHOTOBack Row L - R: Mr. D. Forde , Mr. M. Sweeney , Mr. D. Murphy, Mr. G. Ferrick, Ms . O . O’Toole , Mr . J . Maher , Mr. G. Breen, Ms . O . Molamphy , Ms . D . O’Brien ,Mr . P . MacDermott , Mr. M. KeoghFourth Row L - R: Ms. C. Leggett, Ms . C . Gaffney , Mr . J . McGovern , Mr. W. Bedford, Ms. C. O’Brien, Ms . L . Dolan , Ms. M. Keane, Mr . D . Clarke ,Ms. M. Maquire, Ms. G. Kenny , Ms . J . O’Reilly , Mr. J. WestbrooksThird Row L - R: Mr. B. Core, Mr. A. Dowd, Ms. Y. White, Ms . C . Fitzpatrick , Ms. S . O’Brien , Ms. S.Woods, Ms. C. McNamee, Ms . C . O’Driscoll,Ms . E . Doherty , Ms . A . Richardson , Ms. M. O’Connor, Ms . C . CostelloSecond Row L - R: Ms. M. Norris, Ms. P. Pirrone, Ms. E. Freeman, Ms . A . Donohoe, Ms . M . Moore , Ms. A. Dalton, Ms. E. Redmond, Ms . L . Morrissey ,Ms. M . O’Kane , Ms . F . Bolger , Ms. K. Tynan, Ms. S. Kelleher, Ms . A . O’Dea, Mr . A . ConroyFront Row L - R: Ms . C . Dixon , Ms. M. Hughes, Ms. A. Dunne, Ms . G . Geoghegan , Mr . N . Fitzgerald , Mr . D . O’Mahony , Mr . P . O’Riordan , Ms. E . Deeney ,Ms . J . Clynes, Mr . F . Farrell , Ms . O. Coleman , Ms. A. Kernan, Ms. G. Baker7

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1And one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages . . .Farewell to Ms. CahillThe departure of Marie Cahill from Portmarnock Community School, after three decades of trulyinspirational and enthusiastic service to pupil and peer alike, is one of those milestones in ourschool’s development worthy of reflection and recognition.Ms Cahill’s qualities as a super teacher and a terrific colleague were probably most evident to thoseof us working as colleagues within the English Department. In sharing her ideas and mostimportantly her wisdom from many years of experience, it has been our good fortune to have beenpart of the team.The most striking characteristic about Ms Cahill is her passionate belief in what she does. This shebrought to her classroom in abundance and with boundless energy. As a teacher of English, sheendeavoured to bring authenticity to what she taught. Where else but in G3 could one find a sod ofturf to demonstrate Heaney’s Bogland; or the twigs of witch hazel to illustrate the tools necessary forwater divining, and in that instance, to make poetry come alive.Her enthusiasm for all things cultural and literary has also helped to shape our school over manyyears and those same interests were successfully inculcated within her students, not just through herclassroom teaching but also through the very many trips and tours to cinema, theatre and to so manyparts of Europe.Many of us marvel too at her adroit organisational skills and her capacity to improvise to get thingsdone. Invariably she was able to produce the necessary video or DVD for a colleague who landed atthe door of G3. Indeed in the days before digital and download, the inventive Ms Cahill had her ownhome copying system with a television, a pair of videos and an intricate system of scart leads; all inthe name of Portmarnock Community School, Ms Cahill turned pirate.Ms Marie Cahill has indeed played many parts. Each of us who worked alongside her knows only toowell of the energy and the dynamism which she brought to the many roles she played within theschool itself. Tutor, Yearhead, Tour operator, English Department Co-ordinator, Transition Year Coordinatorand English & Business Studies Teacher, in each of these facets of her working life, MsCahill always strived to do her personal best, to make the most of whatever opportunities were onoffer and to bring out the best in the students within her care.We hope that the influence of this teacher, colleague and friend will linger long in Portmarnock interms of what we have learned from her, in the shared resources left behind, in the inherited artefactsfrom her classroom and most importantly in the literary and cultural interests she has cultivated inthe thousands of students who have been fortunate enough to have known her over the years.As Ms Cahill now moves on with characteristic energy and enthusiasm, we wish her well inwhichever parts she elects to play in the next act.8

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FAREWELL TO MS. MURRAYMs. Clare Murray retired from Portmarnock Community School on 28th December2010, having joined the staff in 1985. For over 25 years she has been a dedicated andenlightening teacher of Business, Accountancy and Maths, co-ordinating the LCVPprogramme for a number of years and in recent times working as a member of the learningsupport team in the school. Clare previously taught in St Joseph’s Secondary School,Mountjoy Street.Through her dedication and helpfulness, to her students and colleagues alike, Clare hasbeen an inspirational member of the Business and Maths Departments in PCS. With hersupport and guidance many students gained first hand experience of the world of businessthrough their involvement in mini-companies, providing family, friends and the schoolcommunity with a variety of quality products. She always kept up to date with the rapidlychanging business world and with her sharp business acumen no doubt inspired many ofher students to become entrepreneurs.Clare maintained her enthusiasm for teaching and love for business throughout herteaching career and with her professional and dynamic approach endeavoured to impartthis enthusiasm to her students. She always had the best interests of her students at heartand led by example providing them with a well organised, caring, innovative, stimulatingand informative learning environment. She really understood the concept of education inthe wider context. Clare was always generous with her time. Her aim was to bring practicaland interesting business experiences into the classroom thus making business a livingsubject and engaging her students. When working as a member of the learning supportteam she worked extremely hard to build the confidence of the students she was involvedwith. She was the ultimate professional.We miss Clare as a staff member. She has always in her quiet, thoughtful way helped,encouraged and looked after new teachers. Over the years she contributed so much to manystaff activities. As a member of the social committee she was involved in the organisationof table quizzes, treasure hunts, trivial pursuit nights and shopping for gifts. Her sense offun was evident in her participation in the staff set dancing team of many years ago andmore recently as a cyclist in the staff relay team! We will miss her thoughtfulness, empathy,advice and friendly laugh.We wish you a very long, happy, healthy and fun retirement Clare. Enjoy following yourdreams.“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”Eleanor Roosevelt9

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FAREWELL TO MR. RATTIGANOn the 31st August 2010 our esteemed Deputy Principal Mr Vincent Rattigan chose to retireand his dulcet tones made that last set of announcements on the intercom, he ‘greeted’ hisfinal set of latecomers and he handed on those locker keys to the next generation!I met Vincent Rattigan in September 1982 when as a Year Head he appeared to know all, copewith all and generally act as guru to me, a ‘rookie’ fresh out of college with all to learn. Eventhen, his willingness to help and to advise marked him out as special in the staffroom. So toodid his genuine interest in his students. He always saw a student not as a mere learner of hissubject but as a person to be respected, nurtured and deserving of his professionalism at all times.And Vincent Rattigan is the consummate professional; from his in-depth knowledge of his ownsubject area to his commitment to developments in the wider world of curricular innovation.The writer Mark Twain warns that often in life we are disappointed more with the things wedidn’t do than the ones we did. If this is the case then Vincent can have no disappointments atthe end of his distinguished career. He did everything! His students knew him as a dedicated andtalented teacher, a kind and caring Tutor, a wise and insightful Year Head, an inspirationalDeputy Principal. We his colleagues recognise all these gifts and can add our own - a loyalfriend, a respectful confidant, an intellectual, a sage, a family man, a raconteur and all thiswoven together with golden threads of humour.To reinforce his warning against disappointment Twain advices us “to throw off the bowlines.Sail way from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in our sails. Explore. Dream. Discover” Itis my hope for Mr Rattigan that with his wonderful family and with his youthful enthusiasm forlife that this is exactly what he will do.On a personal note I will miss Vincent Rattigan hugely. He is irreplaceable. And yet I can see theworld of opportunity awaiting this extraordinary man and I know that we have to let him go.“Sometimes it is important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take timeoff and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosingwhich colour to slide down the rainbow”.We all wish Vincent lots and lots of rainbows.PAT O’RIORDAN10

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1A Note from our School ChaplainIt is quite hard to believe that we are at the end of yet another academicyear in Portmarnock Community School. This year seems to have goneby much faster than any of my previous eight! Like most other years, sincelast September, life around here has not had as much as one dull moment!We began the new school year with a special Blessing in one of the earlydays of September. This ritual/blessing launched us once again into anotheracademic year – the first of six for the First Years, and the last of six for theSixth Years!In the months that followed, our First, Third, and Sixth Year students hadtheir Retreats. This year we brought the Sixth Years to Dromantine, abeautiful retreat centre outside Newry. The First and Third year retreats wereconducted in the Parish Centre here in Portmarnock. Retreat days afford our pupils some time awayfrom academia, with an opportunity to reflect on how life is going.November, being the month of Remembrance, each year group had a Remembrance Service. This isa special time for our students to remember and pray for anyone close to them who has died.Advent is always a busy time of preparation for everyone and especially in school life. It is a time forlooking beyond ourselves and a time for thinking of ways in which we might help other people. Inspite of the recession, yet again, so much generosity was generated during this time for some of thefollowing charities:ST. VINCENT DE PAULEach year at this time we do something to support the work of our local St. Vincent de Paul Society.Approximately €3,000 was raised and some Christmas hampers were made up, to help alleviatepoverty. We were assured by our local V. de P. contacts that this year more than ever, this money isso much needed in our present difficult economic times.SAMARITANS’ PURSEWe sent off a hundred little shoe boxes to Eastern European Orphanages in November.continues to be an attraction in PCS – especially among our younger students.This charityCarol Service: One of our biggest liturgical celebrations in PCS each year is our Carol Service. Ittook place on Tuesday 11th December, and I am sure that many of you reading this newsletter werethere! I hope you will agree that it was indeed a beautiful celebration. I think that it gave everyonepresent an opportunity to step aside from the ‘frenzy’ that life is at that time of year, to preparespiritually for what Christmas is really about. We even had a ‘red-dressed’ visitor at the very end forour ‘little’ guests!!Lent and Easter was marked this year in a special way by the painting of three very beautifulpictures by Mr. Higgins, Art teacher. The first was a copy of Caravaggio’s Taking of Christ, the second,Rembrandt’s depiction of the Crucifixion and finally, Mr. Higgins’ own image of the Resurrection.This art work on display in the main hall way brought new insight and understanding to the Easterstory.Graduation: All the ‘stops’ were pulled out again on Tuesday 24th May as the staff gathered withour Sixth Year students and their parents to celebrate their years here and to wish our graduates wellfor their future.Once again, I would like to remind you that I am always available to you as parents/guardians. Pleasefeel free to contact me at 8038061.With every good wish,Sr. Gerardine Mullen, School Chaplain11

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Library Life“The library is a physical place in an electronically dominant age andwe are working daily to help people avail of the latest technology whileremaining a place of books, reading and the imagination”, said GobnaitO’Riordan, President of the Library Association of Ireland at the launch of LibraryIreland Week in the Mansion House in Dublin.The School Library at PCS continues to be a very busy place. It is adelight to see that the Library study areas and the computer stationsare full on student lunch breaks and busy throughout the day. Theseare largely used to research project work and access homework onMoodle. Free internet access, listening posts, daily newspapers,magazines and DVD collections draw the students into accessingliterature and other information relevant to their needs.Arrival of new library books is always an exciting timeespecially for the avid readers. The books included inthe order this year range from fiction to non-fiction,including many new popular novels. We continue towelcome book recommendations and requests fromstudents and teachers.The library held many events over the year fromHalloween to Christmas and Friendship week events.The junior students were invaluable in organising theseevents and each year it is obvious they enjoy this social involvement. There is no end totheir imagination and creativity.From observation the School Library is a safe environment where all our students arewelcome. It is a place of great social interaction. As Librarian, I enjoy teaching thestudents how the Library works in practice. A special thank you to student librarians whoare so enthusiastic in helping in the administration of the library. New members are alwayswelcome. Ms. Keane.Library Quote of the Month:“Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for knowledge;it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” - John LockeMaria Keane, School Librarian12

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1A Year in the Life of PCS13

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1To the Class of 2011It’s so nostalgic saying ‘farewell’ to a class that you have gotten to knowover half a dozen years and especially to this class of whom I am reallyvery proud. In your time, you contributed so much to our school by yourachievements and by your character as a group; you shaped thepersonality and profile of our student body and, as a consequence of ourschool, as it enters its fourth decade. I am so glad to have known each ofyou, even on the bumps along the road.Now, after all the assemblies & tutor classes, after the sponsored walks, theschool trips, after six years of desperately seeking ties on a Mondaymorning, after the snow days and moodling and snow homework onmoodle and even snow homework on facebook, after all of this, we areyesterday’s people and you are ready to leave us.And somewhere between changing classes and complaining about teachers, getting notes in journalsand forgetting to get notes in journals, studying for tests and indeed pretending to be studying fortests, in between all of this and because of all of this, you have grown up. And while these rites ofpassages are the experiences you remember, and no doubt they become the stories that you retell,such skirmishes and minor battles of secondary school life are not in essence what was important.What mattered was that railing against our rules, you realised the rules remained. What mattered wasthat dealing with authority taught you how to negotiate. What mattered was that testing theboundaries helped you map out your own position. I hope that as we have steered you, we havehelped you to set that inner compass so that now you can navigate alone. When the agonies ofHamlet and the intricacies of the tuiseal gineadach are long forgotten, these are all skills that willstand you in good stead in a world increasingly more rigorous.For half a dozen years you have shared experiences, the ups and downs of community school life,academics, sports, prizegivings, musicals, carol services, and dramatic endeavours both literally andmetaphorically. Together you have experienced the friendship that comes from a shared time andplace. You have shared your troubles, the slight and the tumultuous things that life sometimesthrows at us. Together we have known the scales of happiness and loss, as a group you havesupported one another, in success, in difficulty, and on occasion, in bereavement. So in leavingschool, it’s not just Portmarnock Community School that you leave behind but that shared and veryspecial web of associations and connections and understanding that the last five or six years has sodelicately spun. Each of you in your own individual ways has garnered a wealth of togetherness thatinevitably now you cast off as you leave us, leave here and leave each other.Carson McCullers, the American novelist said, “To know who you are you have to have a place tocome from”. In time to come, wherever you are, when the name Portmarnock is mentioned, I hopeit resonates with you as more than just a village and certainly more than a school building,somewhere that you come from and somewhere that you came to know yourself. As 6th years alwaysdo, you are heading off into the unknown, and though bad news, negative spin and the merchantsof gloom have prevailed this year on our airways, never mind the doomsayers, the world has alwaysbeen the oyster of youth and so too it will be for you. I truly hope that your passage into the futurewill be, as our theme suggests, on the “ship of hope”.As you hoist your sail and go, my parting words of advice to you are to work hard and aim high;stay grounded; stay challenged; aspire to exceed your potential. In words best expressed andborrowed from Seamus Heaney, “keep your feet on the ground to signify nothing is beneath youand lift your eyes to the heavens to show nothing is beyond you”. I am so sorry to see you leaveand in equal measure I am delighted that you are ready to go; it has been a privilege to be youryearhead, and an absolute pleasure to teach you. I wish you good health and every happiness andhope for the future.Mary Norris - 6th Yr Year Head14

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1A Note from the Head Boy and Head GirlLaura ByrneHead GirlIan ConnollyHead BoyWe are humbled, honoured and thankful to have representedPortmarnock Community School and our fellow students as Head Boyand Head Girl for 2010/2011. As we, the class of 2011, move on from PCS, wehave time to look back on the years we spent here.For many years, PCS was our home and the memories and experiences we haveof our time in PCS are precious to us.It is only as you look back after leaving the school that we truly appreciate howmuch the PCS experience in its entirety meant to us and how indellible animpression it left on our characters and personalities.Key to that were the teachers, staff and parents who put so much ofthemselves into making PCS into the school that it is today. We would like totake this opportunity to thank them for their support, kindness and nearsuperhumanpatience that they showed us everyday.To those still in PCS we say that your time here will go by so fast that you reallyhave to try to make the most of your experience and enjoy every minute of it.D’ár gcomhcheimithe ó rang 2011 – guímís gach rath agus sonas oraibh pé ruda dheanfaidh sibh sa todhcaí.To our fellow graduates of the Class of 2011, we wish you every success andhappiness in whatever you do in the future.Laura Byrne & Ian Connolly15

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SIXTH YEARS 60DBack Row L – R: Billy Keating, Joey McCarthy, Glen Francis, Adam Kelly, Eoghan Clarke, David O’Connor, Aaron O’Toole, Daniel Saputo, Ian ConnollySecond Row L – R: Ruairí Deasy, Kevin Ward, Derek Morris, Aidan Doyle, Shauna Hanlon, Paige Dooney, Jaimie-Lee Graham, Paul Gannon, Sean Upton,Colm RobinsonFront Row L – R: Ornagh O’Shaughnessy, Katy Heron, Caoileann Mulcahy, Laoise Hamill, Niamh Fallon, Laura Whelan, Lisa Galvin, Sarah Fitzgerald16

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SIXTH YEARS 60GBack Row L – R: Darren Harris, Conor Harris, Patrick Rickard, Alan O’Shaughnessy, Thomas McShane, Jack Watson, Ian O’Meara, Eoin RossiterSecond Row L – R: Sarah Markey, Aoife McGovern, Sarah Murran, Danielle Pepper, Conor Chaney, James Morrison, Ronán Donnelly, Stephen Brady,Christopher Prior, Amy BrennanFront Row L – R: Kenny Byrne, Aoife Dowling, Lola Golding, Aoife Keogh, Kate Dennehy, Leah O’Reilly, Lindsay Loftus, David Derby17

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SIXTH YEARS 60MBack Row L – R: Eoin Burke, Alan Byrne, Carl Fay, Conor McMahon, Cian Ellwood, Robert Palmer, Kevin Gleeson, Ian McNeill, Garry HarteSecond Row L – R: Peadar Jolliffe Byrne, Karl Kiernan, Clare McManus, Eve Lynch, Nyasha Mhandu, Liadán Scott-Keogh, Barry Dowling, Stephen Canty, Lee O’ShaughnessyFront Row L – R: Siobhán Corish, Victoria McGarry, Jessica Hinksman, Susan Deane, Laura Byrne, Lucy Travers, Grace Connolly, Amy Shannon18

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SIXTH YEARS 60RBack Row L – R: Nathan Warnock, Kevin Boylan, Adam Callaghan, Keith Meehan, Kamil Mrowicki, Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Graham Howard, Jack Fitzsimons,Frederick HanrahanSecond Row L – R: Amy O’Connor, Niamh Scully, Katie Hanley, Karly Swift Marks, Kiera Keegan, Andrew Dillon, Shane Quigley, Martha Ryan, Orla Keogh,Olivia MurphyFront Row L – R: Cillian Diggin, Rebecca Hales, Grace Murphy, Sinéad O’Carroll, Natthawan Phatpheng, Shauna Cummins, Emma-Kate Sullivan, Justin Cosingan19

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SIXTH YEARS 60WBack Row L – R: Alan Griffin, Daniel Byrne, Neil Forde, Peter Morgan, Cillian Greene, Gordon Brennan, Gareth Harte, John BreenSecond Row L – R: Andrew Maher, Sarah Morrin, Kevin Kremers, James Fagan, Sarah Peppard, Danielle James, Niels Caul, Ashley Poole, Laura DunneFront Row L – R: Ryan Scully, Christine Gibson, Caoimhe O’Dwyer, Olivia O’Loughlin, Jane Smith, Sinead Redmond, Emeir Stanley, Dylan Kane20

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Making of a PrefectBack Row L-R: Olivia Murphy, Laura Byrne, Sarah Murran, Shauna Hanlon, Andrew Maher, James Fagan, Ian Connolly,John Breen, Danielle JamesSecond Row L-R: Emeir Stanley, Christine Gibson, Niamh Fallon, Laoise Hamill, Jessica Hinksman, Caoileann Mulcahy,Laura WhelanFront Row: Siobhain Corish, Ornagh O’Shaughnessy, Sarah Fitzgerald, Aoife McGovern, Aisling Glover, Amy ShannonLIFE AS A PREFECTAfter a comprehensive interview and weeks of waiting in suspense, I was delighted to beselected as a Sixth Year prefect. I was honoured to represent the school and the studentbody. We worked alongside Sr. Ger and our Year Head, Ms. Norris, to maintain a positiveatmosphere in the school and create a solid relationship between the teachers and students.It is not very often an opportunity like this arises and I feel that my position as prefect hashelped me to blossom and mature into the young adult that I have become.Being a prefect was not only about wearing the glittery, gold badge proudly pinned on ourschool jumpers; it was about being a role model for the school and gaining leadership skills thatare necessary for life. Throughout the year the prefects attended and co-ordinated many events.Our main role was ensuring that the First Years settled into secondary school life and to makethe transition from primary school into secondary school as easy as possible. We organisedquizzes/cinema trips/treasure hunts and the Christmas concert for the First Years to help themget to know each other. We also organised events such as the teacher-student turnover daywhich was a great success and resulted in a significant sum of money being raised for St. VincentDe Paul at Christmas. We also helped to organise a coffee morning for the internationalstudents to ensure that they felt very welcomed into school life at P.C.S.The Portmarnock prefects of 2010/2011 hope that our efforts have contributed greatly toschool life. Being a Sixth Year prefect enriched my final year of school and made it overalla very enjoyable experience. I would like to thank my Year Head, Ms. Norris, and all theteachers who gave me the opportunity to represent the school.Aoife McGovern21

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Where are They Now?Alot of things can happen in a decade! Many good andsome not so – Obama as the first black US president,Ireland win a Grand Slam, the end of the NASA space shuttleprogramme and unfortunately for Pluto, it is no longerconsidered a planet! Amongst many other events! All ofthese have occured in the time since I left PortmarnockCommunity School in 2002, though I couldn’t say that Ihave had such a big influence on the world.After gladly completing my Leaving Cert, I was fortunate toobtain a place to study Pharmacy at Trinity College Dublin.College for us was broken into four years with three terms in each, and as with school eachsubject builds with tentative steps to cover broad topics. First year was a mix of the coresciences of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths/Statistics- three of which I had a goodgrounding and interest in from my time and teachers at PCS (namely Mr Maher and MsO’Kane who guided me through 4 of my 7 LC subjects!). From second year on, the focuschanged to pharmacy and what pharmacy involves, and for the bit of a nerd in me, thesesubjects were enthralling and rewarding. My main interest was Pharmacology, which focuseson how drugs affect the body. Some gratifying (if gorey) labs turned mundane lectures, withphrases such as “appropriate doses” and “demonstrable effects”, into first hand experiencesin how small changes in dose could have a major impact on how the body responds to adrug treatment. In real terms, for work as a pharmacist it gives you the confidence of a soundscientific basis to recommend treatments to your patients on a daily basis.Apart from all that academic stuff learned in college, the four years helped create lifelongfriends (I am marrying one of them shortly) and offered opportunities to have a whole newset of experiences. From spending my J1 summer with 10 of my closest friends working ina waterpark in New Jersey, to interrailing around Eastern Europe for several fun weeks,college offers you this freedom. Once qualified as a pharmacist following a year’sinternship, it became clear how rewarding the job could be - getting as much out of it asyou put in, and often more. As daunting as it is in the beginning to serve your localcommunity in such a responsible role, you soon learn to take it in your stride, seeing thetrust that many patients place in you re-enforces your determination to help.During my time in PCS, I learned skills of organisation, determination, and academicendeavour, which served me well throughout my college career and now into myprofessional one too. I owe much of this to all the teachers who taught me at PCS and it isnice to see that many of those same teachers are still working and teaching at the school,and I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of them.I wish to those students who have now completed their own LC the very best of luck inwhatever they decide to do after leaving PCS, be that college, work or travel.Best wishes and happy health,Colum Clarke22

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEAR STUDENT REPORTLUCY ARCHBOLDIn 2010 I joined Portmarnock Community School. I remember my first day walkingthrough the front door with my big bag full of heavy books feeling excited.I also remember feeling over-whelmed with the new subjects, new teachers and tryingto get from A5 to K21 and remembering to have my homework completed for all of thedifferent classes. So don’t worry if you feel tired after school for the first couple of weeks.There are lots of activities to get involved in during and after school. I myself becameinvolved with the choir along with all of my friends and it did not take me long to makenew friends as everyone was very nice.For me the most terrifying thing was my first exam as I did not know how to studyproperly. But that soon comes easy enough after the first round of exams.So ok first years, notebooks to the ready.... Get involved in some clubs, you make new friends. If you asksomeone where a classroom is..... THERE IS NO UPSTAIRS. Get on the good side of the teachers and do whatyou have to, and follow my golden rule: Never Fail To Prepare. Last but not least, don’t be scared justenjoy...... I know I did!!!!!Another year lies ahead in anticipation!SECOND YEAR STUDENT REPORTRHIANNON CURTIS DAVISSecond Year was great fun for many different reasons. First of all we were no longer the cutelittle First Years! It was funny looking at the incoming First Years thinking "were we thatsmall?!". Lots of people had said Second Year would be easy because you don't have the stressof being a First Year (bless them!) or the stress of doing the Junior Cert in Third Year but don'tworry the teachers are determined to prove that wrong!The trip to Italy took place during the October mid-term break and it was open toSecond Year students to go. A lot of my friends went and they had a wonderful timewith lots of funny stories to tell on their return.In the lead up to Christmas all the Second Year Home Ec classes were busy makingChristmas cakes, a tradition in Second Year. The best part was decorating them at theend. Mr Fitzgerald even took out his camera to take a few pictures! As this was happening we were all busystudying for the upcoming Christmas tests until an unexpected turn in the weather; SNOW! They took itday by day until eventually deciding to close the school, for safety reasons, for the remainder of the term.This meant all but two of our Christmas tests had to be cancelled! We all dreaded going back in Januarythough for the fear the teachers would reschedule them, and of course they did!One of the most memorable days since I've arrived in PCS has to be the student/teacher cross over daywhich the prefects organised. This was where most of teachers put on the uniforms us students dread towear and we were allowed to wear normal clothes! It was a really funny day. We had assembly and eachtime a teacher wearing the uniform walked in or out of the hall a big cheer went up. I hope they decide tohold it again because it was a really good idea and also we raised money for charity.Also in Second year one of the exciting things which all students can enjoy is the musical which, last year,was West Side Story. It takes up a lot of time both during school and after so I would advise anybodyinterested in taking part to make sure they are completely committed. It is also a great thing to get involvedin because there is something for everyone - on stage, the orchestra, backstage, even set design. The workcertainly paid off though as the show was a huge success!I would also encourage everyone to take part in as many sports, clubs and other after school activities aspossible because next year you won't have time to do nearly as much with all the studying!Overall, there was a lot to do and I had a great time during my second year in PCS.23

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1THIRD YEAR STUDENT REPORTMARK NOLANIremember the feeling of relief as I walked home from school after finishing my Technologyexam: the last exam of my Junior Cert. I had the whole Summer to look forward to withouthaving to think about studying or exams. It was amazing!Third Year had started with the teachers piling on the work and pressure. I must’ve heard‘Junior Certificate!’ mentioned at least ten times in each class! Looking back however, it wasno harm, as it helped me to get into the right frame of mind and I decided to make a studyplan rather than leave everything to the last minute.We had our Study Skills seminar in September which really helped me to plan my studying. Our Year Headrecommended that we did Supervised Study which took place between 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. three nights perweek in the school. It was difficult staying back when a lot of my friends were leaving at 4 p.m., and it wastough going home on dark, wet evenings. However, what I liked about Supervised Study was getting all myhomework and study finished, leaving me free to relax for the evening.Before I knew it, we had the Christmas break. The holidays were taken up with studying for the mocks whichwere just around the corner. I found them tough, but because of the experience that I gained from them, I knewthat I would be much more prepared for the real thing. The rest of the year was all exam practice and nobodyspoke about anything else apart from the Junior Cert. During the year, there was a feeling that we were all inthis together which made it easier to get through. A lot of us felt extremely tired near the end of the year becauseof all the studying and we couldn’t wait for it all to be over. I found the study week just before the exams toughas I had to go through it without any of my friends around. And then, it was 9.30 a.m. on the 8th of June andit was time for English Paper One. The exams were a total blur, they were over before I knew it.The tension returned when we started back in September while we waited for our results. We realised that all thehard work was worthwhile as we were all delighted with our results. Now, we can all look forward to Fourth Year!FOURTH YEAR STUDENT REPORTEVAN DAVISEvery year group will say the say the same thing after completing Fourth Year, that it was agreat year full of opportunities and lasting memories. But, for us students we can’t fullyunderstand what they mean until we have completed Fourth Year for ourselves. This past yearhas surpassed all our expectations.We looked forward to our modules each Wednesday such as Visual Art, Film Studies, FirstAid and Driving, log on and learn and Heritage. The modules were really enjoyable andwere an effective way of breaking up the school work throughout the week. We also hadmany other events and extra classes such as Law Day, Alcohol Awareness, South AfricaClass, Mini Companies and GAA Coaching.In November our Fourth Year play, ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ ran for three nights with as thedirector said three very different shows, but each one as successful as the last. We also had a largeinvolvement in the musical ‘Westside Story’, with kicking props off stage, leaving microphones on and somepeople walking into poles, the show finished to a standing ovation from a sold out crowd on its final night.We have learned a great deal from Fourth Year. As part of the course we carried out two weeks workexperience. Over this time some students found a career they really enjoyed, others found out that the careerthey had hoped to do was not all that it seemed and then there was the small amount of students that foundthat work just wasn’t for them.We have gone to South Africa, Skiing in Italy, Scotland and to Glendalough where we cooked and cleanedfor ourselves (something we have no intention of ever doing again). We have all achieved so much in FourthYear, through all we have learned and all we have done .We would like to thank all the teachers, staff andparents involved for making this year yet another extremely successful Fourth Year.Over this past year we have made new friendships and happy memories that will stay with us for years tocome and I would strongly encourage every student to do Fourth Year.24

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIFTH YEAR STUDENT REPORTDEAN GRIFFIN and SARAH HAWKSHAWFifth Year was certainly a challenging yet interesting year. Of course it wasn’t exactly easy settling down to theimportant academic studies we had facing us after our fun-filled Transition Year. But somehow within a few weekswe had all managed to settle down and begin our hard slog towards the Leaving Cert! It wasn’t all just hard academicwork there were many interesting activities to take part in also.A number of Fifth Year students took part in the wonderful production of ‘West Side Story’. This was a greatsuccess and everyone who took part in it really enjoyed it! There was also the student council which was reallywell organised by some of the Fifth Years. There were many sports teams available for us to join and personallyI really enjoyed the basketball and the athletics in the school. It gave me a great break from studying and helped to keep mefocused.Fifth Year is a whole new experience in every way, new subjects, new teachers, new friends and more responsibilities. It’s atime when you have to start thinking about life outside school and the career advice given to us was certainly appreciated.Overall Fifth Year was hard work but it was a successful year all round, and I’m sure next year will go just as well for all of us.SARAH HAWKSHAWFifth Year moved pretty fast!. After having such a relaxing and activity filled year with plenty of free timebeforehand, then suddenly you find yourself again surrounded by piles of homework and study timetables. Youbegin to realise that this is perhaps the most important year you will spend in P.C.S and the teachers won’t let youforget it!That's not to say Fifth Year was all work and no play, there was plenty of extra-curricular activities for everyoneto avail of such as Debating, Green schools, The justice committee and Choir along with an assortment ofsports.Towards the middle of the year we all got a chance to go to the Choices 2011 expo which was held in the Aviva stadium,most colleges had a stand set up and someone to talk to about that particular college. At the end of the expo I went homewith a better idea of what options I had....and a lot of leaflets!The highlights of the year was the school production of the musical “West-side Story”, in which several Fifth Year studentstook part in; a production of “Hamlet” performed by college students at UCD that my English class got a chance to see andnear the end of the year a concert which was very well performed by teachers and students.Fifth Year was hard work but I think I made the best of it...bring on the summer!DEAN GRIFFINSIXTH YEAR STUDENT REPORTAhh 6th year... Looking backon it now, it actually wasn’tsuch a bad year after all; it wasgreat (except for the school partof it; that wasn’t so great)! Itmakes you feel like theKing/Queen of the school, oohingand ahh-ing at the little babyFirst Years, who are still searching for the stairs up to theswimming pool that you keep telling them about sincethe first day! I suppose the best and the worst aspect isthe avalanche of 18th’s that happen each and everyweekend (not forgetting to allow study-time, of course)!Best aspect for the student for obvious reasons; worstaspect for the teacher, as they have to deal with you onMonday mornings. Overall, it’s not a bad ol’ year to bein, sure think about it, at least you don’t have to do theLeaving next year!Joey McCarthy6th year flew by!! Looking back on it now it'shard to believe that it's over a year ago thatprefects were selected, practical exams started…the work was piling on faster than it ever had.Those dreaded evenings of grinds and studywere awful but the stress was lightened nearlyevery weekend with the non-stop 18thbirthdays that were on throughout the year. Before we knew it, it wasFebruary and everything started to get serious, mock exams, results,people deciding on their futures. The summer holidays couldn'tcome quick enough, the whole year group was itching to jump outof those navy uniforms.We stuck it out, graduated and got through the exams in onepiece.Whether we were in PCS for five or six years, I think everyoneleft with some fond memories.(though they mightn't be allacademic!)Caoileann Mulcahy25

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Entertainment SurveySam Boland, Siobhain Brady, Kelly Ford, Sarah Hawkins, Conor McLoughlin, MarkO’Hare and Gillian Spollen surveyed all First and Fourth Year students to see whatwas happening in 2011.Here’s what they found . . .Best SongBest Summer SongBest ArtistBest MovieBest BandBest ActorBest ActressBest Tv ProgrammeBest SoapBest AuthorBest BookBest Football TeamBest Console GameBest MagazineSomeone like youParty Rock AnthemEminemHangoverThe ScriptAdam SandlerMegan FoxJersey ShoreCoronation StreetJ K Rowling / John SteinbeckHarry PotterManchester UnitedFIFA 11 / Just DanceKiss26

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1TURNOVER DAYAs Prefects in October 2010, we decided to have a fun day to raise money andawareness for St. Vincent de Paul. We organised a ‘Student/Teacher TurnoverDay’, this meant that for one day only the teachers must dress up like students(wearing the full school uniform) and the students could wear their own clothes –some of the students even came in wearing a suit and tie, pretending to be a certainteacher. The students had great fun telling the teachers to “Pull up that tie!” andasking “Are those white socks you’re wearing?” Each student brought in €2 to takepart in the event and we asked teachers to donate some money also in order toborrow a uniform off a student. It was a great success and everyone said there was abrilliant atmosphere throughout the school that day. Later in November we alsoorganised a cake sale for St. Vincent de Paul. We raised just under €2,000 betweenthe two events. They were great events to be a part of and I hope that they continueas annual events for years to come.Aisling GloverWhere is your tie, Ms Fitzpatrick?Ms Cahill on one of her last days in PCS5th Year students enjoying “Turnover Day”27

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1“Let Them Eat Cake!”1st YEAR EASTER CAKE COMPETITIONThe annual Easter cake competition is quickly becoming a highly anticipated event witha continuing high standard every year. Run in the week leading up to the Easterholidays, it gives all First Year students an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity. Thisyear like all others, their creativity could be seen in abundance. The winners and runnersupwere all presented with Easter Eggs as prizes.Overall winners: Sara Boyle and Caoimhe Kenny.Runners Up: Fiona Duggan, Alanna Long, Robyn McCabe, Jorgia McComiskie, Cara McDowell,Aisling Moore, Lisa-Marie Norris, Cliona O’Connor, Cian O’Sullivan, Nicole Purdy, AlicjaRoslaniec, Sarah Webb – Kennedy & Ciara WhelanJorgia McComiskie &Sarah Webb-KennedyCaoimhe Kenny &Sara Boyle2nd YEAR CHRISTMAS CAKESCliona O’ConnorDuring November and December this year , we made Christmas cakes. There was a lot ofplanning to do such as studying the recipe so we would know exactly what to do whenthe day came to bake and buying the ingredients needed. We also had to plan and decidehow we were going to decorate our finished cake and drew a plan of how we wanted ourfinished product to look.I definitely enjoyed the time off regular class work and the experience of designing andmaking our own cake . It also helped us get into the festive mood!Hannah FarrellSmiles for the cameraHannah is hard at workWhat will I do next?28

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SCHOOL WALK 2010As experienced by 10NThe sponsored walk was funny, exciting, challenging and a little bit tiring but I have tosay it was fun and it was good to know that it was for charity. The walk took us a quarterof an hr. We went on September 27th after break. All of the First Year classes lined up in theAssembly Hall in their tutor class order in partners. We all got a ticket with a number andwhen we came back we got a free can of 7up, Coke or Fanta. When we were on the walk ateacher was supervising each class. It was great fun and I would do it again.Aoife MeehanFor my sponsored walk we had to get sponsorship for our cards. I got sponsorship from myfriends, family and neighbours. In my group walking, we had both First and Second Years.The walk was around the Portmarnock area. Lots of teachers also went on the walk andhelped out. When we left the school we all got a raffle ticket so when we returned we got acan of Coke each. Once the walk was finished we were able to go home for the day. The bestthing about the sponsored walk was that we were able to get some fresh air and exercise, Ihope that we can do it again next year when I am in Second Year. Luckily enough, it was abright and sunny day and I also missed a few classes! I am not sure exactly how much wasraised but I was glad to help out.Ross HaydenThe sponsored walk was very good exercise and we collected lots of money on the walkfor school. We left after break and came back before home time. It was a long walk downthe road. Lots of pupils went on the walk and it was great fun. We got tokens at the start ofthe walk for when the walk was finished and we were able to go to the canteen and get a freedrink. Our class went in groups and we walked together. The walk was fun and everyone inthe class enjoyed it.I thought it was good exercise for the class because we walked for a good while. We packeda lunch and drinks and we packed a coat as well. A lot of teachers came as well to help andto lead the groups. We caught up with the other classes and had a good chat with our friendsin other classes.We should do this every year to collect money and for good exercise and I hope we collectedenough money for equipment for the school and to help the school. I go for walks but thissponsored walk is so far the best sponsored walk I’ve had in my schools. We even got to gohome early! Looking forward to next year’s walk!Eoin DunneA well earned restCooling down with a can of cokeA stroll in the September sun29

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1DEBATINGItook part in debating because a couple of teachers suggested it to me. It was something Ihad never done or been interested in but I gave it a go and found out that I enjoyed it.Debating made me a lot more confident in public speaking and I really improved in itthroughout each debate.I only did debating twice; our first debate was in Santa Sabina. On the team there wasChristina Fitzsimons, Jack Mulligan, Klara Stejskalová and myself. I was captain andhonestly I had no clue what to do, one of my teammates said don’t forget rebuttal which Inow know is the attacking of the other teams argument which you have to come up withon the spot. It was one of those moments when I just kept talking because I didn’t want todo something wrong or make a mistake. We then waited around for 30 minutes to see whowon, I never knew it took that long either, The judges decided who had the best argument,and surprisingly we won our first debate as a team and my first debate as well. All thepressure I felt from debating was gone. We only had one more Concern Debate and it washeld in PCS – this time Evan Davis took the place of Jack. I felt we had a strong team and Ithought we could win, as at least this time I knew what I was doing!Sadly we lost that debate even though we all had great speeches and worked well together.Debating was a great experience and I am glad that I took part in it last year.Orlagh GeogheganOrlagh, Christina, Jack and KlaraEvan joins the team(Spot former debator and student Catherine Healy in the background???)30

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1MY PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTIn Sixth Class, my Mum and I were sitting in the car and my Mum started talking aboutthe Gaísce Award. She said it was a very prestigious award to have on my C.V and whenI’m in Fourth Year I should aim to achieve it.At the start of Fourth Year, in assembly, this was mentioned again by Mr Dempsey. I decidedto do the Gaísce and I choose these four assignments.Community Involvement :For this, I went worked as a leader in the Malahide Sea Scout Cub group. Theymeet once a week and I was able to help the leaders showing the cubs how tolearn about sailing and boats and other skills for scouting. The Group is a SeaScout Group and offers a superb scouting programme with a nautical flavour tothe young people of Malahide. From our Scout Den on the sea front, Scouts canbe seen boating and canoeing most evenings during the summer evening.Personal Skill :For this I wanted to improve my sailing skills so I spent some time in theFingal Sailing School. It is situated on the back of the Malahide estuaryand is an ideal place for water sports because it is sheltered and in a safeenvironment. I learned a lot and enjoyed every minute of it. I received alot of encouragement and have improved in ability and confidence.Physical Recreation :I decided that my puppy, Scout (a five month old Irish Water Spaniel)needed to be trainedso I took him to a junior handling class in Cloughran in Swords run by The Irish KennelClub. Puppy ownership is a big responsibility and when you bring your new puppy home,it will require your help, support and attention. The course helped me through my puppy'svital first stages by helping me to understand what my puppy's needs are, both physicallyand mentally. I enjoyed the training and now feel confident in handling Scout.The Adventure Challenge:For this challenge I was initially going to ask the Malahide Sea Scouts to help me set up atwo day hiking expedition. But after a while I decided to go on the Glendalough trip withmy class.This went well as there was good weather and everyone was in a good mood. We walked30km in total. The hostel was nicer then I had expected. When we got our room cards,got all of our bags into our rooms and changed, we went down to the kitchen and madeour food. We then went up to the conference room. There wasn’t much in the conferenceroom so we had to make our own fun. When we were finished we went back to our roomsby the teachers -there were eight people in the room I was staying in. Overall theGlendalough trip was a lot of fun.The Gaísce was a fun challenge to do and I would like to do the Silver Award next.Adam Costello-Doherty31

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Christmas ConcertFor the past two years I have been asked to perform a small set of magic and mindreading (don’t ask) forthe First Years Christmas concert, which is an annual event. For those of you who don’t know, theChristmas concert runs every year at Christmas, oddly enough….. It is run by the prefects who put a lot ofeffort in and is always a great success. Each year a number of Portmarnock Community’s School’s talentedmusicians and singers…and the odd stubbly wizard…perform and entertain the first years.This year we had great acts such as Carl “The Podge” Rodgers, Susan Deane, Ciaran Maloney, NiallO’Reilly and an interesting dance from some of the cast from the musical GREASE that toured PCS in2010, I won’t say names. (Colin Dunne). There were probably a few more names in there but its 12:05on a Sunday night as I’m writing this I’m too tired to rack my brains trying to think of the rest, mainpoint….they were very good.Anyway enough about them, let’s talk about me. I pretty much got up on the morning of the concertand as usual before any school performance, I’m thinking “Oh god, what am I gonna do???” So I slapmyself in the face, give myself some motivational speeches in the mirror, eat my weetabix , with somehoney…not a lot though because then it’s too sweet and the milk gets all…….off topic….. then throwa load of magical stuff into my bag and think on the walk to school “how the hell am I going to makea routine out of it?”. It’s tough being a wizard.So as usual I just read some minds, and freaked a lot of people out. The First Years seemed to haveenjoyed it, so all in all I would say it was a success. Oh and if I have learned anything from myexperience in the Christmas concert, it would be this…. DO NOT throw out a soft teddy duck into theaudience as a way of picking random assistants as it causes headaches…tears and some law suits. I swearpeople nearly died…. And those First Years reading this….who were at that very concert…you knowwho you are !Jamie SkeltonGrease light’n is backJamie works his magicJohn and Danielle welcome ‘Santa’ to PCSChristmas in PCS32

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Animation ClubCREATE & ANIMATEAnimation Day in Portmarnock Community School last April provided an opportunityfor our young animators to display their work to other students. Fifteen animationswere shown on the day and over 200 students attended.One month later at the Media Awards Ireland 2011, Portmarnock Community School werethe big winners taking the top three prizes and the ‘Overall Drugs Media Award’ for ouroriginal animated features and cartoons on the theme ‘Prescription Drugs – Problem orSolution’.These awards are a tribute to the students and teachers who come together in the animationclub every Tuesday in what has now become a workshop of creativity. This is a collaborativeproject between Art, Music and Irish teachers and is now in its second year.Students take their inspiration from many sources. At present students in the animationclub are working on animations inspired by the poetry and prose on the Leaving Cert Irishcourse and by topics in other subject areas. We can look forward later on in the year to ananimation based of the Irish story’ Clann Lir’.An animation module is also taught as part of the Transition Year art course in the school.Students are involved in all aspects of the animation process. They pool their ideas, plan thestory board, they create the plasticine models and sets, create the music, film and edit, andpresent their work in an imaginative way.You will be able to see the animations on our new podcasting site ‘Taisce’ which we will belaunching in the next few weeks.The Animation Club meet every Tuesday at 12.40. New members are always welcome. Allwe ask is that you imagine and create.Mr Maynes & Ms TynanCara McDowell, Alex Muuray and Cian O’Sullivanreceive their awards(L-r): Cara McDowell, Alex Murray, Cian O’Sullivan,Ciaran Nolan, Robert Barriscole, Aaron McDonald &Daemon Macklin with Ms Tynan33

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1COURT TRIPLast year our CSPE class visited the new Criminal Courts of Justice for ouraction project. We were surprised to be greeted with metal detectors andafter we had all passed through successfully we began our tour. We met a verypleasant barrister who organised a mock trial in which we all played a part.One of us played the part of judge, others barristers and court officials. Wealso pretended to be witnesses, the jury and for one unlucky class member theaccused, who was later found guilty of the offence. Everyone enjoyedthemselves immensely. We then got the chance to interview a High CourtJudge who graciously answered any questions we had. He was very nice andwe were all better informed about Ireland’s Legal System. We were then takenon a brief tour of the building and we were all very impressed by its size andamenities. Our class then split into two groups. We took turns in seeing twovery important murder trials. It was fascinating to see a real Court in action,especially with such significant trials. We then took some pictures outside theCourts. We all agreed that this tour was very entertaining and interesting. Itshould help us immensely in our action project. We would like to thankAmy’s dad, Brendan Ryan, CEO of the Courts Service, for organising the trip.He was really helpful and obliging and without him the trip could not havegone ahead. We thank our fellow class members for doing their part to makethis trip possible. Mr. Clarke was also essential in the planning andsupervising of the trip. We are also grateful to the Hon. Mr. Justice PatrickMcCarthy of the High Court and the junior barrister who organised the mocktrial.Seán Egan & Amy Ryan20B in the High Court34

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1IRISH PLAYNuair a bhí mé san idirbhliain chuir an rangGaeilge dráma ar siúl.” Pádraicín is ainm dom”is ainm don dráma. Bhí pribhléid mhór agam marfuair mé an phríomhpháirt, “Pádraicín “ . Bhí anchraic againn. Bhí páirt ag gach duine sa rang. Bhaingach duine taitneamh as. Sos deas a bhí ann ó naleabhair agus na briathra. Ar dtús ní raibh fonn ormna línte a fhoghlaim ach tar éis tamaill d’éirigh liom.Spreagadh suim san aisteoireacht ionainn agus in adhiaidh sin leanamar ar aghaidh chun páirt a fháil sadráma na hidirbhliana agus sa cheoldráma. I rithsheachtain na Gaeiilge chuireamar an dráma ar siúl os comhair ranganna eile.Rinne an dara bliain an dráma céanna agus chuir siad an dráma ar siúl oscomhair ár ranga freisin . Bhí an chraic ag gach duine. Caithfidh mé aadmháil go raibh an dara bliain níos fearr ó thaobh na línte de ach bhí rangna hidirbhliana an ghreannmhar agus chuireamar gach duine ag gáire. Bhían taithí den scoth agus tá bród orm gur ghlac mé páirt agus go raibh mé agúsáid mo chuid Ghaeilge.During Transition Year my class put on the Irish play ‘My name isPádraicín’. I was thrilled to win the main part of Pádraicín. We had greatcraic. Everybody in the class had a part and everyone really enjoyed it. It wasa nice break from the books and the verbs... At first we had no real interest inlearning the lines but after a while we got into it. The interest in acting spreadamongst some of us and after the Irish play we tried for parts in the FourthYear Play and the Musical. During ‘Seachtain na Gaeilge’ we put on the playfor other classes. Second Years did the same play and they performed for us aswell. Everyone had great craic! I have to admit the Second Years were betterwith their lines but we were very funny and had everybody laughing! Theexperience was excellent and I was very proud that I had got a part and to beable to do it ‘as Gaeilge’.Sarah Rowe35

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Playboy of the Western WorldFourth Year has many opportunities to experience different things. One of the things that will always beremembered is the play. John Delaney and Clara Burke came from the Gaiety to our school on the 1st ofSeptember to talk to our year about the play. They gave us a brief description about the play, they told us it was anIrish comedy play by Irish Playwright John Millington Synge. It tells the story of Christy Mahon, a young manrunning away from his farm, claiming he killed his father. The locals are more interested in vicariously enjoying hisstory than in condemning the immorality of his murderous deed. He captures the romantic attention of the barmaidPegeen Mike, the daughter of Flaherty. John told us that everyone could get involved even if its doing lights,costumes, stage design or acting. The next week John began doing workshops after school every Wednesday. Themajority of the year were eager to get involved. We did warm ups and lots of games to get everyone comfortableand in the acting mood. With everyone there we had so much fun just letting loose and having fun! There was nocompetitive atmosphere as no one had much acting experience at all, everyone was just happy to be there and tobe getting involved.We had another workshop the next two weeks after that. They were just as fun as the first one and I knewthen that it was going to be a great show. We started to get familiar with the lines and then John and Claraheld a few auditions to see who would fit the parts best. John asked for a few volunteers to act out a sceneand I tried my best and I got the part as Pegeen Mike. Margaret Flaherty, called Pegeen Mike, MichaelFlaherty’s daughter, and the bar-maid. I was delighted because this was the part I was hoping for but I wasvery nervous because I had never had a big part in a play and had never learnt that many lines before. Atthis stage everyone had a part and no one was disappointed! We began rehearsing and creating the set rightafter that as we had less than two months till our show! The set team worked so hard making sure the setlooked authentic, rural and true to the story. Every little detail worked and it really did feel like we were downin the country in a local pub! We rehearsed nearly all day everyday! From Monday to Thursday after schooland Saturday mornings we rehearsed and learned lines. We also got the occasional class off to rehearse ascene or two which was always convenient when we had double English or Maths!As the show got closer we had to look for our costumes. As none of our clothes that we normally wear wouldsuit our characters as most of our characters were 20 or 30 years older than us and lived in the 1900’s. Mostof the boys had to wear old shirts, waistcoats, suit trousers and caps. For the girls it was mainly ankle lengthskirts, blouses and cardigans. We were almost set for the actual show now all we needed to do was toadvertise it all over the school. The set design team made posters and stuck them up all over the school andin shops. The tickets were also made and the ticket sales people went from classroom to classroom everydayselling them. We were worried at the start because not that much tickets were selling but the teachers assuredus that they will probably just show up on the night. To help more tickets to sell, Gabriel, Leo and meperformed a short piece of a scene over the intercom. It was quite embarrassing but we were willing to doanything to get a big audience!Laura and her happy castThe early days of rehearsals36

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1Then finally it was the week of the show. The props were getting sorted by the backstage people, there wasno sign of scripts in anybody’s hands, the set looked amazing, the songs were chosen and the lights madethe stage really stand out thanks to Sam Boland and Luke Kavanagh! Everyone was nervous but so excitedfor the first night. We had been rehearsing for so long now that all we wanted to do was put on a good showand perform to our best ability. Before the show every night we had to make sure all the props were in orderand ready to be used. The first night came and it was packed! I could see my family and my friends all inthe front row, we all had butterflies but they were the good kind. The show went so fast and smoothly.Everyone was surprised that it was more of a relaxed mood on stage than nerve wrecking. There was a fewslip up of lines and a few spills of ‘beer’, but no one is pointing fingers.. Isn’t that right Jane Mc Namara???We all had a great laugh and got the best reaction from the audience! The teachers and parents were amazedat how well we had learnt all those lines which now that I think of it so am I !The second night went even better. One of the best parts about the play was just getting ready. Watchingthe boys attempt to put on foundation (which was more like paint) was something else! All the ‘tinker girls’always made a huge effort with their looks. They would go out into the bushes every night and put twigsand all sorts in their over back-combed hair! Plus the lipstick on the teeth was a nice touch. We all had greatfun taking pictures and messing around with John and Clara! We made the school feel like a home byordering Chinese and Angelo’s and setting up a dinner table in the middle of the hall! We got a great reactionfrom the audience once again, taking the bows at the end of the night was a great feeling.Sadly the last night of the show came and we all knew this would be the best night because the nerves hadalmost gone and we all agreed we were going to put our all into it. A few minutes into the show I lookedout into the audience and saw a good few of our friends laughing and enjoying the show. I suppose it isweird for them seeing your friends doing something you had never seen them do before. After the secondhalf John came in and gave us our usual talk about how much of a great job we were doing and just to keepit up. He also said that we were a great bunch of kids and that he has enjoyed working with us. We took thelast few group pictures and finally it was time for Act 2!The show was going great and it was time for our last scene. This scene was everyone’s favourite becauseeveryone was on stage and was involved. The scene got very tense when Leo and Gabriel were chasing aftereach other and the town people were shouting and being very enthusiastic. The crowd had a great laughwhich also made us laugh, especially Leo! Then the town people couldn’t stop laughing especially the ‘tinkergirls’ and things got a little quieter. With the help of Dylan Potter’s famous line “COME ON WOULD YOUJUST GET IN THERE!!” the audience were in knots laughing and of course all of us on stage just broke outinto laughter. It was a great atmosphere and the audience seemed to be enjoying it so much! We took ourfinal bows and had a moment to say thank you to John and Clara and to all the teachers that helped us.Everyone was tired but excited because the night wasn’t over. The after party at my house was also a greatsuccess! Overall it was my favourite experience of Fourth Year, we all made such better friends with eachother and got along so well and had so many jokes after it!The Play doesn’t get mentioned that much in Fourth Year but I would recommend anyone to do it becauseall of who got involved in 2010’s Playboy of the Western World will always remember it!Laura O’LearyGrubs up!The all-important backstage crew37

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1WESTSIDE STORYAfter being in the Transition play” Playboy of the Western World” it was not asdifficult to then go for a part in the musical. In a way it was like a natural progression.I really enjoyed playing the part of Bernardo. Rehearsals were hardwork but they were alsomostly fun. I liked getting involved and rehearsing with my year and learning about thecharacter. As I died dramatically at the end of Act 1 I got away with not learning too manylines! All in all, it was great working with such a great team. I think it will remain as aparticularly special and happy memory of the Transition Year experience.Ciaran O’ReillyAll those dance rehearsals paid offBernado (aka Ciarán) before he meets his death!All smiles backstageThe classroom formerly known as C2 becomes Manhattan, NYC38

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1TRANSITION YEARFourth year…YES the BLUE jumper! The moment you putthat blue jumper and tie on you, you’ll feel as if you areno longer the ‘little ones’ in PCS. But of course Fourth Yearis not just about the new uniform. Fourth Year will probablybe one of the greatest years you’ll ever experience in PCS.Fourth year has been a great experience for me, a break fromall the stress and studying for the Junior Cert. This year hadbeen very experimental, where everyone gets to try andparticipate in anything they want.From the girls making their ‘first trip’ to the woodworkroom to boys putting an apron on (probably for the firsttime) to bake in the kitchen!Holly, Angel, Niall & Peter spend time‘thinking outside the box’There are so many activities in Fourth Year; the musical,the play, mini companies, the South African project, theski trip… the list goes on! Throughout the year we alsowent on many school trips, trips to Djouce andGlendalough as well as visits to the National Museum,Collins Barracks and R.N.L.I. The 2 day hike inGlendalough gave students an opportunity to make it partof their Gaisce as well as a chance to gather together to getto know each other better. It was great craic spending thenight and hanging out with the class in the hostel. (Anadvice would be don’t bring a slingshot with you…)AllLolipop Daythese opportunities gave a chance for everyone to try newthings, develop new skills and make new friends.Also, in Fourth year, we were all given 2 weeks of workexperience, to find out more about a career that we’reinterested in. I found this extremely useful as you’ll getto work hands on with professionals, experience theworking life and it will help you to determine yourfuture career path.The two highlights of the year for everyone wouldprobably be the musical ‘Westside Story’ and our ownplay ‘The Playboy of the Western World’, where manyof us took part and had great fun. (Not to mention a rarechance for you to see others forgetting lines and makingD.A.T.S.mistakes on stage…)In my opinion, Fourth Year cannot be summed up inanyways by my reflection! Fourth Year is like aPandora’s box, so many possibilities lies within if youare willing to be proactive!! To me, the year has beensuch an eye opening and an unreal experience!Angel LoEnjoying breakfast in Home Economics39

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1MINI COMPANYDuring Fourth Year, my friend Paulinaand I decided to set up our own minicompany and enter the Fingal StudentEnterprise Programme.After coming up with several ideas, wesettled on making friendship bracelets andpicked the name PKC for the business.We launched into sourcing our material,designing the product and building up ourstock. After a few weeks we were ready tostart selling during lunch time and at parentteacher meetings.Alanna Farrelly, Sarah Hawkins & Holly HerbertDirectors of KeyringersThe weeks flew by and before we knew it, it was time to prepare our written businessplan which had to be submitted to the judges. We put a lot of effort into the planand at the end of February it was sent off to be judged.We continued selling and kept the business running but the day of the final camereally quickly.We prepared an exhibition stand and presentation and set it up on the day. Ourcompany was one of the first to be interviewed and it went really well with the fivejudges. We spent the rest of the day talking to the other students and looking at theirbusiness ideasUnfortunately we didn't win anything onthe day but it was a really good experience. Itgives you an idea of how it might be if youdecided to set up a business when you leaveschool. You get to meet a lot of new peopleand have a lot of fun as well. I would highlyrecommend it to anyoneChristina FitzsimonsChristina, Co-Director of PKC40

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1WORK EXPERIENCEIdid my work experience in the Grand CanalTheatre. During my two weeks there,"Calendar Girls" was being shown.On my first day, I met my boss, Luke, who isthe Technical Manager at the theatre. He gaveme a tour of the whole theatre, introduced meto all the backstage staff and brought me towatch the show from the front of house.On the second day I worked with the assistantstage manager and stage manager. I had to make sure all of the propsand costumes were accounted for before the show started and helpmove props on and off stage between scenes.I spent the third day with the wardrobe department. I had to lay-out thecostumes so the actors could change quickly between scenes. I was alsotaught about how the costumes were made and how they must relate tothe character they are made for.On Thursday I was working in the lighting and sound department. Itwas very complicated so I mainly observed and listened for this part.For my second week, after having worked in all the departments, I wasallowed to return to the one that had been my favorite to work in,which was stage management. I also got to spend some time with theshow's actors and crew who were all very friendly and gave me lots ofadvice about working in theatre.Caoilfhionn Crowley41

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1GLENDALOUGHOn Wednesday 20th of October my class left the school carparkaround 9 o’clock for our Glendalough trip, part of our HeritageModule. The bus journey was about an hour and a half long and whenwe reached Glendalough village we got off the bus and got ready tobegin the hike. The first day we hiked around all day, occasionallytaking breaks along the way. Luckily we had great weather for the day.Throughout the day we crossed the boardwalk, saw the view of thewhole valley, and were able to stop and see St. Kevin’s Church. Wereached the hostel about 7 o’clock and once we changed into freshclothes we went down to make our own dinner, clean up and then gooff to bed. We started the next morning at 8 o’clock, after making ourbreakfast and cleaning our rooms. We took a new route through theValley that day, which involved a lot of climbing and steep hill walks.We crossed the boardwalk again and were back on the bus, exhaustedand on the way home by 2 o’clock. Overall Glendalough was a funexperience and definitely one of my highlights of 4th Year.Conor McLoughlinConor cooks up a stormWe’ve made it!42

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1South African ProjectIwill never forget my trip to South Africa. It was one of the most amazingexperiences of my life. We went to many different places such as; the school inFlagstaff, crèches, a feeding centre, Port St John, Cape Town, Robben Island and alsothe Nelson Mandela museum.Going to ‘Sacred Heart School’ in Flagstaff was my favourite part of the whole trip.The students were just so lovely and kind. Every single one of them wanted to beour friend. The young students looked for high-fives and hugs, while the olderstudents shared their interests and asked about life in Ireland. Many different jobsand activities took place in the school such as teaching guitar, tin whistle, Irishdancing, Hip-Hop, maths, science and gardening. Construction and painting muralsin the classroom were also taking place. All of these activities allowed us to have funand to communicate with the students while also contributing somethingimportant to the school and even to the students themselves. It felt really good toknow that our being here was a benefit to the students and staff members and thatsomething as simple as planting vegetables and herbs would have an impact ontheir daily lives.On our final day in the school, so much effort was put into our farewell concert.From the music to the decorations, to the food and especially the performances.Some of the parents of the students in Sacred Heart, performed traditional dancesand songs. We also took part and the school’s choir sang songs that were likenothing we’ve ever heard.We contributed to the concert by performing with the students, all the music anddancing we had taught them during the week, and a few skills we picked upourselves along the way eg the traditional African dances.Many were upset to see us go and I know I was sad to say goodbye. I really lovedSouth Africa and I hope I will go there again in the future.EMMA KIELTYEmma meets the students of Sacred Heart43

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1South African ProjectCONT’DAN EPIC EXPERIENCEThis was the most challenging and the most rewarding experience of my life. Hereare a few memories of mine from South Africa that will never be forgotten.I will never forget the Sacred Heart School an hour away from our hotel. When Iarrived I was welcomed like a celebrity, all the kids gave me high fives. I did manythings with them like teaching them and playing football with them. When I waswith them I heard them sing. They sang their National Anthem and “Lean on me”.They are all really good singers and always in tune. On the last day we had a concertand they all sang their songs and danced and we played our music and danced aswell. It was a celebration for all the hard work we did and it was our last day inSacred Heart. The five year project had come to an end and there was a tinge ofsadness too.During the time we were there we built the sanitation block. This provided toiletsfor the girls and the boys in the school. I helped with that a lot and really felt I hadmade a difference.I will never forget meeting the people. They had so little of what money can buy.They had to walk in their bare feet for over an hour up and back to school. Theycarried their shoes until they arrived to school. However they were full of happinessand always cheerful to see us. I remember especially when we arrived in Sacred Hearteveryday and gave them our sandwiches and drinks.I also enjoyed being a tourist in Cape Town and celebrating the project. VisitingRobben Island where Nelson Mandela was in prison for twenty years was amazing.An ex- prisoner in prison with Nelson Mandela gave us a tour of the prison.We had great fun with all the other people on the trip, laughing and joking andspending time with them. We all had great fun.I will never forget South Africa.SHANE O’REILLYFun and gamesAll smiles !44

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1• SKI TRIP •ANDALO, ITALYBefore we even boarded the plane, you could sense the excitement of students andteachers alike, as we anxiously lined up to check in our carefully weighed luggage;twenty kilograms worth of clothes and ski gear disappears pretty quickly. After an earlymorning burger we were off on a two and half hour plane journey, then followed by apainful 3 hour bus journey, packed full of anticipation and tired students and teachers, mostdefinitely not a healthy combination.Eventually we had reached our destination, Andalo, our home for the week, which wasmade up of little shops and several 3 star hotels. We soon checked in to the creativelynamed Hotel Splendid and got our rooms sorted out, then followed by what was soon to beour daily walk towards the slopes, a small uphill walk never seemed so tiring, especially afterfive and a half hours worth of travelling.When we reached the slopes everyone was kitted out with their ski gear: poles, helmets,boots, and obviously, skis. Once we had our gear labelled with our names we left them instorage which we would have to wait until the next day to pick up again.After all of the teasing of what was to come, we went back to the hotel for dinner, whichconsisted of so many courses you lost count, some more appealing than others, but scoffeddown all the same. Sadly, as the week progressed, the creativity of the food didn’t. Tiramisuwas also a favourite dessert given to us, most of the time mashed up on the plate so as totrick the waiters that we had eaten some.The next day was what we had all been waiting for- the actual skiing itself. Hitting the slopesearly so as to get the hang of it for the afternoons lesson. The first half of the day was spentwalking up a hill and snow ploughing down, unfortunately, not everyone got the hang ofit and certain individuals would be notoriously known as wrecking balls, creating a pile upof fallen students. You know who you are. Once we were separated into appropriate groups,we were introduced to our instructor. Alberto taking the prize for the best instructor. Vassotook the advanced group, Alberto taking the new skiers who got the hang of it, Luca tookthe creatively titled ‘Ski-Tards’ which is self explanatory, while Camilia took the girl group.Despite the fact they were Italian and we were Irish, the language barrier proved to be of nodifficulty, as the Instructors english was excellent. After the advanced group took off, wewere on our way to the baby slope, which by the end of the week provided significantly lessentertainment than at the start of the week, we were just that good.All together now . . .This is how it’s done45

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1• SKI TRIP •CONTD. . .ANDALO, ITALYTwo days in, the groups who had never been skiing before were slowly but surely snowploughing their way down a red slope. The look of fear on some peoples faces was priceless,the steepness of the slopes proved to be too much, some gone paler than the snow itself, thesepeople eventually dropped down to the ‘Ski-Tards’. After we perfected parallel turning we werespeeding down the red slopes which would’ve been considered a death wish at the start of theweek. Unfortunately, the black slope was too icy to be skied on by people who had never beenskiing before, so we had the pleasure of skiing in the ski park, a section of the slopes full oframps and rails. Predictably, the ski park didn’t go so well, many face planting into the snow,resulting in mocking whoever was unfortunate enough to fall.Without mentioning any names, the hilariousness of the falls varied, between being buriedunder six feet of snow, being stuck on the off track snow and not being able to move, notbeing able to stop and flying straight down a red slope or skiing through a forest(unfortunately, the person leading the group had fallen, creating a pile up of students on anarrow track) thank god a certain teacher wasn’t there with his trusty camera.Entertainment in the evenings took the form of a number of activities organised by theteachers. These included ice skating, where the teachers demonstrated how they weren’t asgood at skating as they were at skiing, while students were equally as bad, some finding iteasier to just wear shoes as opposed to the skates-once again, no names mentioned. A disco,unfortunately the teachers didn’t participate in this activity, so if you were thinking oflearning some 80’s dance moves, think again. The famous Jimmy McGoverns quiz night wasa big success also, the prizes had been bought in a local shop a few hours previously.Overall, the trip was immensely enjoyable, everyone had enjoyed it. At the end of the week,it didn’t matter if you’re a natural pro, or could hardly get off the ski lift, or if your pizzatook an hour to be served, or if you were up until silly o’clock, or if one of your roomatessnores like darth vader, your guaranteed to enjoy the trip, or at least until the flight home,even Aer Lingus couldn’t lighten the mood.Thanks to Ms Bolger, Mr Clarke, Mr Conroy, Mr Dempsey, Ms Hughes, Ms McGlynn and MrMcGovern for organising and accompanying us on the trip.PAUL SCULLYSmile for the Camera !46

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1• SURF TRIP •Iremember the morning of the surf trip; cold, lightly raining and pitch black. We had to meetat Heuston Station at a time so frighteningly early I don’t think I’ve seen it since. But I wasone of the lucky ones; I got a lift.The surf trip was to be the first outing of Transition Year and for that reason, everyonewanted to go. Places were given out on a first come first served basis and so there wasan immediate rush of deposits from those who were sure the surf trip was the thing todo to those who didn’t really know what they were signing up for. Me? I was somewherein the middle.Spirits were high the morning of our departure, despite the typical Dublin weather; untilof course we realised the train was about to leave without half the students in our group.Those not so lucky people who had made their own way to Heuston Station were Concentration . . .running late and so were forced to run through town in a panic to the train. No need toworry though; they were fast runners and we all took off together on our 3 hour train journey to Louisberg, Co.Mayo.However, the train ride was the only travelling we had to do that day and so the tense games of snap and spit playedout on the train were soon left behind and replaced with a coach journey and of course some tunes at the back ofthe bus. The weather was clearing up and we drove straight to the beach for our first lesson. We were introduced toour weird and wonderful instructors, threw on some wet suits and headed for the waves. We practised our techniqueon the sand first, all the while staring out in excitement and I must admit a little fear at the massive, almostapocalyptic waves. We knew that pretending to surf on land would be nowhere near as difficult as surfing in thewater, but we walked out to sea with confidence that we could do it. Pretty predictably, no one stood up in that firstlesson.We went back to our hotel for lunch and to get our rooms, all determined to stand up in lesson number two. As itturns out, the break did us good and by the end of the day most people were standing up and riding the waves.We returned to the hotel for a long, hot shower, dinner and a chance to relax. A moonlit walk through the villagewas also on the schedule and a sleep I thought I would never wake up from.We had one last surf lesson before we left for home and it was by far the best. With mostpeople standing and surfing together, mini competitions broke out between groups andthere were some of the most spectacular wipe-outs taking place all round. A largercompetition was set up by the instructors with prizes for best surfer, best wipe out, bestcoffin roll, best wave and many more. Naturally I won none of them!We said goodbye to our instructors and the hotel staff who we figured must have likedus a lot as they gave us all ice creams as were leaving. Best customers ever? Probably.The surf trip was a brilliant way to kick off Transition Year and although it was one ofthe smaller trips, it was one of the great ones! We had a chance to get to know differentpeople and of course, to surf. I was sure by the end of it I would have a six pack ( didn’tquite work out) and I would definitely recommend this trip to any new Fourth Yearstudents. You know what you’re signing up for now, so you should go for sure!More ConcentrationHOLLY HERBERTHappy students . . . Happy teachers47

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1• SCOTLAND TRIP •Afamiliar Glasgow derby that everyone waitsto see, this is Celtic versus Rangers III. Thiswas a huge defining moment of each team’sseason, they had drawn twice, now it was morepersonal than ever before.After the crazy and exciting bus journey fromDublin to Belfast we quickly set sail for whatwas going to be an epic trip. It was a tiring andbumpy ride over the sea but the bus journeyswere very loud with the various chants of theonly team in Glasgow. We took a brief stop toa shopping centre where we got our lunch andCan you spot the teachers?chilled back finally!! That same day we went tothe Gates of Heaven (Celtic Park) where we went back through the years of Celtic Football Cluband relived some of the most important and memorable days of the club’s history. Our hearts werebeating loud and proud in anticipation of going pitch side to one of the most proud football clubsaround. We looked around at the empty stadium and knew that tomorrow’s encounter would bean entertaining game.After that we headed off to check in at the Premier Inn, threw our cases up in the rooms, had abit of food, and went off to the Xscape arcade in downtown Glasgow. It was here where the triptruly began to elevate to a new level. After that we enjoyed a lovely KFC. We then went back tothe Premier Inn to get some sleep ahead of the match the next day.The day had come, we all woke up early enough, got our breakfast, checked out of the hotel andheaded to Celtic Park. The Celtic fans roamed the streets in their thousands chanting the variousanthems. We arrived at the venue, got our Celtic props and took our seats… game on. Celtic tookthe lead in the 16th minute through a piece of brilliance by Gary Hooper. 27 minutes in noneother than Gary Hooper to double Celtic’s lead. Chris Commons secured the three points with afine strike in the 69th minute. A great trip for everyone it has to be said, I thoroughly enjoyed it,roll on 2012 for another great school trip!!COLIN DUNNECeltic Park in all its glory48

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1ITALY TRIPDAY 1:We (5 teachers and 40 students) arrived both early and excited toDublin Airport at 4:15 in the morning! We boarded a 2 ½ hourflight to Bourgoin in Italy. We then got on a bus which brought usto Lake Garda and to our home for the next few nights – HotelCentrico Touriste Gaditano.DAY 2:Not such an early start this morning and we left our hotel at 9 inthe morning for the short trip to Gardaland. We got our tickets andGroup shotthe all important fastpass which would allow us to skip to the topof the queues and get us on the rollercoasters faster! Even though it was quite a rainy day we spent eighthours here and all agreed the best rides were Blue Tornado, Magic Mountain, Atlantis, Space Vertigo andTop Spin. All were hungry when we got back to base as we tucked into traditional Italian cuisine ofLasagne and Pasta. That night as there were plenty of tired bodies we chilled out and listened to musiccourtesy of Ipods and speakers that some of the group had brought with them.DAY 3:We were up at 8 to have breakfast and by 9 we were on a bus headed for Venice. It was raining quiteheavily when we got there and some of St Mark’s square had even been flooded. We had a trip on thewaterboats and learned how the water levels are rising there each year. We then went on a two-hourwalking tour which let us in take in all the sights such as St Mark’s Cathedral and the Bridge of Sighs.We then had some time to look around the (designer!) shops before heading bowling where great craicwas had by all.DAY 4:More walking was done today but this time in the closer city of Verona. A walking tour let us take in alot of the city with the highlights definitely being Juliet’s Balcony, Romeo’s House, the Amphitheatreand the Catacombs. Such was the success of the bowling and the shopping the day before that weheaded for more that night.DAY 5:Today was the day we were heading home but it didn’t mean that we weren’t going to have fun beforewe headed for the airport. We had a 2 hour bus trip which took us to Milan and Stadio San Siro. Wetook the guided tour of the stadium which impressed everybody and got to walk around the dressingrooms, alongside the pitch and got a chance to impersonate some of the players where they normallydo their post-match interviews. A walking tour of Milan was up next where we got to see the GothicCathedral which is the third biggest in the world. There was time for shopping and McDonalds beforeheading for the airport. We arrived back in Dublin after 11:00 tired but happy after a great trip.Thanks to the teachers who accompanied us on the trip and ensured we all had a trip to Italy toremember: Ms Cahill, Ms Gaffney, Mrs Kenny, Mr Maynes and Mr Rattigan.2OBIn Stadio San SiroLunch on the move49

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1JudoJudo is a modern martial art and an Olympic sport that originated in Japanin 1882 by a man called Jigoro Kano.I started judo at the age of ten and ever since, I have enjoyed participating inthis sport. I was honoured to be asked to join the Irish judo squad. I trainthree times a week and I compete at both National and International level.I am a blue/brown belt and I hope to get my 1st Dan black belt in the nearfuture.I have been the Irish Open champion (2009) beating opponents from Europeand from eastern bloc countries such as Georgia and medalled in this eventin 2010 and 2011.In 2009/2010/2011 I represented Portmarnock Community School in the AllIrelands school boys’ judo competition, placing first every year.I will keep on training hard and hopefully have the same kind of success inthe coming years as I have enjoyed in the past.I would like to thank Portmarnock Community School and especially Mr.Fitzgerald for all their support and encouragement.ION RUSUIon Rusu50

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1CHASING THE “GREEN JERSEY”Ireland v Belgium U16 April 2010Since the beginning of 2010 I was pushing to beselected for the Ireland U16 panel. I wascontinuously being assessed at trials and matchesthroughout the year and due to a number of goodperformances I was selected for the team going toBelgium in which we would play two games againstthem. I was so excited for being picked for the firsttime and couldn’t wait to get there and play. The weekbegan with training there followed by the two gamesspread across the week. We arrived at a huge stadiumwith the capacity of two to three thousand, thechanging rooms were immaculate and our gear was alllaid out there for us on arrival. The nerves kicked in CONOR PEPPERwhile standing in the tunnel looking out towards thefloodlit pitch. The Belgian side shouting as one and getting ready for thisgame. Our captain was also barking out orders from the front and trying toget us focused as well. These moments before the match are the ones thathave stayed with me the strongest. The tense build up and then walking outonto the pitch with the crowd of a couple of hundred and standing there forthe national anthem was just unbelievable. I came on at half time during thefirst game and did well which gave me a starting place in the second game;again I was happy with how I got on although the build up was not as tenseas the first game. The heat on this day reached the mid-thirties and was veryharsh on the body. I was very pleased with my overall performance. Themanager said we are now going to become under 17 players and there will bea team selected for a trip during the summer. . .Ireland U17 in HungaryHaving done well in Belgium I was selected for this trip. It was to be a tournamentwith Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Belgium, Romania and of course the Republic ofIreland.The first game was against Croatia in which I came on at half time and we wenton to win one nil. The second game against Hungary I started the game and westarted very well taking the lead early on but Hungary then scored in the finalminutes to bring the game to a penalty shootout which we unfortunately lost. Iwas happy however to play the full game.Our third match was against Serbia who at the start were favourites for thetournament but were beaten by Belgium in the last round, this was the third and51

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1CHASING THE “GREEN JERSEY”fourth place play off and I started the game again but wassubstituted at half time and we unfortunately lost the gametwo nil. However I really enjoyed the trip and was delightedto have now five caps for my country.Irish Emerging Talent ProgrammeThe Emerging talent is a programme set up to have all thebest players in the country train together every week. Theinternational team has players based in England withEnglish clubs but this is strictly for ‘’home based players ‘’.This programme has a selection of player’s across thecountry with about 100 players for each age. A panel oftwenty was selected to go to Italy to play Monza F.C andInter Milan. I was again selected for this and played the fullninety minutes in the first game, played well and played theTraining session at thehotel sports complex justoutside Budapest,Hungary.first half of the second game as each player was to get a game and a half each. Thiswas again a great experience to play one of the top sides in Europe. We also got aprivate tour of the famous San Siro Stadium in Milan.Opportunities in EnglandHowever, even though I am very proud to play for my country and the emergingtalent the main objective is to gain a career in football and to obtain a contract inEngland.I have been away at a number of clubs on trial, including QPR and Sheffield Utdand have a few more arranged. I have picked up some personal awards intournaments along the way too which came with valuable recognition. I am stillpushing hard for the all important contract. I am very lucky to be a part of all ofthis, and I have worn the “Green Jersey”.CONOR PEPPERIreland U17 Squad that travelled to Budapest, Hungary under the management of Sean McCaffery52

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SPORTS AWARDS NIGHTMr O’Riordan opened our annual sportsawards night by welcoming all presentand with a special welcome being extended tomembers of local sporting bodies , Mrs MaryDunne and Cllr Peter Coyle from the Board ofManagement and to the special guest on thenight, Mr. John Treacy. As Mr O’Riordan readthrough the list of sports currently beingoffered he thanked the huge efforts of Mr O’Cearra and a large group of generousteaching staff who give a lot of their own family time to allow for all theseopportunities for students to exist. Hementioned the hard work and effort, the timeand expertise that staff members put into theextra-curricular programme. He also spoke ofthe huge importance of sport in student’s livesand how it positively influences their growthand development. Sport is not always aboutStaff v StudentsFormer students . . . Current All-Ireland championswinning but about participating , forminglifelong friends, discipline and learning howto deal with loss and starting again. Mr O’Riordan then introduced our special guestwho is a hero for us all as a result of his silvermedal in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 andwinning the IAAF World Cross Countrychampion in 1978 and 1979 in Glasgow andLimerick respectively.Some of the silverware won this yearJohn Treacy continued on how sport was suchan important part of life and how there was a sport out there for everyone. He spokeof how fourteen years of hard work went into that one moment in Los Angeles andhis constant belief of being able to reach such heights. He said how he had alwaysloved what he did and couldn’t wait until the next training session. Of all the greatthings that came from the Olympic win- the welcome home, the standing on thepodium – it was the personal satisfaction that was the greatest thing. He encouragedparents and students not to give up sports inJunior and Leaving Certificate years and foreveryone to work towards their own dreamsand aspirations.John Treacy presents medals to the Volleyball teamAll students on the night were very muchmotivated and encouraged by all of our guestspeakers.53

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SPORTS FOREWORDTá na seacht sraith ar an iomaire in earrach na scoilbhliana, an brannardhá hiompú faoi neart sheisreach an oide ina fhóide móra dalbaítorthúil agus chuile bheannacht dhá ghuibhe go dtabharfaidh sé an barr.Tá an dóchas ag gint an mhisnigh agus an mhisneach ag gint an ghnímh.An barr a thabharfar chun torthúlachta i bPobalscoil Phort Mearnóg isliachtaí sin gráinne ar a dhéas ag oscailt na meabhrach, ag tabhairtdúshláin na dtriall agus na scrúdú agus ag áirsiú na ngeis i gcleasa lúth. Cégur samhaoineach linn an churadh mhír a chur sa gcomhaireamh ceannagus corn na bua agus na gaisce a bheith foluaineach ag Feara Fáil iscomhshamhaoineach linn an macléinn i lár an aonaigh ag fiachaint aghaisce ar chúrsa, ar pháirc nó ar chúirt. Is liosta le n-áireamh é rogha spóirt dháltaí na scoile seo idirgearrcailí agus gearrbhodaigh agus ná ligimis i ndearmad oidí a thugann go fial dhá ndúthracht, dhástuaim agus dhá n-achmhainn. Nuair a fhoirseofar na cuimhní cinn lá níos faide anonn ná an láinniu ní ar an trá fholamh na cuimhne a bhéas laethanta móra spóirt agus gaiscí na gcleasa lúth nána comrádaithe dílse a sheas sa mbearna bhaoil ná ní ligfear i ndearmad an bainisteoir ag gríosadh afhóirne chun gnímh ar uair na hachainí. Beidh na cuimhní sin chomh greannta ina gcroithe nachmúchfar a ngléineacht go gcuifear lucht a marana faoi chré na cille.MR O’CEARRAPAST PUPIL REMEMBERS HIS ROOTSPCS is very grateful and appreciative to one of our past pupils, Neil Doyle for his generosity to ourschool. Neil has recently donated €4000 towards the promotion of Gaelic games in the school. Neilgraduated from PCS in 2002 and went on to study Financial and Actuarial Maths in DCU with 1st classhonours. He is now owner/director of Bedford Consulting in London, a managing consulting businessproviding software to his clients. Neil represented PCS Gaelic football teams at U14, U16 and U18 level. Neil was the captain of the team that won the Dublin Senior Colleges Championship in a famousvictory in January 2002.MR O’CEARRAPORTMARNOCK CS 2-7MALAHIDE CS 0-8Neil Doyle, capt. of PCS, is shouldered off the pitch afterthe team team beat Malahide CS in the Dublin CollegesSF “B” Final at Portmarnock Thursday, 24th January2002.54

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1RUGBYMr MacDermott spoke on behalf of the rugby club. MrMacDermott along with Mr Ferrick, coached the First Yearand Junior Boys Rugby teams while Mr O’Cearra took charge atSenior level. They spoke about how rugby was now being playedthroughout the school.William Hickey was awarded on the night for being a great leaderwhile Aaron O’Toole was recognised for being a consistentcontributor. Congratulations were also extended to Lee Byrne whohas been called up to the Leinster Development Squad.JuniorSeniorMost Improved Player Chris Derby William HickeyPlayer(s) of the Year David Morrin Aaron O’TooleDAVID MORRINAARON O’TOOLE55

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1HURLINGWe had a hurling team entered at Senior Level this year. Mr Dowdcoached the team and he praised them for their attendance at anddedication to training.Most Improved PlayerPlayer(s) of the YearSeniorMark ShawKarl KiernanKARL KIERNANMARK SHAWPaddy Gorey presented the GAA coaching certificates to the Transition Year studentswho had been working in St Helens and St Marnock’s primary schools all year.Thirty coaches gave two hours of their time a week working with five hundredchildren with some students also helping out with the nursery club on Saturdaymornings. He praised all the students involved for their commitment to theprogramme.TY Group with their Awards56

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1BASKETBALLBOYS BASKETBALLIsacc Westbrooks, who has played Basketball at International level, coached someof the basketball teams this year. Hard work and commitment was evident acrossall teams and this lead to a huge level of improvement.Eoin O’Connor was awarded Player of the Year in First Year for his great commitmentto the game and for taking what he learns in training and applying it to his games.Lorcan Holden was awarded ‘Most Improved’ in Second Year and Isacc feels that hehas a big future ahead of him. Gavin Cusack was the Most Improved Senior Playerand referred to as the ‘rock of the team’. Ian Connolly finished his six years playingbasketball in PCS fittingly by winning Player of the Year of the Senior team.1st YEAR 2nd YEAR SeniorMost Improved Player(s) James Greene Lorcan Holden Gavin CusackPlayer of the Year Eoin O’Connor Ultan O’Móráin Ian ConnollyUltan O’MóráinEoin O’ConnorGavin Cusack and Ian Connolly57

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1GIRLS BASKETBALLBASKETBALLThe First and Second Year girls were coached by Ms Bolger this year. Thanks to all the girls fortheir great dedication in attending training and their games, Hazel Reilly won most improvedplayer for Second Year for her good court awareness. Niamh O'Brien who also played with thecadet team was regularly top scorer for most of the games she played.Awards were given to the First Years, who both took up the sport for the first time this year, playedexceptionally well in their matches and added greatly to the team spirit.Ms Deeney spoke about her U16 team who had reached the All Ireland Final in the NationalBasketball Arena in Tallaght as Second Years the year before. The girls had learned a lot from lastyear’s experience and will be all together as an U16 side again next year. Ms Deeney praised thethree Spanish students who had joined the team for the year and who had been a very welcomeaddition. The team reached the Leinster League Final where they lost to a strong Lucan team.Awards were given to Niamh Stanley on the night for being a versatile player and to Alex Daly forbeing ‘the little lady with the big heart’.Ms Deeney was grateful for all the help the team received from Mr Westbrooks, CatherineConnolly and the Rangers Basketball Club.Orla Keogh won the Most Improved Player for the senior team for her leadership qualities. Oneof the youngest players on the team, Megan Connolly with a huge future, won Player of the Yearfor her great desire to win.1st YEAR 2nd YEAR Cadet SeniorMost Improved Player Lee Ying Yeep Hazel Reilly Niamh Stanley Orla KeoghPlayer of the Year Sara Boyle Niamh O’Brien Alex Daly Megan ConnollySara BoyleNiamh O’BrienMegan Connolly and Orla Keogh58

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1BOYS AND GIRLS GOLFCoached by Mr Fitzgerald, awards went to the students below for their dedicationto the sport. The after school golfing programme has proved to be a greatsuccess in introducing students to golf. Many are now affiliating to local clubs andwe hope that this will be fulfilling for them in the future. Many thanks to our ex colleagueMick Hanway for his dedication to this. Ellen Rogan and Caoileann Mulcahy were giventheir awards for their commitment to the sport while Anna Courtney won Player of the Yearfinishing off her years of playing golf in the school.JuniorSeniorMost Improved Player Ellen Rogan Caoileann MulcahyPlayer(s) of the YearAnna CourtneyEllen RoganHOCKEYUnder the eye of Ms Geoghegan and Ms Dunne there was a team entered at Junior Levelin hockey this year. Ms Dunne spoke of how the girls were always keen at training andenjoyed the competitive matches. Appreciation and thanks to Shauna Donnelly our mostsenior hockey player for all the coaching and referee work she did throughout the year.Most Improved PlayerPlayer(s) of the YearCara McDowellJanela BumanglagCara McDowell59

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SWIMMINGMs Costello spoke about the swimming team on the night. The Community andComprehensive finals took place in Newpark Comprehensive Community Schoolthis year and we had a number of successes on the day with some students evenachieving their personal bests. Ms Costello went on to congratulate every member fortheir hard work, many achievements and great team spirit. Awards were made to AlexDaly and Conor Coates on the night for their efforts in the pool.Most Improved SwimmerSwimmer of the YearAlex DalyConor CoatesAlex DalySOCCERMr Bedford spoke on the night on behalf of all the soccer teams. He began bythanking Mr O’Cearra for once again providing all the essential support for theteams.The soccer teams this year were a story of mixed fortunes and optimism for thefuture.GIRLS SOCCERMost Improved PlayerPlayer of the YearU18Lindsay LoftusKatie Hanley60

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SOCCERU-13 U-14 U-16 U-18 SeniorMost Improved Player Karl Brennan Kevin Peelo Jordon Briggs Darren CravenPlayer(s) of the Year David O’Neill Philip Rusk Philip Rusk Alan O’ShaughnessyDavid O’Neill and Karl BrennanBOYS U-14 SOCCERPCS 3 - 4 Colaiste ChoilmOur first game was against a very strong Colaiste Choilm team. After kick off we werequickly down 2 goals. Eventually we dragged one back through Philip Rusk. After half timewe went 3-1 down but we then blitzed them with two quick goals. After this with 5 minutesto go, we turned off and conceded a goal late on and lost the match.PCS 4 - 1 St FintansIn this game we played brilliant football and soon enough we scored to make it 1 - 0.Then through a mistake we conceded. At half-time we got an inspiring team talk fromMr Bedford. We controlled the second half and we scored three unanswered goals fromColm Deasy, Philip Rusk and Eric Tang. Our key to success in this game was the waterboy,Jake McGuirk.PCS 1 - 3 ChanelThis was our final chance to qualify but we were up against a very tough Chanel side. Theywere very a competitive side. At the end of half time the scores were tied at 1 apiece. Ourgoal came from a great strike by Garreth Craven. In the second half we held on butconceded two soft goals late on. We very narrowly missed out on qualification.Kevin Peelo61

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SOCCERBOYS U-18 SOCCERPortmarnock’s U 18 team had an eventful year making it to thequarter – final of the cup but just missing out on qualification in theleague.We started our league campaign against Chanel at home. We were4- 2 up with ten minutes of the match to play when Chanel got apenalty that changed the match. Chanel scored to make it 4-3. Thisput the team under a lot of pressure and Chanel scored their fourthgoal in the final minute. This goal was to prove costly at the end ofthe league campaign.Goal scorers: Jack Watson (2), Jonny Bidhawat and Sam WallaceAlan O’ShaughnessyOur second game was at home to Malahide and we never put a footwrong in this match and won 6-1. This put the team in a great position going into thefinal game.Goal scorers: Jack Watson (2), Alan O’Shaughnessy (2), Luke Maher and Darren CravenOur final game was against St Fintans, away from home and the team needed a win or adraw to make it out of the group stages. At half time the score was 0-0 and both teamswere playing well, although in the second half St Fintans finished stronger and went onto score some excellent goals. The game finished 5-2 to St Fintans and this meant thatwith other results going against us , that we were pushed into third spot and out of theleague.Goal scorers: Jack Watson and Alan O’ShaughnessyOur cup campaign began with a rematch against Malahide. This was a very exciting gameand a lot closer than the league match. It took a last minute header from Jack Watson toput Portmarnock through. The final score 4-3.Goal scorers: Jack Watson (3) and Alan O’ShaughnessyOur second round cup game was our most exciting. We were losing the match 3-2 with aminute left and it took a wonder goal or a ‘fluke’ from James Morrison to put the gameinto extra time. We showed our fitness, running out 6-3 winners in the end.Goal scorers: Alan O’Shaughnessy (3), Darren Craven, James Morrison and ConorPepper.In Round 3 we faced Gormanstown at home. The team had a lot of injuries and playersmissing for this match but we put in a spirited performance to come out 2-1 winners.Goal scorers: Darren Craven and Alan O’ShaughnessyThe Quarter Final took place away from home against Colinstown and we looked to beheading to the Semi Final as we were 3-1 up at half time. There was a strong wind thatfavoured Colinstown in the second half and this played a big part. Colinstown ran inthree goals themselves in the second half to put them into the Semi Final. We pushed foran equaliser but it was not to be.Well done to all players who took part and trained hard all year.Mr Murphy62

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1GAELIC FOOTBALLWe entered teams in U14, U16, U18 and First Year competitions. Teams were coachedby Mr Conroy, Mr Fitzgerald, Mr Howard, Mr McNieve, Mr McGovern Mr O’Cearraand Paddy Gorey.1st Year U14 U16 SeniorMost Improved Player Lee Byrne Mark Kelly Brian O’Gorman Conor ChaneyPlayer of the Year Cian O’Brady Colm Deasy Shane Carthy Conor McMahonFIRST YEARSThe First Year team were coached by Mr McNeive this year. They had agood win over St Pauls but lost out to St Kevin’s.Cian O’BradyU14The U14 squad were coached this year by Mr Fitzgerald, Paddy Gorey andMr McGovern. They reached the final but were defeated on the day bySt.Kevin’s in Clontarf.The team that reached the final were: Conor Bradshaw, Gareth Craven,Colm Deasy, Christopher Farrelly, Gregory Fitzsimons, Cian Hendricken,Conor Holland, Mark Kelly, Ryan Kelly,Sean Kennedy, Conor O’Keefe,Colm DeasyNiall McLoughlin, Shane Nangle, Cian O’Brady, Cian O’Daly, CilianO’Driscoll, Ultan O’Morain, Mark Phelan, Philip Rusk, Eoin Sheils,Matthew Shortall, IshanTeepoo, Dylan Tierney, Shane Warren, Paidi White.U16Our U 16 team coached by Mr O’Cearra reached the Quarter Final.U18Our U18 team was coached by Mr Conroy. The team competed in theDublin and Leinster A Championship again this year. In the DublinChampionship we had a good win over St. Declan’s, a draw with Skerriesand despite a loss to our rivals Malahide we had done enough to progressto the Dublin Semi Final where we unfortunately lost to a strong Benildusteam. In the Leinster Championship we lost a hard fought game toCarlow CBS.Brian O’GormanConor McMahon63

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1VOLLEYBALLAll-Ireland ChampionsMr McNeive was busy this year with Volleyball having Senior boys and girls teams along with two U16girls teams.The main targets at the start of the year was to try to win an All Ireland title in the girl’s competition andto expand the number of players playing competitive volleyball in the school.The latter would be achieved by continuing to enter in various competitions such as the First and SecondYear Spikeball competitions and promoting programmes such as the Transition Year coaching programmewhich is completed in connection with local primary schools.The former, winning an All Ireland , would prove a little more difficult.The Senior Girls squad was mostly made up of Transition year girls. Although they were mostly U 16players, they had experience playing volleyball since Second Year, and they rose to the challenge ofcompeting at Senior Level. During the period before Christmas , the squad also contained two of ourvisiting foreign students, Laura Verde from Italy and Hannah Neuemier from Germany. These two playershelped to raise the general standard of play in the squad.The team progressed easily through the early stages of the competition, and progressed to the All-Irelandfinal by beating teams from Portlaoise and Thurles in the semi-final and quarter-final respectively. Due tothe school closures as a result of the heavy snow falls, the final was postponed until after Christmas.The final was played on Thursday 20th January, in UCD. Lining out without Laura and Hannah , whohad returned home at Christmas, the girls faced their toughest assignment to date, when they facedColaiste Cathail Naofa, from Dungarvan, in the final, a team managed by Wexford football manager,Jason Ryan.The girls had not lost a set going into the final, and were determined not to lose this great record.They managed to narrowly win the first set 25-23, finishing off some excellent attacks with big hits. Thesecond set didn’t start as well, and although the girls put together some fantastic attacks, luck was not ontheir side. They slowly began to get to grips with the opposition, changing their attacking tactics fromtheir reliable 3 touch game to using 2 touches every so often. The game went right down to the wire, withthe opposition having 4 set points and Portmarnock having 3 match points before finally winning adramatic set by 30-28.All the hard training sessions and early Wednesday morning sessions had paid off with gold medals beingpresented to the girls. Before the girls were presented again with their medals on the night, Mr McNeive tookthe opportunity to thank the school management for their continued support. Mr O’Cearra invested somemoney in the team at the start of the year, so preparation was much aided by the purchase of 6 new match64

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1VOLLEYBALL– contd.U-16 Girls Senior Girls Senior BoysMost Improved Player Christina Fitzsimons Fiona Peppard / Fiona McGuinness Ryan McRory / Daniel OsoPlayer of the Year Kelly Ford Kim White Darren Ryanballs, and confidence going onto the court was increased by a new set of jerseys. Thanks was also expressedto Ms Leggett for all her help in coaching the teams.The girls are already looking forward to next year’s competition.Mr McNeive also took the opportunity to tell parents and students of the plan in operation to get aclub re-operating out of Portmarnock. Parents and Guardians were encouraged to get involved in thenew club, as there is a need for an organising committee. This development should help to strengthenthe position of volleyball in the school.The all-conquering Senior Girls team were as follows:Inspirational Captain and setter: Kim WhiteThe other team setter: Fiona McGuinnessBig server’s: Klara Stejskalova and Rachel BoyleDoing great work at the net: Fiona Peppard and Sinead DeeganReliable subs: Emma Deegan, Ruth Molloy , Rachel Gallagher and three up-coming 2nd year students:Leah Newport, Jane Boland and Ailbhe Twomey.Christina Fitzsimons and Kelly FordKim WhiteEvery year, the Louise Fitpatrick Trophy is presented to a player who has added a unique characteristicto the volleyball teams and who has been enthusiastic about training (even the sessions held beforeschool on Wednesday mornings!). Siobhain Brady is a worthy winner of the Trophy.Siobhain Brady65

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SPIKEBALLSpikeball is a game played by First and Second Year students. It is a modified version of volleyball , in whichthe second touch is a catch and throw. This allows a fast game with lots of rallies, where the emphasis isalways on fun and allows students to develop their skills faster.Teams were entered in the boys, girls and mixed categories. The First Year mixed team made it all theway to the All-Ireland final, where they narrowly lost to Colaiste Cathal Naofa, the school whom thesenior girls team had defeated in the final. The team were very unlucky to narrowly loose the final by 2-1 sets. They had fought brilliantly during the second set to win by 21-19, but unfortunately lost thedeciding set by 3 points. The team which were presented again with their medals on the night, wereRachel Bollard, Sara Boyle, Karl Brennan, James Greene, Caoimhe Kenny and Cian O’Brady.First Year Mixed TeamFIRST YEAR MIXED SPIKEBALLI played for our first year spikeball team along with Rachel Bollard, Caoimhe Kenny, Karl Brennan,James Greene and Cian O’Brady this year. None of us had played before but thanks to Ms Leggett andMr McNeive we quickly learnt, and really came to enjoy our new sport.Our first tournament was played in February. and we won it bringing us to the playoffs in UCD. Wegot to the All Ireland Final here but narrowly lost out in three sets. It was great fun and I’m lookingforward to playing again next year.Sara Boyle1st Year Girls 2nd Year Girls 1st Year Boys 2nd Year BoysMost Improved Player Rachel Bollard & Jane Boland & James Greene Aodhan BrowneCaoimhe Kenny Ailbhe TwomeyPlayer of the Year Sara Boyle Leah Newport Karl Brennan Gregory FitzsimonsJane Boland, Leah Newport & Ailbhe TwomeyGregory Fitzsimons & Aodhan BrowneWell done to the 2nd year girls team on an excellent performance at the national spikeball finals. Theteam were up against some very strong teams in their group stage, but managed to finish 3rd and hencequalified for the quarter final stage. They won the first timed set by one point , but lost the secondtimed set by 4 points, and hence were knocked out on score difference. The team members were AilbheTwomey, Jane Boland, Leah Newport, Jennifer O’ Donoghue, Lindsay Johnston and Aimeé Hinksman.66

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1ATHLETICS / CROSS COUNTRYA Happy Crew !Ms Malone echoed a lot of the thoughts of John Treacy with how athletics can a bestow a greatgift for life. Athletes can draw strength from the experiences and opportunities that sport bringsthem. It can help develop their values and build their character.Our running club had one of their most successful seasons earlier with being voted the Best OverallSchool in the Cross-Country Community and Comprehensive games held in the Phoenix Park.ATHLETICS CLUB AWARDSFintan O’ConnorSarah HawkshawSenior Girls Junior Boys Senior BoysMost Improved Runner Kate Hawkshaw Brian Gillen Fintan O’ConnorRunner of the Year Sarah Hawkshaw James Watson Eoin SheilsCROSS COUNTRY CLUB AWARDSAisling DrumgooleGregory Fitzsimons & Karl MurrayJunior Girls Senior Girls Junior Boys Senior BoysMost Improved Runner Lauren Grouse Caitlin Glover Gregory Fitzsimons Govan Jolliffee-ByrneRunner of the Year Alex Daly Aisling Drumgoole Karl Murray Jordan Briggs67

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEARS 10BBack Row L – R: Ian Kenny, Sam Cox, Leah Smith-Moodley, Fiona Duggan, Katie Smith, Conor Holland, Sean Dowd, Sam BradleySecond Row L – R: Mark Nugent, Karl Brennan, Vincent Crosson, Lauren Grouse, Orla Healy, Sara Boyle, Ciara Whelan, Toni Fagan, Lee Ying YeapFront Row L – R: Ryan Dickinson, Glen Stears, Cian O’Sullivan, Finn Jolliffe-Byrne, Joey Fagan, Michael Gillen, Eoin Girvin, Niall McLoughlin68

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEARS 10CBack Row L – R: Niall Leahy, Maciej Morwicki, Aaron D’Emidio, Conor Finn, Robert Savage, Mark PhelanSecond Row L – R: Alex May Byrne, Adam Black, Eoin Keating, Aidan Caffrey, Chris McEntagartFront Row L – R: Emily O’Connor, Nicole Kennedy, Alanna Long, Sarah Webb-Kennedy, Alana Monahan, Ellen Kenny69

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEARS 10DBack Row L – R: Jack Nicholson, Alex Kavanagh, Anton Krasovsky, Chris Hearty, Sean O’Donovan, Conor Sparksman, Conor Coughlan, Gearóid CroninSecond Row L – R: Ryan Jones, Peter Taylor, Niamh Healy, Nicole Purdy, Carla Murphy, Rachel Kane, Orla Nolan, Rory Byrne, Andrew Carelli, Kai MastersonFront Row L – R: Fiachra O’Dwyer, Leah Dolan, Eoin O’Connor, Ian Garry, Alex Preston, Seán Daly, Aisling Moore, David O’Neill70

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEARS 10KBack Row L – R: James Byrne, Fiona Tighe, Taka Mhandy, Matthew Collier, Lisa Marie NorrisSecond Row L – R: Karíns Simonis, Rebecca Green, Daemon Macklin, Briana Meehan, Sean Spain, Aaron McDonnellFront Row L – R: James Greene, Jorgia McComiskie, Arielle Ashley Nunnez, Lucy Archbold, Jadine Reid, Tyler Golding71

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEARS 10NBack Row L – R: Jordan Glynn, Moia Ahern, Karl Daly, Eve O’Loughlin, Shalandra Conway, Ishanand TeepooSecond Row L – R: Ross Hayden, Mary Taylor, Robert Barriscale, Matthew Jenkinson, Cliona O’Connor, Rebecca Murphy, Eoin DunneFront Row L – R: Aoife Meehan, Sinéad Bedford, Lee McDonagh, Lee Mulhern, Niamh O’Reilly, Gracia Nsana72

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIRST YEARS 10RBack Row L – R: Cian O’Brady, Adam Taaffe, Killian Daly, Christopher McMahon, Danny Corcoran, Alex O’Hanlon, Eóin Holton, Mark Dempsey, Fiachra Verjans,Mac DermottSecond Row L – R: Jack Pierce, Cara McDowell, Caítlín Kernan, Georóid Walsh, Faolán Radford McGovern, Luke Downes, Ben Hackett, Darragh Wallnutt, Eoin Kelly,Cian O’Daly, Cameron RamsayFront Row L – R:Rachel Bollard, Lauren Kehoe, Hannah Vickers, Robyn McCabe, Ciara McGarry, Karen Jinks, Caoimhe Kenny, Alicja Rostaniec73

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SECOND YEARS 20BBack Row L – R: Sean Egan, James Walton, Lorcan Holden, Seán Kennedy, Cormac O’Dwyer, Harry Crofton, Luke Doran, Cónal O’Hare, Killian O’Driscoll,Kevin PeeloSecond Row L – R: Sophie Lane, Gregory Fitzsimons, Caitríona Dillon, Kate Finucane, Ashling Whelan, Jane Boland, Hailey Maguire, Magdalena Roslaniec,Aidan Forde, Ellen CrowleyFront Row L – R: Sean O’Callaghan, Aoife McGeough, Megan Connolly, Amy Ryan, Janela Bumanglag, Margaret Ryan, Fiona Patterson, Brian Gillen74

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SECOND YEARS 20CBack Row L – R: Neal Brennan, Philip Rusk, Colm Deasy, Luke Chalkley, Nathan Lowry, Patrick O’Toole, Katie Howard, Niamh O’Brien, Ryan ColeSecond Row L – R: Garreth Craven, Garry Lyons, Stephan Ryan, Eric Tang, Caoimhe Cahill, Lee Brennan, Alex Strains, Hannah Mulligan, Aisling KiernanFront Row L – R: Katie Jones, Johanna Purdy, Niamh Convery, Rachel Howard, Claire Grace, Ashley O’Sullivan, Niamh Kelly, Jessica Whelan75

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SECOND YEARS 20RBack Row L – R: Daniel Burke, Conor Duggan, Nicholas Blott, Jamie O’Brien, Liam Dinan, Shane Nangle, Mark Gray, Luke Rowe, Ciarán NolanSecond Row L – R: Ciarán Ingle, Rhiannon Curtis Davis, Kate Harvey, Hazel Reilly, Orla McKiernan, Alannah O’Brien, Tilly Gamble, Sinéad Evesson, Aimeé Hinksman,Meg Fogarty, Christopher FarrellyFront Row L – R: Gavin Fitzmaurice, Victor Keane, Merryn Sadlier, Eimear Ryan, Caroline Flood, Laura Connolly, Matthew Shortall, Jack Finlay76

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SECOND YEARS 20SBack Row L – R: Stephen McInerney-Foran, Ultan Ó Móráin, Laura Halpin, Tara Gregan, Darragh Farrell, Ross Delaney, Ross Mitchell, Becky Bruen, Dylan Kilbride,Diarmuid Keevey, Conor CoatesSecond Row L – R: Paidi White, Patrick Prunty, Cathal Scanlon, Cian Hendricken, Ciara Howard, Hannah Farrell, Karl Shannon, Amy Falvey, Chloe North, Sacha Bury,Ryan KellyFront Row L – R: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Declan Peelo, Shauna O’Brien, Aoife Coffey, Emma Sullivan, Ailbhe Twomey, Evan Sunderland, Joseph Dunne77

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1SECOND YEARS 20TBack Row L – R: Jennifer O’Donoghue, Lynsey Johnston, Mark Kelly, Shane Warren, David Morrin, Dylan Murphy, Dylan Tierney, Adam Benzies, Sarah WalshSecond Row L – R: Conor Bradshaw, Dylan Wells, Daisy Golding, Chris Lapitan, Jakub Mrowicki, Niamh Murphy, Ion Rusu, Nicholas O’Brien, Dylan Rossiter,PJ BarronFront Row L – R: Sarah Conroy, Helen Markey, Nicole Dunne, Emma Dignam, Chloe Carolan, Sarah Jones, Ellen Rogan, Isabelle O’Leary78

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1THIRD YEARS 30GBack Row L – R: Jamie Tarpey, Simon Lenihan, Cian Fitzpatrick, Stephen Hogan, Grant Tierney, Luke Twomey, Gavin Shortt, Tom Freaney, Shyam GollapalliSecond Row L – R: Coman Brady, Calvin Foy, Lauren Redmond, Shirley Donlon, Caoimhe McDonnell, Aoife O’Connor, Kate Hawkshaw, Ruth Wallnutt,Ryan Monahan, David McCurtinFront Row L – R: Deirdre Corish, Kelly O’Brien, Katie Whelan, Sarah-Louise Fleming, Áine Fagan, Emma Whelan, Karla Potter, Ciara Dalton80

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1THIRD YEARS 30HBack Row L – R: Ross King, Conor Kennedy, Govan Jolliffe-Byrne, Mark Keogh, Cian Xanthopoulos, Louis Ronan, Karl Archbold, Timmy McDonnell, David Smith,Second Row L – R: Mark Nolan, Cathal Donnelly, Evan McMullen, Megan Connolly, Laura O’Connor, Eoin Shiels, Íomar McManus, Ciara Clarke,Emily Kremers, Denis Redmond, Marcel WaskoFront Row L – R: Cassie Hackett, Niamh Stanley, Lizzy Ryan, Bethany King, Rachel Martin, Ina Caul, Alison Egan, Rebecca O’Rourke81

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1THIRD YEARS 30LBack Row L – R: Luke O’Toole, Daniel Vickers, Darragh Scanlon, Manish Herpersad, Wesley Lennon, Albinus DevassySecond Row L – R: Caitlin Glover, Susie Healy, Christopher Derby, Ronán Kernan, Karl Murray, Fintan O’Connor, Andrew Killeen, Kelly Jinks, Sarah TierFront Row L – R: Sarah Moran, Laura Herssens, Simone Black, Conor Browne, Sarah Grouse, Alexandra Ring, Chloe Loughran82

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1THIRD YEARS 30MBack Row L – R: Alison Kennedy, Laura Walsh, Nadine Cannon, Vanessa Edopka, Shannon GunningSecond Row L – R: Barry Shearman, James Ryan, Seán Greene, Emma Kelly, Emily Campion, Leslee MuttathottilFront Row L – R: Chris Flood, Lorna Lynam, Naoise Pepper, Zóe Casey, Jordan Oglesby, Eoghan McGowan, Gareth Brant83

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FOURTH YEARS 40CBack Row L – R: David Stuart, Gabriel Dennehy, Leo McGuinn, Jack Mulligan, Luke Nangle, Sam Boland, Conor Grant, Harry BradshawSecond Row L – R: Sinead Deegan, Christina Fitzsimons, Eimear Finn, Ellen O’Connor, Adam Costello-Doherty, Kate Whyte, Kelly Ford, Gillian Spollen,Rachel BoyleFront Row L – R: Eoin O’Broin, Caoilfhionn Crowley, Alanna Farrelly Klara Stejskalová, Paulina Lemke, Francesca Mila, Conor Nolan84

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FOURTH YEARS 40DBack Row L – R: Tom Riordan, Aaron Mulvey, Conor McLoughlin, Luke Kavanagh, Ciaran O’ Reilly, Stephen O’Shea, Sean Gibbs, Glenn Tighe, Jamie JohnstonSecond Row L – R: Sean Colgan, Paul Scully, Sean Mangan, Sergio Miranda Gonzalez, Katie Healy, Dylan Potter, Sam McCabe, Peter Canavan, Mark O’HareFront Row L – R: Sinead Fagan, Robyn Keane, Ruth Devlin, Angel Lo, Rose Upton, Rachel Gallagher, Siobhain Brady85

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FOURTH YEARS 40MBack Row L – R: Robert Fox, Gavin Johnston, Conor Lynch, David Gray, Luke Dowd, Shane Carthy, Jamie Mullins, Niall Murphy, Adam McCabeSecond Row L – R: Roisin O’Donovan, Emma Deegan, Fiona Peppard, Ruth Molloy, Hinnie Fajdiga, Jennifer Byrne, Craig O’Neill, Adam FoxFront Row L – R: Emma Kielty, Racheal Conroy, Yvonne Gangel, Daniel Rea, Karl Kiernan, Sarah Rowe, Sarah O’Brien, Kate Kane86

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FOURTH YEARS 40NBack Row L – R: Andrew Luttrell, Karl Lynam, Samuel Earlwood, Robert Hammond, Pawel Wojcik, Philip Smith, Jack Morrison, Liam Mulcahy,Second Row L – R: Ross Donnelly- Lawlor, Ian Briody, Aoife Meskell, Suzanne Jameson, Fiona McGuinness, Kate Murran, Shauna Howard, Lauren Daly,Shaun Murray, David PeeloFront Row L – R: Cora Fagan, Jane McNamara, Kim White, Beatriz Alvarez, Kayleigh Byrne, Adriana Alvarez, Rachel Maloney, Laura O’Leary.87

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIFTH YEARS 50CBack Row L – R: Steven Murphy, Dáire Foley, Conor Dunne, Will Hickey, Jack McCabe, Jonathon Farrell, Nathan Supple, Stephen ThorntonSecond Row L – R: Sarah Hawkshaw, Philip Mariotti, Stephen Ducray, Conor Pepper, Niall Conlon, Conor Keogh, Cliodhna MullaneyFront Row L – R: Cathy Lane, Amy Byrne, Catríona Quill, Gavin Cusack, Aisling Drumgoole, Aimee Courage, Jenny Creaby, Michelle Sheppard88

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIFTH YEARS 50DBack Row L – R: Denis Ryan, Alan McHale, Carl Rogers, Ryan McRory, Darragh Reynolds, David Lacey, Aidan Byrne, Darren Craven, Colin O’DuinnSecond Row L – R: Amy Cowap, William O’Connor, Ciarán Mulryan, Ross Gorry, Andrew Malone, Seán Healy, Anna Cox, Katie Caulfield, Jamie SkeltonFront Row L – R: Brian Willis, Darren Ryan, Darren Byrne, Thérese McGowan, Laura Fahy, Graeme Smith, Ciarán Daly, Hugh Clarke89

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIFTH YEARS 50EBack Row L – R: Ronan Harvey, Jack Comey, Sam Wallace, Mark Shaw, Matthew Gavin, Thomas Whelan, Craig FitzpatrickSecond Row L – R: Rebecca Gill, Conor O’Donoghue, Vladimir Boletskiy, Orlagh Geoghegan, Seán Dowling, Jack Dalton, Daniel Nolan, Ciara McCabeFront Row L – R: Rachel Meehan, Shaunie Reilly-Foley,Joanne Moloney, Laura Kenny, Seana Ward, Jennifer Lawless, Ciara McEvoy, Jessica McElroy90

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIFTH YEARS 50FBack Row L – R: Patrick White, Graham Whelan, Paul Uurich, David Leonard, Darragh Nolan, Xain Castellá Fontes, Glen McRory, Philip Fortune,Craig O’BrienSecond Row L – R: Caoimhe Byrne, Jessica Woods, Lauren Markey, Laura Verda, Megan Fenelon, Sofia Holla, Alejandra Díaz-Guerra Acedo, Cristina Luch SerraFront Row L – R: Maua Ahenza Bonet, Belén Doral Fernández, Jonathon Bidhawat, Sami Rawwash, Niall O’Reilly, Mark Purdue, Hannah Neumeier, Ronja Unverhau91

P O R T M A R N O C K C O M M U N I T Y S C H O O L – C U I M H N Í 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1FIFTH YEARS 50TBack Row L – R: Adam Mooney, Dean Griffin, Joseph Nugent, Ciarán Moloney, Dylan Murphy, Cameron Ward, Ross Reid, Gary O’DonoghueSecond Row L – R: Niall Kenny, Shauna Melvin, Jackie Lo, Kate O’Hagan, Daniel Oso, Serena Manassero, Luke Maher, Joseph RyanFront Row L – R: Kevin O’Hanlon, Shauna Donnelly, Sarah Campbell, Kim Murray, Shannon Herlihy, Hannah Keane, Niamh O’Dwyer, Kevin Brennan92