St. Benildus 50th Anniversary Yearbook by Niall Homan

ST. BENILDUS COLLEGE 1966 - 2016 50 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

THIS BOOK BELONGS TO:

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

PROLOGUE As this year’s yearbook season draws to a close, the committee breathes a sigh of relief. Besides that, the undeniable honour of writing the prologue has been passed down to yours truly. To begin with, an enormous thank you goes out to the committee and Ms. Monaghan who have all put in a massive amount of work this year to achieve such excellence as this. There’s a slight chance that I may be bias but this is probably the best yearbook yet.

On this very special 50th anniversary we will receive a blast from the past with a special section dedicated to the history of St. Benildus College, featuring interviews from past pupils, old photos and much much more. This year’s edition is a juicy one and you’ll be glad that you didn’t miss out on it, so enjoy feasting your eyes on the amazing work of art we have created, just for you. Over and out, Niall Webster

Yearbook Committee 2016/2017 pion, Mark Plant. Wallace, Ciarán Anderson, John Cham Back row L to R: Niall Webster, Oisín Jonathan Daczkowski. nan, Deig Cian ck, orma McC Farren, Matthew or, Jack Kelly. Front row L to R: Jack Chester, Seán Conn O’ Hugh , Plant Quinlan, Adam Roe, Mark Absent: Gareth O’ Driscoll, Jonathan

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Ms Monaghan It’s hard to believe that it is already time for me to sit down and write this piece for the Yearbook. Each year seems to fly by quicker than the last and the Yearbook is an excellent way to capture the wonderful moments we experience in St. Benildus College each year. This year we hope to bring you something slightly different to celebrate our 50th Anniversary, with a special anniversary section taking us on a trip down memory lane. I would like to express my huge appreciation to all those who have helped or contributed to this year’s publication in any way, from continuous management and staff support, to my hardworking Yearbook Committee and TY class groups who

all helped to compile the years’ events. I would also like to thank all past pupils who took time to contribute to our anniversary section and to Ms. Colbert for her constant supply of excellent photos. Finally, thank you to Mr Niall Homan for his wonderful work on the design of the book this year and a special thank you must go to Mr. Liam McLoughlin who has been a huge support to me in the making of this book and especially in the 50th Anniversary section, writing articles, finding photos and providing another editorial eye! A group effort has made this possible, and my job that much easier, and for that I thank you. We hope you enjoy your read!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

CONTENTS 1. Principal and Deputy Principal Message............................................4 2. Message from Year Heads...................................................................5 3. Anniversary Section............................................................................9 4. The First Ten Years...........................................................................13 5. Top Sporting Achievements 1966-2016............................................17 6. Student Roll 1971 - 1976..................................................................20 7. Br. Brendan O’Sullivan.....................................................................22 8. Seán Mulvihill...................................................................................24 9. Kevin Tuohy.....................................................................................25 10. St. Benildus College- A LaSallian School......................................27 11. Past Pupil Interviews.......................................................................29 12. 1960’s Photos..................................................................................37 13. 1970’s Photos..................................................................................38 14. 1980’s Photos..................................................................................47 15. 1990’s Photos..................................................................................53 16. 2000’s Photos..................................................................................61 17. Staff Photos.....................................................................................63 18. School Events..................................................................................67 19. School Talent...................................................................................98 20. Extra Curricular............................................................................107 21. Sixth Year...................................................................................... 112 22. Transition Year..............................................................................128 23. Academic and LaSallian Awards 2016..........................................156 24. Class Photos..................................................................................164 25. Sports............................................................................................198

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

50th Anniversary Yearbook 2016/17

Principal and Deputy Principal Message

Fáilte.

We are honoured as Principal and Deputy Principal of St.

Benildus College to welcome you to our 50th Anniversary Yearbook 2016/17. Ms. Monaghan and her editorial team have done another magnificent job in producing a lasting record of the vibrant life of St. Benildus College for the year 2016/2017. To them we offer our heartfelt thanks and congratulations on a job well done. This Yearbook not only reflects the life and culture of the College over the past school year but also documents the 50 Years of “Excellence in Education” since 1966. We are very proud of the tradition and history of St. Benildus College, in particular the achievements of our Past Pupils. We are confident that our students today will add to that proud tradition and create their own piece of history. We are, as always, humbled by the energy of our teachers and the enthusiasm of our students reflected in this Yearbook. Savour this wonderful production. Enjoy every page!

Mr. M. Johnson 4

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Mr. O. MacEoin

1st YEAR HEAD Mr. Cahill

subject and each student picked the t. How the year has issued Cer ior Jun il unt wanted to keep passed by so quickly! they d goo ms came It surely is a Christmas approached the exa They got As ody ryb eve years. sign that on the horizon for our first is progressing well down to study in early November and began on the academic and working hard in preparation for their house social fronts as we exams. They all managed this well and the face into the summer. results were outstanding across the board. It was a daunting task High praise must go to everyone and we look k on the 29th ults and efforts going in on the first morning bacyear students forward to seeing these res year prize giving August, facing the 134 first we got off to recognised in our end of emony. for their assembly. However, back since. cer a good start and have not looked school life is Getting the boys involved in our saw r ildus College yea Ben ar end St. an important aspect of The opening day of the cal . Mr and disappoint. elf not mys n, did in nso aga our first years and first years face Mr. Joh the got cess and all They Run for Life was a great suc MacEoin for the first time. s ildu Ben arities were St. Ch first years played their part. on children’s opening speech and welcome to e bas new ir the us to selected, with the foc and were quickly assigned raised. In total, of the school, classes. After a guided tour teachers and charities and the money was of €17,500 they met some of their new etables. They first years contributed a sum of this. 350 received their journals and tim Year in their with class 1.5 contributing €4, New were all set to go for the r activities play an important es and school pristine uniforms, black sho 30th August Extra-curriculafirst years were again to the jackets. Classes started on then to business role also. Our all that is good about our forefront of and the first years all got dow predominantly school. The U14 footballers, re supported y. quickl we ond year students, d TY mentors secsome of our top footballers and were igne ass re we up gro ss cla h by Eac l in November, ped the boys or La Sallian mentors who helearly days of unlucky to lose an epic finae performances settle in to school in thoseir class tutors James Oliver giving some notabl m competed in September. They also met the e to help the during the year. Our soccer tea l and won, Theo who willingly gave up their timy were having. the South Dublin League final machine by all the goa a lty e, cu her ncy, starring boys with any diffi organised an Cla ounts. Our football team progressed to acc The tutors, mentors and myself ir competition. t years in the activity afternoon for all firsgreat success, the knock out stages of the blitzes after in a s ed wa Our hurlers compet third week back. This lers had some ts and allowed along with the first year retrea w one another Christmas while our basketbal minton teams great games and our junior bad all the first years to get to kno first years. of were predominantly made up the pool for that little bit better. in d elle an exc ed throughout Matthew Corrig The induction process continuand first years the swimmers. the year for our new group tro leagues, elled in Chess, competed in lunchtime As per table quiz Away from sport the boys excthese activities participated in a Christmas Bum his helpers), Lego club and Debating. Of all Jaycee Capinpin (with a visit from Santa andand have a walk special mention must go toat “Benildus Got engaged in anti-bullying dramas forward to in who entertained the masses performance of through Glendalough to look the inaugural Talent” with a great solo May. They also benefited from the classes singing and playing guitar. La Sallian week and many ofward” scheme, sport and extracurricular participated in the “Pay it For nessed up and As for now, thetake a back seat for a few activities must in which good deeds were wit te on their r. rido cor r yea weeks while they concentra t firs down the e of these summer exams. The importanc ary ond estimated. sec er of und ht New subjects are a highlig dent. The first house exams cannot be and not now rd wa stu for k It’s appropriate to loo schools for many a new ns rrent sio cu ses our ter for tas ad ahe ek lie we es o back. Exciting tim years all got tw uld year. wo ond y sec the t to of the optional subjects tha t. Again many first years as they go forth Cer pick to continue to Junior t teachers who thanks must go to the subjec t interesting Mr Cahill set about making their subjec St. in s ival arr est new the for and exciting this process Benildus. In late November ice form was cho t jec was complete, the sub

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

2nd YEAR HEAD Mr. Hoyne

y Cert year in sight the majorit sportsmen, With their Junior ber num Scholars, e hug A d. boys have been working har dy since singers, artists and even of the years elected to do evening stu ond sec e it up a magician, we have them of tak to ired insp e er and many more wer eral, gen all in second year at St. Octob In s. ult res as istm er receiving their Chr aft s Thi . lege Col s ildu d Ben e very goo but Christmas exam results wer year has given the boys the that lies ahead ybody knows the huge task a great opportunity to ever r just around h summer exams and third yea express their talent wit corner. whether it be in the the got behind Run for d or elsewhere. Second years once again really classroom, on the sports fiel a whopping €16,200. Life. In total they collected and e hav s boy the e, ctiv spe the boys should be very From a sporting per ion. This is a huge sum and inct dist h wit lege col the ent ment. The Run for Life continue to repres Dublin proud of their achieve the hed reac s ller tba Foo terrible day with rain bucketing The U14 Gaelic petition. event was held on a com mid l and stil are lers hur our second years stayed positive final while south Dublin down, however the n wo e hav team cer soc Our U15 yed the day. to the Champions really enjo league and have progressed best ketball team and I would like to wish all the boys the very League quarter final. Our bas they e hop I and t ms ed well throughou of luck in their summer exa badminton teams have compet will r yea t Nex ak. g bre ndin mer e been outsta all have a wonderful sum the year and our athletes hav y the e ond years have also bring their biggest challenge yet and I hop as per usual. A number of sec ce. team, taking part in all return ready for hard work and sacrifi been involved with our chess elled to Millfield local competitions and even trav ish players. to compete against the best Brit Mr Hoyne

3rd YEAR HEAD Ms. Beadle

in many fields rs have represented the College It is hard to believe how yea cannot not be some successes this year quickly time has passed but league final, the gotten; the Under 15 soccer this year. Returning to for tal shield, the l of the Junior Rugby developmen school in August is fina for the Run for d work raising almost €10,000 a distant memory and har rd Years at the and finally the help given by Thi the Third Year group Life Sports Day”. nildus College United Through has come a long way. “Be clean up and Facing into their most And so, the constant battle with in shirts is king tuc r important academic yea swiping in, and the war with Third Years the t tha enthusiastic, but almost at an end. I know to date, I was met with 136 d remains. roa rt sho a with three words have had fun but now only slightly apprehensive, students n them, it upo ost alm ce Certificate. Sin With the Junior Certificate ringing in their ears, the Junior e helped hav o wh se ir e the school, the is important to recognise tho that day, the students have don sible pos be uld wo e Study plans wer along the journey. None of this parents and themselves proud. and aged our enc e g hav most) and the lon without the teachers who drawn up and adhered to (by r You ial. ent pot ir the h cajoled the students to reac road to the Junior Cert began! To d. iate rec app ly tru ion and hard work is r y year but the Third dedicat uld like to thank you for you It has been an extremely bus The CSPE the parents, I wo ide. str ir lly, the Fina in us. all to it s en son tak r Years have and entrusting you ence Investigation support luck as Action projects and the Sci dents, I wish you the best of stu practical to the sic Mu the senior and r ed you plet in beg com n you bee t. As work have Huge you sit your Junior Cer ter. Eas to ore bef like t uld jus wo I ded , per clu black jum exams con ning Study cycle and don the Eve to ly up ed tru e sign hav r I yea . the you m nk numbers fro unity to tha dents that take this opport stu the d war wed for sho k s loo ult I res and ck d and the Mo enjoyed being your Year Hea rs it. yea rth the wo in was rish rk flou wo their hard to seeing you succeed and ted limi not is s ces suc s up’ ahead. This Third Year gro e the classroom, to academic achievement. Outsid dle. been added to the Ms. Bea numerous successes have rd Thi vious years. many accolades earned in pre

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

TY YEAR HEADS Ms. Downey & Ms. Fitzpatrick

students Year Transition The Work also tackled three weeks of ains, Experience, conquered mount and mental and physical, for Gaisce ll, We s!! dos a .. of. it’s – ge r llen Yea Transition braved the terrifying cha but nk, thi y ma for ple that’s what peo dancing in public TY singing and this only if they haven’t met the the Musical. The pinnacle of t ugh bro e liday” – students!! This group hav year has to be “Summer Ho ve, iati init , sm sia hu ce and ent dan of l a high leve a riot of colour, music r Yea n tio nsi Tra ased to wc activity and fun sixties’ style, which sho this 2016/17. the confidence and talent of in bunch and highlighted the incredible settling involved September ther. organisational and creative skills of and getting to know one ano m Bray the backstage and front of house Students enjoyed a walk fro itively crews. to Greystones and looked pos ed to ional to the future and were encourag A trip to Carlingford and the Nat t pec res to and s roughly believe in themselve Aquatic Centre were tho ey Th m. tea one another by the Soar all in May. The Spanish y enjoyed by ivit act to rd wa for walking k loo to started students look forward to the t tha t fac the during sh o Fridays and reli part of the Camino de Santiag the of ng thi a ships Junior Cert was now the last week of school. Friend m edo fre the grown past! They took to have been forged and boys have d we sho and ay, aw t e. aigh tur str of T.Y. fidence and in sta bunch in con themselves to be a sociable trying We are extremely proud of this who loved nothing more than d them Transition Year group. Their positivity, something new! Teachers tol inese, good humour and enthusiasm has to challenge themselves with Ch s Mental been infectious and imbued thi skiing, self-defence, ECDL and n of the school year with the true Transitio Fitness (to name just a few took Year spirit that is our goal and our modules on offer). They par Poetry reward. in a Law Ed, Cyber Bullying, were h them and Music Workshops. They We will miss them and wis in Irw an ath beyond. Jon and r by inspired and moved every success in 5th Yea n, tio nda Fou T.Y. as from the Jack and Jill We hope they will remember in ed pet m. learned Sign Language and com fondly as we will remember the id Dav h wit ion etit mp Co a MasterChef Gillick. Ms. Downey & Ms. Fitzpatrick

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

5th YEAR HEAD Mr. Fahy

few of the I began the year knowing very in September 139 Fifth Years that started re was an The but that quickly changed. students the all for enormous adjustment certain in g isin cial spe now as they were and a ss e cla subjects, no longer in a bas from rs che tea whole sale change in their in ed ult res s Thi e. the Junior Certificat and s elve ms the e anis org to a greater need e I was really adapt accordingly. By and larg difficulties se impressed with how the y of the orit maj t vas were overcome by the demic aca the e cam n the year group and challenges… year that this I was told at the start of the hard-working group were an intelligent and struck by was I lot. From the beginning tivation. mo and tion lica the Fifth Years app lied for after A large number of lads app ck from the school study and the feedba By the time g. agin staff was really encour r was ready Yea the ms exa of the Christmas e outstanding. and some of the results wer about study. However, the year wasn’t all elves into a The Fifth Years threw thems activities lar whole variety of extra-curricu expect. to e com had with the enthusiasm I chool r-s inte cs, leti ath in d The lads excelle ling, hur ll, tba debating, chess, basketball, foo even and ife r-L soccer, rugby, golf, Run-fo . Mind you, the Whole School Inspection even better med for per s ent the Fifth Year par with their questionnaires!! next year will This has been a quick year and each and every be even quicker. I hope that e and relaxing fre student has a great, stress last year and ing, om Summer as their upc re challenges… at the college, will bring mo w all students challenges though that I kno you all in See g. are capable of overcomin September. P. Fahy

6th YEAR HEAD Dr. Lowe

boys walked In August 2011, 130 young , nervous, lege Col through the doors of the them. ited awa at wh of excited and unsure will s boy e sam se tho s nth In a few mo , men ng you walk out the same doors as the h wit d ippe equ mature, self aware and t phase of necessary skills for the nex all task of sm the y onl e hav y their life. The e first! plet the Leaving Certificate to com be Year Head I have had the pleasure to for the past to these departing students ilege to help priv a n two years and it has bee at now. I are y the nt poi bring them to the n and again have watched them achieve agai field and ing play in the classroom, on the ricular cur raext er across numerous oth nces erie exp se the t tha e activities. I hop the and TY m plus the countless others fro t den stu h eac n Junior Cycle will have give s ildu Ben St. of s orie his own lasting mem on the brink College. Now they are poised show off all of getting the opportunity to t they have tha the hard work and dedication rs in their yea two displayed over the last . ms forthcoming exa of spirit There is a wonderful generosity dents stu the ng amo ic eth rk and a great wo said y larl regu of this year. Teachers have ch tea to are y the to me what a pleasure ty uni ort opp this e tak and I would like to nk tha to ts den stu the of all on behalf of hard work the teachers for all their I know vein ilar and dedication. In a sim nonand ng chi tea , ool that the entire sch the very best teaching staff, wish them all in whatever in their Leaving Certificate and erwards. aft low path they choose to fol about your We look forward to hearing . ure successes in the fut Dr. Lowe

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

St. Benildus College 50 Years of Memories

1966-2016

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Address delivered by the Principal, Mr Martin Johnson on the occasion of th

The St Benildus College 50 Anniversary Dinner Friday 2nd December 2016 Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel Stillorgan

1966 must have been a momentous year. China begins its Cultural Revolution, the Vietnam War escalates and a younger Bob Dylan releases the seminal album “Blonde on Blonde”. Closer to home, the Beatles are in all their pomp and splendour and a red shirted England football team led by Bobby Moore capture the Jules Rimet Trophy for the first time beating West Germany 4:2 in the final at Wembley. Eamon De Valera is re-elected President, Seamus Heaney publishes his first volume of poetry, Galway and Cork are All Ireland Winners and Tom Jones is the Christmas No. 1 with ‘The Green Green Grass of Home’. On the 8th of March that year, the Minister for Education, Donough O’Malley signals the introduction of Free Secondary Education. On the 12th of September 1966 Benildus College opens its doors for the very first time. For me personally, it is a singular honour to be addressing you here this evening. The College has been part of my life for the past 47 years, as student, teacher, Deputy Principal and now as Principal, ever since that morning in the Autumn of 1969 when I walked through the front gates, a scared but excited 12 year old. Now I arrive every morning still scared and a little less excited, I admit. Tempus fugit, for those who have forgotten their Latin –Time flies. St Benildus College was founded in 1966, on land purchased by the De La Salle Order a decade earlier. The College was named after the De La Salle saint, Brother Benildus of Clermont, France, who was canonised in October 1967. Situated in the shadow of Three Rock Mountain, it was surrounded by fields, an abandoned railway line and new housing estates, like Lakelands. The first class in September 1966 consisted of 24 boys, coming from the Benildus Preparatory School, which had opened three

years earlier. The first Principal was the late Brother Oswin Walsh and for the first school year the boys and their two teachers were housed in a pre-fab. In 1967, the school enrols over 100 students and will continue to grow in the years there after. Brother Walsh is succeeded as Principal in 1969 by Brother Vincent Byrne. The new boys’ secondary school on the Upper Kilmacud Road proved popular to local parents. The De la Salle philosophy of education was a kindly humane one and from the outset the College set high standards for itself both inside and outside the classroom. St Benildus College was in those early days, according to one of its first Principals, a lively place full of promise and expectation, enthusiastic young teachers and eager young students. The closure of our sister De La Salle school, Roebuck College in 1975 brought further expansion and building and by 1976 we are looking at a school population of over 700 students and a staff of 40 plus. Brother Brendan O’Sullivan, the Principal from 1970 to 1976 oversaw much of this development and it is he who was largely responsible for creating the distinct Benildus ethos of school discipline, hard work and academic achievement and for forging the College’s early reputation. In this he is aided by a young and committed teaching staff, men like the late Colum Muldoon, Bertie Hennigan, Maurice McMahon and the Grandmaster Frank Scott. Brother Brendan, a proud Kerryman, also plays a key role by strengthening links between the school and the local Sports clubs. Connections which will bear fruit when Benildus Under 17 Gaelic Football team win our first Dublin “A” title on December 18th 1974 in Croke Park.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

The College’s reputation of being strong academically with a good sporting tradition is one that we will hold on to and build on over the following years. By the middle of the 1980s’ the College has grown to almost 1000 students, all clamouring for recognition by a staff adapting to changing trends and burgeoning technologies. The College provides a Christian Lasallian education, nurturing the intellectual, physical, social and moral development of each child under its care. And importantly from the beginning there was an impressive menu of after school activities available to students, ranging from chess and music to art and debating and cultural exchanges as well as the usual team sports and these activities help to foster respect and trust between teachers and students and to create a positive school spirit. But any school is only always as good as its students and their parents and in this regard we have long been fortunate in having students who are well motivated and parents who are committed to education.

On this night of memory and nostalgia we can look back. More than 7000 students have received an education in St Benildus College, entered its gates, sat in its classrooms and played in its fields. And, according to a much loved former teacher the late Kevin Tuohy we have always tried to turn out gentlemen, so that’s a lot of gentlemen. And where have they gone, these gentlemen? To the four corners of the Earth and beyond. And what have they done, these gentlemen? What have they turned their talents to? Everything under the sun and then some. A College which prides itself on a consistent 90% plus transfer rate to Third Level has produced more than its fair share of College Professors, physicists, and CEOs, but it has always been more important to the school and its teachers that it turned out decent human beings, gentlemen, who, regardless of where they find themselves in life, have simply done their best and given their all. The College Crest which you see all around you here tonight was designed by our own renowned artist and calligrapher, Mr Tim O’Neill in 1986. In its symbolism it embodies the old and the new. Based on a Celtic design found in Glendalough it has a modern almost abstract feel. It is basically 4 ellipses which create a cross in the centre reflecting the Christian ethos at the heart of our school. Underneath the Crest is written the College motto “Secundum Verbum Tuum”-“According to your word”. A powerful image taken from St Luke’s Gospel, echoes the old Irish saying, “beart do reir ar mbriathar” and the universal “to thine own self be true”. It acknowledges that civilisation as we know it depends ultimately on every man keeping his word. The steady progress and character of the College in its first 30 years is shaped very much by the hard work and dedication of the De La Salle Principals. Brother Brendan O’Sullivan in the Seventies, then the late Brother Philbert Cronin, Brother Amedy Hayes, Brother Damien Kelleher and the late Brother Austin Kiely. Each man brought his own personality to the difficult job and left his own imprint. What remains constant through these years, the 70s’ 80s’ and 90s’ in St Benildus College is an unchanging cohort of teachers,

almost all of the young teachers taken on in the early 1970s’ will go on to spend their entire teaching careers working in the College giving continuity and familiarity to generations of students and a lifetime of service to education. “Panta rhei – everything flows. What the Greek philosophers knew still applies 2,500 years later. Everything stays in motion, everything changes. As the 1990s’ draw to a close and the new Century begins St Benildus College embarks on a process of modernisation and reinvention. The man entrusted with this task is Mr Seán Mulvihill, the College’s first lay Principal, and my immediate predecessor. He brings a fresh energy and dynamism to the role of leading the school into the 21st Century and making it fit for purpose. He takes an already good school and makes it a great one. Seán harnesses the Lasallian legacy of decency and civility and takes it a step further making the school more open and outward looking and responsive to the needs of the school community. Facilities and levels of resourcing improve for student and teacher alike. Open Days and Evening Study are introduced and academic standards are pushed upwards again. The academic streaming of pupils is abandoned, Learning Support and Guidance Services are improved and IT Programmes are introduced. Under his direction a major programme of school refurbishment takes place. We build state of the art sports facilities, and architect and past pupil, Mr Ciarán O’Brien creates a statement Staff Room, the envy of every school in the country. And as regards the Staff itself, time and retirements brings a Changing of the Guard. More than 85% of our present Staff will have started work in the School this century and more than 50% of those are women. So here we stand after a half century. Twice, the privations of Recession have rattled our windows and the curse of emigration has shaken our doors. As a voluntary non fee paying school, we have never been flush with cash but have made the most of what we

have. We have prided ourselves on the notion that free education and the values inherent in it is an equal if not indeed superior to the fee paying variety. Fashions in the school have come and gone, long hair, short hair, no hair! No jeans, no hoodies, no runners and no Camera Phones! God how we struggle to hold back the tide of teenage Convention! St. Benildus College has had its first Olympian, David Gillick in Beijing in 2008. The College has been to a Soccer World Cup,

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Sardinia 1999, All Ireland Soccer titles arrived in the late 90’s culminating in Senior All Ireland success in 2000 and the current Third years won First Year All Ireland in 2014 and of course Richard Sadlier has worn the Green for Ireland. Then like the 46A Bus – having waited for Dublin Gaelic Football Senior A Colleges success 4 in a row arrive and a senior hurling A title into the bargain! Earlier this year the College reached the Holy Grail of Gaelic Football by winning a Senior Leinster title for the first time and only after 49 years of trying! And on Saturday October 1st beneath an autumn sky, two of our finest, David Byrne and Paul Mannion ascended the steps of the Lower Hogan Stand to receive their All Ireland medals, a feat previously achieved by Past Pupils Craig Dias and Declan O’Mahoney. We also celebrate our Past Pupil GAA All Star Ray Cosgrove in 2002 and of course this year our Science, Biology and Agricultural Science teacher Walter Walsh is a 2016 Hurling All Star. It is not all academia and sport either. For the past 14 years, the College has had its own charity fundraising project, the Run for Life Initiative started in 2002 by Mr Oisín Mac Eoin and Mr Liam McLoughlin. To date the students and teachers have raised more than €600,000 for charity, yes that is over €600,000. The target for 2016 is a massive €70,000 and they are almost there. We are very proud of this work, an initiative which helps enrich the school experience for all, teaches civic responsibility and draws on the goodwill of the community.

We turn towards the future, new horizons beckon and new possibilities await. Reflecting the surrounding area as well as influencing it, St. Benildus College has stayed true to the meaning of its crest and the words which emblazon it. Learning from the past, looking to the future and staying true to one self. As educators we will continue to be flexible and innovative and to provide the optimum learning environment for every student. Holding firm to the Lasallian ethos under the trusteeship of Le Chéile and our egalitarian spirit, we trust these values to see us through the next half Century. Let us raise a glass to St. Benildus College! To St. Benildus College, past present and future! (Edited edition January 2017)

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

St. Benildus College The First Ten Years

1966 / 1967

1969 / 1970

• St. Benildus College is founded in 1966. The College is named after the De La Salle Saint, Brother Benildus of Clermont, France.

• Number of Students: 290

• Brother Oswin Walsh becomes the first Headmaster of the College.

• The St. Benildus College Parent-School Association is founded.

• Number of Students: 28.

• First Intermediate Certificate Class.

• Brother Vincent Byrne becomes Headmaster.

1967 / 1968 • Number of Students: 120. • Pilgrimage to Rome for the Canonisation of St. Benildus in September 1967. 1968 / 1969 • Number of Students: 210 • On Saturday April 26th 1969 the first Benildus Hurling Team plays in Competition against Crumlin C.B.S. at Juvenile Level.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

1970 / 1971 • Number of Students: 360 • Brother Brendan O’ Sullivan becomes Headmaster. • First AGM of the Parents’ Association

1971 / 1972 • Number of Students: 430 • First Leaving Certificate Class. • First Benildus Soccer Team plays in Competition. • Benildus Gaelic Football Team plays in the Division “C” of the Dublin Colleges League.

1972 / 1973 • Number of Students: 490 • Winners of Under 14 Leinster League Soccer. Team coached by Brother Oliver. • Winners of Dublin Colleges Gaelic Football League Division “C”. Team coached by Mr. Peter Connon. • First school play staged, actors include the late Philip Tyler, Vincent Marren, Ivor Rowan and Martin Johnson. • First Benildus College Students’ magazine produced.

1973 /1974 • Number of Students: 570 • Extension to school building commences. • Winners of the Senior Soccer Leinster “A” League. Team coached by Mr Peter Connon. • First School Badminton Finals. • Student Tim Coughlan wins First Prize in Poetry at Slogadh. • First Sponsored Swim in Glenalbyn Pool.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

• The St. Benildus College Chess Club is set up by Mr. Frank Scott.

• St. Benildus College Soccer Team reaches Leinster Senior “A” Semi Final.

• Gaelic Football Teams reach 3 Dublin “B” League Finals, at Under 15, Under 17, and Under 19 Levels.

• Benildus Chess Teams win Leinster “B” Titles at Junior and Senior Levels.

1974 / 1975 • Number of Students: 760 • Amalgamation of De La Salle College, Roebuck and St. Benildus College, Kilmacud. • Winners of Dublin Colleges Gaelic Football Division “A” at Under 17 Level. Defeated St. Joseph’s C.B. S. Fairview in the Final in Croke Park. Team coached by Mr. Peter Connon.

• The first Benildus Golf team plays in Competition. Coached by Mr. John Walsh. • The St. Benildus College Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul is established. • St. Benildus College stages its first musical with an abridged version of “The Mikado”. Produced by Mr. Denis Morgan. • Benildus students travel to Germany for the first time.

• Student Gerry Greene wins the Leinster Schoolboys Table Tennis Individual Trophy.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

1975 /1976 • Number of Students: 850 • The School extension is completed and opened. • Winners of Leinster Colleges Senior “A” Table Tennis Title. Team coached by Mr. Michael Dooley. • Leinster Senior Colleges Gaelic Football “A” Finalists. Lose to St. Mel’s of Longford. • Management Game: Benildus placed Third in National Final. • St. Benildus College stages “Oliver” by Lionel Bart. • Sponsored Badminton Marathon for Charity raises £83 for Gorta. First recorded Charity Initiative in the College. • The First German Cultural Evening takes place. Organised by Mr. Felix Soden.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Top Sporting Achievements 1966-2016

Soccer: 1974 Leinster Colleges’ Senior “A” League Winners In 1972 St. Benildus College entered competition for the first time and won the Leinster Colleges League at Under 14 level. Success at senior level soon followed and in 1974 we claimed the Leinster Colleges Senior Soccer “A” League title, the first significant silverware for the College. This team included the outrageously talented Martin Johnson, later Benildus teacher, football coach and School Principal. Gaelic Football: 1975 Dublin Colleges’ “A” Under 17 Title In 1971, St. Benildus College fielded its first team in the “C” Division. Making steady progress in 1973 we contested “B” Finals at U 15, U17, and U 19 levels. By 1974-75 Benildus had advanced to the “A” Division. In a famous victory in Croke Park on the 18th of December 1974 on

a bitterly cold day Benildus triumphed over St. Joseph’s Fairview. In 1975 they went on to contest a Leinster Final, losing out to St Mel’s of Longford. Their achievement opened the Benildus footballing account and that team became a benchmark for the future.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Table Tennis: 1976 Leinster Colleges’ Senior Div. 1 Winners In 1976, St. Benildus College won the Leinster Senior Colleges Division 1 title defeating Beneavin College in the Semi Final before going on to Final glory against Belcamp College on a score line of 6:0. Badminton: 1984 Leinster Premier League U 18 Winners In 1983, Benildus won the Leinster Premier U-16 title and this team then went on to become the U-18 Leinster Premier Champions in 1984. Cross Country: 1985 First All-Ireland Success

in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Chess continues to be strong in the College and successful, ever adding to a tradition of studied excellence still under the watchful gaze of Grandmaster Scott. Table Tennis: 1997 All Ireland and Leinster Schools Senior Champions In 1996/1997 St. Benildus College were Winners of the Leinster Schools’ Senior League and Cup and then this very talented team went on to create history by becoming All Ireland Schools’ Senior Champions. A great year was completed by claiming the Collins’ Cup for the Best Individual. David Gillick: International Athlete and proud Olympian After attending Benildus, David Gillick went on to study in DIT. In October 2006, he moved to Loughborough to train as a full time athlete. David had been a talented athlete during his school days and it was on this that he built his international athletic success. He specialised in the 400 metres and won the European Indoor Championship in 2005 and 2007. He set the Irish Indoor record of 45.52 seconds in the 2007 final. He also beat the Irish outdoor record of 45.58 seconds and within Olympic A Qualifying standards for the 2008 games. David therefore became the College’s first Olympian, something of which we are all immensely proud. He has returned to his Alma Mater in recent years to pass on his culinary and athletic know how to a new generation.

1985 saw Benildus become the All-Ireland, U-17 Cross Country champions. This was an exceptional year for Benildus as they were also the All-Ireland De La Salle champions and Leinster champions. The U-17 team was not the only success that year as the U-14 team became Leinster champions. Benildus will continue to dominate Leinster Cross Country in the following years. Hurling: 1993 Leinster and Dublin Colleges’ Junior “B” Titles The outstanding hurling achievement of the 1990s, this was a team of great ability and exceptional character. After a hard fought win in Croke Park to claim the Dublin Colleges’ Title, these young hurlers powered their way to Leinster success in Naas on an unforgettable late November day. This remains the College’s sole provincial hurling title. Chess: A story of incredible achievement Chess has been the College’s most successful game. The first major chess title was in 1978 after a marathon 4 hour match. We beat Marist College to take the Leinster Junior Cup. In the 1980’s the chess club expanded and Kevin McHugh (Fifth Year) beat the world No.2. Victor Korchnoi. From 1983-87 we won Leinster Championships at Minor, Junior and Senior Levels. However we had near misses at All Ireland Championships before finally claiming our first national title in 1998. Other national titles followed quickly

Soccer: 1997 -2000 World Domination! In 1997, St. Benildus College won All Ireland and Leinster Titles at U14 Level. This group of players go on to claim All Ireland and Leinster Titles in 1998 at U 16 Level and also at Senior Level in 2000. In 1999 they also represented Ireland in the World Cup for Schools in Sardinia, an incredible run of success for a most talented group of players and their Coach Mr. Oisín McEoin. Richard Sadlier: Irish International Footballer Richie started his football career with Leicester Celtic and Belvedere. He joined Milwall F.C. and assisted them in becoming the 2000-2001 Second Division Champions. However, he was forced by injury to watch from the side-

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

lines when they reached the 2004 FA Cup Final. He scored 34 goals in 103 starts. He represented Ireland in UEFA European under 18 Championship 1997, in which he scored in the 3rd place play off. His only senior cap for his country was in a friendly against Russia played in Lansdowne Road on the 13th of February 2002. He was forced to retire early due to a recurring hip injury, an injury that cost him his place on the Irish 2002 World Cup Squad. He is now an RTÉ football pundit and psychologist, and has returned to St. Benildus College to advise the students on good mental health. Hurling: 2010 Dublin Colleges’ Senior “A” Title In 2003 Benildus contested the Dublin Colleges Senior Hurling “A” Final for the first time but had to wait until 2010 to achieve victory. Years of nurturing talent and good coaching paid off when this ambitious group of hurlers added success at Senior “A “level to titles won earlier at Juvenile and Junior “A”level.

few points. Years of hard work by dedicated coaches had brought Benildus in 2010 to the National stage in this most competitive of school sports and on that day in Tallaght our panel of ten was magnificent putting in a Herculean effort before a packed and raucous stadium and doing the College proud. Soccer: 2015 All Ireland and Leinster Title First Years “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow” and great things are expected for the future from this talented bunch who kept the Benildus tradition of Soccer Success alive by sweeping the board in 2015. Good Luck Boys! Tús Maith, leath na hOibre! Gaelic Football: 2016 Leinster Colleges’ Senior “A” Winners

Gaelic Football: Dublin Colleges’ Senior “A” Championship Winners 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The game of Gaelic football is part of the very DNA of St. Benildus College yet up to the 19th of March 2009 more than 42 years had elapsed without our winning a Dublin Colleges’ Senior “A” title. Great teams and gifted players had come and gone with stories of heartbreak and hard luck, dodgy pitches and hometown refs. And then that magical March day, a day like no other in the Annals of the College. Ferghal Duffy nailed the winning point in the final minute of extra time. Final Score: St Benildus 1:13, St Declan’s 0:15. That sense of relief as years of pain were wiped away and replaced with pure elation. A special group of players and their managers had finally dragged Benildus to the summit of Dublin football. And there we remained, winning 4 consecutive titles, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Basketball: U19 “A” All Ireland Schools Cup Final An unforgettable day in the National Basketball Arena when the boys from Benildus went toe to toe with Calasanctius College Oranmore in the National “A” Final and just came up short. The destination of this most prized of trophies was only decided after a titanic struggle by a

On the 6th of February 2016, St. Benildus College made history by claiming their first provincial Senior Colleges Football “A” title in a marvellous victory over Marist College, Athlone, thus bringing to an end the College’s 49 year wait for this most prized of silverware and repaying the hard work and dedication of generations of players and their mentors. According to The 42.ie website Benildus “assumed control from the opening whistle” and were due “full merit for the victory”. Many of the students travelled to O’Connor Park, Tullamore to offer their whole-hearted support to the lads. Benildus led 2-4 to 0-3 at halftime, and the match finished 2-7 to 1-6, a monumental victory for the team and the College. Squash: Leinster and All Ireland Schools Champion Paul Byrne, Irish Senior International. Also Leinster and All Ireland Schools Champions 1987-8.

Compiled by Oisín Wallace and Cian Deignan 2017. Edited by Liam McLoughlin

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

ST. BENILDUS COLLEGE Roll of Leaving Certificate Students From 1971-1976 1971-1972 Acton John Patrick Ashton Henry Christopher Brennan David Joseph Burke Peter David Carroll Vincent J.P. Corcoran David Patrick Gallaghan Charles G. Griffin Matthew Joseph Keating Donald Francis Kennedy Thomas Anthony Kirby Francis Joseph McGuigan Owen Michael McMahon Peter Gerard Naylor Robert Joseph O’Mahony Fiachra Ciarán Pierce Declan Wall Eugene Kevin Walsh Peter Adrian O’Connor John Acton Michael F. Banahan Fergus D. Coakley Maurice Diamond Paul F. Freeley James A. Godfrey Michael Harris Brian Pius Hughes Edward J. Kane Colm J. King Ronan J. Morgan Phelim J. Murphy Colm B. Nolan Charles O’Doherty Colm O’Donohue Francis J. O’Leary Joseph D. O’Loughlin Paul W. Pratt Paul G. Scanlon Garrett A. Sweeney Patrick Sheehan Martin Boland John Gabriel Breen James Thomas Brennan Peter Patrick Carr Maurice Deegan Christopher N. Donlon Joseph Goulding Aidan N. Hickey Paul Keogh Patrick Macauley Dermot Phelan Kevin Pratt Maurice O’Rourke Peter Patrick O’Sullivan Desmond J. O’Sullivan Noel M. O’Sullivan Liam Joseph

Shanley Gerard P. Reynolds Joseph Larry Tanner Raymond Lawrence Woods Philip Gabriel

1972-1973 Auerbach Peter Auerbach Robert S. Barrett Padraig Byrne Kevin Church Brian P. Courtney Pierce P. Creagh Thomas A. Damery Paul V. Duggan David G. Duggan Denis J. Greene Thomas A. Kampff Michael A. Kavanagh Seamus L. Larkin Vincent J. Lawler Declan G. McCormick Peter Aidan Macken Paul V. Mulready Conor J. Murphy Kieran K. Murphy Raymond H. O’Beirne James John O’Callaghan Edmund M. O’Keefe Gearóid E. O’Leary Patrick J. O’Neill Declan J. Ryan Thomas A. Smyth Marcellino G. Whooley Michael A. Banahan Fergus D. Byrne Philip Carroll James Coghlan Brian C. Cronin Kieran Curran Coleman P. Davenport James M. Doherty Stephen J. Duffy Michael B. Fitzgerald John A. Flynn Noel C. Gaynor Eamonn J. Guiney Patrick D. Heavey Derek J. Higgins Thomas Larrigan Niall F. McCarthy Charles Brendan McElwee Eamonn W. McGarry Michael J. McKeown Fintan J. Mulligan Martin F. Murphy Philip O’Brien Donagh

O’Cawley Kevin D. O’Donnell Mark C. O’Kelly Morton E. O’Neill William Colm Peel Dermot F. Ryan Mark Sherry Ronan G. Smyth Denis G. Smyth Eugene K. Sweeney John G. Bracken John L. Broe John P. Conlon Gerard Coughlan Michael Dennehy John C. Dunbar John Frawley Gerard Frawley Vincent Gleeson John Kennedy Michael Kennedy Patrick E. Linden Martin A. Loftus Thomas Lord David M. McCabe Cecil P. McCaffrey Damien F. McCaffrey Stephen J. McGuinness Donal Matthews Brian F. Mahedy David A. Mooney Dermot J. O’Dwyer James K. Pigott John V. Ryan Patrick P. Scully William David Shanley Gerard Sheerin Dermot P. Smith Gerard P. Tobin Michael F. Whooley Patrick G.

1973-1974 Barrett John A. Berkery Padraig Colm Daly Paul J. Doherty Paul V. Dowd Brian F. Dunne Patrick Hugh Freely David P. Goulding Declan P. Johnston Martin G. Kelly Gerald J. Leong Fah Hau Looby Kieran A. Mahedy David A. Marren Vincent P. Mulligan Martin F.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

O’Connor Maurice F. O’Donnell Barry J. O’Kane Denis C. O’Kelly Donal L. O’Quigley John G. O’Regan John P. O’Riordan Michael G. Rigney William J. Tyler Philip F. Byrne Kevin Bowers John V. Bowes Laurence Byrne Patrick Clarke Colin J. Donnelly Gerald Donohue John A. Drudy John C. Dunne Terence A. Foran Colin F. Griffin Paul G. Keane Thomas Kelly Martin J. McCaffrey Declan P. McGrath Thomas McPhilips Patrick Gerard Molloy Peter A. Mooney Kenneth P. Murtagh James G. O’Connor Jerome O. O’Hanlon Timothy O’Kane Paul F. Pratt Philip M. Roe Michael D. Ryan Robert Shanahan Anthony W. Shanley Kieran D. Sinnott John P. Boylan Michael Anthony Byrne Rory P. Corcoran William J. Davenport John Dawson Derek P. Desmond Colm A. Dobbin Bernard Doherty Stephen J. Elliot David J. Fitzgerald John Nicholas Fitzgerald John Peter Foley Peter J. Higgins Colm F. Higgins Thomas Kavanagh Seamus L. Keenan John K. King Dermot F. Morrissey John Brendan Mullen Neil P. Murphy Kieran K.

O’Donnell Mark C. O’Keeffe Gearóid E. Peruzzi Walter Rogers Barry W. Rowan Ivor P. Ryan Paul A. Sheridan Francis L. Smith Gerard P. Somerville Anthony G. Ward Ciarán A. Whooley Michael A. Davenport James M.

1974-1975 Acton Robert C. Anderson William M. Babel Bruno J. Brennan Francis V. Carroll Richard A. Crofts Brian G. Daly Francis X. Doris Ciaran S. Foley Finbar Körtenhorst Rutger Lennon Desmond McCabe Donagh A. McEoin Fergal P. McMahon James P. Murphy Desmond M. Nolan Stephen A. O’Neill Ronan W. O’Quigley Shaymus J. Phelan Bernard E. Power Seámus A. Reinhardt Sean Ryan Denis Sheridan Thomas J. Tennyson Dermot A. Walsh Patrick A. Cassidy Ciarán Colclough Michael T. Corcoran Edmund M. Davenport John M. Davitt Richard M. Donnellan Francis J. Hickey Paul M. Higgins Colm F. Hogan Padraig F. Kane Seamus C. Kenny Patrick C. Leavy Fergus T. McCaughey Niall A. McGrath John C. Macken Noel V. Murphy Peter A. O’Byrne Alan S. O’Neill Niall P. Pomphrett Patrick B. Ryan Niall P.

Smith James P. Whelan John E. Wyse Timothy David Butler Thomas Brennan Eoin P. Carr Fergus A. Chadwick Alan Dunbar Ciaran J. Fitzgerald James Francis Foran Colin F. Griffin Paul G. Hamilton Gerard F. Hayes Paul R. Higgins Richard W. Holst Michael P. Jackson Barry P. Keane Thomas P. Monks Gerard J. Murtagh Lawrence J. Nolan Michael Noone Kevin O’Loughlin Donal E. O’Malley Martin G. O’Shaughnessy Andrew P. Roe David John. Ryan Derek Scanlon Gerard F. Scully Alan J. Sinnott Martin Somers Dominic Somerville Mark S. Warren John Andrew

1975-1976 Boland Niall Patrick Brophy Richard Joseph Condon William Joseph Conway Philip Joseph Dowling Kieran John Earls Brendan Noel Grealy Michael Hugh Hart Kieran Mich Kearins Enda John Moran Thomas Mary Murphy Anthony Eugene O’Brien Richard Joseph O’Byrne Alan S. O’Connor Eric John O’Shea Peter Daniel Palmer Francis Noel Travers Paul Anthony Wall Karl John Walsh Martin Gerard Hogan Padraig F. Cantrell James Carroll Paul Condon Patrick Cooke David Coughlan Michael

Crossan Paul Cruite Sean Doyle John Elliot Fergus Fox John Harnett Kevin Hayes Brendan Hennessy David Morrissey Stephen Joseph Murphy Paul Raymond O’Dwyer William Eugene Quinn Richard Philip Rigney James Anthony Ryan Brendan Anthony Treacy Trevor Murray Aidan Jennings Sean Hughes Michael Keegan Anthony Keegan David Kirby Gerald Meldon Bernard O’Byrne Anthony O’Callaghan Brendan O’Donnell Gerard Phelan Barry Rumgay Paul Ryan Patrick Sherry Michael Traynor Michael Ashton Thomas E. Berkery John L. Byrne Paul Joseph Carroll Alan P. Coghlan Kevin G. Corcoran John Desmond Coughlan Timothy Joseph Coyne Peter John Damery Mark T. Davies Joseph Donohue John A. Dowd Fergus T. Farrelly John Patrick Fitzsimons Francis P. Judge Eamonn Paul Kavanagh John Anthony Kelly John Bernard Kennan Brian Charles Keogh Fergus Paul McCormick Brian Patrick McGroarty Bernard Joseph Moore John O’Connor Colm Gerard O’Connor Kieran Thomas O’Connor Leo Declan O’Driscoll Kieran James O’Mahony Brian Gerard Pigott Michael Francis Power Sean Declan

Quigley Finbar Joseph Rockford Donal Patrick Sheerin Aidan J. Chen MunOnn O’Leary Timothy John Bailey David English John S. Foley Finbar Halion Peter Colin Hickey Brian Hickey David Hurley David Kehoe Paul Lennon Desmond McCabe Denis McEvoy Raymond McMahon Patrick Mangan Joseph Martin Timothy O’Connell David O’Donnell Seámus O’Mahony Tiernan Pigott Kevin Prendergast Thomas Roberts Paul Shannon Noel Sheridan Richard Sullivan Patrick Whelan Bernard Martin Denis Broderick Daniel Diamond Seamus Hagan Patrick Hogan John O’Callaghan Anthony O’Shea Brendan O’Sullivan Gerard Stephens Francis Auerbach Otto Browne Denis Casey Enda Colclough Michael Convery Brian Cregan Stephen J. Donnellan Francis J. Doyle Mark English John Francis Farmer William James Gaul James Gerard Gleeson Philip A. Godfrey Padraig E. Hennigan Patrick Larkin John Lowth David Francis McMahon Brendan Thomas McKeown Patrick Joseph Malone James Peter Meagan Mark Bernard Meehan Christopher Patrick

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Brother Brendan O’Sullivan School Principal 1970-1977 Creating an Identity and setting the Standard

Brother Brendan O’Sullivan became Principal of St. Benildus College in 1970. He served as Principal for seven years before being transferred to De la Salle Raheny in 1977. He returned to the school however as Chairperson of the Board of Management for an extended period in the 1990s’. Brother Brendan was an exceptional Principal and an astute educationalist, a man who, in my view, did more than anyone to shape and form the College and its ethos. Now in retirement and in reasonable health, he lives in Castletown and will still enquire of visitors from Dublin with a wry smile “and how are things up there?” When he arrived in Kilmacud in 1970, Brother Brendan cut an impressive figure, tall and imposing in his long black soutane. Benildus was growing rapidly having started off with just one class of 22 pupils 4 years earlier. It was losing its cosy atmosphere and becoming a big school and into this maelstrom of change steps the new Principal. By 1977 when Brother Brendan leaves, pupil numbers have reached 880 and will stay above 900 right through the 70s’ and 80s’. The sudden growth is accentuated by the closure of sister De La Salle school, Roebuck College in Clonskeagh in 1975 and the relocation of its pupils and teachers to Benildus. New buildings are added in 1975 and the teaching Staff will rise to above 40. Free Secondary Education brings a new more ambitious and independent minded type of student and indeed teacher to the College. It was a challenging time to be in charge and Brother Brendan oversees this transformation efficiently and with some style working 24/7. He has said himself that in those days Benildus was a lively place full of expectation and promise. He enjoyed the vitality and enthusiasm of a big new school, feeding off the changing dynamic and the cut and thrust of a challenging role. I can still see him striding through the sports fields with that proprietorial air already looking like he owned the place. The students called him “the Boss” and the title fitted him well. He could be stern and formidable and both student and young teacher learned to dread the shadow that would sometimes descent on that handsome face. A tough disciplinarian, who didn’t suffer fools gladly, he was 22

effective in pulling the disparate strands of a new school together and in making it work. In a few short years he fashions a template and creates an identity for the school. An ethos of achievement built on hard work and discipline will be the hallmark of the College and this will be realised through his leadership, the structures he developed and the teachers he employed. Lacking all social pretention, he imbued the school with that democratic spirit, which is still its hallmark today. He sets the tone and standard firmly for Benildus and charts the course it will follow for the next 30 years. Brother Brendan was as tough and unbending in his dealings with the teachers as with the students so he can’t have been too surprised if relations with the Teaching Staff sometimes got a bit fractious and things a little heated. Combative Union Reps didn’t help much either and in hindsight cooler heads and a more pragmatic approach from both sides would have taken us all further. His sometimes provocative stances and uncompromising nature as a Principal had the long term effect of energising and unionising the teaching staff and of setting the tone of Staff Management relations for years to come. And in all fairness to Brother Brendan, although he could be brusque and off putting, that wasn’t the whole story. He knew that personality was required of a good teacher and he wasn’t afraid to employ those who disagreed with him or who had the whiff of cordite about them. However being late for Class on a Monday morning was an entirely different matter. Urbane and sociable, Brother Brendan was equally at home in the company of either men or women, and it was a real pity therefore that he didn’t employ more female teachers. It is no great mystery if in coming decades the culture of the

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

school was overtly male oriented. On a personal note I got H Dip hours from Brother Brendan in 1974 and that was start of a 40 year teaching career in the school. In that first interview, I remember his being fascinated about life in a Ranelagh flat and I probably told him more than I should. A proud Kerry man with a passionate interest in Gaelic Games, who rarely missed a Sunday in Croke Park, Brother Brendan is instrumental is making Benildus a force in Dublin Colleges Football. In 1974, the Under 17 Team, coached by young PE teacher Peter Connon, win the Dublin “A” Championship and the following year contest a Leinster Colleges Final against Leinster kingpins St. Mel’s of Longford. This team boasting the likes of Padraig Hogan, Declan Carr, Barry Foley and Mark Meegan is still regarded as one of the finest that ever represented the College. Other sports thrive as well, Hurling, Soccer, and Athletics but under his stewardship there is no place for rugby. Popular with parents and well known in the community he established strong links with local clubs and he set the Benildus Parents’ Association on a sound footing. By the time he leaves in 1977, his work is in one sense done. St Benildus College is no longer a work in progress; it has become in character and aspiration the school it continues to be today. Although always fortunate- with a well- motivated student cohort, Brother Brendan fashioned a learning environment which facilitated good teaching and excellent academic outcomes. And that template having been established in the school it would continue through the decades long after his departure. In 1988 Brother Brendan returned to the school as the first Chairperson of the newly constituted Board of Management. I served as a Teachers’ Representative in the 1990’s and beyond and had the opportunity to work with him and observe him. In the intervening years he had changed. For a start the soutane was gone and in its place a well cut dark suit. But the transformation ran deeper, the man had mellowed, and though still retaining his natural authority he had grown expansive and inclusive and had learned not only the language of Partnership but also understood its benefits. As Chairperson of the Board he was excellent; business was conducted efficiently in a civil and cordial atmosphere. One was aware of a formidable intellect at work and an astute

political brain: capable of quickly analysing and synthesising the most complex issue and all its ramifications and then moving on to focus on a solution. A patient listener, Brendan was a reconciling figure, always seeking to be diplomatic and keen to protect the reputation of the College and its students. When the Board of Management was faced with difficult issues, he made sure that every voice in the room was heard before a decision was reached. Unafraid to make tough choices in the interests of the school he was however conscious of the sensitivities of his former colleagues in the school and careful not to offend them. He also managed to keep his antipathy towards teachers unions well under wraps, at least most of the time anyway! Very much a man for the time and cognisant of what the moment required, Brother Brendan, as Chair of the Board of Management had a role in the appointment of Mr. Seán Mulvihill, the first non-religious Principal for the College in 1996. This appointment ushered in a new era for the College. Mr. Mulvihill, a man of foresight and drive, spearheaded a programme of modernisation for the College. Facilities and levels of resourcing improved for pupils and teachers and the College became more open and transparent. The practice of streaming students was abandoned, new initiatives were approved and an air of optimism returned. Brother very quietly acts as a conduit between the College and its owners, the De la Salle Order. Sometimes an unseen hand will smooth the way or help remove seemingly insurmountable obstacles and nobody will ever be in any doubt whose hand it was. In 2010 the College opened the Staffroom and Boardroom Suite and the State of the Art Sports Campus, both major projects, the results of the good relationship between a prescient Principal and an influential Chair. Although Brother Brendan’s contribution to the school over the years has been immense he has never claimed the least credit or sought the smallest recognition. Always proud to be associated with St. Benildus College, Brother Brendan is a remarkable man who helped to make the school what it is today and for whom that Gaelic phrase might have been fashioned “ ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís”. As he celebrates his 90th Birthday in 2017 we would like to wish him continued good health. Liam McLoughlin

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Seán Mulvihill School Principal

1996 – 2014

A New Beginning Seán Mulvihill was Principal from 1996 until his retirement 18 years later in 2014. He was the first non -religious principal for the College breaking with a tradition going back to the school’s foundation in 1966. His achievement is simply that he took an already good school and made it the great school it is today. By the time he arrived in September 1998 things in Benildus had grown a bit stale. Although still successful, the daily grind had dulled enthusiasm and 30 years of doing the same things in the same way had taken its toll. It was time for change and a bit of reinvention. Seán Mulvihill takes to the task with gusto. Reared on a farm in Longford and a survivor of Midland’s football, he wasn’t a man to shirk a challenge. He preached discipline and respect, honesty and hard work. He started work at the crack of dawn and went home after the sun had set. A major programme of refurbishment was undertaken, each summer new projects were completed and by degrees the College was modernised. Seán believed that since we were the best we should only have the best and he kept his word. His example prompted a positive response from student and teacher alike and a sense of optimism returned. New ideas were introduced and redundant work practices abandoned. The student and his needs took centre

stage. He persuaded the Teaching Staff to dump Class Streaming and the school took one giant step forward. Academic results improved all round, we became one of the top ranked schools in the country. And it wasn’t just about the clever clogs either, Student Support and Guidance Services were extended and a more nurturing approach was encouraged. His generous promotion of good ideas like the Art Purchase Scheme, the Academic Award’s Evening and the Run for Life Charity campaign gave the school an enviable uniqueness. Students were given a greater voice and taught a sense of social responsibility and their parents were made welcome at the school. Teachers were better resourced and encouraged to undertake further professional study and also the gender imbalance in the staff was gradually corrected. In 2010 the College opened a state of the art Staffroom and two years later the ultra-modern Sports Campus. And we became what we had often dreamed about. Yes, under Seán Mulvihill’s stewardship, St Benildus College became the great school it is today, confident, forward looking and assured. A great place for students to learn and for teachers to work, a peerless learning environment delivering what the man often described as, “The best education that money can’t buy”!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Kevin Tuohy Benildus Teacher and Gentleman Today we pay tribute to a true Benidus hero. Kevin Tuohy was a gentleman and a scholar, the exemplary professional, a great teacher and he was one of us. In his time in the College, 33 years, he ploughed the lonely furrow of selfless dedication to his craft. His students meant everything to him and he gave them 100 per cent. And when he felt he could no longer serve them as he wanted to, he walked away. We, the community of St. Benildus College, present and past, share the sense of sadness and shock at his death but also a keen sense of regret. We can articulate the sorrow, give expression to the loss yet we cannot but earnestly wish that Kevin was here with us today just to learn how truly he was appreciated and valued by those who worked with him, and in what high esteem he was held. There is an Irish seanfhocal, something about sending flowers to those who can smell them so I know that what follows comes in a sense too late. But Kevin, if you are listening and we know you are, sitting upstairs there in that Celestial Staffroom, working your way through the box set of Sinatra Concerts, allow me to attempt to show how much you meant to us here in St. Benildus College. My images of you Kevin in Benildus are striding purposefully down the Science Corridor, a bunch of copies under your arm. Arriving at class carrying that black executive brief case, there a good three minutes before anyone else had left the Staffroom. Or out in the school grounds, resplendent in that green and gold Benildus tracksuit, standing alongside Maurice McMahon as you officiated at yet another De la Salle Cross Country All Ireland. Or again, down in the Old Staffroom at Morning Break, cup of peppermint tea in hand and two biscuits -you grudgingly sometimes allowed yourself two biscuits - deep in discussion with Denis Morgan on the merits of the School Choir on Benildus Day. A well-grounded Dub, proud of his city and his Synge Street background, Kevin arrives at Benildus in 1978 to teach English, History and Religion. Mr. Tuohy is the consummate professional. Never misses a day. Regular as clockwork, each morning that Ford Fiesta rolls into the car park just before 8. Yearly mileage of the Ford Fiesta is 4000 miles and the car changed every three years. If the roads were bad Kevin took the bus or the Luas. There never was an excuse for not turning up for work and being late was inexcusable. Impeccably dressed, debonair in his matching jacket, shirt and tie Kevin cut an impressive figure. Clean shaven and clear eyed, fresh from the 6am swim in Glenalbyn, Kevin was ready to give his all for another day. Yes Kevin, you had style, a certain je ne sais quoi, which none of us could ever match. But if the shortcomings of his colleagues disappointed him, Kevin never said, he was far too polite for that, but it might have been noted as unprofessional and being unprofessional, was in Kevin’s eyes, the greatest sin.

Outstanding in his work, an exceptional teacher, Kevin believed that education was the kindling of a flame, the opening of minds. In his world his students came first and their concerns and their wellbeing took precedence over everything else. The lessons were well prepared, imaginative and effective. His students were treated daily to a performance and Kevin was always on top of his form. In English class, his students were the first to have the benefit of audio books and videos. He loved classical acting and the plays of Shakespeare and was particularly fond of Laurence Oliver’s Hamlet. His academic standards were high and he demanded much from his student, but his classes were lively and interesting and his exam results spoke for themselves. Kevin always gave 100 per cent and if students responded in kind, then all was well. Scrupulously fair but scathing of shoddy work and intolerant at perceived lack of effort Kevin could be a difficult taskmaster. Yet somehow students saw behind the teacher’s mask and readily recognised the kindness and inherent gentleness of the man. Speaking to past pupils since his death, as I have been, it is evident how much they enjoyed his classes and his classroom personality, a personality that was vibrant and funny, witty and charming. And in truth, and I do not say this lightly, they probably saw more of the real Kevin Tuohy than we his colleagues and friends ever did, and maybe more than Kevin was prepared to recognise in himself. Kevin’s Study Notes were legendary and his homework corrections meticulous and thorough. The stacks of copies being carried out each evening to the car put us all to shame. A former colleague in the English Department recalls, that once when offering Kevin free tickets for a play in the Abbey Theatre he was promptly told that Tuesday was `` copies night`` and that he couldn’t possibly disrupt his routine. Kevin Tuohy was a gentleman. John Henry Newman defines a gentleman “as one who never inflicts pain; one who avoids all clashing of opinion or collision of feeling –his great concern is to make everyone feel at ease.” And that was Kevin, unassuming and courteous and with a friendly word for everyone. In the Staffroom he fitted seamlessly into the background never involving himself with the controversies of the day and staying well clear of the big personalities as they jostled for position. He was popular and well liked and great company on a social occasion. And he was loyal. A good Union member who never missed a meeting or a vote and never shrank from picket duty. Then we look at Kevin’s massive contribution to the extracurricular life of College over all the years. As a young teacher Kevin coached tennis. In fact one of his students, Neil Wilson, represented Ireland quite recently on a Masters Team. Kevin loved tennis, revelling in its order and decorum. He then went on to involve himself from the late 1970’s with Cross Country and Athletics.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

For the next 15 years or so, Kevin along with Maurice McMahon established Benildus College as the premier force in Cross Country Running not alone in Leinster but in the 32 Counties of Ireland. Their coaching, a winning blend of Maurice’s persuasive skills and Kevin’s gift for organisation and work ethic herald’s great days for Benildus and under their guidance we win Leinster and All Ireland Championships on a nearly annual basis beginning in 1985 with an Under 17 All Ireland. Running becomes a major sport in the College with participation levels rivalling those of soccer and Gaelic Football. Each January, Maurice and Kevin host the De La Salle All Irelands drawing schools to Kilmacud from the 32 counties. The very finest of our sportsmen are proud to wear the green singlet and plough through muddy fields in often atrocious weather at the bidding of Kevin and Maurice. And success followed, as day does night, Leinster Titles, All Ireland Titles, and International Honours. Athletes had their own tracksuit, and some of you may remember it, green with a gold strip down the side. Kevin was, as an athletics coach, as in everything else, scrupulously honest and fair and any form of subterfuge or sleight of hand would be completely beneath him. Winning was important, but it came honourably. ``The College``, he once told me ``would always be represented by gentlemen``. Kevin also involved himself in the running of Schools Athletics in Leinster, a mammoth task of organisation and administration and he brought the Leinster Cross Country Championships to the school grounds on more than one occasion. Kevin was, as we know, remarkably fit, possessing for many years the heart rate of a professional athlete. In younger days it was the running,

He just didn’t have the same energy anymore and he found the full teaching day more tiring. He wasn’t interested in job sharing which might have helped him. For Kevin if he couldn’t do it properly then he wouldn’t do it at all... And so in 2010 he retires, walking away from a life that had occupied him fully for 33 years and that had given him so much satisfaction. We know he found that break hard and that he missed the school and the students terribly and it does trouble us that he wasn’t given the time to resolve all this and to come to us here in Benildus. And your friends and colleagues regret that we didn’t have the opportunity to do more for you. But that is life and we cannot alter it now. But rest assured Kevin, your spirit will live on in St Benildus College as we get ready to celebrate our 50th Anniversary, in the sound values you fostered, in the students you inspired, in the countless athletes you trained and in the memories that you have left us. You were, as everyone knows, a great Frank Sinatra fan and I would like to conclude with the words of one of your favourite songs. I planned each charted course; Each careful step along the byway, But more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew.

``purely recreational`` as he would say and then later on it was the swimming. In winter he swam in the Glenalbyn Pool and when the light improved he swam out at the Forty Foot. He never minded the cold, just the dark, I once heard him say. In his forties he developed an interest in hill walking and from then on every weekend was spent in the mountains. He became expert at this, enjoyed the social interaction, making many new friends, learnt map reading and orienteering skills and ended up planning and leading many strenuous Grade One Walks. Serious illness some years ago changed everything and Kevin’s recuperation is slow. It must have been difficult for someone who demanded so much of himself to find that he could no longer do things to his own satisfaction. We know that this pained him intensely but he never lost his good humour.

But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall; And did it my way. Thanks Kevin, rest easy.

Appreciation spoken by Mr Martin Johnson, School Principal, at the Memorial Service for Kevin, St Benildus College, April 14th 2016.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

St. Benildus College A LaSallian School Here in St. Benildus College we are extremely proud of our LaSallian heritage and ensure we instil our LaSallian ethos throughout school life and within the lives of students who enter our doors each year. We subscribe to the religious and educational philosophy of the De la Salle Order who founded this school in Kilmacud in 1966. Our LaSallian ethos derives from the educational philosophy of a very important figure to our college, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, who began this order wishing to provide a quality education for the whole person. Saint John Baptist de La Salle was a French man, who was born into a wealthy family in 1651. A very religious man, he became Canon of Rheims Cathedral at the young age of 16, and was later ordained a priest in 1678. Throughout his life he witnessed great poverty in France and was aware that the only way to break this cycle of suffering for many families was to educate the youth of the country, providing them some hope for their future. He brought together a group of laymen, forming a community of brothers who would go on to offer free education to young boys who could not afford it. To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, moved in with the teachers, renounced his position as Canon and his wealth, and so formed the community that became known as the De La Salle Brothers. Despite opposition, De la Salle and his LaSallian brothers established a network of free schools throughout the country that taught a broader curriculum to students in their vernacular. He and his community went on to found teacher training colleges as well as a number of technical and secondary schools. After his death in 1719, his great work continued on in his name and spread throughout the entire world. In 1950, John Baptist de La Salle was made the patron saint of all who work in education, a fitting title for a man who made such a huge contribution to the education of many. Our college was named after LaSallian brother, Saint

Benildus. Born Pierre Romancon, he joined the De la Salle order in 1820. A devoted and deeply religious teacher he spent most of his life working in a village in south eastern France. By day his school catered for students of all abilities while by night he offered classes for adults. Brother Benildus, who was known to do â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;extraordinary things extraordinarily wellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was made a saint in 1967. St. Benildus College is one of many schools within this LaSallian community. Within Ireland, we are part of a community of fifteen LaSallian schools throughout the country. LaSallian schools can be found in over 80 countries with almost 1,000,000 students throughout the world. Each student who attends St. Benildus College is part of this local, national and international community graduating as not only a Benildus student but a LaSallian student also. The LaSallian ethos espouses virtues which stem from the five core principles of LaSallian education. These principles are faith in the presence of God, to provide a quality education, to promote and to show respect for all persons, to create and encourage an inclusive community at all times, and to instil concern for the poor and for Social Justice. These values are intrinsic to our educational mission which aims to foster the intellectual, physical, social and moral development of all our students, preparing them for the world that will greet them as they leave St. Benildus College as

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

young men. We promote the holistic development of all pupils, encouraging politeness, confidence and selfesteem which we feel are core elements of education also. Our LaSallian ethos is incorporated throughout our daily school lives in both obvious and discreet ways. Our exceptionally hardworking and dedicated staff provide a quality education for our students with our religious ethos permeating school life through prayer services and the celebration of various masses throughout the school year. Perhaps one of the most obvious LaSallian activities is our annual, student led, charity fundraising campaign, Run for Life, which raises awareness among our students of social justice issues and the need to help others who require it most in the world. Since its inception in 2002, we have witnessed the development of special qualities such as leadership, benevolence and social awareness in our students, raising over €600,000 for charity throughout this time. Local, national and international charities such as Special Olympics Ireland, St. Vincent de Paul, Médecin Sans Frontiéres, Pieta House and many, many more have benefitted from the effort of our students and entire school community throughout this time. The pastoral care of our students is of upmost importance with students attending retreats throughout the year. Our LaSallian Week took place before Christmas with a special emphasis on our ‘Pay it

Forward Scheme’ which encouraged students to take part in random acts of kindness throughout the week, placing kindness, gratitude and respect at the forefront of our minds. Our zero tolerance attitude towards bullying was promoted in a recent video created by our Student Council entitled ‘I am Unique.’ This video was extremely successful in portraying the importance of each and every person within our school community and how our differences should be loved and celebrated creating an inclusive environment. This was echoed once again in our LGBTQ+ week in school focusing on the importance of respect and equality for all. Our LaSallian

Wellness Initiative each year focuses on fostering the care of our students’ physical and mental health and we encourage our pupils to develop their relationship with our wider community through Transition Year activities, our annual ‘United through Sports Day’ and many more events throughout the school year. These are only some of the many ways in which our LaSallian spirit travels throughout the corridors of St. Benildus College each day, inspiring us all to be the best people we truly can be. This LaSallian tradition which began with one French man, lives on today in the lives of so many and will live on for many more years to come in St. Benildus College.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Past Pupil Interview Mr M. Johnson Mr. Johnson, you have been in St. Benildus College longer than anyone else. How does that make you feel? Tell us, how did it come about? It sometimes makes me feel like a dinosaur! But not yet extinct. I came to Benildus as a first year in 1969, Leaving Certificate 1974, teacher training 1977/78 and became a teacher in 1978. Deputy Principal in 2001 and Principal in 2014. Johnsonaurus Rex! What are your memories of the 60’s and early 70’s in Benildus as a teenager? What are the particularly happy ones? My teenage years in St. Benildus College were thankfully very enjoyable – remember, no mobile phones, no social media but real friends, great laughs – Horslips, Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher – legendary times. You were very involved in extracurricular activities. Could you tell us what you did? Was sport as big in the life of teenagers then as now? I was involved in the school magazine “Forum”, played as many sports as possible and in Fifth Year we had a drama group and produced a number of comedy dramas in which I acted, very badly, but enjoyed the experience. Did any particular teacher(s) influence you? All my teachers left an impression on me! I suppose my love of history was sparked by Mr. Maurice McMahon with his own unique style and passion for the subject. You left Benildus for a few years and went down to UCD. What prompted you to study History? I always had an interest in and love of History so it was quite natural that I would study history at Third Level. Why did you choose to become a teacher? Was it a good choice? If you hadn’t become a teacher what might you have become? Following an Arts Degree in History and Economics in UCD there was a natural progression to teacher training and so I returned to Benildus to do my H. Dip hours. My first class was a Fifth Year ordinary level History class and I was only about four years older than the students. It was a tough baptism of fire but I survived and took to teaching enthusiastically. If I was not a teacher I like to think I would have signed a professional contract for Chelsea or more likely become a pen pushing Civil Servant. For many years you taught History and Economics. Did you find it satisfying? Would you recommend teaching as a career? Both History and Economics encourage one to view the world with a critical eye and it was very interesting to experience young students gain an insight into the world around them. Teaching can be very satisfying and enjoyable but requires great energy and resilience today. As a History Teacher what did you make of our students’ response to the 1916 Commemorations, their re-enactment of Easter Week etc.? The 1916 commemorations in St. Benildus were hugely impressive - the participants and their audience, I believe, got a great deal out of the experience. In my opinion it was one of the greatest contributions by the History Department to the College. You were highly regarded as a football coach landing us our First “A” Dublin title. What did you learn from your involvement in coaching students? I had the honour of coaching the College under 14 Gaelic Football Team to the Dublin Championship in 1990. Ray Cosgrove received the trophy in the Hogan Stand in Croke Park as captain and it gave me great satisfaction to see him and many other players go on to represent Dublin at the highest

level. Involvement with school teams provided me with some of my favourite memories of the school. As School Principal, have you a particular vision for St. Benildus College? How would you describe the ethos of your school? As Principal I see the College as providing an invaluable service to the community – a continuous presence in Kilmacud as the educational central hub catering for hundreds of students every year. A student’s experience in St. Benildus goes beyond the academic. I believe for most it develops social, cultural and spiritual values. It is when lasting friendships are forged and memories are made. The key element of our Lasallian ethos is mutual respect for all members of the school community where everyone has a voice which will be heard. St. Benildus College is a successful school. What are the hallmarks of a successful school? I believe our success as a school is best seen in the relationships between all the stakeholders in the school community. The positive support and attitude of parents, teachers, students, trustees, past pupils and past teachers and all associated with school is the hallmark of success. Is the Lasallian ideal important to you? The Lasallian ideal is very important and is more significant than ever in the context of the school and the challenges young people face in society today. It is vital today that our students feel valued, supported and trusted so that they can live a fulfilled life. How well do you think the school fits into the local community? The links that the school has with the local community through sports clubs, Run for Life, United through Sports Day, Transition Year initiatives, Rás Benildus and Past Pupils are stronger than ever in my opinion. Do you find it gratifying that the College is the school of choice for the sons of so many past pupils? It does not really surprise me that so many of our past pupils are sending their sons to the College. It proves that we have a high reputation and provide an education and experience which is valued by the families we have served. What pleases you most about the College? This year’s Leinster Football Title and two past pupils on the Dublin Senior Team must reflect well on the College, don’t you think? It pleases me to see students happy and ready to learn. Their sense of achievement in academic results and extra curricular success gives great satisfaction. The Leinster title and so many successful Past Pupils in all walks of life are something to be proud of. It is also gratifying to witness the involvement of all staff in so many activities in school life outside of the classroom. How do you see the future of the College? What are the biggest challenges? The College will continue the tradition of providing the best quality education to our students into the future. Whatever challenge we face there is a wealth of talent and experience to draw on and I am confident we will overcome any difficulty posed. Having spent your life in Education, when were you happiest? 1973/74 Friday afternoon, age 17, NME – discovering Springsteen, the best homemade chips any mother could cook for lunch. Mr. Kelly’s Sixth Year English class, T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock, friends planning for the weekend, Marillac girls, match on Sunday ---- I can still smell those chips! What words of advice would you give young people? Life your life, no one else can!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Mr. O. MacEoin When you were here as a pupil, did you ever dream that one day you would be Deputy Principal? Never! I thought I wanted to be a journalist but fate intervened. After the Leaving Cert I did an Arts degree in UCD followed by the H Dip. I did my teaching practice here at St. Benildus College and many years later I am still here and I am very happy to be. What are your happiest memories of your school days here? Were you ever

in trouble? My happiest memories involve the laughs we, the students, used to have and also the wonderful qualities of the teachers. Many of them were fantastic raconteurs and entertainers. Stories of daily life at St. Benildus College, particulary the humourous moments and the colourful turn of phrase of many of the teachers, dominated the dinner table discussions in the Mac Eoin household for many a year (my three younger brothers also attended the College). Did you make many friends in your time here? I always had a wide circle of friends during my time as a student here. As I evolved I moved from one group to another but I always remained friendly with everyone. I was always interested in sport so I would regularly chat to the sporty guys but my (ever-changing) identity was shaped by whatever music I was ‘into’ at the time. As a first year I was a Madonna fan but by the time I was in Sixth year I had become obsessed with The Cure, The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cocteau twins etc. Did any particular teacher influence you? How? They all did in one way or another. Mrs. Kennedy my Inter Cert French teacher was incredibly kind, understanding and encouraging. Mr. Daly my Leaving Cert French teacher was a real master of his craft. He was terrifying and thrilling in equal measure! Mr. O’Sullivan, who taught me Geography was (and still is) a font of knowledge, we were all in awe of the fact that he had an encyclopedic level of expertise on any subject. The late Mr. Tuohy taught me English and History for the Leaving Cert and he had a huge influence over me. His hard work and dedication, his passion for teaching, his extensive vocabulary, coupled with his love of unusual phrases kept me spellbound and left a lasting impression. He was a real gentleman who genuinely cared about his students, he was a truly inspirational teacher. Mr. McMahon, my Year Head, was an incredibly strong and positive role model for me. During my time as a student in the College I was taught by Mr. Power, Mr Crowley and Mr. Griffin. All three were incredible Irish teachers but Mr. Power changed my life. He saw that I had an ability for the language even though I was in a ‘B’ class. He did something very unusual and arranged for me to move up to Mr. Crowley’s class when I was in my Inter Cert year. This was practically unheard of at the time and I have told Mr. Power on more than one occasion that I owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Were you involved in extracurricular activities? Not as much as I should have been! I made the Cross Country team but decided not to participate which was a mistake of gargantuan porportions! I really enjoyed the Club Gaelach, a social club that met weekly and attended social events and all the chat was of course ‘as Gaeilge’ – bhain mé sásamh an diabhail as! I also thoroughly enjoyed Mr. McLoughlin’s Creative Writing competition. I was not good enough at the time to make any of the school soccer teams, the standard was and still is incredibly high, but I kept at it and I like to think I improved a bit with age!

You are a very committed teacher of Irish. Where did you get that particular grá? I had an incredible teacher when I was in second class in Johnstown primary school, his name was Mr. Slattery. After a year in his class my family moved to Sandyford and I was surprised and delighted to learn that my level of Irish was a bit ahead of that of the other students in my class at St. Mary’s N.S. As I’ve already mentioned I had a wonderful experience here in terms of learning Irish. While studying Irish at UCD I fell in love with the Conamara dialect and the rest is history! I will say that my grá for Gaeilge and my desire to immerse my self in continues to grow with each passing year. How do you view the teaching of Irish in the College? Do you think the more oral focused approach makes it more enjoyable? I think that Roinn na Gaeilge is one of the strongest departments in the College. The teachers are fabulous. The enhanced focus on oral communication is hugely significant, evident by the fact that we now have three higher level classes at Leaving Cert level. Cosúil le Raifteirí an File táim ‘lán dóchais agus grá’. You were a very successful football coach. Could you tell us about your achievements with College teams? I have been very fortunate to have worked with a massive number of incredibly talented, focused and hard working players during my time as a soccer coach at the College. The boys won league and cup titles at county, provincial and national levels. Our participation at the Schools World Cup in Sardinia in 1999 was an obvious highlight. It is brilliant to see that there is still a huge depth of soccer talent amongst the student body and that they continue to bring home the trophies on a very regular basis. Long may it last! Who was the best player you saw in a Benildus jersey? And you can’t say Mr Richard Sadlier! Now that is a tough question! So many supremely talented players! Richie Sadlier was in Sixth Year when I started so in truth I did not see much of him playing for the College. As I metioned earlier I was lucky enough to have worked with some incredible players down through the years. Many of them have gone on to play in the League of Ireland, some of them have even turned professional. If I have to pick one, I suppose that player should come from the all-conquering team that won Leinster and All-Ireland cups at U14, U16 and U18 levels and that represented Ireland at the World Schools Cup in Sardinia in 1999. For me the most exciting player of that era was Barry Renwick. He scored 104 goals for the College in just 5 years. On his home début he scored 9 goals in our 11-1 victory over Pobalscoil Ísolde. He was a very special talent. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann! Do you think that Sport is important in the life of a school? It is vital. I wish I had understood that properly when I was a student here myself. Sport and academics go hand in glove. They compliment each other perfectly. Studying and applying yourself to your lessons, that is a student’s job, and it is an enjoyable one, but for me, sport, that is the passion. It really is the icing on the cake! You were a founding member of Run for Life, our Charity Initiative which in the past 15 years has raised more than 600,000 Euro for worthy Causes. Where does RFL fit into the life of the school? Is the idea of social responsibility important to you? Run for Life is a firmly established part of the fabric of life at St. Benildus College. The Lasallian virtues of helping others and of showing kindness are virtues that are taught to and learned by all members of the Benildus community. Learning social responsibility is crucial. It is as important for students as academic progress, in fact it is more important. Long after students forget their theorems and their tuiseal ginideach they remember the importance of lending a hand, or a smile, or a kind word, or the significance of extending a hand of friendship to someone who might be gong through a difficult time. That is what education is all about. That for me is the Benildus way.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Mr. O. MacEoin (Continued) Do you enjoy being Deputy Principal? Is it a difficult job? What gives you the greatest satisfaction as DP? I am really enjoying the challenge of being Deputy Principal. It is a difficult job. There is no end to the work but I thoroughly enjoy it. Satfisfaction comes from happy, healthy students achieving their potential. Thankfully I get to share in that every single day.

What are the biggest challenges for the College in the Future? Trying to maintain the incredibly high standards of excellence set by Mr. Mulvihill and Mr. Johnson and by all the former teachers of the College. What advice have you got for young people? Realise the importance of a good work ethic as early as possible in life. Develop a love of reading and be a life long learner. Stay healthy and think positively and you will be happy. Accept that there are certain things in life that you will never be able to control or change. Laugh as often as you can. Be good to your family. Above all else, be kind.

Do you and Mr. Johnson share a vision of the College? Yes! Mr. Johnson puts it very well when someone says to him, ‘ah sure Benildus was always a great school’. He agrees but he says that in recent years, ‘Benildus is a great school for even more of its students than ever before’. That is the vision, to continue to make Benildus a learning environment that is second to none and to try to ensure that each year more and more of our students have an overwhelmingly positive experience in the College as they progress, develop and mature.

Mr. P. Fahy When you were here as a pupil, did you ever dream/think that you would one day be back here teaching? I was a student here in the 1980’s and to come back as a teacher is an entirely different experience. I didn’t think I would be a teacher when I left. In fact I didn’t know at all what I wanted to do but I did want to go to college which thankfully gave me a few years to mature and decide on what career path I wanted. Did you make many friends in your time here? At Benildus I made a lot of friends but there is only three I’m still in contact with which is a bit sad. So many of them don’t even live in Dublin as many emigrated. Were you involved in extracurricular activities? I was involved in the school soccer team and played left back (in the dressing rooms) or left wing mostly and played schoolboys for Mount Merrion. I also played Chess and am amazed and delighted that Mr. Scott is still involved. Did you ever find yourself in trouble during your time here? They didn’t have any pink or blue forms when I was here so officially I was NEVER in any kind of trouble...officially! Has St. Benildus College changed much since your time here as a student? Benildus has changed so much from when I was here. I came back as a teacher 11 years ago and a

lot of the staff had just retired (how they knew I was coming back I don’t know). There were some teachers who were still here and Mr Touhy was the most welcoming and friendly. The major changes have been the incredible facilities, the new staff room and the number of female staff. There was one female member of staff here when I was a student, the saint-like Mrs. Kennedy. Now about half of the staff is female putting up with the other half. Another example of change in the college is the almost professional air brought to all areas of sport by the students and staff. This is obviously reflected in the success the college consistently has. So far I’ve been lucky to have been involved in Leinster and Dublin winning teams and I’m still nowhere near as successful as some other managers at the school. What is the best part of your job here in St. Benildus? One of the great rewards at working in St. Benildus is the Year head position I was privileged to get a few years ago. It is a genuine pleasure to see young lads coming here from primary school and developing and maturing into young men. What advice have you got for young people? I would advise all students to only ever commit themselves academically and professionally to something they enjoy and feel passionate about and never pick something they think they ‘should’ do. All students should try to enjoy everything that’s going on in the college - a range of different extra-curricular activities, good friends, modern, top class facilities and committed and dedicated staff. I’m not saying these will be the best days of your lives but enjoy them as best you can.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Past Pupil Interviews Richie Sadlier When did you attend St Benildus College? 1991-1996. I skipped TY because I was keen to get to England as quickly as possible. Coming down from Ballinteer, you were part of a fairly tight group. Did that bond of friendship help along the way? Yep, my best mates from primary school all came to Benildus, and the lads I met when I got there are still my best mates today. I’ve a photo in my kitchen of ten of us in our school uniform from 1995 and we’re all still regularly in touch today. What are your memories of your time here? I’ve got loads! I loved playing for the school, both soccer and GAA. Mr Johnston’s teamtalks before games were pretty awesome. My best mates did the same subjects as me so being in class was usually great craic. You were allowed play football in the yard back then so every lunchtime I’d be in there tearing around the place. Even the cycle to school with mates was good craic. Which subjects interested you most? I was decent enough at Maths, and once I had Mr. McMahon for History in the Leaving Cert I loved it. I found the whole thing fascinating. In Benildus did you play Gaelic as well as soccer? Yep, and I loved it. I was a full-back for Ballinteer St. Johns, but usually played as a midfielder/half-forward for the school. In terms of enjoyment, I loved both equally. Did any particular teacher influence you? I somehow managed to get an A in honours maths in the Junior Cert which was solely down to Joe Ryan’s teaching and personality. You waited until after you had done a good Leaving Cert to go Cross Channel to play professionally. Would you advise young aspiring professional soccer players to do the same?

I turned down a 2 year contract to go over in the summer of fifth year. I was advised of the importance of doing the Leaving Cert so I stayed. I think it’s a personal choice for everyone, and you have to weigh up the wider impact of staying or going on your education, family, social and football life. What will suit some won’t suit others.

Tell us about your days at Millwall. It must have been some culture shock coming from South Dublin? Initially it was tough. I wasn’t making much progress and missed home. I came close to packing it all in after six months. It’s a really tough club and you have to adjust to that. Once I did, I loved it. We trained in the morning and were free each day after lunch. It’s a great lifestyle being so physically fit and active, especially when you love doing it as much as I did. It’s a unique place, Millwall. There probably isn’t another club like it anywhere. Once you’re accepted by the fans – which took me a few years – it felt like home. How long did you play for Millwall? Was the Club successful in those days? Tell us about your good days. The good days are beyond description. Imagine doing what you love every day when it’s going really well. I was as happy as could be. There are challenges, obviously, particularly at a club like Millwall, but I loved it. I was there from 2/8/96 until 3/9/03, but spent way more time in the physio room than I would have liked. Lots of family and friends visited me regularly, and some lived with me in London for periods, so I felt like I had the best of both worlds. Bad days are horrendous, though – again, particularly at a club like Millwall! It is spoken of with great pride that when you won your First International Cap, you returned to Benildus and presented the College with your Irish Jersey-now displayed in the foyer. The school obviously meant a lot to you? Absolutely. I used to get messages of support from teachers in the early years in England which meant a lot. They’d often invite me back so I was delighted to be able to visit the school that morning and share such a happy occasion with them.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Past Pupil Interviews Richie Sadlier (Continued) Your career was cut short cruelly by a repeated injury. How did you deal with all this mentally? Looking back I could have handled it a lot better but I suppose I did the best I could at the time. I generally just pretended to everyone I was fine which was far from the truth. I got drunk as much as I could to help me forget what was happening. After a while I dropped the macho act and saw a therapist which was one of the best decisions I’ve made. It helped me loads. You are now a wellknown TV pundit sharing a studio with Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady. Do you enjoy this work? Did you get on well with John Giles? I love it now, and feel very comfortable working there. It took a while getting used to sitting with Bill, John, Liam and Eamon because I remember watching them on TV when I was a kid. They were really welcoming initially, John in particular. He met me to give me advice and help and would often ring me to chat about how things were going for me. I tend not to pay any attention to what people say on social media about me, which in a job like that is a huge help! As well as having a Masters in Sports Psychology you have studied and practice as a psychotherapist? What drew you particularly to those fields? I’ve a BSc in sports science, a HDip in counselling & psychotherapy and an MA in psychotherapy. I’m currently doing a Diploma in adolescent psychotherapy too. I had a positive experience of therapy myself which planted a seed long ago. I figured the job would be challenging, enjoyable and immensely rewarding and I was right. Tell us about the TY Module you teach in Benildus. It runs for six weeks. Just like you can get your body to perform differently by working on your physical fitness, you can get your

mind to perform differently by tending to your mental fitness. It’s a really simple concept. We cover areas that are relevant to the students – social skills, self-awareness, help-seeking behaviour, confidence, motivation, empathy and many others. We discuss suicide and counselling and many things they may never have spoken about before. More than anything, the aim is to begin a conversation between them all that will continue long after I’m gone. Good mental health is important, but how can it be taught? I generally start by saying how relevant the area is to everyone, regardless of academic ability or career aspirations. Once they see that, they start to look at ways in which they themselves can mind themselves a little better in this area. What works for one person mightn’t work for the next so it’s very much a personal issue. For lads in particular, it’s helpful to tease out their hang-ups around masculinity because this can have a big bearing on their behaviour in this area. ‘Because I’m a lad’ is the most common reason given for not telling someone what’s really going on, and that needs to be challenged. Do you enjoy being back teaching in your Alma Mater? How do the students react to you? I love being there and the class I teach is the highlight of my working week. I do my best to create a very relaxed atmosphere, reminding the students to say as much or as little as they want about any topic whenever I’m there. Nobody is allowed call me sir, which some lads just never get used to. What advice do you give young people? I tend to hold back on giving advice. Young people have enough adults in their lives that tell them what to do. I prefer to listen to how they are and help them tease out for themselves how to handle what they’re going through.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

David Gillick When did you attend St Benildus College? 1996-2001. Coming down from Ballinteer, you were part of a fairly tight group. Did that bond of friendship help along the way? Absolutely. The friends I had in Ballinteer are still some of my friends today but the great thing about Benildus is there were no ‘clicks’, everyone was just friends with everyone. What are your memories of your time here? I have so many! Mainly just enjoying my school years and having a good laugh with my friends. I made friends for life there and we still laugh and reminisce about our time there. Which subjects interested you most? Obviously, sport payed a huge part but I loved Geography and Economics. In Benildus you played football as well as being a topclass runner. Did you enjoy all sports? Yes, I think one of the main reasons I had the running career I did was because I played so many different sports. Mainly soccer and GAA and I played GAA up until I was 19 when I decided to go full time into running. I think going fulltime quite late on in age extended my career both physically and mentally. There are a lot of qualities I gained from playing GAA that transferred to my athletics so I’ve always felt it important to do a variety of sports. Did any particular teacher influence you? Both Mr. McMann and Mr. MacEoin, solely down to the fact that I went through a few years when I didn’t win a lot at athletics but both teachers kept cross country alive in Benildus and being a part of this team kept me in the sport. What did you do after leaving Benildus? I went onto D.I.T and gained a degree in Business Studies. When I moved to Loughborough in the UK I did a masters in Sports management and I’m currently doing a certificate in Sport Psychology. Tell us how you become a professional athlete? I went to my first major championships in 2002 at the World Juniors in Jamaica and it was

here I got the bug for athletics. From then on I focused solely on athletics and made a lot of sacrifices when I finally became European Indoor champion in 2005. When I finished my degree in 2006 I decided to make a move to the UK and give everything to my sport. I didn’t want to have any regrets. You were twice European Indoor 400 Metres Champion. Were you conscious at the time of how proud everybody in Ireland was of your achievement? Being honest, probably not at the time as I was in my own little bubble. I realised how excited people who knew me were but it was the excitement of the wider public that shocked me. I was proud that my achievement showcased where I was from, the school I went to and the athletics club I was in but I don’t think you realise the effect it has when you’re in the moment. You represented Ireland at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Could you describe the Olympic experience? By the way, you are the College’s sole Olympian to date and we are very proud of you. Becoming an Olympian is by far one of my proudest achievements, it was something I had dreamed of as a young boy and for that dream to be realised was the most incredible moment. To run in Beijing in the Bird’s Nest was amazing and it’s only now I’m older and look back on those times I appreciate them and realise what an honour it was to be at an Olympics. Professional sport is hard and running is a lonely business. You must have been tough mentally to see it through. Did you ever doubt yourself? It is an individual sport in terms of competing but I have a great team of people behind me from coaches to physios and nutritionists. You have to be selfish to compete at that world class level as you need to be able to make many personal sacrifices; missing family birthdays, weddings, christenings, but thankfully my family have always been incredibly supportive. I would describe myself as determined and incredibly focused but as I’m sure many athletes do, those thoughts of doubt would sometimes edge in. You must be mentally strong enough to push them out and believe in yourself.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

How did you end up cooking on Celebrity Master Chef, winning the Competition and the hearts of all Irish women? I was in Australia at the time and got the call from RTÉ, my first reaction was 100% yes! I’ve always loved the show, but as reality set in I won’t lie, I seriously doubted myself and worried I would bomb out in the first round! To go on and win was so unexpected and came at a time when I was injured and feeling low so it meant so much more to me. Regarding winning the hearts of Irish women...well not quite sure what to say about that!

You retired from professional running 4 years ago, yet came back to the track in 2016, almost qualifying with the 400m Relay team for Rio? Why did you return to competitive running? Are you still competing? In truth, I missed athletics and the buzz I got from training and competing. In January 2016, I decided to start training again for my own enjoyment and to keep fit. I would be lying if I said racing wasn’t in my mind but I got fit very quickly and after a few races I qualified for the European Championships in Amsterdam. The main goal at this point was to be part of a 4-man team to qualify for the 4x400m relay for the Rio Olympics. In the end, we missed out by a hairs width but it was still an amazing buzz to be out there competing on that stage again. I want some more of that in 2017. Have you changed as you got older? I would be worried if I hadn’t! As a new dad, this has been my biggest life change to date and my priorities and goals are totally different to when I was a 25 years old. I’m enjoying this new phase of my life.

You teach Cookery in Benildus now and help out with the Athletics Coaching? Do you enjoy being back in Benildus? Would you like to teach? I love being back at Benildus and have always enjoyed the cooking and running with the students. I have often thought about teaching as I do enjoy the coaching side of Athletics but right now I’m happy coming in and helping out where I can.

What advice would you give young people in Benildus? Someone once said to me to enjoy school as they are the best days of your life, and this is very true. Enjoy it and make the most of every opportunity. What advice would you give young athletes? Stick at it, it’s not always going to be plain sailing but if you love it, give it everything. It’s always worth it in the end.

The First Hurling Team to play in Competition - 1969 The first team to represent St Benildus College in Hurling - April 26th 1969 against Crumlin CBS: John O’Connor; Ronan King; Michael McGarry; Stephen McCafferty; Maurice Pratt; Eugene Smith; Jimmy Freely; John Piggott; Gerry Shanley; Anthony Hegarty; Dessie O’Sullivan; Donagh O’Brien; Michael Tobin: Aidan Goulding; Niall O’Flynn. SPORTING FACTS

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Mr. B. Cuffe

When you were here as a pupil, did you ever dream/think that you would one day be back here teaching? I certainly did, though at the time, it just struck me as a career with good holidays; which could benefit humanity to boot. I remember showing younger students tricks in chess at lunchtime, and getting a genuine kick from it. What are your happiest memories of your school days here? My happiest memories were almost exclusively with the chess club: Various speedy, weirdly adrenaline-inducing games at lunchtimes, the hardest of hard fought victories against rival schools (Mostly Gonzaga), and, of course, the annual pilgrimage to Millfield. Did any particular teacher influence you? How? It was in Mr. Fahy’s class that I learned that liking a teacher is not the same as learning from them. The man was terrifying, and very, very good at his job. Mr. Scott taught me a game I love to this day. More then that, he teaches with an eccentric, infectious enthusiasm which has generated countless chess stars, and which I try to embody in every class I teach. Were you involved in extracurricular activities? Chess was very much my pet extracurricular. I also had a brief dalliance with the debating team, along with the usual ensemble of T.Y. adventures.

Where did you get a particular love for your subjects? Now I think back, I’m not sure. I probably fell in love with English sometime around 5th year. Music had been a passion since well before secondary school. Has St. Benildus College changed much since your time here as a student? I see countless changes; but I can’t figure out if these are simply caused by my own vantage point changing. Apart from the obvious upgrades in facilities and technology, I see a better atmosphere among the students. They seem happier. Better to each other. I was probably in 4th year or later when I first heard the word ‘homophobic’; our current batch of students seems to be compassionate, genuine young men with an enhanced awareness of each other’s dignity. Have you ever thought about a different career? If so, what? My inner child still wants to be a rock star. That said, if I wasn’t a teacher I’d probably have tried to become a professional musician, and gravitated in turn to teaching guitar lessons full-time. What is the best part of your job here in St. Benildus? The lessons themselves, no question. More specifically, it’s those particular moments: When a whole room are genuinely interested. When a student asks a great question, and I give a great answer. When I can see a penny drop in a student’s mind. When I can see real progress in front of me. What advice have you got for young people? In the words of two of the best educators of the current age: “Don’t forget to be awesome.” (Hank & John Green)

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

1960’s St Benildus College The First Ten Years 1966 / 1967 • St Benildus College is founded in 1966. The College is named after the De La Salle Saint, Brother Benildus of Clermont, France. • Brother Oswin Walsh becomes the first Headmaster of the College. • Number of Students: 28.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

PAST PUPIL PROFILES Past Pupil: Brian Horgan- father of Oisín Horgan

I completed my Leaving Cert in 1988 before going to UCD, then Holland as an Erasmus student and back to UCD to complete a Masters degree in Economics. This was a subject that I never studied in Benildus where I’ve always felt I got a superb education. Strikingly, that has stood the test of time with Mr Kelly, my English teacher, a good example. While I never excelled at English academically, report writing, email as a tool and even public speaking have been and remain a solid part of the toolkit. The lateral thinking of Mr. Scott didn’t get me an ‘A’ in Geography at the time, though today earns me marks professionally. I did get to represent the school in Cross Country running and Hurling- nothing remarkable but helped me to learn about balance in life which I feel is particularly important for young men today serving as an output for stressful days and internalising how I feel. I’m an Executive now having completed an MBA from a top 25 Global Business school. I have hundreds of team members reporting to me across many countries, some would say I have made it. What I would say is that life is a journey, don’t focus on the destination, rather create stories and experience everything. I still don’t know what I want ‘when I grow up’, but I have some goals, more like attributes, some that I will achieve and others that I won’t but that’s OK for me on my journey.

Past Pupil: Donal Smith- father of Rory Smith

I attended Benildus from 1979 to 1984. I was the second smallest boy in the class so I needed a good sense of humour as things weren’t so pc in those days. I fondly remember being chased by the big Fifth Years, if caught I ended up in a bin so I soon became a good runner! Corporal Punishment was abolished when I was in First Year which meant the much dreaded “leather” disappeared only to be replaced by “the flying duster”! The students ran a Debating Society on their own without teachers or censorship. This resulted in huge crowds at school debates enjoying risqué humour without fear of reprimand. We won The Irish Times Leinster Debating Championship beating all the “posh” schools along the way. I played chess with Mr Frank Scott and really enjoyed it. I had some wonderful teachers, Bernard O’Reilly for chemistry, John Brennan for Maths and Pascal Smith for Irish. They were exceptionally clever men. Great Days! After Benildus, I studied Law in UCD and became a solicitor and I am still in practice. I am also a Fianna Fáil Councillor locally and I love the challenge. My advice to young people is to enjoy your schooldays, work harder on the subjects which cause you the most difficulty and play as much sport as you can. You don’t have to be brilliant to enjoy it, I wasn’t. Keep an open mind about a career path and hang onto the friends you make at school.

Past Pupil: Declan Carr- father of Alan, Niall and Brian Carr

I attended St. Benildus College from 1973 until 1978. Benildus had a junior school then which I attended. The De La Salle Order had a number of brothers teaching including the Principal who was known as ‘The Boss’. I liked him but you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of him. I also remember as a 1st/2nd year student watching the senior school team play. Mr Johnson played and all I can say is thankfully he turned out to be a much better teacher. I wasn’t bad at the business subjects. I also thought I liked maths until the numbers started to disappear to be replaced by all these squiggly symbols. Languages were an absolute no-no. I can still remember the look on Brother Alphonsus’ face as I tried to converse in French. I took part in extracurricular activities in my time in the school, anything to get out of class, I’m pretty sure I tried them all! Thankfully we had one great Gaelic team and we won the Dublin colleges ‘A’ title in Croke Park in December 1974. It was the first time the school had ever won ‘A’. I know they are ten a penny now but it was a big thing back then. Playing so much sport I got to know the PE teacher, Peter Connon, well. I also got to know Maurice McMahon- it was prudent to be on the right side of Maurice. In my time, after leaving school, for most people it was the Civil Service or the Bank. Thankfully I fooled the bank into giving me a job although I left before they lost the run of themselves. While students today have endless choice in what they would like to do there is also considerable pressure with social media. Be careful what you send out there as once you hit send there is no going back.

Past Pupil: Gerry Donnelly- father of Eoin and Oisín Donnelly

I attended St. Benildus College from 1969 until 1974. What I appreciate most and my memories of my time here are of the lifelong friends I made during my years in Benildus. The subjects I was most interested in were Geography and Maths, while Pat Colgan, my English teacher was the person who influenced me in particular. I also took part in the football team during my time here. After leaving school I went on to study Construction Studies in Bolton Street. In 1986, I founded Medoc Properties Ltd, building and civil engineering contractors, now successfully trading more than thirty years. My advice to young students today would be to spend an awful lot less time on your phone and have a real conversation instead!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Winners of Dublin Colleges Gaelic Football U17 Div “C” Title 1973 Barry Donnell; Peter Foley; Steven Mc Caffery; Dinny O’Brien; Paddy Byrne; Paul Doherty; Gerry Shanley; Declan O’Neill; David Lord; Philip Byrne; Eugene Smith; Larry Bowes. SPORTING FACTS

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Winners of Leinster Colleges Soccer Senior “A” League 1974 P. Foley; M. O’Riordan; P.Byrne; D. Murphy; L. Bowes; M. Johnson; M. Boylan; B. Rogers; D. Mahedy; M. Kelly; P. Hogan; B. O’Donnell; P. Ryan; G. Smith.

SPORTING FACTS

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Winners of Dublin College’s Gaelic Football U17 Div “A” Title Dec. 18th 1974 at Croke Park Seán Fox; Tiernan O’Mahony; Tony O’Byrne; Seamus Power; Paul Foley; John English; John McGrath; Aidan Doherty; Paddy Ryan; Padraig Hogan; Declan Carr; Mick Coughlan; Paddy Walsh; Fergus Keogh; Dennis Martin. SPORTING FACTS

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

PAST PUPIL PROFILES Past Pupil: Mark Kavanagh- father of Jack Kavanagh

Philbert were the two teachers that influenced me most in my time in Benildus. After leaving secondary school I completed a degree in engineering. My advice for young people today would be that it’s not all about points and results in one exam, hard work, study and focus are key. Find a career where you have the right balance of financial reward and job satisfaction. Stay away from those smartphones!

Brimming with ability but maybe not quite matching this with application, I was not the best of students but not the worst either. I enjoyed most subjects but languages would not have been my forte. I had Mr. Colgan teaching me English for five years. I met him at the 50th Anniversary dinner just before Christmas and attempted to apologise for not achieving my full potential in his class. He was having none of it and regaled me with stories of Hamlet which was all about town for this year’s Leaving Cert. It was only in later years I realised how much I had learnt from him, not just about English as a subject, but in how important preparation and thoroughness is in many facets of life.

Past Pupil: Seán Callanan-father of James and Cian Callanan

I started life in Benildus as a 12 year old having left St. Olaf’s National School in Balally. We rapidly got over the fact that there were kids from the other side (Stillorgan), in our class and so began our association with the school which continues with my son now being in sixth year.

Mr. Johnston I had for History for five years. Only a new teacher in the school when I was in first year in 1978, some of the sixth years remembered him as a sixth year when they had been in first year. Look at him now, ‘The Boss’. During my tenure, ‘The Boss’ was Brother Philbert. I played badminton and what is now the canteen was the sport’s hall. We used the low roof to our advantage while playing against teams from schools with purpose built sports hall by playing through the rafters. I have again experienced a student life in Benildus, this time through my son who is now approaching his own Leaving Cert. It is strange walking the corridors at parent teacher meetings after all these years. Times have changed. Maybe I didn’t immerse myself fully in school life when I was there but it seems to me that the students today get a much more resounded education and with Transition Year, Student’s Council etc., there is more preparation for life beyond the confines of Benildus. The addition of LaSallian awards and sports awards is great for celebrating students’ achievements. My advice to young people nowadays is to put in the effort in secondary school, when you look back it will seem such a short time but for you it seems a lifetime. Try and enjoy your school days and focus on the positives. Do your best is the best you can do.

Past pupil: Niall O’ hÉarcáin- father of Oisín and Seán O’ hÉarcáin

I attended St. Benildus College between 1980 and 1985. I had a very good education overall with lots of good friendships made and lots of sport played. I had Maurice McMahon as year head and he never missed a trick! Joe Connell was my English teacher- it was like something from Dead Poet’s Society, he was very inspiring! I took part in lots of after school activities such as Irish Debating, Badminton, Tennis and Gaelic Football. I would have to say that Joe O’ Connell and Brother

I attended St. Benildus College from 1972 until 1977. I wasn’t a great fan of school but there were a few classes I enjoyed particularly Economics but also was interested in Technical Drawing, Geography and Maths. Mr Fitzgerald was my Economics teacher and he was magic. He made learning fun. I always looked forward to Mr. Scott’s Geography class also. When I finished school I went on to Kevin St. College of Technology to study further. My advice to young people today would be to go to college and do any course and go on to do other courses. Don’t worry about getting the right course the first time.

Past Pupil: John O’ Brien- father of Seán O’ Brien I attended St. Benildus College from 1981 to 1986. I had some of the best years of my life in St. Benildus and am in touch with many of the lads I went through school with through business, sport and pints! My best memories are associated with sport and I tried them all but Gaelic Football and teachers like Ray Howley, Peter Connon and Tom Kelly were massive sporting influences. I repeated two subjects in the Leaving Cert in 1986 largely so I could play for the Senior Colleges Team in that year. (Those were the days!!) We had an incredible year even though we didn’t win the All Ireland we expected to. Academically I suppose I wold have loved English and Irish and that would have been down to Pat O’ Sullivan and Joe Connell’s enthusiasm, encouragement and humour in the class. They were two very different characters but both were great teachers and Pat teaches my eldest son in 6th year now! I accidentally got into the Insurance Broking business immediately after leaving St. Benildus in 1986. I am a Director of AON Insurance Brokers and regularly come across many Benildus Past Pupils in the business which is great from a personal and business perspective. I live in Fernleigh in Sandyford so didn’t move to far from Balally where I grew up. I am Chairman of Naomh Olaf GAA Club and maintain contact with many current and past pupils and teachers through the club also. I would encourage young people to do their best in whatever path they choose in life, work and sport. Your family is the most important thing in life and you should always try and keep a healthy work life balance…….and hang around with positive people!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College Archive

The College is developing an Archive to reflect its 50 years of history. It will be accessible through the official school website from September 2017. We would appreciate and value any contribution from past pupils. We can be contacted at webarchive@benilduscollege.com

St Benildus College Past Pupil Directory

In our 50th Year, we have decided to set up a past pupil directory as a way to help past pupils stay in contact and involved in various events happening throughout the school community. If you are interested in being part of this directory, please email your details such as name and email address to benildus50@gmail.com . A big thank you to Transition Year student, Jack Chester, who did fantastic work in helping us set up this directory.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

SCHOOL EVENTS 50th Anniversary Mass

On Monday 12th December 2016, a mass was held to bring the entire school community together in celebration of our 50th Year Anniversary. Celebrated by our local parish priest, Fr. Tony Coote, the mass was an excellent way to reflect on the success of St. Benildus College and all of the people who have passed through it since it first opened its doors in 1966. Mr. Johnson began proceedings by welcoming all students, staff and members of the Board of Management who had joined us that afternoon, followed by a reading of some of the words of St. John Baptist de La Salle, founder of the LaSallian tradition, a community and tradition our school is very proud to be part of. Throughout the Mass, fifth year students along with Mr. O’ Riordáin performed various songs with many still talking about the choir’s powerful

rendition of ‘Let it Be’ along with beautiful performances from Paul Harrington, Seamus Breathnach and Odhrán McDonnell. Brothers, sixth and third year student, Seán and Cian Sullivan read the first and second reading with a student from each year group reading a prayer of the faithful and taking part in the offertory procession. Mr. McEoin led the reflection following communion with Mother Theresa’s famous poem ‘Do it Anyway’, nicely linking with our theme of kindness for LaSallian Week. The Mass came to a close with another powerful rendition of ‘O Holy Night’. Thank you to Mr. Hoyne, Ms. Monaghan, Mr. Carroll and Mr. O’ Riordáin for their organisation of this event and a huge thank you to all who took part in our celebration.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

1916

Commemoration Events From Monday 24th to Sunday 30th of April 1916, the Easter Rising raged across Dublin. This week in 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of this turning point in Irish History. Throughout the week St. Benildus College marked the famous anniversary with a series of commemoration events to highlight the importance of this rising for the world in which we live today. In the foyer and outside the library, 1916 noticeboards were created to share some of the fascinating stories of the people and events of the Rising. All around the College, class rooms were renamed in

honour of the men and women, events and location of the Rising. On one of the evenings during the week, a senior debate took place on the motion â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The acts of the 1916 Rising were acts of terrorismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with all students, parents and members of the school community invited to watch. Finally, to mark this momentous occasion, every day during the week Transition Year students (now 5th years) staged a series of re-enactments of the crucial moments of the Easter Rising 1916. Everyone agreed this was a hugely educational and enjoyable week. A huge thank you to all involved in the organisation of such successful events.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

To commemorate the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th anniversary the school celebrated by having a special 1966 day in late September with various events throughout the day. Thanks to our Transition Year students and Ms. Downey, halls were decorated with articles and displays on different events in 1966. Hit songs from 1966 replaced the bell and gave a lively blast from the past to the whole school community.

1966 DAY

Students felt like they had truly stepped back in time when they walked in the door that morning as teachers dressed up in 1966 fashion and thanks to Mr. Kelly, Mr. Cosgrove, Mr. Maher and Mr. Fitzpatrick we were blessed with our very own Beatles for the day! Not only were the hallways and teachers 1966 themed but teachers incorporated it into their classes too, including discussions on articles, differences between then and now and quotes from 1966 which sparked debate. With screenings from popular 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movies and TV shows it really finished off the day with a relaxed and successful atmosphere! A huge thank you to Ms. Downey and all involved in the organisation of a great day!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

The Barry O’Brien Scholarship The Barry O’Brien Scholarship Award Scheme honours the memory of Barry O’ Brien a past teacher and student at St. Benildus College who drowned accidentally on the 17th of August 2002. This scholarship is designed as a support to students of exceptional talent to help them achieve their goals in their chosen field; be this creative, musical, academic or sporting. The award is intended to help students with expenses in their chosen discipline. Each award is valued at a minimum of €500. Congratulations to students Cian Hamill (Polocrosse), Luke Andrew Feeney (Performing Arts) and David Dagg (Athletics) pictured below, winners of this scholarship for the 2015-2016 academic year.

From L to R: Mr. M. Johnson, Cian Hamill, Luke Andrew Feeney, David Dagg, Mr. L. McLoughlin

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Another year in St. Benildus means the return of the infamous, Benildus Got Talent. Each December, the talent show is an excellent showcase of some of the amazing and diverse skills of students in the college from all years and this year was no different with acts ranging from beat boxing to magic taking to the stage.

Benildus Got Talent 2016

6th year Paul Harrington kicked off events with a very soothing solo performance which was followed by the only 1st year in the competition this year, Jaycee Capinpin performing a beautiful rendition of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, a real highlight of the show. A very mystical performance came next by 3rd year Neil Schorman, who left jaws on the floor with his magic act. The Blues Brothers visited the stage, 6th year students Miles and Mika, who treated everybody to a fantastic rendition of “Everybody Needs Somebody” accompanied by a highly entertaining dance routine. 5th Year student Cian Hoyne followed, bringing the hall to complete silence with a dramatic monologue from Macbeth, sending shivers down the spines of every person in the room.

Jack Kavanagh and Aaron Kelty-Mooney stole the show with an outstanding fusion of rock and classic music which had the entire crowd stomping along! The winner of this year’s newcomer award deservedly went to first year, Jaycee Capinpin. In third place came Kevin McArdle with his piano rendition. The Donnelly Brothers came close to victory claiming second place but the top prize went to sixth year group Odhrán, Conor and Jack with their amazing performance using traditional instruments, a group who had only formed 2 weeks prior to the event. Everyone on the day did exceptionally well, doing their class, year group, and school proud. A final well done to all involved and a big thank you to Mr O’ Riordáin, Ms Mercer and all those involved in the running of the event. It was truly an excellent show and set the bar very high for next year to top!

Next up was the winner of the 2014 show, 3rd year Konstantin who returned with a beat boxing showcase creating sounds that seemed impossible to make with the human mouth alone. Kevin McArdle from 3rd year took his place at the piano with a beautiful piece that once again brought the entire room to a standstill. A “rocking” electric guitar production of a mash up of numerous songs came next from 3rd year Caoimhin. A group of 6th years consisting of Michael Cleary, Conor Ward and Brendan O’ Brien returned with an excellent performance of “The Long Way”. Luke Feeney from 5th year gave us a fantastic hip-hop dance routine, which even featured light up shoes that made the crowd envious. The audience was then blown away by the Donnelly brothers, Oisín and Eoin, who performed a fantastic cover of the popular hit “Closer” by The Chainsmokers. 5th year students Cathal Kissane, Richard O’ Rahilly and Kevin McEnri came next impressing with another powerful performance. Seamus Breathanach then took to the microphone with a fantastic cover of “Cherry wine” by Hozier. Finally, a group of 6th years consisting of Odhrán McDonnell, Conor Ward,

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Winners of the Leinster Colleges Table Tennis Senior “A” Title 1976. Gerry Greene; Tony O’Byrne; Padraig Hogan; David Seavers; Gary Maguire. SPORTING FACTS

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

On Wednesday 7th of September, first year classes after lunch were cancelled to be replaced by a fun filled afternoon of bonding among these new students. Organised by year head, Mr. Cahill, each first year class was split into two groups and had the chance to try out a handful of activities, tug of war, penalty shootout, Frisbee, welly throw and monkey bars to name but a few. All students spent ten minutes on each one, moving around like a

First Year Bonding Evening

conveyer belt. These activities were run by the first year mentors, who made it an enjoyable time for everyone and were supervised by first year class tutors Mr. Carroll, Mr. O’ Shealbhaigh, Ms. Kerr, Mr. O’ Riordáin and Ms. Monaghan. Overall, the event was a success as students got to know each other and hopefully made lifelong friends. A big thank you to Mr. Cahill, TY mentors and tutors for all of their work on this successful afternoon!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

On the 12th of September 2016 at 2:25, 8 eager Irish exchange students anticipated the arrival of their exchange partners from Celle, Hannover in Germany. 12 German students arrived, 4 girls and 8 boys, before they were matched up with their Irish partners and taken to their new homes.

German Exchange 2016

On Tuesday, we were brought into town to go on the Viking Splash tour. The German students enjoyed the tour, getting to see the town of Dublin and learning its historical background. On Wednesday, the 14th of September, the Irish students received their Junior Cert Results. The German students were brought to Dundrum cinema by Ms. Fahey and the German teachers to see Captain Fantastic. The next day, the 8 Irish students trudged their way to school, before leaving to Killegar, Co.Wicklow for an afternoon of Skirmish Paintball. The activity was thoroughly enjoyed amongst both groups. The last day of the school week involved the German students going to Clare early in the

morning to see the Cliffs of Moher while the Irish students enjoyed a day of activities for Friday. The weekend was for the students to bond with their partners with some Irish students showing their partner around Dublin, going to the Zoo or even heading to Meath for a day out in Tayto Park. Early in the morning on Sunday, parents brought the Germans to the aircoach station in Stillorgan before saying our goodbyes. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with many agreeing the highlight was the Skirmish Paintball. All thanks go to Ms. Fahey and Mr. McLoughlin for organising the exchange with Ernestinum Gymnasium in Celle cooperating with Frau Danz in order to make this happen. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d recommend any German student considering the exchange to definitely go through with it as you will not regret your decision. Jack Hayden 4.4

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

2016 marked the 14th Annual St. Benildus College Integration through Sport Tournament and what a celebration it was this year! On Sunday 24th April, members of various Special Olympics Clubs, students from St. Benildus College, girls from St. Raphaelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secondary School and numerous school staff and volunteers made their way to the college to take part in what is considered one of our favourite events in our school calendar each

Integration through Sports Day 2016

year. From half nine that morning, laughter could be heard ringing out throughout the school grounds as everyone entered an atmosphere of fun with friendly competitions in basketball, tag rugby, soccer and table tennis. Many enjoyed the music, face painting, a sea of bright and colourful t-shirts, delicious refreshments and freshly cooked pancakes along with a medal for everyone involved in the activities. We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all who came to participate and help out on the day. We are extremely proud of the celebration this event has become throughout the years and it would not be possible without the contribution of every single person involved. Friendship and memories were made, laughter was shared and we cannot wait to do it all again next year!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

LaSallian Week 2016

A new edition to our school calendar, LaSallian week took place from the 12th to the 16th of December 2016, a week which brought our LaSallian tradition and ethos to the forefront and encouraged all students to consider what it means to be a LaSallian student. In preparation for the week, all junior classes studied about John Baptist de La Salle, founder of the LaSallian tradition and his fascinating story, focusing on how St. Benildus College students practice our LaSallian ethos each day in the way we live our lives.

The week began with a celebration of our 50th Anniversary Mass on Monday where the entire school community gathered to celebrate. All junior students were introduced to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pay it Forward Schemeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which was discussed during RE and tutor classes during the week. The main theme was kindness as students were

encouraged to pay a Random Act of Kindness forward to another student or member of the school community, with that person then passing this kind act on to another person. These included acts such as helping another student, complimenting someone on their work, holding a door open for someone or even just simply thanking a teacher at the end of class. These kind acts created a ripple effect that was recorded by teachers and it was brilliant to see how far this kindness travelled. Students also wrote thank you letters to those in their life who they wished to thank most, with all students agreeing this would be a great gift to pass on to a loved one that Christmas. Each morning was opened with a LaSallian thought for the day read over the intercom, focusing on what it means to be a LaSallian student and the importance of kindness and gratitude in our lives. Positive affirmations and quotes inspiring kindness were placed along corridors for students to read. On Tuesday, our normal class bells were replaced by classic Christmas songs which everyone agreed created a great atmosphere throughout the day, spreading a little bit of Christmas cheer on the run up to Christmas! On Wednesday, we celebrated LaSallian staff day with teachers dressed in colourful Christmas jumpers. The week concluded with our First Year LaSallian quiz which took place in the school gym, encouraging first year students to work together in teams and get to know each other better. Our very own Santa even popped in to oversee the event. In all, the week was a great success, bringing 2016 to a very positive end!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Maths Week 2016 In October, to celebrate Maths week, a number of events were held to highlight the importance of numeracy to all students. Events took place both in class and throughout break-times with something to interest all students, from competitive Countdown to a game of ‘Who wants to be a Mathionnaire?’ Throughout the week students worked on maths riddles, quizzes and posters while TY students created a timeline of global, national and school events to celebrate the school’s 50 years in education. The week finished up with a paper aeroplane masterclass and competition to see which student’s aeroplane could travel the furthest. All in all, another successful Maths week in St. Benildus College!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

De la Salle Sports Day

Students from all years took part in the afternoon of sporting events such as sprints, shot putt, javelin, high jump, keepy uppies, tug of war and much, much more.

return of past pupil and Senior students took part in a soccer tournament for the afternoon with the tions to finalists and presenta the make to Kelly Graham player nal Sheffield United senior professio us on the day. joining for also to present the College with one of his jerseys. Thank you to Graham

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

On the 6th March, music students took to the Helix Theatre of DCU to take part in this year’s Emmanuel concert. Each year this concert brings schools from all across the archdiocese of Dublin together for a day to take part in a concert of Liturgical music and escape from academia. The event was as popular as ever this year with almost 600 students attending. Amongst these are about 20-30 soloists including our very own third years students, Seán Kelly and David McKeagney along with fifth year student, Richard O’ Rahilly whose performances were met with thunderous applause from students and audience alike. The day long rehearsals were broken up with lunch and dinner

and some workshops in between. The main event, the concert, began at 7.30 that evening ending two hours later at 9.30. Both the audience and the conductor, Ian Callanan, were proud of the amazing motivation and work displayed by all schools throughout the long day. All left in great form with a day well spent, looking forward to repeating it all again next year. A big thank you to Mr. O’ Riordáin for his organisation of this hugely enjoyable trip!

Emmanuel 2017

Comic drawn by Cian Deignan 4.3

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Last year, on the 30th of September, I was lucky enough to join the rest of Ms. Downey’s 6th year history class on a day trip to London. It was certainly one of the highlights of the year for me and one of the few things which many of us looked forward to as we returned to school after the summer. We assembled in Dublin airport at a time which I can only remember was far too early to comprehend and promptly made our way to the UK’s capital in a matter of hours. However, the early morning which we spent travelling was well worth it when we ascended from the tube station to be greeted by the awe inspiring Houses of Parliament and its spectacular Westminster environs. Its impressive architecture and charged atmosphere have stuck in my mind ever since and left none of us in doubt that we were in the epicentre of the decision making of a once great superpower. The first attraction we visited was the Churchill war rooms. These were a selection of bunkers underneath the majestic treasury building that Winston Churchill directed the war effort during his first tenure as Prime Minster (1940-1945). They proved to be an excellent insight into the lengths that people went to during the war to avoid the dangers of the Blitz, and into the personal lifestyle of Winston Churchill, which seemed to be totally unaffected by the unfortunate circumstance of the war. Even whilst living in the bunker, he continued to take two baths every day and dine like a king every night. After we had concluded our tour of the war rooms, we took in the sights of Westminster for a small while longer, where thankfully the class managed to stay together, for the most part. Our little

History Trip to London

crew then boarded the tube once more to go to a place called Southwark, which Londoners insisting on referring to as “Southick” for some reason, for lunch. Following a spectacularly wholesome meal of burgers, onion rings and a few cokes to wash the whole thing down, we set our course for the imperial war museum, which has one of the finest collections of war memorabilia from throughout the ages anywhere in the world. Along with many very interesting pieces such as a mosaic of Saddam Hussein recovered from Iraq in 2003 and a Russian WW2 tank captured by the Israelis during the Yom Kippur war as it was being used by the Egyptians, the museum also contained a very sobering and thoughtful exhibition on the Holocaust. It is well worth a visit and I would highly recommend it to anyone on a holiday in London. Overall, I greatly enjoyed our little jaunt to London, which went off with only a few minor mishaps, too few to mention really. We were very lucky to make our flights on time and to have returned home with as many as we left with. After that however, the fantastic city of London spoke for itself and I will certainly return on another visit in the future, after the Leaving cert is all said and done. Ronan Boyce

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Benildus College Open Day

Fourth Year Students who acted as tour guides of the school for all visiting parents and future Benildus students.

Jason Manguilimotan and Jack O’ Driscoll man the Run for Life stall, informing all visitors about our charity fundraising each year.

Mihailo Manojlovic (pictured) and Páraic O’ Ciarúain displayed and spoke to visitors about their entry to the BT Young Scientist event this year.

Sixth Year students Conor Ward and Michael Cleary who entertained the visiting crowds, show casing the talent of our students.

LGBTQ+ Week 2017 As a follow on from last years ‘I am unique...’ campaign run by Student Council, students from the council decided to continue the theme of inclusion in the college and run a LGBTQ+ Awareness Week from Monday 6th until Friday 10th this year. The Student Council came up with a slogan as seen on posters throughout the school which stated ‘Everyone Belongs to Benildus’ (as ‘Belong to’ is the organisation that supports LGBTQ teenagers) and had a few ideas to promote inclusivity and acceptance in the college. A number of activities marked this week within the school. Teachers focused some lessons on parts of their curriculum that linked with the LGBTQ community, members of the Council prepared and displayed awareness posters around the school, and songs by gay artists were played over the intercom replacing class bells throughout the week. This was a very successful week of awareness on such an important matter. A big thank you to all members of the council, Ms. Daly and Ms. Lloyd on their organisation of this event.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Seachtain na Gaelige 2017

Bhí díospóireacht an suimiúil againn an Deardaoin 16ú Márta idir na daoine sa séú bliain agus na daoine sa chúigiú bliain. An rún a phléigh siad ná go bhfuil an domhan níos dáinséirí anois ná riamh. Bhí an díospóireacht ar ard chaighdeán. Bhí na hargóintí ar an dá thaobh thar a bheith suimiúil, spreagúil agus cliste. Bhí jab deacair ag na moltóirí teacht ar chinneadh faoi na búaiteoirí ach ar deireadh thiar b’iad lucht an séú bliain a bhuaigh. Comhghairdeas leo uilig!

For anyone who doesn’t know Dublin South FM (DSFM) is South Dublin’s Community Radio that broadcasts on 93.9 FM. Before Christmas, Frank, who is in charge of documentaries, came around to the school to have us conduct interviews about the school’s 1916 Rising commemorations as part of the “School’s Rising” documentary. A group of us organised ourselves and divided up the interviews with me being the sound engineer for the two days. We started off and I was given a crash course on how to monitor the sound levels and hold the mic. So, off we went working our way through our list of people to be interviewed such as Mr. Fahy and Ms. O’Brien about the Senior debate they organised, Ms. Downey about the TY’s re-enactments in the yard and Ms. Colbert and Ms. Fitzpatrick about their relations’ who fought in the Rising. As Day 1’s interviews ended we had the school’s 50th Anniversary Mass and I was given the task of recording parts of it for another potential documentary about the School’s anniversary, but that’s another story. When Day 2 rolled around Frank was a bit delayed so we worked away on our own and made a start on the day’s interviews and once we had

Dublin South FM’s days in Benildus

finished up there was only one thing left to do, record the links (the introductions to the interviews). Some time had passed and a few of us were asked to go down to the studio to record the links. We spent the morning recording them and we had great fun with jokes constantly flying and a few technical difficulties that made for some great laughter. All in all we had a thoroughly enjoyable time working with everyone in DSFM and would do it again in a heartbeat! Oisín Wallace

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

First Year Interviews Ben Looney (1.5) Was it difficult settling into your new school environment? The most difficult thing about settling into Benildus was the early start. Apart from that everything was easy to get used to. What is your favourite subject so far that you didn’t have in your old school? Classical Studies with Mr. Fahy because he makes it fun and interesting. Are you taking part in any extracurricular activities? Unfortunately not as I broke my arm at the beginning of the year but next year I hope to get involved in hurling and soccer. What has been your favourite moment this year? The Run for Life was my favourite moment because it was something new. I had never been part of charitable collections before and I was delighted to collect €120 to help others. What do you enjoy about Benildus that you didn’t have in your primary school? I enjoyed the larger variety of sports and longer P.E.

Mark McNally (1.8) Was it difficult settling into your new school environment? No, the teachers and staff were very friendly and the sports were incredibly inclusive. What is your favourite subject so far that you didn’t have in your old school? German, it is interesting and fun. Are you taking part in any extracurricular activities? Gaelic and soccer, I think it’s a great way to meet new people. What has been your favourite moment this year? Getting off for Christmas as it was my first proper break from secondary school. What do you enjoy about Benildus that you didn’t have in your primary school? There are a lot more people so it means you aren’t limited to a certain group of friends. Do you have any tips for the incoming First Years? Take notes down in class, it makes the exams much easier and a lot less stressful.

Do you have any tips for the incoming First Years? Try to get involved in everything and be organised.

Teacher Relay Race Winners 2016 Congratulations to Mr. MacEoin, Ms. Mulvihill and Mr. Flynn who were the winners of our bi-annual teachers relay in 2016. The team fought off tough competition to become the triumphant winners of the cup for the first round of this event in our school year. Well done to all involved!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

The Clock War

Niall Webster & John Champion This year saw some of the bloodiest battles of our generation. Early on in the year it all began with some savages stealing the God send that were the classroom clocks. After this, all-out war broke out with every class desperately trying to cling to their valuables as conflict raged on. To combat this they

started to steal the various bins as well as the clocks. Although 4.1 tried to remain neutral they were pillaged and plundered by the powerhouses that were 4.4 and 4.5. Soon enough, they fell to the superpowers. At one stage in the war 4.5 alone had secured a whopping 6 bins, 3 clocks and the Holy Grail, a printed out picture of Ghandi. As the battles raged on the year heads were none the wiser and the cleaners left very confused. Until after 5 gruelling months of crusade and conquering, they finally copped on. They told everybody to return the treasure to their rightful owners and after much reluctance all of the bins and time pieces were restored to their pedestals atop the classroom. However the ever elusive picture of Ghandi was unfortunately lost to time in the bloody conflict. Soon order was restored to the corridor and the classes began to try and amend their relationships with each other after the many betrayals of war. Although tensions are still sky high and a single misunderstanding could lead to the outbreak of… The Clock War II.

The Controversial Banning of Bottle Flip Mihailo Manojlovic 4.1

It was a reasonably sunny November afternoon. Lunch had just finished and the liveliness of students was quite high. There was one thing in particular that got us through the difficulty of getting back into school, the Bottle Flip. For some the bottle flip had extended beyond just any other fad or trend that has come and passed in this school. It had become a way of life. A reason to get up in the morning. The one thing to keep us going through the ever-stressful life of being a fourth year. Knowing that, at the end of class, before the next teacher came in, some of the truly sickest bottle flips you have ever seen would be completed. That afternoon, the fatal words were spoken over the intercom – “The phenomenon known as ‘bottle-flipping’ is no longer permitted on school grounds.” In an instant, an immense darkness ran like a wave through the souls of every student in the school, the sun was drowned out by dark clouds in the sky, and whatever flicker of happiness remained in our hearts was cruelly stamped out by the fact that our love, our life, was taken away from us, like a candle in the wind. The remainder of the week was dismal to say the least.

Feelings of anger, confusion and total sadness were felt by all affected, some even sought comfort in the company of their fellow students. The pain still lingers to this day. Farewell bottle flip =(

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is the bread and butter for photographers, filmmakers and graphic designers. The rule states that in order to achieve the best composition possible you place the subject(s) on the lines of thirds. By dividing the top and side of the frame into thirds you get a grid line format. This style of composing photos and videos can be seen in many professionals work however, the true sign of a professional is someone who knows when to break it. Many filmmakers overuse the rule of thirds up to a certain point in a film and suddenly place the subject in the centre of the frame or just slightly off centre. This technique can show a turning point, or to suggest that something is off or outside the norm.

Rule of thirds is evident in Chinatown (1974) pictured above, which is widely regarded as being one of the best composed films in existence.

Rule of thirds is being cleverly broken in ‘Skyfall’ (2012) pictured above, used to emphasise a tragedy and a poignant place in the film.

Páraic O’ Ciarúain 4.1

Skit Diary 2017 SEPTEMBER: “Are those shoes a sports brand?!” calls Mr. Mac Eoin, as the unlucky students pace up the stairs, hoping he doesn’t get a good glimpse of their shoes. The “No Phones Policy” has dawned amongst the students early in the school year leaving many sitting awkwardly at lunch without the opportunity to share their boredom online. OCTOBER: The Launch of the 2016 Run for Life campaign set off with a great start. “The phenomenon known as bottle flipping has been prohibited on school grounds”. This meant we had to actually drink our water instead of leaving about a third full for optimum flipping. NOVEMBER: Fourth years battle the elements with rain and snow in aid of the Run for Life 2016 Roadside Collection. Many lost feeling in their fingers and were absent in days after. Auditions for the TY Musical “Summer Holiday” arrived quickly and had most of the year practising their singing and acting skills in a bid to impress Ms. Power. The launch of the School Bank brought November to a bright end with many students enthusiastic to join. December: The winter weather is finally kicking in, the U16’s Gaelic football has come to an end after an inspiring and exhilarating season, losing all matches and being knocked out in the quarter finals. The bus trips proved to be the most exciting part of their campaign, where some of the panel got some fierce abuse. Anyway, in other news, Christmas is coming and the first years prepare for the biggest, most demanding and most strenuous exams they have ever faced! JANUARY: Everyone returns back to school with a smile on their face and a spring in their step, looking

forward to another five months of school…………. NOT! Rehearsals for the school play begin, leaving many rethinking if they really want to dance in front of everyone. Two Transition Year students take on the prestigious BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, 2017 with an innovative idea of a smoke alarm for the deaf and hard of hearing. They ended up with the highly commended award and missed a heap of school. FEBRUARY: 3rd and 6th year students are a rare sight as the mocks arrive to ruin their next two weeks, however there is some light at the end of the tunnel as the long awaited mid-term break is just directly after the exams finish. Students stuff their gobs with as many pancakes as they could possibly fit in their mouth for Pancake Tuesday. The school is taken over with miniscule primary schoolers as the open day gets into full swing, hoping to impress the many parents and fill up classes for the approaching years. MARCH: “Everyone Belongs To Benildus” as the message of equality and respect ring out along with some serious tunes at break times. The vein in Ms. Power’s head begins to throb as she threatens to cancel the show. The sixth years arrive in an absolute state as a nonuniform day is held in order to raise funds for the TY musical. The Musical kicks off and leaves the entire school in fits of laughter! The TY Committee pour blood, sweat and tears into the final weeks of Yearbook 2017.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Guess the teacher…

Match the Teacher Mr. Maher, Ms. Monaghan, Mr. Holland, Mr. Mulligan, Ms. Harrison, Mr O’ Sullivan, Ms. Molloy, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Mulvihill, Ms Daly, Mr. MacEoin, Ms. Power, Mr. O’ Riordáin, Ms. Clancy.

1. I was the only student in my year group to appear in our Inter Cert photo twice. I was in a different class for Irish and the photo was taken in two sessions. 2. Climbed the highest mountains in the British Isles. This takes time so a good use of summer holidays. 3. Both my parents were born deaf. I am fluent in sign language. My mother was the only deaf child but my father’s whole family are deaf, five siblings and his parents. 4. I represented Ireland in gymnastics. I was a gymnast for 12 years. 5. When I was younger, my two friends and I hid under the beds in Dunnes and got out when the shop was closed. We just played with all the toys. Great night!

sing in a traditional Irish music session. I come from a musical family with roots in South Armagh, Kerry, Leitrim and I am from the North side of Dublin. 8. I hiked the Inca trail with two other teachers in summer 2015. 9. I spent a month volunteering in Haiti in summer 2016. We ran a summer camp for Haitian children and built houses for two families. 10. I spent a year teaching Irish in the USA. 11. I fell off the altar after singing at my Confirmation. 12. I backpacked around Australia for two years in a camper van.

6. My grandmother was the first woman to get a degree in science in UCG. I also climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

13. I am an U16 All Ireland Irish Dancing Champion. I went to school in England and came to Ireland during my summer holidays to Irish Dance in Meath. At 15, I entered the All Ireland Slogadh Irish Dancing finals and won gold in the boys’ competition.

7. Every Friday after finishing school here, I leave to go

14. I defeated a world champion in a fight.

1. Mr. MacEoin, 2. Mr. O’ Sullivan, 3. Ms. Power, 4. Ms. Mulvihill, 5. Mr. O’ Riordáin, 6. Ms. Harrison, 7. Mr. Mulligan, 8. Ms. Daly, 9. Ms. Monaghan, 10. Ms. Clancy, 11. Mr. Holland, 12. Ms. Molloy, 13. Mr. Maher, 14. Mr. Kelly.

Teacher Celeb Lookalikes

Mr. Clancy

Ms. Mulligan

Mr. Cuffe

Mr. Haughey

Mr. Fahy Mr. Walsh 88

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Mr. Carroll

Teacher Quotes

Teacher Traits

Mr. Costello

Ms. Colbert

Mr. O’Brien

Mr. O’Sealbhaigh

Mr. Howlin

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

From L to R: Paul Mannion (RFL Ambassador), Richie Sadlier (RFL Ambassador), Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, David Byrne (RFL Ambassador) and David Gillick (RFL Ambassador).

Run for Life Launch 2016

From L to R: Paul Mannion, Richie Sadlier, Mr. O. MacEoin, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, Mr. M. Johnson, David Byrne and David Gillick.

Run for Life Ambassadors, Minister Shane Ross and second year students get ready for off!

TY students interviewed charity reps on the great work of each charity.

Representatives from a number of our Run for Life beneficiaries along with TY students.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Run for Life Event 2016

Our annual fundraising campaign, Run for Life, took place on the 17th November this year and it was back bigger and better than ever, with our eyes set firmly on another huge fundraising target. We launched the event in early October with the help of our RFL ambassadors Richie Sadlier, Paul Mannion, David Gillick and David Byrne along with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross and since then students have been going all out to help raise as much money as possible for the many worthy charities we donate to each year. On the morning of our Run for Life event our junior students braved the harsh conditions of wind, rain and even snow in their bright green Run for Life 2016 T-shirt to take part in a morning of fun activities.

cious plate of his own healthy chilli which was kindly made and donated to our event by restaurant Counter Culture. This was an extremely generous gesture from both David and Counter Culture and something our students were delighted with, obvious from the amount of students looking for seconds! All in all, our Run for Life event for 2016 was a huge success and a big thank you goes out to all those involved in the organisation of this morning’s events!

Each year took part in a 40 minute session of Soccer, Dance and of course our most important event, the sponsored Run for Life itself. Having spent some time playing soccer on the Astros, students then made their way around our Run for Life track and finished up in the Sport’s Hall taking part in a session of Dance with Ms Mulligan, Ms Monaghan and Ms Power. A new edition to our Run for Life event, students warmed up after their run with a full group ‘Rock the Boat’, followed by a number of other dance routines. Each year really got into the spirit of the morning with first year students engaging in a dance off with visiting first year students of nearby Raphaela’s while second and third years attempted the popular ‘Mannequin Challenge.’ Students all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the morning’s entertainment! The morning came to a close with our Run for Life ambassador and past pupil David Gillick serving each student a hot, deli-

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

On a Thursday afternoon in October all Transition Year students got changed into their sports gear and had an afternoon of soccer, basketball or gym. Prior to this every T.Y. student collected at least €30 each for the Run for Life charity fund. TY’s were delighted to have raised over €3,600 in total for charities combatting homelessness and it was an enjoyable afternoon for all. All eyes were on the soccer tournament as seven teams battled it out to be crowned the victor. After the nail-biting semi-finals

Run for Life Event 2016

and an exhilarating final, one team finally emerged victorious standing above the rest. The team, which consisted of Jack Hayden in goals, Cian Deignan, Niall Kellegher, Adam English, Luke Burns, Eoin McDonagh and Cian De Hóra outfield, proudly lifted the trophy after the final whistle blew and happily showed off their medals to anyone they encountered on the way home. A big thank you to all of the teachers involved in the running of this great event!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Run for Life 2016 SENIOR SOCCER TOURNAMENT

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

An epic contest took place throughout our three day Run for Life Penalty Shoot Out event. All junior students swarmed to the Astro pitches at lunch time to try their luck against a selection of highly rated goalkeepers from the school’s U17 football squad. All students donated €2 to our Run for Life campaign for the chance to score a goal and commence to the final round of the competition, gaining the title of best penalty taker in their year. The finals played out on day three which saw Evin Cooney take the First Year title, Seán Byrne winning the

second year event and Ciarán Foley coming out top in the Third Year event. In the teacher’s penalty Run For Life 2016 shoot-out event, PENALTY SHOOT-OUT Mr Maher took COMPETITION the title of penalty shoot-out king for this year. All worthy winners, congrats to all involved!

Run For Life 2016

CELEBRITY SUPPORT

A huge thank you to Run for Life Ambassador, Richie Sadlier, who promoted our Run for Life Campaign 2016 in the RTÉ studios.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Run for Life Carol Singing A huge thank you to Second Year students who were involved in two days of carol singing on the run up to Christmas in an effort to raise some more funds for our Run for Life Campaign 2016. Students, along with Mr. O’ Riordáin, sang a number of Christmas songs to passing shoppers in Dundrum and Stillorgan shopping centre. They successfully raised €468.37 which was added to the Run for Life fund and distributed as part of our charity contributions. Go raibh mile maith agaibh a bhuachaillí!

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

On the 9th of December 2016, representatives from 18 different charities whom we supported in our Run for Life fundraising campaign 2016 arrived to our school to receive donations from the money we raised this year. The charities we donated to were selected by the first, second and third years class groups which helped focus and motivate their fundraising efforts this year. Among the different charities that received donations were St. Vincent De Paul, Special Olympics Ireland and Our Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital Crumlin along with Laura Lynn,

Aware and many more. Each representative gave Run for Life Cheque a two minute talk to the Presentation 2016 year group informing them of the excellent work their charity does each year and where the students fundraising would be used. A huge thank you to all of the representatives who joined us on the morning and congratulations to all those students who took part in the raising of funds this year.

First Year students presenting cheque donations to representatives from charities such as Make a Wish Foundation, Laura Lynn, Temple Street Hospital, Barretstown, Jack and Jill, Habitat for Humanity and Peter McVerry.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

SCHOOL TALENT

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Photography Competition 2017 A huge thank you to all students who submitted a photo to our Yearbook Photography Competition this year. In its second year, we were delighted to see an enthusiastic response once again from our students. This year, we decided on a theme of Urban Photography, with a focus on the surrounding area of the college to celebrate the community in which our school has grown over the past fifty years. Once again, this competition served as a platform for students to express their talents in this art form and judges were extremely impressed with

the level of skill and thought evident in entries made. We had a difficult decision on our hands choosing the top five photos but feel that those we eventually chose truly represent the cream of the talented crop. A huge congratulations to our winning photographer, fifth year student, Tadhg Dunbar. Tadhg took a stunning photo of the nearby M50 motorway at night and judges were blown away by the skill involved in such a shot. Congratulations to all our winners on their beautiful photos!

First Place Tadhg Dunbar - Fifth Year M50 at night-Sandyford Bridge

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Photography Competition 2017 HIGHLY COMMENDED PHOTOS

David Dagg - Sixth Year The Luas - Stillorgan Luas Stop

Diarmaid HeaveyFirst Year The Quays Dublin City Centre

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Rían Moore - Second Year Drummartin Link Road Kilmacud

Declan Dolan - Fifth Year ‘Bíonn ár saol ar an Luas is airde’ Stephen’s Green 102

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

YEARBOOK PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION WINNERS 2017 Congratulations once again to our winning photographers pictured receiving their prizes. From L to R: David Dagg, Tadhg Dunbar, Diarmaid Heavey. RÃan Moore and Declan Doran.

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Students’ Work

First Year Irish Poster Competition

First Years take on Bullying Predator and Prey

The Bully in the Smoke

He watches silently from across the yard Knowing that his victim won’t go far He has his target set on one boy Who was talking to his friends trying to be coy.

He surrounded me, engulfed me, like a grey smog over a city, Never giving me room to breathe, forcing me to cough, cough up – Whatever he wanted – money, advice, homework, a laugh, Whatever he wanted I gave it to him, Just to get him away.

In the bully’s mind he set a time For when his bullying would go online The boy oblivious to his danger Though wondering who was that stranger.

He takes it all too seriously, Doesn’t take it as a laugh like me, He thinks it’s bullying, I’m telling you - it’s not, It’s just me being me.

Staring silenty like a snake About to pounce on his prey The boy writes it off as curiosity But deep unease spreads through his body. Finally the boy confronts the child And the bully’s eyes go wild He grabs the boy and humiliates him The boy wonders what he ever did to him.

He makes me feel that anger, pushing me to boiling point, I swung him around, threw him down, just let it all go. Then I was punished, brutally, detention, suspension, expulsion, For me! The teachers’ finally noticed, And the bullying went away. Forever gone, That day the 4th of May, was, out of my life, the best day. Daniel Cleary 1.6

Liam Tomlinson 1.6

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Green Schools

Environmental Awareness Poster Competition

Eoin Kenny, Class 1.7

Seán O’ Connor, Class 1.7

Seachtain na Gaeilge Comórtas Filíochta

Mo Chogadh

Ná bí buartha

Siúlann tríd na páirceanna oscailte, Faoi ghlas I mo smaointe, Caithim masc mar ciath, Á chosaint mé ón taoide, Taoide na bréaga, Taoide an phian, Níl rud ar bith ar fail dom.

Beidh an scoil thart go luath, Ná bí buartha, Saróidh tú d’eagla, Ná bí buartha. Éireoidh, go geal leat, Ná bí buartha. Aimseoidh tú grá, Ná bí buartha. Beidh sé ar fad ceart go leor.

Le Conor Kettle An Cúigiú Bliain

Le Nathan Ó Cinnéide An Cúigiú Blian

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Student Talent Section How much do I love thee?

How do I love thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways, Thy eyes as bright, dark and deep as the stars under which I sleep. Thy iridescent beauty is unmatchable even to God’s garden, every second I spend with you is golden. Thy humour fades the lines between dreams and reality, our love rejects mortality. Thy wavy, flowing hair, Only diamonds are as fair. Thy laughter is the song of paradise, As hearty as a lion yet as soft as mice. They will place oceans and seas between us, They will seem like lakes and ponds. And that is how much I love you.

How do I love you? Let me count the ways, As long as you love me, I’ll stay by your side, I’ll be your companion, Your friend and your guide.

Anonymous

I love the colour of your hair, Golden as a daffodil, As you look at me, With your twinkling stare, My heart pumps like a red hot flare. And as long as forever, My love will be true, For as long as you love me, I’ll only love you. Tomasz Sadowy 2.8

TY Poetry Slam Workshop

Time to go Wake up, time to go It doesn’t matter if you’re feelin’ low

Poetry from TY

us work on poems and Throughout the year we have done vario re we were allowed to whe shop work had a special poetry slam restrictions. Which one say whatever we felt like with very few ted to be featured in our selec I few a are Here can only imagine! yearbook!

Out the door, on your bike, don’t forg

et to turn off the light

Get home and everything seems hazy But, “get out of that bed, you’re so lazy ” Later on havin’ blaring tunes But, “be back before soon”

Masculinity ishness, The lads in school, hiding in their child as men ade Scared little boys, trying to masquer deep and then They bury themselves in their lies, too we’re devoid of until ably prob lies, We go home; we live our life. in sight We’re hiding in our shells, no escape goodnight. ers moth our kiss We’ll go home, play online, selves surface, And we’ll cry at night, when our true and fades ked crac ity culin mas Our armour of When the lights go out. -Adam Roe

So what? So what? is “gay” So what if I’m what you say ry time eve and h eac ing ryth Its ruins eve as a mime nt sile as of I’d rather be me instead So what? So what if I prefer guys? uise walking around each day in disg than er bett It’s So what? - Mark Plant

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Now it’s time for bed, Can’t sleep, from everything in your head Wake up, time to go. -Niall Webster

We have a dream We have a dream, that no one wil a torch in the dark room of opp l ever be left without ression. We have a dream that beautif ul flowers of peace will blossom in the dismal desert of violence. We have a dream, that voice box weapons, as the black lake of es will be our terrorism and war is evaporated by the bright sun of love. We have a dream, that the can dles of shelter will be lit for everyone who needs them . We have a dream, that inequali ty will be removed from every dictionary. We have a dream, that we can make these dreams reality. Eoin Kenny 1.7

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

EXTRA CURRICULAR IN BENILDUS

Junior Debating

Back Row L to R: Dominic Martinka, Hugh Carrigan, David McKeagney, Dean Kane, John Barry, Eoin O’ Connell, Ms. D. Power. Front Row L to R: Eric McMahon, Seán O’ Connor, Diarmaid Heavey, Ivan Walsh. All junior students in St. Benildus get the opportunity to take part and participate in a forum of informal and formal debating. It is a sanctuary for those who may not find a place on the football field or basketball court. In the debates the students develop reasoning and argumentative writing skills. They also get the chance to practice public speaking.

The group this year were enthusiastic and had some unique and interesting insights to the topics at hand. We hope that the students get the chance to compete in a formal debate in the near future. This will give them a platform to test themselves and push out of their comfort zones and develop an important set of skills. Mr Haughey

Senior Debating

Back Row L to R: Ms R. Mulvihill, Dylan McKeever, Ms. N. O’ Brien. Front Row L to R: Jack Kavanagh, Ronan Boyce, Mika McKeever.

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Senior Debating 2017

When I first got involved in, or rather, roped into, senior debating in September of 2015 I couldn’t have imagined the amazing and eye opening experiences that I have had. I do not regret for one second the time I spent debating over the last two years. I participated in three Concern debates and two internal debates here in the school, some of which weren’t entirely as successful as we might have hoped, but they were a worthwhile pursuit nonetheless. Over the course of the Concern debates, I got the chance to explore the merits and shortcomings of young people being allowed to vote at sixteen, the possibilities of success for the latest round of COP climate change talks, and the details of the sustainable development goals. Furthermore, the two internal debates I was involved in gave me the opportunity to wax lyrical on some more lateral and broad topics, like whether or not the acts of the 1916 rising were acts of terrorism and the role of the eponymous prince in the destruction in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. This was an excellent chance to practice my

public speaking and to revise crucial topics on my leaving cert course. It was far more engaging than simply revising this material in class or at home, both for the participants and the wide audience that showed up to spectate. I think debating develops various different skills in everyone who tries their hand at it. It improves your confidence and ability in public speaking, your critical thinking, organisational skills, and ability to write opinion pieces, amongst others. I would highly recommend it to any student in the senior cycle next year as it is a satisfying and wholesome endeavour, particularly for students like me who often find themselves idle due to a lack of sporting or musical ability. Although it is not a prerequisite, it does also help if you are a big fan of your own voice. I can personally testify to this. However, the senior debating team would not even be a remote possibility in this school if it weren’t for the tireless efforts of Ms. Mulvihill and Ms. O’Brien, they have my eternal thanks and the thanks of all those who were involved in the team.

Díospóireacht - Comórtas an Phiarsaigh 2016 Níl aon amhras ar bith ann ach go gcuireann rannphairtíocht sna comórtais díospóireachta go mór le Gaeilge an dalta a chur chun cinn agus a feabhsú. Mar is gnáth, ghlac foireann sinsir Choláiste Naomh Benildus páirt i ‘gComórtas an Phiarsaigh’ i mbliana. Bhí daltaí ón gcúigiú bliain agus ón séú bliain ar an bhfoireann. Ag tús mí Dheireadh Fómhair tháingeamar le chéile chun taighde agus cleactadh a dhéanamh. Tugadh an rún dúinn seachtain roimh an babhta díospóireachta agus bhí orainn labhairt i gcoinne an rúin. Ba é an rúin a bhí á phlé ná ‘Is fearr príntiseacht ná bunchéim ollscoile’.

From L to R: James Callanan, Diarmuid Carey, Conor Ward.

B’iontach an oíche a bhí againn agus bhaineamar idir taitneamh agus tairbhe as. Díospóireacht shuimiúil, bheoga a bhí ann in Áras Chrónáin ach ar an drochuair níor éirigh linn ar an oíche. D’fhoghlaim na daltaí go leor scileanna nua idir scileanna cumarsáide agus scileanna teanga. Comhghairdeas mór do Conor, Séamas agus Diarmaid a thóg páirt sa chomórtas i mbliana.

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Student Council 2016/2017 In a year full of political upheaval; Brexit, Trump…there was one political organisation that offered stability in the storm…The Student Council. The Student Council is the pupil elected board of representatives that acts as a conduit for Student Issues to be brought to the attention of management. Elections are held for Second to Sixth Years, although First Years will be joining the Council next year, and each Year votes in their own Councillors. This is my second year on the Council, and I took up the role as the Council Secretary for both terms. I therefore had the responsibility of taking the minutes of each meeting, editing them and in a new move, publishing them for the Student Body to read. It is paramount that the Students who elect us have the ability to see exactly what the Council does, as it gives ‘Civilian Oversight’ and creates an interest in running for office themselves.

Believe it or not, the Student Council does more than drink tea and eat biscuits. A typical meeting is opened by the Chairperson, attendance is taken and then the councillors from each year are given time to speak. After each Year has had a turn, we may discuss more general matters, such as this year’s Student Council initiative of creating an inclusive environment for all our students and hosting an LGBTQ+ Awareness week! I would recommend anyone who has an interest in politics, or a desire to help their year and the school to run for the Student Council! By Jack Kavanagh

Back Row L to R: Ronan Boyce, Jack Kavanagh, Odhrán McDonnell, Gerard Carrigan, Oisín Wallace. Middle Row L to R: Ms. L. Daly, Kevin Hickey, Tadhg Dunbar, Ms. S. Lloyd. Front Row L to R: Seán Cronin, Matthew Rudden, Ciarán Pidgeon. Absent: Theo Moran, Felix Nzekwe.

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An Club Gaeilge

Bíonn Club Gaeilge ar siúl de hAoine don chéad neamhfhoirmeálta é agus dá bharr sin, ní bhíonn siad bhliain. Tugann sé seans dóibh an Ghaeilge atá acu a faoi bhrú agus bíonn siad sásta iarracht a dhéanamh úsáid nuair atá siad iad ag imirt cluichí éagsúla agus chun a bheith ag labhairt. ag labhairt lena chéile! Is atmaisféar réchúiseach agus

Lego Club 2016/17 This year saw St. Benildus College introduce the first Lego Club. This club was formed by some students from 1.7 along with Mr. Clancy. We entered the long running First Lego League competition which was held in January of this year in Galway. Everyone worked extremely hard since the beginning of the year creating a robot made out of Lego and programming this robot to do various tasks in order to gain points in the competition. This year’s theme was “Animal Allies” and the team came up with a great project on cock fighting. The team did very well in the competition coming in 11th place and we are already preparing for next year’s competition. Well done to the lads from 1.7, St. Benildus’ first ever Lego team.

Back Row L to R: Eric McMahon, Seán O’ Connor, Finn Coughlan, Mr. J. Clancy. Front Row L to R: Eoin Kenny, Diarmaid Heavey.

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BT Young Scientist 2016/2017 Did you hear that? From the project details and proposals to project books and diary’s, the BT Young Scientist Exhibition presents many daunting tasks that are completely up to the student to figure out. As the application deadline was looming, many said it would take a miracle to follow or supersede the success of ‘Get a grip with Lego’, a highly commended BT Young Scientist project from Benildus last year. The application process seems quite an intimidating task, however when you delve into what they are actually looking for you quickly realise how simple it is. The aim of the project is to present a compelling proposal to the judges. Aspects they take into account include; relevance, difficulty, innovativeness and complexity. The judges love the simple but effective projects that tackle big issues from a new and more effective angle. Once accepted, time starts ticking and you start putting the plan you promised into action. You then start ordering parts, making models and constructing timetables. A big part of the preparation is planning your descriptions, making sure you’re all on the same page and fully aware of all aspects of your project. On Tuesday the 10th of January, Mr. Furler brought Mihailo and I to the RDS to set up. After setting up, we were interviewed by ‘Steven’ from RTÉ. Wednesday began with our appearance on Morning Ireland and after responding to a couple of ‘you did very well on the radio’ texts we headed into the RDS for the first round of judging. This began at two o’ clock. We got to know our neighbouring projects, being the only project from ‘the big smoke’ on our row we

struggled to fit in. The nerves were still high so we didn’t venture too far from our stand. We were due a VIP Visit at around half four, Mary Mitchell O’Connor the Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation. We also attended the Opening Ceremony that day. Thursday was the second and third round of judging, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Thursday was the first day that the exhibition was open to the public; this meant that every school in the country felt obliged to attend, resulting in an unreasonable amount of kids in attendance. In addition, Minister John Halligan (pictured); junior minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation came to our stand as a VIP Visit. Friday was quite uneventful; we missed out on the fourth round of judging so our morning was spent using all of our food vouchers. Ms Power, her father and Ms. Clancy came to visit Friday evening before the Award Ceremony. Unfortunately we failed to pick up even one of the one hundred and twenty awards on offer but we came back to our stand to find a ‘highly commended’ rosette stuck to our stand. Saturday was due to be the busiest day, however very little people attended in comparison to previous days. We got visits from friends, family, nursing homes, deaf organisations, The Science Gallery and fire safety companies. The BT Young Scientist was a great experience; we learnt a lot, made loads of friends and had an overall wonderful experience and we would definitely recommend it to anyone considering it in future years! Páraic Ó Ciarúain and Mihailo Manojlovic 4.1

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

Aaron Ben Kelty Thornton Mooney

Adam Kelly

Adam Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Callaghan

Alex Johns

Alex Kinahan

Alex McElwee

Alex Sullivan

Andrew Hayes

Andrew Murdock

Andrew Timlin

Ben Thornton

Billy Keogh

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

Brendan O’Brien

Brian Carr

Brian Dodd

Caolán Buckley Owens

Cian Jenkinson

Cian Maddison

Cian Power Kelly

Cian Shelly

Ciarán Brown

Ciarán Gormley

Ciarán Horan

Ciarán Murphy

Colin Byrne

Conor Blaides

Conor Brady

Conor McEnerney

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

Conor Mongon

Conor Saunders

Conor Thompson

Conor Ward

Daniel Reilly

David Dagg

David Keogh

Dean O’ Reilly

Diarmuid McTigue

Dylan Boland

Dylan Breen Young

Dylan McKeever

Dylan Murphy

Eoin Foley

Eoin O’ Reilly

Eric Lawlor

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

Evan Bolster

Evan Fagan

Finn McDonnell

Glenn Soraghan

Harry Condron

Jack Dalton

Jack Donovan

Jack Eakins

Jack Kavanagh

Jack Murray

Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Toole

Jack Walsh

Jake Pickering

James Callanan

James Dalton

James Grimes

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

James Keogh

Janmar Ferraren

Jason McLoughlin

Jerricho Juliano

Jordan Hill

Jordan O’ Connor

Joseph Long

Joseph Sheehan

Kevin Murtagh

Kevin Ryan

Killian Fitzpatrick

Krystian Sarowski

Leon Southern

Liam McCallum

Lorka Ó hAnnracháin

Luke Cowman

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

Luke Doran

Mark Carolan

Mark Clarke

Mark McClatchie

Mark O’ Keefe

Mark Wooton

Matthew Kelly McDonald

Max Ammann

Max Jones

Michael Cleary

Michael O’ Connor

Michael Roberts

Mika McKeever

Miles Gaynor

Nathan Byrne

Niall Bezeci

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6TH YEAR HEAD SHOTS

Niall Byrne

Niall Gray

Noel Cannon

Odhrรกn McDonnell

Patrick Flaherty

Paul Harrington

Peter Brady

Peter Monahan

Peter Moore

Piotr Rodak

Rian Farrell

Richard Barnwell

Robert Ashe

Ronan Boyce

Ross Bradshaw

Ryan Quearney

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Séamus Breathnach

Seán Gaffney

Seán Masterson

Seán McElroy

Seán O’ Brien

Seán O’ Foghlu

Seán Roe

Seán Sullivan

Shane Malone

Shaun Jenkins

Stephen Mulvaney

Stephen Tuite

Absent: Charlie Skelly, Ciarán Byrne, Brandon Merrigan, Brian Smyth, Josh Carroll.

Tom Cordial

Tom Keane

Tom McGuirk

Class of 2017. Wishing you all the best of luck in future years.

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Six Years Later… Ronan Boyce

I still cannot fathom that it has been nearly six years since we walked through the gates of St Benildus as fresh faced first years… As I look back, every year has become one fluid experience that rushes past in my memory and which has rushed past in real time. When we started, we were unformed, we were just boys. We were nervous and lacked self-assurance and had not cut our own path in the world. This school has found us boys and left us men! It gave us talents, interests and aspirations. It taught us the difference between a pastoral and an arable farm, how to bisect an angle and everything in between. It taught us how to behave, to be responsible and to take pride and ownership of the things that we do. I think our year group have had an extremely successful six years in the college, be it in academia, on the sports field, especially in the highly successful senior Gaelic football team, or in any of the other plethora of pursuits we engaged in. We

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gave a rousing performance of “Connemara” as our school play in fourth year, thanks in no small part to Ms. Mulligan. A handful of students were also involved in setting up a school bank as part of the build a bank challenge that same year. Furthermore, many of my class mates have made huge contributions to the “Benildus got Talent” show through the years, which included some noticeable performances from Paul Harrington, Brendan O’Brien, Seamus Breathnach and the like. The year group have also featured on the highly successful chess team and the highly ambitious senior debating team. I think it is fair to say that our year group have made a lasting impression on the school and have fared well over the last six years here. I hope, as I’m sure you do, that that this is reflected in the results we see in August.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

6TH YEAR 2016-2017 AWARDS Soundest 6th Year: Jack Kavanagh

Most artistic: Ciarán Gormley

Most potential: Niall Gray

Because he deserves an award: Evan Fagan

Best Bromance: Jack Pickering and Dylan Murphy

Next President: Ronan Boyce

Rebel of the Year: Dylan McKeever

Next Teacher: Brendan O’Brien

Sportsman of the Year: David Dagg

Next CEO of Apple: Dylan McKeever

Style Icon: Mark Wooton

Next Pro Football player: Tom Keane

Einstein of the Year: James Callanan

Next to work for NASA: Finn McDonnell

Comedian of theYear: Mark Clarke

Most likely to be a rock star: Paul Harrington

Best Facial Hair: Diarmuid McTigue

First Irish Pope: Alex McElwee

Daydreamer of the Year: Adam Kelly

First to be a Librarian: Ryan Quearney

King of Dance: Tom McGuirk

Will show up late at his wedding: Cian Power Kelly

Personality of the Year: Ronan Boyce

Most likely to start a Communist Revolution: Conor Blaides

Best Musician: Seamas Breathnach Best Laugh: Ben Thornton

Future Principal: Ronan Boyce

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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TRANSITION YEAR 2016/17

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Transition Year

Aaron Condon

Adam English

Adam Quigley

Adam Roe

Alan Roche

Alex Byrne

Alex Hughes

Alexander Lanigan

Andrew Blackwood

Andrew Ryan

Antoni Bielazik

Arron Campbell

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Ben Keating

Ben Thornton

Billy Spratt

Brian Maguire

Cathal Caffrey

Cian Compton

Cian de hร ra

Cian Deignan

Cian McKenna

Ciarรกn Anderson

Ciarรกn Byrne

Ciarรกn Keogh

Cillian Brennan

Conor Doyle

Conor Dunleavy

Conor McGreevy

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Cormac Smith

Dan Doyle

Daniel Byrne

Daniel Dobbin

Daniel J. Byrne

Danny Sanz

Darragh Thompson

David Mongan

David Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Leary

Davy Galvin

Dylan Palmer

Eoin Donnelly

Eoin McDonagh

Evan Farrelly

Evan Tallant

Felix Nzekwe

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Gareth O Driscoll

Gary Martin Moran

Gary Reid

Gavin Fahy

Gerard Brady

Greg O’ Toole

Harry Bradshaw

Hugh O Connor

Isaac Maguire

Jack Chester

Jack Hayden Hess

Jack Kelly

Jack Lawless

Jack O’Driscoll

Jake Kelly.jpg

James Odion

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Jamie De Hora

Jason Manguilimotan

Joe Mulhall

Joe Sweeney

John Champion

John Maloney

Jonathan Daczkowski

Jonathan Quinlan

Karlo Bozic

Keelan Barry

Kevin Dunne

Liam O Driscoll

Liam Rodgers

Luke Burns

Luke Byrne

Luke Caragher

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Luke Kelly

Luke Russell Hallinan

Mark Fox

Mark Plant

Mathew McCormack

Matthew Byrne

Michael O Regan Murphy

Michal Korneluk

Mihailo Manojlovic

Niall Kellegher

Niall Roe

Niall Webster

Oisín Ó hEarcáin

Oisín Wallace

Páraic Ó Ciarúain

Patrick Creane

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Patrick Kearns

Ross Keating

Ross West

Sam Jolley

Scott Stafford

Seán Dolan

Seán Farren

Seán Grant

Seán MacDonncha

Seán Nolan

Seán O’Flynn

Seán O’Shea

Seán Roberts

Shane Geraghty Dillon

Shane Walsh

Simonas Norkus

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Stephen Long

Szymon Grabouski

Tim Casey

Tom Creagh

Tom Cullen

Tom Higgins

Tristian Montejo

Vince Palban

William Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea

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TY AWARDS Personality of the year: Felix Nzekwe Sportsman of the year: Jonathan Quinlan Next Einstein: Ben Keating Classiest: Mark Fox Style Icon: Gavin Fahy King of Dance: Paddy Kearns Shlippery Shnake: Seán Dolan Beard of the Year: Andrew Ryan He’s Actually 25: Tom Creagh Laziest: Cian McKenna ‘I slept in’: Jonathan Quinlan Shortest: Joe Sweeney Phone Addict: Jake Kelly Most confused: Paddy Creane Best Accent: Gary Martin Moran Quads of steel: Andrew Blackwood Biggest Heartbreaker: Adam Roe Movie Lover: Conor Dunleavy Biggest head: Joe Mulhall Most put on accent: Luke Byrne Most Hyper: Daniel Dobbin Most Ginger: Dan Doyle Best Musician: Tom Higgins Biggest Football fan: Jonathan D Thinks He’s MadT: Liam O’Driscoll Best Nickname: Chopper Most Vain: Paddy Kearns Worst Attendance: Cian McKenna Deserves an Award: Seán Dolan Future Politician: Oisín Wallace Best Actor: Aaron Campbell Sugar Addict: Luke Burns Daredevil: Gary Martin Moran Best Attendance: Jake Kelly Next WWE Star: Seán O’Shea Best Hair: Evan Tallant Frisbee King: Alan “ALANNNNN” Roche Best Initials: Gareth O’Driscoll (GOD) Next Farmer: Brian "Tumpers" McGuire Most likely to win the lotto but lose the ticket: Paddy Creane Most caring: Gerard Brady Most gullible: Paddy Creane Most likely to become President: Jack Chester Most likely to succeed: Cian Deignan CheeKiest wink: John “the champ” champion Most likely to be in Fás: Niall Webster Most likely to be a teacher: Mark Plant The coffee goddess: Eoin “Acorn Brew” MacDonagh Most fruity: Seán Farren

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Bray to Greystones Hike On the 7th of September many fourth year students took part in a hike from Bray to Greystones. The year was given the responsibility of taking care of their own transport and with a very inconvenient bus strike meant that many people had to find their own way to the DART. The T.Y co-ordinators (Ms. Downey and Ms. Fitzpatrick) accompanied the year on the six kilometre hike each way in which we ventured around Bray Head hill and along the seafront all the way to Greystones. The hike was a great outing experience which allowed the transition year students to socialise and get to know each other after the class mix ups at the start of the year. The hike wasn’t too tiring but the “stop-off” at Greystones was well worth it and felt deserved. Students were left to their own devices as they were allowed to explore a small village on the edge of Greystones. Many students spent money in shops and others continued along the coast to take more photos of the beautiful scenery. After a fifty minute break we started the return journey to Bray. Thank you to Ms Downey and Ms Fitzpatrick for organising this trip.

Day in the Life of a TY It’s not too bad being a Fourth Year! Every day consists of dodging Ms. Downey at little break and not being seen at all by the year heads during the entire week. Plus, the warring between classes was great, especially with the constant borrowing of clocks and bins on a daily basis. The feeling of superiority over the junior years never goes away, and it’s always funny when you walk down a corridor and they just part to the side, witnessing the power of the black

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jumper. Plus the benefit of being actually able to go outside school grounds helps too. It’s great to be off at 2:30pm on a Wednesday and Friday and having a 9am start on Friday allows us to have a bit of a lie-in. The modules we have change every six weeks with something to suit everyone as there is such a wide range to choose from. Chinese, Modern Music, Sign Language, ECDL, Journalism and Photography are just some of the things on offer with many more on top of that. One of the highlights of the modules would have to be Leisure which is just football but with the bonus of Mr. Kelly commentating the matches. Thankfully, Friday is definitely best of all. Most students are out of school in the morning taking part in Bowling in the Leisure Plex,

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Skiing, Yoga etc. with students returning to school in the evening for classes like Horticulture where we are helping create a school garden and a favourite for many, Cooking!

John Champion & Niall Webster

The musical is definitely a highlight of the year, making memories and meeting new people through the pain-stakingly long rehearsals to the nights of the show which are memorable for both good and bad reasons but it’s definitely something not to miss out on! Yeah, life as a TY in Benildus is pretty good, plus all the laid-back classes, zero homework, talks, workshops and everything else in between during the year also helps. Thank you to Ms. Downey and Ms. Fitzpatrick for all of their hard work and organisation to make this year such an enjoyable one for all!

Gaisce 2016/2017 This year, 38 transition year students participated in Gaisce. Part of Gaisce included a hike which had to be completed in order to receive our Gaisce Bronze award. The hike went along the Wicklow way. We started on Tuesday the 14th of March at 9 O’clock in Marlay Park. The first section of the hike was a tough 23 kilometres trek roughly. At around 4 o’clock, after many hours of walking, we arrived at Knockcree Youth Hostel, our home for the night. The hostel was comfortable with dinner and breakfast provided and with great views of the Wicklow Mountains. Even though the majority of us were extremely tired I think the majority of us didn’t sleep much, between music playing at 2 o’clock

in the morning and Seán Dolan banging doors at 4. We departed the hostel at 9 the following day. The second part of the hike was a little shorter, it being 17 kilometres; however, between climbing Djouce and getting lost it ended up being 20 kilometres. We took the bus home from Roundwood after everyone had bought as much as they could from the Centra and chipper. Needless to say the bus journey home was very quiet as everyone was extremely fatigued. A huge thank you to all involved in the organisation of this great trip. We are one step closer to our Gaisce bronze medal this year!

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Reflection on Transition Year Transition Year so far has been a great experience; it has given me a break from the hard work that came with the Junior Cert and time to do things that I enjoy that otherwise I couldn’t have. Along with this I got the opportunity to try new things that I wouldn’t have thought would have interested me before such as tennis, chess, pool and skiing among others. Although I didn’t let this take away from doing the scarcely appointed schoolwork which I think is still important and will help in the long run. My favourite activities so far have been skiing, dance, working on the yearbook, cooking and yoga. However there is still much to come. I am involved in the school’s open day meaning I will be giving tours to some of the parents that have come to visit the school, the play

rehearsals are getting into full swing and we have a trip to Spain to walk a part of the Camino de Santiago coming up in May. Overall it’s shaping up to be a great year!

Native American Talk On the 24th of November, Ms Kerr organised the visit of a native Choctaw American Indian called Waylon Gary White Deer to the school to talk to fourth year classes. Ms Kerr teaches a module called Famine Studies and felt this would be a great experience for students to talk to and hear the stories of someone with connections to this time in Irish history. Waylon spoke to students about being a Choctaw

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Indian while also discussing his interest in the Famine. Choctaw native Indians are known for being involved in sending supplies to Ireland during the Great Famine. Waylon has come to Ireland many times to do talks and even has set up Famine walks that he leads all over Ireland. All students found this to be a very interesting talk and were fascinated by the tales he had to share. A huge thank you to Ms Kerr for organising this talk for TYs.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

MasterChef with David Gillick

Transition Years take on Master Chef On the 2nd of December 2016, Benildus past pupil David Gillick and 2013 Celebrity Master Chef Winner, visited the college to run a Master Chef competition with a Transition Year class group. During this time David taught the class how to make a beef chilli dish. When students had completed the task, dishing up their attempts, he then tasted all of dishes prepared and decided the best and the runners up. The winning dish was cooked by Alex Hughes and Shane Geraghty Dillon, closely followed by Jack Lawless and Niall Kellagher. The winners of the competition received a cook book written by David each, which was an invaluable prize. David was very professional in his work as he knew how to keep the students focused while also having a laugh with them .The main reason for making this meal was because it is very healthy and is ideal for a healthy diet. The ingredients used consisted of minced beef, butternut squash, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, one large onion, a clove of garlic and chopped tomatoes. Pictured is a photo of the afternoon David uploaded to his Twitter account with all the students who took part. A big thank you to David Gillick for taking part in this afternoon with Transition Year students over the last few years!

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Green Schools

The Green Schools committee started off quickly this year with preparations to obtain the school’s green flag for water conservation. Members of the committee attended the Leinster Green School’s summit that was hosted by An Taisce. This all took place in the very first week. During this summit all schools present discussed the ongoing dangers to the environment and how they could cut down on the usage of water, gas and electricity.

After the summit the committee took to their task and began running assessments on everything that uses water within the school. They then organised a school Green Day in which awareness was arranged for all environmental problems that were present in the community. Overall it was a good start for the school’s third green flag and leaves the school in a good position to receive it next year. Conor Doyle 4.2

From L to R: Oisín Wallace, Mark Plant, Mihailo Manojlovic, Adam Roe, Conor Doyle, Cian Deignan, Mr. O’ Sealbhaigh.

Transition Year Bank Team

From L to R: Ciarán Keogh, Alan Roche, Eoin McDonagh, Conor Doyle, Oisín Wallace.

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School Bank 2016/2017

The School Bank: Building a relationship with Bank of Ireland in the Community The school’s continued involvement with the Bank of Ireland Secondary Schools Programme has proved to be both rewarding and engaging for the whole school community. It’s the only extra-curricular activity that actually creates funding for the school.

Operation of the School Bank

At the start of each academic year both the School Bank Coordinator and the allocated Bank of Ireland School’s Programme members host a joint talk to all Transition Year students to highlight the B.O.I School Programme and the opportunity to apply for a position on the School Bank Team. This is a very competitive and rewarding process for all students involved. The Bank of Ireland School Bank has been designed to support schools in providing financial education to students. It gives students the opportunity to work in the School Bank across a variety of roles from Bank Manager to Customer Service Official learning about banking and how to work as an effective team. The School Bank also provides the opportunity for students to open a bank account and makes it easy for them to save on a regular basis; via frequent on site School Bank visits. The Student School Bank team

are supported by experienced Bank of Ireland staff members from the local branch to ensure the smooth operation of the School Bank, and to support the team with any questions and queries they may have. - In the 2014/2015 academic year, 25 students applied and were interviewed. - In the 2015/2016 academic year, 24 students applied and were interviewed. - In the 2016/2017 academic year, 37 students applied and were interviewed.

Bank Team Personnel Details

There is always a competitive entry process to get on to the bank team, 37 students were interviewed this year by B.O.I representatives and 6 students were selected. The 2016/2017 team consists of 6 students who were chosen as a result of their interviews: 1. Eoin Mc Donagh 2. Oisín Wallace 3. Ciarán Keogh

Branch Manager Sales & Marketing Manager Operations & Audit Specialist

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4. Conor Doyle 5. Liam O’Driscoll 6. Alan Roche

Digital Advisor Digital Advisor Digital Advisor

Below is the feedback from the B.O.I staff which we all should be very proud of. ‘We were very impressed with the students yesterday, the standard was extremely high. The genuine interest the candidates had was very reassuring but it also made our job even harder to pick the team’ – Bank of Ireland Representative.

Benefits to the School Bank Team • Work Experience in the Banking and Service Industries. • Leading, Managing, Organising and Controlling their own business venture. • Develop valuable skills: communication, teamwork, organisation, administrative, presentation, information technology, interpersonal etc. • Written References on completion of the Programme. • Framed ‘Excellence Certificate’ Presentation. • Engage in ancillary activities Transition Year Students exposure to the ‘World of Work’. • The Programme exposes Transition Year students in the management of a potentially profit making venture with practical goals and rewards. • The school bank team visit a B.O.I branch and are given a tour of the premises and shadow Bank of Ireland staff undertaking their normal day to day activities. B.O.I staff meet with the team, explain their roles, show the team around the Dundrum branch and both parties start to build a working relationship. • This year when the team visited, it was Christmas customer day at the bank and footfall was higher than a normal day. The team had the opportunity to meet and greet customers coming into the branch and members of the public walking by and assisted in spreading a bit of holiday cheer by giving out mince pies and collecting for charity. Mutual benefits for B.O.I and the School Bank Team. • Every Transition Year student that applies for the school bank team has the opportunity to prepare and sit an interview with Bank of Ireland staff members. This process is another valuable experience to candidates whether they are successful or not in becoming a bank team member. The experience of conducting an interview with representatives of a business working in the local community is both challenging and rewarding.

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Bond Trader Challenge • B.O.I also offers a Bond Trader game. St.Benildus College will be represented by three teams of 5th Year Business students at the event this year. Students have thoroughly enjoyed this competition in prior years. This is very positive, exciting exposure to the business subjects. B.O.I Association with Sport at St.Benildus College Run for Life Charity Collection • Bank of Ireland facilitated the school’s annual charity fundraising drive of, ‘Run for Life’ by allowing the school’s bank team to collect for donations both inside and outside of the Dundrum Bank of Ireland branch. This has worked well for both parties and has been completed in the 2015/2016 and the 2016/2017 academic years.

Cheque and Certificate Presentations • The school was presented with a cheque for €1,750 for our successful involvement in the BOI secondary schools programme. Pictured are: Glenn Moran Bank of Ireland representative, the school’s 2015-2016 Transition Year bank team, and Mr.Johnson. Community Sponsorship – Senior Gaelic Football Team • Bank of Ireland awarded an additional separate amount of €1,000 in sponsorship funding to contribute towards sports apparel for the school’s Senior Gaelic Football Team that historically won the school’s first Leinster Post Primary Schools Senior Gaelic Football ‘A’ Title in the 2015/2016 academic year.

Safer Internet Day Talk This Year’s School Bank Team also organised a talk for First Years on ‘Safer Internet Day’ in February which is an E.U wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people. The talk covered social media, staying safe online, how to handle your social media footprint and online banking.

Thanks to Customers The School Bank Team would like to extend our sincere thanks for the support of all our customers this year and wish them all good luck in the upcoming school bank customer raffle.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

St. Benildus College- Inaugural School Garden

August 2016 saw the Transition Year students begin the construction of the St.Benildus School Garden. The project has a wide scope. It is to build an environmentally sustainable school garden that will serve the school and the wider community. It has the potential to have: strong educational links, enhance the natural surroundings, raise awareness of environmental concerns and facilitate local to global community action. To date the project has forged relationships and links with; Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council through the award of an Environment Grant, Johnstown Boy’s National School, a local Residents Association, a Construction Company operating in the local area, Green Schools, Geography classes undertaking soil samples, 5th Year Agricultural Science students who have begun to sow potatoes in part of the vegetable patch under construction and some very enthusiastic 5th Year students as an option in Senior P.E.

Aims and Objectives of the Initiative - To build a school garden. - To plant trees, bushes and flowers. - To plant and nurture fruit trees and fruit bushes. - To plant and care for a vegetable patch. - To plant and care for a herb garden. - To build and house a polytunnel to nurture seedlings and develop fruit and vegetables. - To create biodiversity by building an insect motel and an environment to encourage wildlife such as birds, squirrels, bees, butterflies and other creatures. - To harvest rainwater. - To create self-sustainable compost (compost heap). - To educate students in a multitude of disciplines. - To create cross curricular links which strengthens and reinforces educational lessons. - To support and reinforce Department of Education and Skills Initiatives. A key element is that students carry out all works directly which promotes sustainable community involvement.

Intended Outcome The intended outcome of the project is for all members of the school community to contribute, enjoy and benefit from the creation of a school garden: Students, Teachers, Parents and Families. The College aims to enrich the education of the students through all facets of school life; academic, health and welfare, recreational activities and the growth

of individuals and groups in school activities. We offer a holistic approach to education and aim to meet the individual; spiritual, intellectual, moral, artistic, emotional, physical and social needs of each student so that they are better equipped for life. A school garden offers many physical and psychological health benefits for students and adults. The Project is for transition year students and other students in our school to build a school garden from scratch, whereby students complete all works from start to finish. From; research, garden design, hard landscaping, soft landscaping, building flower beds, a paved/stone path, compost heap, a seating area as an outdoor classroom, planting trees and flowers, weeding, sowing, growing, nurturing, caring and loving nature. It will be an ‘outside’ reflective area and the space can be used in the future to house school graduations whereby families reflect and rejoice together as a community.

Cross Curricular Integration with other Subjects and School Initiatives - A contemplative area for Social Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E) and Civic, Social and Political Education (C.S.P.E). - Integration with Green Schools. - Science/Biology/Geography; soils, plants, animals, environment. - Transition Year Cookery Module; Healthy eating, school canteen, Stillorgan food fair on Wednesdays, T.Y Mini Company (hanging baskets, flower trays, window boxes, selling produce). We will utilise all the fruit, vegetables and herbs we will produce. - Construction Studies/Design and Communications Graphics (D.C.G); the design of the garden and wooden structures. - Career Guidance; horticulture, food science, landscaping, agricultural science, construction, agri-business, getting exposure to these career options. - Environment; symbol of nature, growth, community. - As an alternative option to senior students during traditional Physical Education (P.E). - Whole School Initiative/Collaborating between different departments. - The school would use some of the flowers each year for the reception and for graduation ceremonies. It is envisaged as a working garden AND a place of contemplation and relaxation as well as an escape from a pressurised world to a place of calmness and serenity.

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Rationale and Other Benefits - Improves the quality of life for participants – students, adults, the school community and wider community groups will benefit both physically and psychologically. - Provides a catalyst for neighbourhood and community development – the school have entered into discussions with a local residents group to form a partnership to craft and build bird feeders and hopefully other items. - Stimulates Social Interaction – a crucial building block for the successful attainment of self-esteem, confidence, mental health awareness and overall well-being. The stimulus and positive atmosphere of the development of a school garden encourages teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills which are key skills for people to hone. - Encourages Self-Reliance – The school garden produce will be used for the school cookery module in the future. Transition Year students; growing, tending, harvesting and then cooking their own food, exhibits the sustainable food chain and highlights the transparency between, ‘the farm and the fork’. - Beautifies Neighbourhoods – The school garden will encourage and sustain local wildlife, enable outreach programmes in the community and will facilitate the All-Ireland Pollination Plan. - Produces Nutritious Food – our students and their families will directly benefit, students will harvest fruit, vegetables and other yields and sell the produce in the future at a local food fair and to the school canteen, as part of a Transition Year Mini-Company Venture. - Reduces Family Food Budgets – The families of the students and the teachers at our school. - Conserves Resources – We will engage in water harvesting, producing our own compost, using recycled and upcycled materials and aim to become a sustainable environment. We are ambitiously hoping to build our own glasshouse from scratch using a combination of recycled and new materials. - Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education – Students are the ones building the garden, no contractors or other service providers will play any part. Everything will be completed by the project group. The building and development of the school garden provides active physical exercise and social and environmental recreation. Numerous

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educational links are present between school subjects and Department of Education and Skills programmes and initiatives. - Preserves Green Space – The project preserves green space and a sustainable green space in an urban built up area. It also provides a sanctuary for wildlife to flourish. - Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections - our project enables social cohesion as in the future school events such as our United Through Sport Day, with local Special Olympics groups, can be housed in part in our school garden and we also hope to continue to forge links with other community groups for the mutual benefits of everyone in our community. Looking Ahead By the end of the 2016–2017 academic year it is hoped to have; installed and planted the vegetable patches, planted fruit trees and bushes, painted the boundary walls, built a polly tunnel, installed a formal garden entrance gate, completed the construction of a decked area and the further delineation of boundaries and paths. Congratulations to all those Transition Year students, 5th Year students and other members of the school community that have been involved to date for their hard work.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

We’re all going on a Summer Holiday! Summer Holiday- The Build Up

The play is one of the most anticipated parts of Transition Year every year with most pupils saying it is the highlight of their fourth year experience. The play for this school year was announced in late 2016. Fourth Years would tackle the very popular musical of the 1960’s, “Summer Holiday”, which tied in nicely to our 50th Anniversary celebrations this year! Ms. Power led the charge as director with Ms. Downey taking on the role of head producer. Ms. Mulligan took up the role of choreographer again while Mr. O’ Riordáin joined the crew taking up the role of head vocal coach. Casting for roles began in early November and after many auditions, Ms. Power and Mr. O’ Riordáin had found the four main roles for Benildus while the teachers at Raphaela’s had cast there four main roles. The rehearsals started in December of 2016. There are also many other roles in this Musical which go toward making sure it runs smoothly, such as the choruses and actors but also lesser recognised groups such as Set Design, Backstage and Front of House. From the outside, school musicals might look simple with very specific groups performing certain tasks on the day but in reality, school musicals take months of pre-planning and casting

to make sure everyone acting or participating in the school musical fit their roles. To help us prepare initially we watched the entire movie from 1963. After we had seen the movie we all had a better understanding of the play which paid off at rehearsals with people recognising the songs that their chorus had to dance to. Ms. Mulligan went slightly insane with the lack of enthusiasm in our dancing. That was until we had actually learnt our steps! It took a while but we finally mastered our words and steps with a lot of dedication from the cast and production crew having to come in over the midterm. Overall the musical took a lot of work to organise and execute, but it’s worth it for the laughter and enjoyment it will bring!

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CAST & CREW OF SUMMER HOLIDAY LEAD ROLES DON EDWIN STEVE CYRIL JERRY

Arron Campbell Eoin Donnelly Mark Fox Tom Higgins Niall Kellegher

BARBARA MIMSIE ANGIE ALMA STELLA

Caitlin Kelly Sinead O’Connor Ella Doran Chloe Hynes Ali O’Gorman

SUPPORTING ROLES WILF Oisín Wallace SANDRA Emma Pichot “THE SHADOWS” BAND Ciarán Keogh Seán MacDonncha Greg O’Toole Jonathan Quinlan MARJORIE (TEA LADY) Sinead O’Carroll STUDIO FLOOR MANAGER Niall Webster HAIRDRESSER Nicole Boyle MAKEUP ARTIST Maria McKeever WARDROBE MISTRESS Niamh O’Connor

“LE GEORGE” DANCERS Andrew Blackwood Adam Roe Mark Plant Jonathan Daczkowski Gavin Fahy Michal Korneluk Conor Doyle UGLY GIRL IN NIGHTCLUB Ciarán Byrne FRENCH GENDARMES Ciara McLoughlin Amy Keegan ITALIAN COMMISSARIO Shane Walsh ITALIAN GUARDS Cian de hÓra Eoin McDonagh WEDDING SINGER Emily Rudden

ITALIAN BRIDE Laoise Mullen BRIDESMAIDS Claire Murphy Christina Brennan Andrea Dalton GROOM Alex Lanigan GROOMSMEN Adam English Tim Casey Keelan Barry PRIEST Stephen Long THE “RAT PACK” Patrick Kearns Ross West Dan Doyle Vince Palban CONSUL WRIGHTMORE David O’Leary

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CHORUS Adam English Adam Quigley Adam Roe Aisling Neary Alan Roche Alex Byrne Alex Lanigan Alicia Warren Amy Keegan Amy Simpson Andrea Dalton Andrew Blackwood Andrew Ryan Ben Thornton Benita Murinola Brian Maguire Chloe Boyd Christina Brennan Cian Compton Cian de Hora Cian Deignan Ciara McLoughlin Ciarán Byrne Cillian Brennan Claire Murphy Conor Doyle

Conor Dunleavy Cormac Smith David Mongan David O’Leary Davy Galvin Dylan Palmer Elisha Lawless Elisha O’Hare Ellen O’Connor Emily Rudden Emma Pichot Emma Tynan Eoin McDonagh Evan Farrelly Gareth O’Driscoll Gary Martin Moran Gavin Fahy Gerard Brady Grace Fennell Hannah Bolger Hannah Galeb Hannah Reid Harry Bradshaw Hugh O’Connor Isaac Maguire Jack Chester

Jack Hayden Hess Jack Kelly Jack O’Driscoll Jade Pinkney Jake Kelly Jason Manguilimotan Jessica Maher Jessica O’Crowley Joe Sweeney John Champion John Maloney Jonathan Daczkowski Jordan Stewart Katie Lynch Katie McCann Keelan Barry Laoise Mullen Lara Ellison Lara Williams Lea Weldon Liah Carr Liam O’Driscoll Liam Rodgers Lucy Moffit Luke Caragher Luke Kelly

Luke Russell - Hallinan Luna Morerra Maggie He Mairead Cullen Maria McKeever Mark Plant Matthew Byrne Matthew McCormack Meghan Thompson Styles Michal Korneluk Mihailo Manojlovic Molly Leonard Niall Webster Niamh O’Connor Nicole Boyle Oisín Wallace Ola Rodak Olivia Żabicka Patrick Kearns Pia Cruz Rebecca Kelly Rebecca Murphy Ross West Sadie Lehane Sam Jolley

Saoirse Reilly Scott Stafford Seán Dolan Seán Farren Seán Grant Seán Roberts Shane Walsh Shannon Ryan Sinéad Ellis Sinead Lyness Sinead Murphy Sinead O’Carroll Siobhán Kavanagh Sophia Keil Sophie Hanrahan Sophie Kelly Sophie Priestley Sophie Spollen Sorayya Melrose Stephen Long Teresa Joyce Tim Casey Tom Creagh Tom Creagh Vince Palban

Crew DIRECTOR Ms. Dorothy Power MUSICAL DIRECTOR Mr. Trian O’Riordan CHOREOGRAPHER Ms. Sarah Mulligan ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHERS Ms. Léan Breathnach Ms. Barbara Hatton ART DIRECTOR Ms. Paula Halligan PROPS CONSTRUCTION Mr. Ciarán Fitzpatrick SOUND TECHNICIAN Mr. Conor Wilkins LIGHTING TECHNICIAN Mr. Barry Donaldson LOGO DESIGNER Cian Deignan BACKSTAGE Backstage Manager

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Daniel J. Byrne Backstage Crew Alex Hughes Luke Burns Felix Nzekwe Jack Lawless Luke Paul Byrne

Kate Farrell Heather Finney Maria Ruiz de Luna Ciara Keenan Niah Fender Amira Ayadi Laura Clear Marium Syed

Runners Iqra Khalid Filza Masood Leah O’Doherty Verity Limond

Set Design Cian Deignan Jane O’Carroll Vince Palban Triona McCarty Adam Quigley Rahaf Al Mahroum Aaron Condon Meline Fitzgibbon Ciarán Anderson Lucy Moffitt Tristian Montejo Leah O’Doherty Shane Geraghty Dillon Rachel Doolan Ben Keating

Props Michael O’Regan Murphy James Odion Curtain Seán Nolan Spotlight Daniel A Byrne Evan Tallant Costume & Makeup Kim O’Brien Izzy Feehan Ciara Twomey Christine Bautista

FRONT OF HOUSE Front of House Manager Simi Norkus

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Videographer Jane O’Carroll Photographers Cian McKenna Kevin Dunne Tickets + PR Anton Bielazik Danny Sanz Grealy Niall Roe Seán O’Flynn Joe Mulhall Ushers Cathal Caffrey Ana Ruiz Soto Paraic O’Ciariun Maria Garrido Conor McGreevy Marta Gonzalez Tom Cullen Claudia Ferrera Car Park & Security Patrick Creane Gary Reid William O’Shea Seán O’Shea

Summer Holiday The Transition Year musical has become a popular event in the school calendar and this year it was no different. The St. Benildus boys and St. Raphaela’s girls joined together for their annual performance of a musical which would be witnessed by family, friends, classmates, teachers and local community. The choice of musical this year was ‘Summer Holiday’ which was first released as a film back in 1963 and featured singer Cliff Richard. The musical is set in the swinging 60’s and is based on a group of boys who refurnish an old London bus and plan to travel all around Europe. The play auditions kicked off in October of 2016 with all sorts of parts decided at these auditions like the lead roles, the drag acts and the Italian police officers. The main roles of the musical were Don (Aaron Campbell), Barbara (Caitlin Kelly), Cyril (Tom Higgins), Alma (Chloe Hynes), Steve (Mark Fox), Angie (Ella Doran), Edwin (Eoin Donnelly), Mimsie (Sinead O’Connor), Stella (Ali O’Gorman), and Jerry (Niall Kellegher). Everybody involved in the musical worked determinedly to put on the best musical the schools have seen yet.

Long hours were put in after school as well as at weekends. The show wouldn’t be possible without the help of both sets of staff from St. Benildus and St. Raphaela’s, it especially wouldn’t be a reality without Ms. Power, Ms Mulligan and Mr O’ Riordáin who worked tirelessly in preparing for this year’s musical. A special shout-out to Cian Diegnan for designing the musical’s logo this year. Every character in this year’s musical was unique and felt as good as any other in the musical. For me personally, I felt Tom Higgin’s rendition of ‘Cyril’ was perfect and was one of the many reasons why you should’ve seen the play as his acting was top-notch! In all the show was a success with a great reception from audiences each night. Everyone involved with the musical enjoyed being a part of the spectacle. I’d like to congratulate everybody who was involved in the making of ‘Summer Holiday’ this year! Jonathan Daczkowski 4.3

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TY Ice-Skating In the days before the Christmas holidays, as a treat, the Transitions Years got to go ice-skating in Dundrum Shopping Centre with the girls from St. Raphaela’s. There was a great atmosphere while everyone was waiting outside but I can only imagine what the other members of the public thought when they saw the ice rink filled with a tide of hyper-active teenagers

milling about, some of whom were using tiny plastic penguins for support. The handrail became a lifeline for these unsteady students as they held on for dear life. Despite this there were still many falls but thankfully the only serious injury was to the pride of the Benildus lads and everyone walked away happy and smiling.

Transition Year Mentors 2016/2017 Towards the end of Third Year we were all offered the chance to become a TY mentor for the incoming First Years. There was a small application to fill out and then we had to sit an interview with Ms. Fitzpatrick and Ms. Downey. Thankfully the interviews were conducted in groups which made them very easy. We spent what should have been the last day of our summer holidays in school helping the first years to settle into their classes. After a few weeks passed Mr. Cahill gathered us all in the board room to plan an active afternoon to help the first years to get to know each other.

That afternoon was a booming success and before we knew it Christmas was around the corner and we were planning a quiz for the first years. Shane and I spent hours in the computer room trying to put 100 questions and answers together to fill the afternoon. Apart from this organisation the TY mentors were there to help with any problems that the first years were having, to offer any advice and answer any questions they had during the transition to secondary school. I would highly recommend trying to become a TY mentor to anyone in third year as it is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Oisín Wallace

TY Mentors Team From L to R: Niall Roe, Oisín Wallace, Shane Walsh, Mark Plant, Eoin McDonagh, Gerard Brady, Liam O’ Driscoll, Conor McGreevy, Billy Spratt.

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TY SUBJECT FAIR This year’s TY subject fair was an interesting event. At the fair, 5th year students who were passionate about their subjects took a stall and presented their subjects. There were science experiments taking place and exam papers on display for all subjects. The Agricultural science stall appeared the most popular and made a great first appearance when they set up their stall with exam papers, multiple books, wheelbarrows and potatoes. Overall the subject fair was a great experience and was very honest and helpful with choosing subjects. Thank you to all those involved in the organisation of this event!

Work Experience My Work Experience in China Mark Plant 4.1

In October when I was organising my Work Experience my Dad called me into the kitchen and handed me an emigration form in Chinese and English. To begin with I was shocked and couldn’t believe that I would be going to spend a week in Shanghai lecturing with my Dad. This meant that I would have to travel across the world by myself and meet my Dad in our hotel. When I arrived after a full day of travelling I felt like I was on another planet and that I was an alien from Earth because this culture and atmosphere was so strange and different. While I was there I got a good look at what the world has to offer and it is not at all what I thought it would be! Every day I tried new foods, met new people, went to different places, experienced new things and enjoyed every aspect about them. For my Work Experience I gave a presentation on Ireland to a group of accountancy students in Shanghai Linxin University of Accountancy and Finance. They asked me strange questions due to their little knowledge on Ireland, one of the more interesting ones being “Are you a Leprechaun?” Afterwards I went to an English lecture which was amazing. When I finished my work experience I went sightseeing with my Dad. We went to the famous Terracotta

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Warriors in Xi’an (One of the historical wonders of the world!) I also went to the cities of Shanghai and Xi’an and it opened my eyes to the vast population and the mind boggling attractions like the World Financial Centre in Shanghai (The second tallest building in the world!) I also met a new friend called Tianjiao. She was part of my Dad’s class who spoke excellent English and was extremely nice! Overall I would have to say, without a doubt, that I recommend anyone seeking an adventure or a new perspective on the world to see China. It’s unbelievable! Thanks for reading or should I say! (Xièxiè).

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

National Defence Force Work Experience Seán Farren 4.1

On the 5th of December 2016, I began my second work experience in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines. Each day began at 9.am with a role call at the gates. After that we were marched down to the lecture hall where we were given a variety of talks based on life in the army, the work that they do abroad, CRC/PO (Crowd and Riot Control / Public Order) which was probably the most enjoyable. In it, one of the Corporals made a presentation about the riots in Ukraine in 2014, one of the most modern and deadliest riots of the 21st century. What started off as a peaceful demonstration against the president Viktor Yanukovych, quickly escalated into a brutal civil war. He told us how the police tried to deal with the situation (very badly) and how it was eventually resolved. As well as the talks we were also taken around the barracks to experience first hand their training routine, weaponry, armoured vehicles, and we also partook in riot simulations on the last day, which was probably the highlight of the week. For training, those who

wanted to were brought on a run before returning where they showed us their standard workout and what was required from recruits to enter the army. For the weaponry and armoured vehicles display we were brought out to the field beside the mess where there was an array of semi automatic and fully automatic rifles, shotguns, fire and forget rocket launchers, MOAGs etc. Actually holding real life weapons and sitting in proper armoured vehicles was a surreal sensation and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Finally on the Thursday we were brought on a 14km hike along the Wicklow Way. We were brought by bus to the start of the walk, where we were taught some map reading and basic survival skills. The walk itself was done at a very fast pace and was actually quite tough but everyone who participated got through it in the end. I thought working in the army was actually very fun as it was very energetic and everyone there seemed like great craic. I would really consider it as a job choice now when I finish school.

Wall Street Traders & Ice Hockey Players! Adam English 4.1

My Transition Year Work Experience At the start of the year, when I was thinking about what I would be doing for my first TY work experience, my dad asked me if I would like to work with one of his clients Virtu Financial. You can imagine my surprise and excitement when he told me that my work experience would be on the trading floor of a top Wall Street financial firm in … New York City! On the 10th of October, I flew out to the Big Apple to begin my American work experience adventure. I was amazed by the city and how it looked & sounded, just like it had in all the TV shows and movies I have watched over the years. On my first day, I was up bright and early at 6:00am. As I walked through the busy streets of Manhattan, I was a bit nervous, but also very excited for what the week would bring. For the first couple of days, I spent some time working alongside the traders, where they gave me an insight into what they do and the world of financial trading. Virtu Financial are one of the the world’s leading high frequency trading firms, with an annual turnover of $1bn USD dollars. It’s a very high pressure environment with long hours for the traders. The owners of Virtu also own a top NHL (National Hockey League) team, the Florida Panthers and as part of my tasks during the week I was asked to sort and take an inventory of team promotional items including hockey pucks by the companys CEO Doug Cifu.

Another part of my US work experience saw me travelling to Linden, New Jersey to a massive storage unit where Virtu store their IT equipment. I travelled in a huge Uber with a Virtu employee, where we did stock taking and sorted through all the different storage units. It was a long, typical New York working day I was informed and I also got to experience the infamous New York City traffic gridlock on the way back to the my hotel. On my last day, I worked with the IT team where I got to see how the technology which powered all the trading worked… I was even allowed to work on some of the data comms! A trip to see the New York Rangers ice hockey team play in Madison Square Garden was the perfect end to an amazing experience working in the most incredible city in the world!

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St. Benildus College Academic and LaSallian Awards

2015-2016

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1st Year Academic Award: Back Row from L to R: Alex Fennell, Rory O’ Mahony, Eric Betts, Tadhg Fitzsimons. Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, David Langley, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. B. Hoyne. WINNER: David Langley

1st Year LaSallian Award: Back Row from L to R: Jack MacDonald, Robert Pluck, Cian Sinclair, Rían Moore. Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Luke Cullen, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. B. Hoyne. WINNER: Luke Cullen

1st Year Academic and LaSallian Awards

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Second Year Academic Award: Back Row from L to R: Hugh Carrigan, Seàn Cronin, Daniel Zakharov. Daniel Fox. Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Seán Monahan, Mr. M. Johnson, Ms. J. Beadle. WINNER: Seán Monahan.

Second Year LaSallian Award: Back Row from L to R: Jack Kennedy, Jack Tippins, James Dempsey, Cian Sullivan. Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Aaron O’Toole, Mr. M. Johnson, Ms. J. Beadle. WINNER: Aaron O’Toole.

2nd Year Academic and LaSallian Awards 158

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Third Year Academic Award: Back Row from L to R: Ciarán Byrne, Seán Farren, Antos Bielazik, Joseph Sweeney (missing). Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Cian Deignan, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. P. Fahy. WINNER: Cian Deignan

Third Year LaSallian Award: Back Row from L to R: Eoin Donnelly, Gerard Brady, David O’Leary, Kasper Piekarski. Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Oisín Wallace, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. P. Fahy. WINNER: Oisín Wallace.

3rd Year Academic and LaSallian Awards

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Fifth Year Academic Award: Back Row from L to R: Niall Gray, Odhrán McDonnell, Luke Doran, Andrew Timlin. Front Row L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Brian Dodd, Mr. M. Johnson, Ms. N. Lowe. WINNER: Brian Dodd.

Fifth Year LaSallian Award: Back Row from L to R: Adam O’ Callaghan, Ronan Boyce, Robert Ashe, Shaun Jenkins. Front Row from L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Jack Kavanagh, Mr. M. Johnson, Ms. A. Fitzpatrick. WINNER: Jack Kavanagh.

5th Year Academic and LaSallian Awards

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Sixth Year Academic Award: Back Row from L to R: Adam Caragher, Kevin Cunningham, Ross Drury, Seรกn Dunbar. Front Row L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Aidan Carolan, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. B. Cahill. WINNER: Aidan Carolan.

Sixth Year LaSallian Award: Back Row from L to R: James Browne, Gavin Worthington, Stephen Conroy, Vincent Walsh. Front Row L to R: Mr. O. MacEoin, Jonathan Roche, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. B. Cahill. WINNER: Jonathan Roche.

6th Year Academic and LaSallian Awards

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Transition Year Awards: Back Row from L to R: Diarmuid McCourt, Seph Aherne, Conor Devlin, Ben Coghlan, Cian Hoyne. Front Row L to R: Ms. Downey, Mr. O. MacEoin, Mr. M. Johnson, Ms. A. Fitzpatrick.

Transition Year Students of the Year

From L to R: Rory Smith, Mr. M. Johnson

Brother Brendan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sullivan Award

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From L to R: Mrs. S. Downey, Daniel Boland.

Colm Muldoon Trophy

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CLASS PHOTOS

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1.4 Back row L to R: Lorcan O’Connor, Kevin O’Kelly, Darragh O’Keefe, Peter Collins McCabe, Luke Kelly, Alec Creagh, Tadhg Moran, Sean Matthew Byrne, Ryan Norton. Middle row L to R: Cian Simpson, Stephen Smith, Georgie Reilly, Matthew Naughton, Matthew Mongan, Ben Murphy, Sam Millist, Samuel Gormley, David Earls. Front row L to R: Taiga Murray, Tomas Crean, Artem Malyshev, James Kinsella, David Cunningham, Kieran Cruise, Jack Weafer. Absent: Angello Marsella, Jake Walsh.

1.4

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1.5 Back row L to R: Elliot Doyle, Peter O’ Doherty, Conor Morton, Charlie Boyle, Joshua Palmer, Conor Kavanagh, Eoin Kennedy, Evin Cooney. Middle row L to R: Dáire Sullivan, Simon Hughes, Aaron Kelly, Danté Hickey Hall, Seán Ó hEarcáin, Charlie West, Evan Lawler, Matthew Long, Alexander Malone. Front row L to R: Joe Rudden, Christopher McCann, Seán Garvey, Ben Looney, Paul Dalton, Edvinas Ivanovas, Seán Thomas Byrne. Absent: Max Cardoso Hennessy.

1.5

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1.6 Back row L to R: Krittaphon Thamasarot Guy, Oliver James, Harry Leonard, Matthew Corrigan, Luke Mullen, Sam McMahon, David Fitzgerald, Leo Hennigan, Colm Lyndon. Middle row L to R: Thomas Norton, Jack Kelly, Ben Gouldson, Cian Murphy, Theo Clancy, Jordan Conroy, Aaron Doolan, Joshua Conlon Lindsey, Oísin Byrne. Front row L to R: Liam Tomlinson, Rían Cahill, Jaycee Capinpin, Daniel Cleary, Koby Fierens, Oisín McHugh, Marc Byrne, Kealan Morton. Absent: Benat Potokci

1.6

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1.7 Back row L to R: Christopher Noblett, Ivan Walsh, Charlie Kennedy, Samual Roantree, Thomas O’ Sullivan, Alexander Kennedy, Darragh O’ Brien, Seán O’ Connor, Joe Becker. Middle row L to R: Ryan McLoughlin, Tiernan Lowney, Alex Lynch, Aaron Mulvey, John Clair, Conor Dunne, Finn Coughlan, Lorcán Deering, Eoin Kennedy, Liam Joyce. Front row L to R: Cathal Sullivan, Eric McMahon, Patrick Keys, Adam Scott, Darragh Hurrell, Diarmaid Heavey, Thomas Hanratty.

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1.8 Back row L to R: Colm D’Alton, Ryan Seveste, Dan Coughlan, Adam Morrissey, Brendan Kearns, Aaron Foley O’ Halloran, Max Horan, Jonathan Byrne. Middle row L to R: Ronan Kellegher, Louis Joliffe, Shaun Ireland Dempsey, Billy Muldowney, Shane Hill, Joseph Hand, Daniils Giriks, Daniel Gilsenan, Patrick Bates. Front row L to R: Diarmuid Flynn, Kevin Smith, Cian O’ Riordan, Jamie Clarke, Matthew Carr, Mark McNally, Jake Byrne. Absent: Jakub Krajewski, Jack McGovern.

1.8

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2.4 Back row L to R: Cathal Kennedy, Cian Fitzgerald, Peter Quigley, Daniel Kennedy, Dylan Donnelly , Josh Cullen , Cillian Melwani , Bobby Kirwan , Jack Funge , Jamie Byrne , Daniel Buggle. Middle row L to R: Joshua Vaughan, Frankie Kelly Corrigan, Rory O’ Mahony, Eoin Johnson, Seán Jordan, Fionn Heaslip, Kajetan Jarzynski, Glen Hannigan, Liam Conway. Front row L to R: Samuel Duignan, Bríain Doyle, Alexander Fennell, Charlie Kelly Corrigan, David Kennedy, Kieran Maguire, Ciarán Corcoran, Ben Fitzgibbon Absent: Ciarán Sweeney.

2.4

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2.5 Back row L to R: Ross O’ Driscoll, Jack Fortune, Matthew Mulcahy, David Langley, Luke Deally, Adam Crowe, Robert Callanan, John Fitzgerald, Thomas Moran. Middle row L to R: Joe Quinlan, Lúc O’ Gorman, Eoin O’ Connell, Michael Ferents, Alex Heatherwick, David Mulligan, Luke Cullen, John McEntee, Daragh McDowell, Cain Maher, Jack Feehan. Front row L to R: Darragh O’ Leary, Kevin Ryan, Darragh O’ Sullivan, Paul Kennedy, Ryan Conroy, Owen Collins, Dylan Byrne, Jack Byrne. Absent: Adam Cullen.

2.5

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2.6 Back row L to R: Stephen Smyth, Conor Saunders, Ben Mulhall, Luke Kelly, Alex Kelly, Tadhg Fitzsimons, Jack Finnegan, Thomas de Veale, Dylan Morelli, Ronan Cullen, Seán Byrne. Middle row L to R: Evan Walshe, Ben Taylor, Alen Sebastian, Callum Rohan, Dáire Roe, Robert Pluck, Owen O’ Flynn, Reuben Murray, Conor Dawson, Luke McNally, Samuel McGuirk. Front row L to R: Michael McGreevy, Tony Fox, Colin Dyer, Sam Doran, Andrew Donaldson, Andrew Dardis, Alex Cross, Cian Callanan.

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2.7 Back row L to R: Christian Byrne, Daniel O’ Boyle, Diego Sanz Grealy, Ronan O’ Connor, Jack Power, Adam Mezynski, Billy Hendley, Darragh Clohessy, Luke Kearns, Charlie Gallagher. Middle Row L to R: Daniel O’Reilly, Alvaro Gutierrez Huget, Paul McArdle, Conor McKenna, Andrew Mallen, Jake Brennan, Caylam Kirwan, James Byrne, Robert Breen, Oisín Duff, Jonathan Lyons. Front Row L to R: Brion Cullinan, Seán Gentleman, Jack MacDonald, Cian Sinclair, Emmet Lynch, Cian Larkin, Ben O’ Donovan, Ilir Hysa.

2.7

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2.8 Back Row L to R: Joshua Vard, Ben Tobin Sheridan, Lee Maloney, Bryan Keogh-Smith, Ciarán Farrell, Tomasz Sadowy, Matthew Rudden, Ashvin Pandey, Theo Moran. Middle Row L to R: Thomas O’Dwyer, Ciarán Smyth, Daragh O’Brien, Alex Norkus, John Hudson, Eoin Harrington, Adam Clarke, Ciarán Brennan, Eric Betts, Aaron Archbold. Back Row L to R: Mathew Walsh, William Menton, Rían Moore, Karl McDonnell, Michael Lynch, Eimhin Lowney, Liam Lane, Peter Keane. Absent: Dylan Walsh.

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3.4 Back Row L to R: Mark La Malfa, Luke Murphy-Guinane, Adam Skelly, Adam Nolan, Josh McNally Davey, Eoin McMahon, Ben Millist, Jack Horgan, Shane Flynn. Middle Row L to R: Nathan Cleary, Daniel Zakharov, Matthew Nally, Scott Cullen, Sam Pleass, Neil Schorman, Cian Dunne, Luke Kenny, Darragh Kenny, Seรกn Kealy. Front Row L to R: Aidan Watts, Jamie Mullen, Edward Najos, Jarek Nolan, James Dempsey, Hugh Connolly, Michael Clare, Kevin Byrne.

3.4

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3.5 Back Row L to R: Jamie Gutierrez Alcaraz, Joshua Walsh, Rory Moran, James McClatchie, Caoimhin Gormley, Darragh O’Connor, Colin O’Donovan, Dára Byrne. Middle Row L to R: Jack McEvitt, Nedas Vaitiekunas, Peter Keogh, Oisín Leonard, Jack Quigley, Seán Cronin, Jack Kennedy, Oisín Bannon, Kian Aughney. Front Row L to R: Denis Morris, Kevin McCardle, Joshua Juliano, Cian Harrington, Seán Doyle, Federico Carrocera Munoz, Jamie Browne, Andrew Roberts. Absent: Raúl Farrel, Samuel Marin Lee, Kevin Sheridan.

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3.6 Back Row L to R: Oisín Tobin, Daragh O’Brien, David Piggot, Adam O’Farrell, Sean Fleming, Ciarán Foley, Joseph Earls, Seán McCallum, Seán Carroll. Middle Row L to R: Jamie Burke, Stephen Callaghan Kane, Jake Graham, Pearse Nally, Jack Murphy, Isaac McGreevy, Eoin McEnerney, Christopher Dolan, Illia Met, Mark Brien. Front Row L to R: Jack Tippins, James Renehan, Seán Kelly, Rían Wood, Dáire Casserly, Léon Ward, Ben Connell, Alejandro Jurjo Pardo. Absent: Cillian Flood.

3.6

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3.7 Back Row L to R: Aaron O’Toole, Nicolai Mihalas, David McKeagney, Adam O’Brien, Ben Pleass, John Barry, Matthew Kennedy, Matthew Broe, Darragh Naylor. Middle Row L to R: Robert Savins, Luke Mathews, Matthew de Veale, Neil Hudson, Jack Bourke, Hugh Carrigan, Jamie Doolan, Jack Norton. Front Row L to R: Seán Mooney, Samuel Murray O’Brien, Alberto Gutierrez Alcaraz, Ian McCarthy, Stephen Maguire, Connor Mooney, Dean Kane. Absent: Roan Faulkner, Liam Walsh.

3.7

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3.8 Back Row L to R: Ciarán Pidgeon, Gerard Veale, Ronan O’Reilly, Harry McEvoy, Zygimantas Busminas, Sean Monahan, Louis Mulcahy, Jack O’Reilly, Jordan Needham, Gonzalo López Buján. Middle Row L to R: Luke Kavanagh, Kyle Caragher, Eoin Priestley, Dominic Martinka, Cian Lyndon, Cian Sullivan, Robert Duggan, Conor Sullivan, Shane Cullinan. Front Row L to R: Julián Agenjo Munoz, Cian Scully, Seán Devilly, Eoin O’Connell, Daniel Fox, David Glenn, Jack Corrigan, Konstantin Nikolov.

3.8

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4.1 Back Row L to R: Shane Geraghty Dillon, Conor Dunleavy, Jack Lawless, Mihailo Manojlovic, Simonas Norkus. Middle Row L to R: Niall Webster, Matthew Byrne, Tom Creagh, Cian McKenna, Vince Palban, Mark Plant. Front Row L to R: Cillian Brennan, Niall Kellegher, Adam English, Seán Farren, Sean Dolan, Billy Spratt. Absent: Aaron Condon, Alex Hughes, Páraic Ó’Ciarúain, Gareth O’Driscoll, Adam Roe.

4.1

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4.2

4.2 Back Row L to R: Oisín Wallace, Tom Cullen, Gavin Fahy, Andrew Ryan, Davy Galvin, Greg O’Toole. Middle Row L to R: Stephen Long, Seán Nolan, Seán O’Flynn, David Mongan, Sam Jolley, Adam Quigley. Front Row L to R: Shane Walsh, Conor Doyle, Luke Burns, Darragh Thompson, Brian Maguire, Felix Nzekwe. Absent: Kevin Dunne, Oisín O’hEarcain, Szymon Grabowski.

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4.3 Back Row L to R: Ben Thornton, Alan Roche, Liam O’Driscoll, Luke Russell Hallinan, Jake Kelly, Andrew Blackwood. Middle Row L to R: Ciarán Anderson, Conor McGreevy, Michal Korneluk, Gerard Brady, Cian Deignan. Front Row L to R: Jack Chester, Jonathan Daczkowski, Daniel Alexander Byrne, Luke Paul Byrne, Patrick Kearns. Absent: Luke Carragher, Dan Doyle, Seán Grant, Isaac Maguire, Gary Martin Moran, Hugh O’Connor, Michael O’Regan Murphy, Jonathan Quinlan, Scott Stafford.

4.3

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4.4

4.4 Back Row L to R: Seán Roberts, Evan Farrelly, Evan Tallant, Karlo Bozic, Alexander Lanigan, Keelan Barry, Dylan Palmer, Jack Hayden Hess, John Maloney. Middle Row L to R: Cian de hÓra, Luke Kelly, Tim Casey, Tristian Montejo, Daniel Dobbin, Cathal Caffrey, Liam Rodgers. Front Row L to R: Alex Byrne, Daniel John Byrne, David O’Leary, Matthew McCormack, Jack O’Driscoll, Cian Compton. Absent: Ben Keating, Jack Kelly, Cormac Smith.

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4.5 Back Row L to R: Daniel Sanz Grealy, Gary Reid, Tom Higgins, Mark Fox, Ross Keating, James Odion. Middle Row L to R: Jason Manguilimotan, Eoin Donnelly, John Champion, Luke Patrick Byrne, Ciarán Byrne, Joe Sweeney. Front Row L to R: Niall Roe, Antoni Bielazik, Arron Campbell, Eoin McDonagh, Patrick Creane, Seán MacDonncha. Absent: Harry Bradshaw, Jamie De Hóra, Ciarán Keogh, William O’Shea, Seán O’Shea, Ross West.

4.5

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5.1 Back row L to R: Cian Hoyne, Diarmuid McCourt, Jack O’ Farrell, Oisín Horgan, Liam O’ Dowd, Brian Morton, Daniel Gallagher, Gerard Carrigan, Harry Hudson. Middle row L to R: Oran Duignan, Diarmaid Carey, Ciarán Hanratty, Nathan Doyle, Daniel Mac Lochlainn, Darragh Grant, Fiachra MacLoughlin, Thomas Meleady. Front row L to R: Lukasz Filanowski, Kevin Towell, Lorcan Kissane, Steve Bilevich, Oisín Donnelly, Karl Murphy, Luke Andrew Feeney. Absent: Seph Aherne, Liam Kelly.

5.1

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5.2 Back row L to R: Darragh Sullivan, Cormac Tobin, Jack Sweeney, Declan Dolan, Cian Mac Donncha, Ben Smith-Kohler, David Smith, Colin Veale. Middle row L to R: Tadhg Dunbar, Adam Rundle, Adam Rundle, Cathal Kissane, Gavin Soraghan, Kristof Andrasi, Alexander Timlin, Ben Coghlan, Liam Casey, Leo Conroy. Front row L to R: James Slattery, Evan Cahill, Ciarรกn Graham, Nikolay Malyshev, Kevin Hickey, Rory Smith, Ben Fenner. Absent: Osas Ewansiha.

5.2

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5.3

5.3 Back row L to R: RĂşirc Butler, Jake Berry, Gareth Casey, Jason Byrne, Oscar Bent, Stephen Akien, Jack Becker. Middle row L to R: Liam Ellis, Owen Murray, Stephen Maher, Aaron McNamee, Patrick McDonnell, Nathan Kennedy, Neil McDermott. Front row L to R: Emmet Bolster, Cal Nolan, Kamil Kosinski, Ryan Hanley, Christopher Kinahan, Aaron Maloney. Absent: Conor Devlin, Conor Kettle, Conor Lyons.

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5.4 Back row L to R: Ben Roe, Richard Sheil, Stephen Colgan, Cian O’ Brien, Cormac Nash Rafferty, Chris Morris, Luke Akien. Middle row L to R: Jakub Bascik, Matthew Roche, Cian O’ Rourke, Shane Cleary, Daniel Cleary, Stephen Callanan, Philip Adams, James McMahon. Front row L to R: Kacper Piekarski, Conor Walpole, Jamie Nulty, Conor Roe, Owen Corrigan, Conor Goodrich, Chris Garvin. Absent: Karl Walsh.

5.4

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5.5 Back row L to R: Cian Sullivan, Jack Kirwan, James Maguire, Jake Fitzgerald, Richard O’ Rahilly, Matthew Delaney, Kevin Mac Enrí, Lee Osbourne, Killian Walsh. Middle row L to R: Jack Murphy, Luke O’Brien, Luke Malone, Luke Ellison, Seán Kiernan, Conor Cullinan, Cian Doyle, Cathal O’Connor, Alan Gutsayev. Front row L to R: Ciarán Nally, Liam Cooke, Jack Gallagher, Jack Nagle, Edmund Krasovski, William Kenny, Daniel Krasovski.

5.5

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5.6 Back row L to R: Matthew Sargent, Jake Walker, Dylan Browne, Evan Coster, Matthew Breen, Abdulmalik El-Gamati, Peter Campbell, Harry Doyle. Front row L to R: Ben Swan, Blain Kavanagh, Daniel Eglington, Jack Martin, Szczepan Biel, Jakub Biel, Eoin Fitzgerald. Absent: Craig Hannigan, Josh Kerrigan.

5.6

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6.1

6.1 Back row L to R: Eoin Foley, Andrew Timlin, Jack Eakins, Jack Donovan, Patrick Flaherty, Harry Condron, Brian Carr, Ronan Boyce. Middle row L to R: Seán McElroy Alex Kinahan, Ryan Quearney, Mark O’Keefe, Jason McLoughlin, Finn McDonnell, Jack Kavanagh, Michael Roberts. Front row L to R: Brendan O’Brien, David Dagg, Diarmuid McTigue, Stephen Mulvaney, Nathan Byrne, Niall Gray, Billy Keogh, Evan Bolster. Absent: Lorka O’hAnnracháin, Michael O’Connor.

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Class 6.2 Back row L to R: Seรกn O Brien, Tom McGuirk, Alex McElwee, Odhrรกn McDonnell, Shane Malone, Max Jones, Luke Doran, Conor Brady, Peter Brady. Middle row L to R: Conor Ward, Miles Gaynor, Conor McEnerney, Ciarรกn Gormley, Mark Carolan, James Callanan, Colin Byrne, Peter Monahan. Front row L to R: Paul Harrington, James Dalton, Stephen Tuite, Mika McKeever, Kevin Ryan, Ciarรกn Murphy, Aaron Kelty Mooney, Tom Cordial.

6.2

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6.3

6.3 Back row L to R: James Grimes, Rian Farrell, Seán Gaffney, Brian Dodd, Niall Bezeci, Max Ammann. Middle row L to R: Caolán Buckley Owens, Cian Jenkinson, Dylan McKeever, Andrew Murdock, Liam McCallum, Seán Masterson, Cian Maddison. Front row L to R: Adam Kelly, Jack Murray, Jack Walsh, Dean O’Reilly, Seán Sullivan, Absent: Tom Keane, Conor Mongan, Leon Southern.

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6.4 Back row L to R: Ben Thornton, Alex Sullivan, Mark McClathcie, Joseph Long, Killian Fitzpatrick, Jack Dalton, Jack O’Toole. Middle row L to R: Glenn Soraghan, Joseph Sheehan, Jake Pickering, Jerricho Juliano, Alex Johns, Mark Wooton. Front row L to R: Seán Ó’Foghlú, Ciarán Horan, Michael Cleary, Noel Cannon, Conor Blaides. Absent: Janmar Ferraren, Dylan Murphy, Piotr Rodak.

6.4

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6.5

6.5 Back row L to R: Conor Saunders, Cian Shelly, Adam O’Callaghan, Peter Moore, Eric Lawlor, David Keogh, Mark Clarke. Middle row L to R: Seán Roe, Shaun Jenkins, Evan Fagan, Andrew Hayes, Luke Cowman, Ross Bradshaw, Eoin O’Reilly. Front row L to R: Krystian Sarowski, Daniel Reilly, Conor Thompson, Ciarán Brown, Séamus Breathnach, Robert Ashe. Absent: Dylan Boland, Matthew Kelly McDonald.

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6.6 Back row L to R: Charlie Skelly, Jordan Hill, Niall Byrne, Dylan Breen Young. Front row L to R: Kevin Murtagh, Cian Power Kelly, Richard Barnwell, Jordan O’Connor. Absent: Ciarán Byrne, Brandon Merrigan, Brian Smith, Josh Carroll.

6.6

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Staff Photo 2017 Back row L to R: Mr. A. Curran, Mr. N. Dunphy, Mr. A. Costello, Mr. U. O’ Sealbhaigh, Mr. A. O’Malley, Mr. W. Walsh, Mr. J. Furler, Ms. C. Maxwell, Mr. A. Haughey, Mr. B. Flynn, Ms. S. Mulligan, Ms. M. Dowling. Second row L to R: Mr. K. Roche, Mr. C. Fitzsimons, Mr. E. Howlin, Ms. C. Delaney, Ms. S. Fahey, Ms. V. Yeaton, Ms. L. Kerr, Ms J. Hayden, Ms. M. Monaghan, Mr. D. Carroll, Ms. I. Colbert. Mr. B. Kelly. Third row L to R: Mr. M. McAllen, Mr. J. Clancy, Ms S. Lloyd, Mr. B. Cahill, Ms. M. Molloy, Ms. A. Cullen, Ms. J. Harrison, Ms. R. Mulvihill, Ms. N. O’ Brien, Ms. N. Gabruk. Front row L to R: Ms. J. Dobbyn, Mr. T. O’ Riordáin, Ms. M. McGee, Ms. Y. Mercer, Ms. L. Lagunas, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. O. MacEoin, Ms. A. Keaveney, Ms. J. Beadle, Ms D. Power, Ms. M. Clancy, Mr P. O’ Sullivan.

STAFF

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Sport

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Gaelic Football Senior Gaelic Football

of this yearbook, were awaiting the winners of the semifinal.

The Senior Gaelic Football team in the college starting training in September for the upcoming Leinster and Dublin Championships. The squad had preparation matches including matches in Wexford, Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin. After a bye in the first round, the second round in the Leinster Championship was away to Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar. The match was played in Cusack Park Mullingar on the 7th of December 2016. After an incredibly difficult first half, the team showed the character and resilience which has become a characteristic of all the sports teams that represent St Benildus College, by coming out in the second half and scoring 7 scores unanswered. Unfortunately, further scores by Coláiste Mhuire in addition to the lead obtained by the Mullingar side in the first half proved to be unsurmountable. The Dublin Championship was still on going at the time of print of this yearbook, with the securing of a semifinal spot against Maynooth Post Primary School. The group stage included wins against Ard Scoil Rís and Coláiste Éanna, and a defeat away to St Fintan’s High school who, at the time of print

The Senior Gaelic Football team of 2016-17 have represented the college, their families and themselves in a manner that all players involved should be proud of. It is hoped that through playing Gaelic football for the college these young men have learnt that team work is not about one person leading and everyone else following, but that if it is a team in the real sense, all members must be leaders. For many of the players involved this will be their last season playing in the green, black and yellow for St Benildus College. They have accumulated much success on the Gaelic football field, and more importantly they have grown into men of good character who will no doubt go on to be leaders in every aspect of their lives. Mr. Trimble and Mr. O’ Brien Some photos courtesy of Mr. Stephen Dagg.

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Senior Gaelic Football Panel

Back row L to R: Mr.O’Brien, Harry Doyle, Oísin Donnelly, Cian MacDonncha, Adam Kelly, David Dagg, Brian Morton, Jonathan Quinlan, Patrick Flaherty, Jack Dalton, Eoin Foley, Seán Roe, Gavin Soraghan, Niall Roe, Fiachra MacLoughlin, Mr.Trimble. Front row L to R: Killian Walsh, Cormac Tobin, Rory Smith, Tom Keane, Glenn Soraghan, Luke Doran, David Keogh, Tom McGuirke, Alex Kinahan, Conor McEnerney, Jack Walsh, Cathal O’Connor. Goalkeepers L to R: Seph Aherne, Adam O’Callaghan.

U-16 Gaelic Football Panel

Back row L to R: Matthew Kennedy, Eoin Donnelly, Stephen Maguire, Jack Norton, Mark Brien, Cian O’ Rourke, Roan Faulkner, Joe Mulhall, Mark Fox, Jonathan Quinlan, Eoin McEnerney, Darragh Kenny, Seán Monahan, Jake Graham, Seán Roberts, Seán Farren, Seán MacDonncha, Luke Murphy. Front row L to R: Conor Mooney, Ciarán Foley, Shane Cullinan, Darragh O’ Brien, Mr. B. Flynn, Mr. E. Cosgrove, Joe Sweeney, Cian Lyndon, Shane Flynn, Darragh Naylor, Aaron O’ Toole, Andrew Blackwood.

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Under 16 Gaelic Football Junior A Gaelic Football

After winning the Juvenile A competition last year most of our panel graduated to the Junior Panel this year and were also complemented by a keen group of Transition Year students. The boys trained hard in the Autumn and also undertook a trip to St. Mary’s Mullingar in an early season challenge match. In the Dublin competition we were matched against Coláiste Eoin and Maynooth PP in the league stage before exiting eventually at the quarter final stage to a strong Ardscoil Rís side. The management would like to thank the panel for their efforts. Ultimately, the fact that we had so many U15s on board cost us at this level but it also means that most of the panel have gained great experience for a tilt at the elusive Junior title next year. Mr. Flynn & Mr. Cosgrove

U-14 Gaelic Football Panel

Back row L to R: Jack Power, Billy Hendley, Owen O’ Flynn, Luke Cullen, Brian Doyle, Cal Rohan, Rory O’ Mahony, Nicolai Mihalas, Ronan Cullen, Adam Mesynski, Daniel Kennedy, Robert Callanan, Dylan Byrne, Jack Feehan, Cillian Melwani. Middle row L to R: Dylan Donnelly, John McEntee, Ronan Kellegher, Sam Doran, Eoin McMahon, Liam Conway, Cian Maher, Peter Keane, Eric Betts, Seán Byrne, Aaron Archbold. Front row L to R: Kieran Maguire, Tom O’ Dwyer, Seán Garvey, Darragh O’ Brien, Mr. C. Fitzpatrick, Mr. A. Costello, Mr. A. O’ Malley, Aaron Foley, Cian Sinclair, James Oliver, Cian Callanan, Mark McNally.

Under 14 Gaelic Football The St. Benildus College U-14 Gaelic football team got off to a winning start in the Dublin Colleges Juvenile Championship campaign defeating Scoil Aodháin by 5-17 to 3-8 in the opening round of the Dublin Colleges Juvenile A Championship. Benildus trailed by two points at the interval but a spirited second half come back, resulting in some fine score-taking, which sealed the deal for the home side. The Benildus victory was based on a sound defensive platform and excellent link play while ten different players registered scores at the other end of the field. St. Benildus are away to Ardscoil Rís in the next round.

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Benildus enjoyed two further wins over Maynooth and Ardscoil Rís in the group stages of the Dublin Colleges Juvenile A Championship. The first of these fixtures was played on Wednesday December 5th in Kilmacud. In a very entertaining, wellcontested match, Benildus pulled away in the second half to beat Maynooth on a scoreline of 6-16- to 6-08. On Friday December 7th, Benildus then travelled to play Ardscoil Rís away. Cormac Costello, scorer of three points in this years All Ireland Senior Football Final Replay win for Dublin, was part of the coaching team for the North side outfit but defeat was to be his lot on this occasion. In a gripping game,

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Benildus found their stride in the second half and got the crucial scores at vital times to ensure a 4-15 to 4-07 win. St. Benildus now face Coláiste Eoin and St. Fintan’s Sutton in the remaining group games. The U14 team’s winning run in the group stages of the competition came to an end on Tuesday December 11th in UCD. Benildus, having won each of their three opening matches, were already in a strong position to qualify for the semi finals going into this local derby. The game, although down as a home fixture for Coláiste Eoin, was played on the Roebuck Castle Pitch in the Belfield Campus, in perfect weather conditions for football. Coláiste Eoin, having lost out to St. Benildus in the final of this competition in 2015, were keen to make amends for that defeat and started the game well, rifling off a number of quick-fire scores. Benildus, although without a number of key players to their starting line up such as, Jack Power, Owen O’Flynn, Jack Funge, Aaron Foley, Dylan Byrne and the unfortunate longterm anterior cruciate ligament injury to Jack Feehan, began to settle into the game. The two sides exchanged a number of scores before the strong running game of the opposition began to reap dividends as they looked to increase their tally. Unfortunately, Benildus could not claw back the deficit and Coláiste Eoin put further daylight between the teams with some well taken goal opportunities which proved to be the difference in the end. A disappointing result for Benildus on this occasion but the players were keen to get back to winning ways in the last group game at home to St. Fintan’s, Sutton. On Wednesday October 19th the St. Benildus College U14 Gaelic Football team defeated St. Fintan’s Sutton, 6-14 to 2-12, in the last group game of the Dublin Colleges Juvenile A Championship. The reward for winning four out of five of the group fixtures was a place in the semi final of the competition. The players had trained very well since September and are looking forward to preparing for this game which is to be fixed for after the mid-term break. The U14 Gaelic Footballers went on to record a 4-11 to 0-6 point win over Scoil Aodháin in the Dublin Colleges Juvenile A Championship Semi Final. Benildus started brightly with Bryan Keogh and Luke Cullen registering some fine scores. The midfield pairing of Adam Mezynski and Eoin McMahon got through a huge amount of work and were excellent throughout. Captain Ronan Cullen marshalled his defence very well where Eric Betts, Peter Keane and Robert Cullinan were magnificent. Our goalkeeper, Liam Conway, was fantastic making some tremendous point blank saves to deny the opposition on several occasions. The forward line were very impressive and created and executed some wonderful scoring opportunities. One of the most pleasing aspects of the win was the contribution made by all the match day squad and extended training panel. On Monday November 21st the U14 Gaelic Football team travelled to Athy, Co. Kildare, to play Knockbeg College in a challenge game in preparation for the Dublin Colleges Juvenile A Championship Final. In very cold, harsh, windswept conditions, the players really applied themselves to the task at hand and the two teams served up a wonderful game of football. Benildus recovered well from the concession of an early goal and rallied with some fine points from excellent build-up play. Teak tough defending from Eric Betts, Robert Callinan and the dominant Ronan

Cullen led to some vital turnovers resulting in scores at the other end. The Benildus lads really relished the opportunity to pitch themselves against one of the other top schools in the province and continued to work the ball into attacking positions where Luke Cullen, Dylan Byrne and Aaron Archibald wrecked havoc with the latter scoring a candidate for goal of the season. Adam Mysenski, Peter Keane, Rory O Mahony were very influential throughout and the strength of the entire squad was quite apparent as the match was played over three twenty minute periods which allowed all of the travelling party to participate and stake a claim for a place for the final. Seán Byrne made a very positive contribution with a well taken penalty. Owen O’Flynn marked his return from injury with a super point on the run with Darragh O’Brien also featuring prominently. It was a great experience for all involved. On Thursday 8th of December the U14 Gaelic Football team looked to defend their Juvenile A title against our local rivals Coláiste Eoin. St. Benildus were fast out of the blocks racing into a four point lead after a super goal by midfielder Eoin McMahon and a well taken point by Rory O Mahony. Coláiste Eoin recovered well and went on to enjoy a big period of dominance. Their ability to work goal opportunities and execute them was significant in this game. Benildus suffered another double blow just after the restart with Coláiste Eoin scoring two further goals inside the first five minutes. Benildus however steadied the ship and went on to score 1-09 in the remaining time,forcing Coláiste Eoin back into their own half for most of the second period and putting them under real pressure. However Benildus ran out of time and Coláiste Eoin held out. Final Score: Coláiste Eoin 6-09 St. Benildus College 2-12 There were some big performers for Benildus where Adam Mysenski and Peter Keane really took the fight to the opposition. Captain Ronan Cullen was outstanding showing great leadership. His brother Luke was also a constant threat with his pace at full forward while Bryan Keogh and Daniel Kennedy kicked very well from placed balls. Owen O’Flynn and Dylan Byrne made big contributions off the bench with the latter setting up a Luke Cullen goal with a well executed long fist pass. Scorers for St. Benildus College: Rory O’ Mahony 1 Point Daniel Kennedy 3 Points (2 frees ) Adam Mezynski 1 Point Eoin Mc Mahon 1 Goal Luke Cullen 1 Goal 1 point Bryan Keogh 6 Points (4 frees) The St. Benildus management team of Mr.Costello, Mr. O’ Malley and Mr.Fitzpatrick are very proud of the teams efforts all year.

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1st Year Gaelic Football Panel

Back row L to R: Mr K. Roche, David Cunningham, Dáire Sullivan, Conor Morton, Dan Coughlan, Samuel Roantree, John Clair, Georgie Reilly, Patrick Keys, Charlie Boyle, Kevin O’ Kelly, Cian O’ Riordán, Paul Dalton, Marc Byrne, Mr. E. Howlin. Middle row L to R: Cathal Sullivan, Evin Cooney, Daniel Cleary, Seán Garvey, Patrick Bates, Mark McNally, Angello Marsella, Adam Scott, Conor Dunne, Luke Ryan, Ronan Kelleher, Aaron Doolan, Oisín McHugh, Daniel Gilsenan. Front row L to R: Leo Hennigan, Eoin Kenny, Ryan Norton, Kevin Smith, Ryan Seveste, Theo Clancy, James Oliver, Aaron Foley, Conor Kavanagh, Patrick Bates, Matthew Noughton, Alex Lynch.

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1st Year Gaelic Football The year started off with a show of great promise in a series of friendlies in which the lads showed plenty of skill and teamwork. These were followed by a series of gruelling training sessions where Mr Roche and Mr Howlin put us all to the test. Soon the first competitive game came and nerves were high as we lined out to face Coláiste Eoin in what would be an intense, well fought battle but in the end a heart breaking defeat. After another training session we were out again, this time against Coláiste Eanna in a “must win” game to get the campaign back on track. We started well but they deserved their lead by half

Senior Hurling

time. With fresh legs off the bench we pushed on and secured a well-earned victory. With the campaign back on track we went at Terenure with a fiery passion in the next game. They gave us a run for our money but we held on and won the game. Two group games remain, and the lads and I are looking forward to our future games and are confident in our ability to go ahead and win the competition. By Mark McNally, 1.8

Hurling

The year began in early September and with a challenge game against Terenure College. It was a great start to the year as the game ended in victory with a number of last year’s starters unavailable for selection through injury. This gave management food for thought as a lot of players impressed on the day. Numbers were good for training and the team were shaping up well for the first competitive game. The first game was against Coláiste Éanna on the grounds of St. Benildus College. The game was a great success as St. Benildus won the game by 5 points. Every player worked extremely hard for the team. Great individual performances from Tadhg Dunbar in goal creating attack after attack with his tactical puck outs and his shots stopping from close range. Davy Keogh and Eoin Foley lead by example throughout the hard fought win. The next and final league game was against local rivals Coláiste Eoin. Unfortunately, this game ended with a defeat of 9 points on this away fixture. Great spirit and heart was shown by all. The addition of 3rd years Ciarán Foley and

Conor Mooney strengthened the team as both students had great games. Cathal Kissane was a handful throughout the game for the full back and set up a lot of scoring opportunities for the players around him. Tom McGuirk in midfield surged forward many times to create scores and win frees. Finishing in 2nd place in the league meant a championship quarter final against Scoil Aodhán awaited. This was by far the most intriguing game of the competition. St. Benildus unfortunately lost out by 3 points as missed opportunities near the end of the game were unlucky. St. Benildus were without Cian Shelly with a broken collar bone. David Dagg led by example once again in the full back line stopping any player that tried to get near the Benildus goal. Eoin Foley and younger brother Ciarán Foley again scored at ease. Great effort was put in from all the panel for Senior Hurling. Mr. Walsh

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Senior Hurling Panel

Back row L to R: Eoin Foley, Tom McGuirk, Jack Walsh, Chris Garvin, Kevin McEnrí, Colin Veale, Stephen Tuite. Middle row L to R: Patrick Flaherty, Conor Mooney, Fiachra MacLoughlin, Aaron O’ Toole, David Keogh, Cathal O’ Connor, Darragh O’ Sullivan, Cathal Kissane. Front row L to R: Ciarán Foley, Seán O’ Brien, Evan Cahill, Rory Smith, Tadhg Dunbar, Seán Roe, David Dagg, Joe Sheehan.

Junior Hurling Team We began our u16 hurling campaign in early September with Mr. Cahill and Mr. Dunphy taking the reins. The panel began preparation for the opening home game against Coláiste Éanna by training Mondays after school and Fridays at lunch time. This particular group of u16s were no stranger to one another as they won an u14 Division 1B title together and the group of oncoming third years contesting an u14 Division 1A final against Coláiste Eoin. The first game against Coláiste Éanna was played on the third week of school. The panel had little preparation together and were slow to come out of the blocks conceding 1-2 in the opening ten minutes. New captain Niall Roe showed great leaderships skills by putting Benildus’ first score on the board with a classy run through the centre of the defence, striking the ball over the bar. This was topped off by a quick Salvo of frees by resident set piece specialist Ciarán Foley. Benildus came out the far side of half time a much more confident team putting some vital scores on the board on top of the classy defending shown by Conor Mooney and Cian Lyndon but sadly it was not to be for Benildus as the game begin to slip from our grasp and the full time whistle sounding resulted in our first defeat

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of the season and a heavy one at that. After some more training sessions together and more time as a panel under our belt the next game was a challenge match against Terenure College. Following a demoralising defeat against Coláiste Éanna in our own back yard a win against Teneure was essential to kick our season back into gear and get our confidence back on track. Following a reshuffle in the full forward and half back lines, Benildus quickly began terrorising the defence of Terenure with two goals coming from Aaron O’Toole and Cian Deignan. Benildus continued to dominate throughout the game right up until the last ten minutes when Terenure began to launch a comeback only to be put to bed by a neatly put away goal coming from Shane “Chopper” Walsh. Benildus won 5-14 to 3-14. After regaining our confidence in the win against Terenure, hopes were high against eventual winner Ardscoil Rís. The match was played in St Vincent’s home ground in Marino. Former Benildus teacher Mr. O’Mahony was the Ardscoil Rís manager and it was truly a battle of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola on the side-lines. This was a must win battle for Benildus if we wanted guaranteed qualification. Sadly, this

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

was not to be, Ardscoil were quick out of the blocks and quickly gained control of the game. A Benildus revival came with a classy Joe Mulhall score from out wide before the half time whistle. Benildus had the wind in the second half and a goal from Ciarán Foley and Jack Kelly kicked us into gear but sadly again we found our form all too late and we lost. Stand out performances included Jack Kelly, Cillian Flood and Eoin McEnearney. Our next game saw us taking on local rivals Coláiste Eoin which was a must win game if we wanted to progress into the next round. The odds were highly stacked against us going up against one of Ireland’s best teams and having injuries to key players like Conor Mooney, Cillian Flood, Jack Kelly, Ciarán Foley and Jonathon Quinlan. Coláiste Eoin began to seize control early on and we quickly began to fall behind our rivals. A different Benildus team came out of half time with a rousing speech from Mr Cahill in the back of our heads and we began to claw our way back into the game. We played for our pride and against our own club mates. Our purple patch ended shortly after Darragh O’ Brien stuck over a monstrous strike, but sadly it wasn’t enough to add fuel to the fire and the prize of qualification slipped from our grasp.

Our final game was an away game against Scoil Aodháin at the new Whitehall clubhouse in Artane. Both teams were out of the competition but the Benildus men were keen to end the year on a high. Benildus began to dominate the game quickly going to work on the opposition’s defence. Good play was topped off by amazing scores from Chris Garvin, Aaron O’Toole and Joe Mulhall. Unfortunately we ran out of steam all too soon and failed to finish the match on a high note with a final score of 1-14 to 4-15. The story of our season, we lost out to a team we should have beaten. On the bus home Conor Mooney emptied his pockets to find his house keys, phone, change and three Scoil Aodháin players; Conor was forced to return them immediately. Overall our season wasn’t very successful and we failed to progress in the competition but there were positives to take from the year. We are looking forward to next year when our group of current fourth years progress into Senior College hurling and the oncoming fourth and third years gett there chance at revenge on Coláiste Eoin for last year’s final loss. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Dunphy and Mr. Cahill for all their support and management throughout the season. By Shane Walsh, Joe Sweeney and Niall Roe

Junior Hurling Panel

Back row L to R: Jonathan Quinlan, Luke Murphy Guinane, Eoin McEnerney, Cillian Flood, Darragh O’ Brien, Eoin Donnelly, Seán Roberts, Seán Farren, Roan Falukner, Jake Graham, Cian Deignan, Joe Mulhall. Front row L to R: Shane Cullinan, Conor Mooney, Ciarán Foley, Aaron O’ Toole, Cian Lyndon, Joe Sweeney, Niall Roe, Darragh Naylor. Coach: Mr. B. Cahill.

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Juvenile Hurling and First Year Hurling The year began in early November with a combination of Juvenile trials for all third and second year students available. First year challenge matches were sought before Christmas for all the young hurlers interested in making the panel. The first years hosted Terenure College in early January in a trial game. Over twenty eight first years turned out in what was a well contested game with a narrow victory for the home team on their new Astro pitch. The second years and third years had trial games against Scoil Aodháin and Terenure College. This allowed for management to get a good look at all of the players available. Numbers were very impressive with sometimes over forty turning out to training sessions. After Christmas, training was stepped up and the panel was narrowed down. Further trial games were played against Ardscoil Rís with an impressive display in all of these games. Competition started in early February. The group consisted of four teams with us pitted against St. MacDaras, Coláiste Eanna and St. Colmcilles.

The juvenile hurling panel were: Brion Cullinan, Eric Betts, Peter Keane, Cian Sinclair, Dylan Walsh, Michael McGreevy, Ronan Cullen, Cian Larkin, Adam Mezynski, Luke Cullen, Ciarán Maguire, John McEntee, Jack Power, Rory O’ Mahony, Brian Keogh, Charlie Boyle, Kevin Smith, Seán Garvey, Christopher McCann, Cian Murphy, Patrick Bates, Darragh O’Brien, Sam Doran, Bríain Doyle, Cal Rohan, Robert Breen, Dan Coughlan, Joe Becker, Rian Cahill, Ryan Seveste, Eoin Kenny, Cian O’Riordáin. The team was captained by Adam Mezynski. Mr. Cahill, Mr. Walsh and Mr. de Burca mentored the team for the year. The first year hurlers will have an upcoming blitz in early May. They had done a lot of work previous to Christmas with a challenge match with Terenure College and competing in a blitz in the new GAA HQ at Abbotstown. Mr. Higgins and Mr de Burca have patiently mentored this group throughout the year.

Juvenile Hurling Panel

Back Row L to R: Christopher McCann, Cian Sinclair, Robert Breen, Brion Cullinan, Adam Mesynski, John McEntee, Bríain Doyle, Michael McGreevy, Peter Keane, Rory O’ Mahony. Middle Row L to R: Rían Cahill, Daragh O’ Brien, Sam Doran, Joe Quinlan, Eric Betts, Bryan Keogh-Smith, Dylan Walsh, Kevin Smith, Dan Coughlan, Charlie Boyle. Front Row L to R: Cian Murphy, Kieran Maguire, Eoin Kenny, Cian O’ Riordan, Patrick Bates, Cal Rohan, Seán Garvey.

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First Year Hurling Panel

Back Row L to R: James Kinsella, Cian Murphy, Christopher McCann, James Oliver, Dan Coughlan, Seán Garvey, Kevin O’ Kelly. Middle Row L to R: Rían Cahill, Oisín McHugh, John Clair, Charlie Boyle, Alex Lynch, Patrick Keys, Ryan Seveste. Front Row L to R: Kevin Smith, Eoin Kenny, Cian O’ Riordan, Patrick Bates, Ronan Kellegher.

All Star for Mr Walsh As winter approached and the GAA season drew to an end, the nation’s intercounty players reflected on yet another season, be that a year to forget or in the case of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Team, a pretty successful one. Even though they finished up second best in the race for the Liam McCarthy, they still won a 2016 National Hurling League Title and in the midst of this great season was our very own Mr. Walsh. He had a phenomenal year on the pitch, commanding the Kilkenny half forward line, appearing on the scoreboard at a frighteningly frequent rate and memorably scoring a tremendous equaliser in the All-Ireland SemiFinal against Waterford to force a replay which “The Cats” eventually won.

for a GAA/GPA Opel Hurling All-Star, the most prestigious individual award in the sport. He came up against fierce opposition in the form of Richie Hogan, John O’Dwyer and Joe Canning to name a few. However along with Austin Gleeson and Patrick “Bonner” Maher, Mr. Walsh was victorious and claimed his first All-Star of his career. He was picked at number 10 and completed a successful year for the Tullogher Rosbercon forward. This was a brilliant way to end a great season for Mr. Walsh and hopefully he can repeat his feats next year. Seán Farren 4.1

Mr. Walsh’s efforts were recognised by many and it was no surprise when he was nominated

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Athletics

Senior Athletics Team

From L to R: Ms. Y. Mercer, Jack Kavanagh, James Maguire, Nathan Doyle, Ms. M. Monaghan.

Intermediate Athletics Team

Back Row L to R: Joshua Walsh, Cian Sullivan. Front Row L to R: Ms Y. Mercer, James Dempsey, David McKeagney, Ms. M. Monaghan. Absent: Brian Maguire, Aidan Watts, Seรกn McAllum.

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St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Junior Athletics Team

Back Row L to R: Eric Betts, Andrew Donaldson. Front Row L to R: Ms. Y. Mercer, Eimhin Lowney, William Menton, Ms. M. Monaghan. Absent: Theo Moran, Luke Kelly, Evan Walshe.

Minor Athletics Team

Back Row L to R: Liam Joyce, Dáire Sullivan, Rían Moore, Alex Malone. Front Row L to R: Ms. Y. Mercer, Conor Morton, Eoin Kennedy, Cathal Sullivan, Tiernan Lowney, Ms. M. Monaghan. Absent: Sam McMahon, Finn Coughlan, Joe Becker.

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Athletics 2016/2017 We have all noticed that there are more runners on the roads today. Running is free, time efficient, and we all benefit from the release of those endorphins! Whilst running might have been considered quite an isolated, individual sport in the past, this is no longer the case. While there are no hand-eye co-ordination skills involved, team skills play a huge part, particularly in cross country where each time a runner passes another, the overall team score changes. We are all aware of the benefits of exercise in our daily lives and this awareness is something we hope to instil in students here in the college highlighting how running can improve self-esteem, concentration, increase energy, encourage better sleeping patterns meaning better routine, and help reduce depression and anxiety. Running is also a social outlet for many. We are immensely proud of our athletes and thank them for their enthusiasm and positivity throughout the year so far. All athletes competed extremely well throughout the cross country season both individually and at team level. A very successful day at the East Leinster Schools Cross Country in Avondale House,

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Rathdrum in extremely difficult conditions led to a number of our Athletes qualifying for the Leinster Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Final which took place at Morton Stadium, Santry. Congratulations to each of these athletes, James Maguire, Nathan Doyle, Brian Maguire, Luke Kelly and Evan Walshe, on impressive performances in each of their respective races. A huge well done to James McGuire who went on to represent the school in the All Ireland Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Final in Belfast at the beginning of March. Benildus students also successfully qualified for the Irish Life Health Juvenile Indoor Championships in Late March. Congratulations to all those competed especially Nathan Doyle who claimed 10th in his 1500m, Brian Maguire who placed 6th in his 1500m and his brother James Maguire who ran a fantastic race to claim gold in his 1500m final. We eagerly await the Track and Field events this year! Training has commenced and as usual, all are welcome! Ms. Mercer and Ms. Monaghan

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Basketball First Year Basketball

Back Row L to R: Fiachra MacLoughlin, Taiga Murray, Jake Walsh, Charlie Boyle, Artem Malyshev, David Cunningham, Kevin Smith, Harry Doyle. Front Row L to R: Aaron Dooley, Lorcan O; Connor, Simon Hughes, Max Hennessy, Christopher Noblett, Jaycee Capinpin, Alex Lynch.

The first year basketball players have shown a very promising start to what is sure to be several very fruitful years representing St. Benildus basketball. The interest to play basketball this year was phenomenal with over forty students attending the first try-outs. This is an outstanding turnout but unfortunately places were limited and the team had to be cut down. However, all those who are interested to participate next year are more than welcome to try out again next year. The team had many successes throughout the year with several opposing teams’ coaches going out of their way to compliment the boy’s ability and attitudes towards the sport. Our team

was characterised by incredible bravery and determination. We were never out of the fight in any match and our iron zone defence left every team we faced scratching their heads. Our fantastic play brought us to the Dublin quarter-finals where St. Declan’s barely eked past us due to a few lucky baskets. On another day the result could have been very different. However, the boys handled the loss with their trademark positive attitude, a quality which will benefit them in the years to come. Congratulations to the boy’s for all their hard work and successes throughout the year and good luck in the future! Mr. Gahan

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Second Year Basketball The season began in January with a great turnout for trials and training. The team was put together and the players got to work straight away. Training was always well attended and everyone was gearing up for an exciting season. Our first game was against St. Conleth’s of Ballsbridge and against a tough side the Benildus boys came out on top. A great start to the season! However, the next few games proved much tougher. Coláiste Eoin took the second game and narrow defeats to Marion College and St. Andrews meant the side didn’t qualify for the playoff rounds.

Although this season ended with no silverware, the boys showed incredible commitment, co-operation and character all year. The boys learned a lot this year and will hopefully go on to improve their games over the summer. Special mention and gratitude must be given to Harry Doyle and Fiachra McLoughlin, two fifth year students, who helped coach the team throughout the year. Their dedication to the improvement of basketball in the school is commendable. Well done to all involved!

Back Row L to R: Fiachra MacLoughlin, Robert Callanan, Adam Crowe, Jack Fortune, Sam Doran, Bríain Doyle, Michael McGreevy, Cian Fitzgerald, Harry Doyle. Front Row L to R: Paul Kennedy, David Kennedy, Eimhin Lowney, Ben O’ Donovan, Ronan O’ Connor, Rory O’ Mahony, Daragh O’ Brien. Absent: Cian Callanan, Tadhg Fitzsimons.

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Under 16 Basketball

Back row L to R: Ms. M. Clancy, Eoin Donnelly, Josh McNally Davey, Brian Maguire, Matthew Kennedy, Mark Fox (c), Neil Hudson, Ms. S. Mulligan. Front row L to R: Federico Carrocera Munoz, Seán Fleming, Seán Kelly, Ben Connell, Nedas Vaitiekunas, Leon Ward.

The season started early in September with weekly training in preparation for the Irish schools B league. The players were determined and dedicated from the beginning of the year, training hard and showing desire to win. This paid off in our first three games of the season when we beat some very tough teams; Conleiths, Coláiste Eoin and St Andrews.

came out on top. Unfortunately, we didn’t qualify for the next round as we later went on to lose against some very strong sides in Marian College, Colmcilles and Rathcoole. It was a good season for the players and they should be very proud about their performances. We hope to see them all back representing the college next year.

All games were neck and neck to the very end, however Benildus excelled under pressure and

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Under 19 Basketball

Back row L to R: Ms. M. Clancy, Nathan Kennedy, Oisín Horgan, Andrew Hayes, Billy Keogh, Seán Mac Donncha(C), Mark Fox, Ms. S. Mulligan. Front row L to R: Richard O’Rahilly, Hary Doyle, Cian Mac Donncha, David Mongan, Davy Galvin.

This year our Senior Basketball team competed in the Irish basketball B league for schools. Our first game was against Rathcoole which was an exciting match with Benildus winning by six points in the end. They had another excellent win against St. Andrews by two baskets, a team who have always beaten us in the past. Unfortunately, our season didn’t finish the way it started as we went on to lose to Marian College, Conleiths and Coláiste Eoin. All matches were

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very close and our lads fought to the end but it just didn’t go our way on the day. The players showed amazing commitment and determination both in training and in matches and we are so proud of them all. We hope they enjoyed representing the college for Senior Basketball and we look forward to having some of the players back with us next year.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Soccer Senior Soccer As of early March the Senior Soccer squad were still in action having reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Shield competition. A surprise early exit to Maynooth in the Leinster cup saw Benildus enter the new competition and following a first round bye their season finally got off the ground with a 5-0 away win against Palmerstown Community School with Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Toole scoring a hat-trick in a largely one sided game.

in the hunt for a trophy. Winning the inaugural Leinster Shield would be a fantastic way for some of these men to say goodbye to Benildus after six fantastic years with plenty of sporting success along the way.

Prior to this the Seniors had experienced a disappointing season as along with the early exit in the cup they departed the league at the group stage having lost one and drawn two. A lack of composure in front of goal proving their undoing on more than one occasion. So despite the early setbacks the team is still

Back row L to R: Mr. N. Maher, Joe Long, Tom Keane, Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Toole, Max Jones, Jack Dalton, Adam Kelly, Luke Doran, Kevin Ryan, Mark Wooton. Front row L to R: Nathan Byrne, Conor McEnerney, Alex Kinahan , James Grimes, Andrew Murdock, Glenn Soraghan, Cian Jenkinson. Absent: Philip Adams, Jack Kirwan, Conor Saunders.

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Under 17 Soccer The Benildus under 17 season began with a convincing 5-2 win against MacDaras in the first round of the Leinster cup. Steely eyed Mr Fahy (known as Mr Guardiola by his players) got a good first look at his squad. Shane Flynn stole the show with 2 goals and an assist. Seán Monahan, Chris Kinahan and Daniel Dobbin bagged the other goals. The match had many talking points, including a spectacular Steve Bilevich assist for the MacDara’s striker and a Kinahan “fall” in the box. Benildus continued their forward momentum, beating Clonkeen 3-0 away. Captain Cian O’Rourke was awarded man of the match, much to the displeasure of the team who felt that Matt Sargeant was a more deserving candidate, being subbed on, sent off, and put back on again - all in the space of five minutes. Kinahan, Flynn and Monaghan bagged the goals with Kinahan nearly getting a second, striking the post with a 30 yard volley. Cian Deignan also had a stand out performance in left back, being influential in both attack and defence. Benildus were scheduled to play against local rivals Oatlands, but Oatlands pulled out on hearing that Jack Nagle was on fire. Benildus faced their toughest challenge yet in the Leinster Quarter Final, being pitted against Coláiste Pádraig. The first half was promising, with Seán Monahan putting Benildus ahead. Unfortunately, CP got one back through a penalty. The defensive line of Browne, Nagle, McEvoy, Deignan and

later Kellegher were solid throughout. With twenty minutes left on the clock, Maguire put Benildus ahead, showing no signs of fatigue despite having earlier won bronze in a 5 km run. Again, CP found an answer, scoring just 4 minutes from time. Extra time came, and penalties looked inevitable. Seph Aherne was subbed on 3 minutes from time for penalties. However, there were to be no penalties as Aherne (playing his best match of the season) managed to concede 3 goals in as many minutes. Harry McEvoy was awarded man of the match, despite calls for Aherne and Roe to share the award. We came back after the Christmas break with a match against MacDaras. We won (again) thanks mainly to the pure unrivalled genius of Ben Roe, who scored a Pelé-esque 6 yard rocket tap in. (Flynn also scored, but it was nowhere near as notable as Roe’s screamer). Jamie De Hora put in a key shift in midfield with Daniel Dobbin. The last match of the season was against Drimnagh, and was the South Dublin semi-final. Cian O’Rourke “dominated in midfield” (not that he’d ever tell you), and goals were scored by Maguire, with a 40 yard lob, and Flynn (as usual). Jack Nagle had another stellar performance, coming on (illegally) for a solid thirteen seconds. However, not even Nagle could stop Dylan Browne’s peach of an own goal in the last minute, which not only lost the match but also ended the season in less than graceful fashion. Top notch Dylan!

Back row L to R: Jack Nagle, Matthew Sargent, Seán Monahan, Steve Bilevich, Seph Aherne, James Maguire, Chris Kinahan, Daniel Byrne, Cian O’Rourke, Mr. P. Fahy. Front row L to R: Daniel Dobbin, Dylan Browne, Karl Murphy, Ben Roe, Shane Flynn, Jamie De Hóra, Harry McEvoy, Cian Deignan. Absent: Niall Kellegher.

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Under 15 Soccer

Back Row Left to Right: Aaron Archibold, Jack Power, Stephen Maguire, Alejandro Aujro Pado, Charlie Gallagher, Daniel O’Boyle, Luke Murphy(c), Luke Cullen, Cillian Melwani, Ben Millist, Stephen Smith, Adam O’Brien, Darragh Kenny, Luke Kenny. Front Row Left to Right: Billy Hendley, Kevin Ryan, Ronan Cullen, Seán Byrne, Ciarán Smyth, Liam Conway, Joe Quinlan, Jack O’Reilly, Conor Dawson, Evan Walshe, Danny Kennedy, Adam English. Absent: Jack Funge

Under 15 Soccer - Dublin League Final St. Benildus College Coláiste Eanna

2 (Jack O’ Reilly: 28mins ) (Luke Murphy: 48mins) 1

St. Benildus College left Jackson Park on Wednesday March 1st with the league title coming back to the college once again. A slow start to the game gave Coláiste Eanna an early lead conceding a sloppy goal from a set piece. This woke us up, as defeat was not an option which was echoed in Luke Murphy’s team talk before kick-off. The Benildus defence were now to the fore winning all aerial battles and turning defence into attack. This built a foundation for the midfield to create chances for our strikers Luke Cullen and Jack O’ Reilly. Slick passing in the middle third led to a great switch of play out to the left to put Cillian Melanie through on goal. Just as Cillian was about to pull the trigger he was taken down inside the box. Jack O’ Reilly as cool as ice stepped up and found the top corner with the penalty. At half time the Benildus lads were itching to get back out as we were now dominating and could see the tiredness creeping into the Coláiste Eanna defence. Within ten minutes of the restart our defence played the ball out of our box in Barcelona-esque one touch passing, releasing Jack Funge on the counter attack with two men on his back. Jack at full pace stopped and dragged the ball back, leaving his two markers in no man’s land. Jack pinged a ball over the defence releasing Luke

Murphy to lob the keeper from 30 yards, who came off his line but was helpless to the finish. Benildus were pressing hard for the third goal but the Coláiste Eanna goalkeeper pulled off save after save. Our defence was coping well with all the pressure coming at them. Unfortunately our defence was breeched in the last minute but up stepped Darragh Kenny to pull off a match winning save, coming out the better of a one on one. The referee blew the final whistle much to the delight of the Benildus supporters and players. Congratulations to the team on their well-deserved victory. Panel: Darragh Kenny, Stephen Maguire, Adam O’Brien, Ben Millist, Ronan Cullen, Jack Funge, Cillian Melanie, Luke Murphy (c), Jack O’Reilly, Luke Cullen, Kevin Ryan, Charlie Gallagher, Daniel O’Boyle, Connor Dawson, Stephen Smith, Evan Walshe, Liam Conway, Ciaran Smyth, Danny Kennedy. Injured list Seán Byrne, Aaron Archibald, Jack Power, Ciaran Brennan, Adam Clarke.

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First Year Soccer

Back row L to R: Mr. D. Carroll, Mark McNally, Leo Hennigan, James Oliver, Artem Malyshev, Seán Garvey, Theo Clancy, Samual Roantree, Daniel Gilsenan, Ronan Kellegher, Kevin O’ Kelly, Evin Cooney, Diarmuid Flynn, Jack McGovern, Mr. A. Haughey. Front Row L to R: Alex Lynch, Thomas Norton, Kieran Cruise, Jonathan Byrne, Aaron Foley, Max Horan, Charlie Boyle, Cian Simpson, Ben Gouldson, Tiernan Lowney, Matthew Noughton, Oisín McHugh. Absent: Shane Hill, Cian Murphy.

‘The foundation of success’ This year Mr Haughey and Mr Carroll took over the management and co-ordination of first year soccer. With no time to spare the trials began in early September. Every first year student got the opportunity to take part. Competitive matches followed with many players displaying tenacity and talent. Management had a difficult task ahead, but nonetheless a panel of twenty-six was chosen. The selected panel then took part in some local friendlies so management of Haughey and Carroll could mould and perfect their team. Great team spirit at this early stage was shown, and a promising campaign looked to be in store. With the team beginning to form, St. Benildus took to their first competitive matches, winning all four. The level of commitment and skill was there for all to see. The strike force of Clancy and Cruise seemed like an inevitable success.

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This year the main focus was on the player’s development. A shining example of this was when we lost to Maynooth CBS 1-0. The lads played their hearts out and fought until the last whistle. The spirit of the team was infectious. It is true to say that we learn more from our defeats. The squad bounced back and went on to beat Drimnagh Castle in the semi-final of the South Dublin League. Victory arrived for the squad. On March 2nd in Wayside Park the first squad won the South Dublin league to bring the St. Benildus streak to three. The lads beat rival team Clonkeen 2-1. The squad now progress into the Leinster Champion’s cup. With more matches to be played and more development to be done, the management look forward to what is in store.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Junior Rugby Team

Rugby

Back row L to R: Luke Murphy Guinane, Aaron O’ Toole, Dylan Walsh, Darragh Kenny, Oisín Leonard, Cian Harrington, Josh McNally Davey, Michael Clare, Jordan Needham, Isaac McGreevy, Ben Pleass, Jack Horgan, Sam Pleass, Jack Norton, Gerard Veale. Front row L to R: Mr. C. Holland, Jamie Doolan, Matthew Mulcahy, Neil Schorman, Jack Kennedy, Adam Skelly, Tom Moran, Jake Brennan, Louis Mulcahy, Theo Moran, Andrew Mallen.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Adam Skelly Andrew Mallen Ben Pleass (Vice) Cian Harrington (Vice) Darragh Kenny Isaac McGreevy (Captain) Jack Horgan Jack Kennedy Jack Murphy Jack Norton Jake Brennan Louis Mulcahy Matthew Mulcahy Sam Pleass Neil Schorman Peter Keogh Tom Moran Gerald Veale Luke Murphy-Guinane Michael Clare Aaron O’Toole Ross O’Driscoll Dara Byrne Josh Davey Oisín Leonard Jordan Needham Theo Moran Mark La Malfa Alex Heatherwick Adam O’Brien

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Junior Rugby 2016/17 has been a hugely successful year for rugby at St. Benildus College. In late August a meeting was called to assess the interest amongst students in forming a junior rugby team. In what was a hugely positive outcome for rugby in the school, almost 70 students attended. The vast majority of the students present had never played rugby before but were keen to learn. After a number of weeks of training at least twice a week the group naturally reduced to a core group of 25-30 individuals. The team won its first ever game against St. Patrick’s College. At times it was heart stopping for coaches with tries in abundance and defence seemingly optional. However, considering many boys played their first ever game that day it was a huge success. The boys won further challenges against St. Patrick’s Grammar School and Marian College and continued to train diligently under the watchful eyes of Mr. Holland, Kevin Major and Graham Smith. During these initial matches some very talented and determined players emerged. Jack Norton, Ben Pleass, Adam Skelly, Cian Harrington, Aaron O’Toole, Louis Mulcahy to name but a few. At this point in the season Isaac McGreevy was chosen as the team captain. Isaac, a rugby newcomer, showed a maturity beyond his years right from the beginning of the year. A leader with actions rather than words he performed his role with distinction all year. In October, the team began to play competitive rugby. Unfortunately due to other teams not being able to field teams this was initially a frustrating experience for all involved. To the boys credit their commitment never wavered and when competitive rugby eventually commenced they easily dispatched Clonkeen and Portmarknock Community College and remained unbeaten. At this point the boys qualified for the Leinster Junior Development Shield quarter final against Marian College whom they had narrowly defeated in an earlier challenge. In a titanic battle the boys emerged victorious against all odds after losing important players Jack Norton and Jordan Needham to injury. The semi-final took place in Ashbourne RFC on the 4G surface. Along with aforementioned individual players such as Jack Kennedy, Andrew Mallen, Gerald Veale, Darragh Kenny, Luke Murphy, Jack Kennedy, Tom Moran, Matthew Mulcahy, Jake Brennan and the try scoring machine Mark La Malfa, were heavily influential on proceedings. The boys emerged victorious on a score line of 31-5 in difficult conditions. This brought the boys to the final, something which seemed but a dream when 70 boys came together in August. In horribly windy conditions the boys were narrowly beaten 17-10 by Coláiste Lorcán of Kildare. The boys gave their absolute all. They were naturally disappointed but proud of their performance. As coaches we were extremely proud of their performances considering their lack of experience. Rugby tests the mental strength, camaraderie, motivation and trust amongst people like few other sports and these boys have all of these qualities in abundance. This is only the beginning of the journey for this particular team. We look forward to their future success.

St. Benildus College prevail in Junior South Dublin Cup Final The opening round of the South Dublin Cup was conducted in a blitz format. The boys performed reasonably well on the day. They defeated Tallaght convincingly and also beat St. Mac Dara’s. They unfortunately were defeated by Holy Family (7-5), a team they would get to meet again later in the competition. As a result of finishing second they had to play top seeds and local rivals De La Salle Churchtown in the semi-final. The game was played in front of a large and vocal crowd with it being lunchtime in DLSC. The game started at a frenetic pace and we reclaimed our own kick-off. After numerous phases and selfless work from the forwards, Ben Pleass burst over the line from close range. The next 5-10 minutes was where the game was won. DLSC came roaring back and laid siege to our line. The boys tackled like their lives depended on it and forced error after error. Eventually we forced a breakdown penalty and cleared our lines. Shortly afterwards Jack Norton broke free and ran in from inside his own half, followed by another from the incredibly hardworking

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Adam Skelly. Finally, right before halftime, the ball was kicked back into the arms of Luke Murphy who danced his way through DLSC tacklers and dotted down. Aaron O’Toole converted two of the scores against a difficult wind. Shortly after half time O’Toole kicked through and chased with the support of others. The defender spilled the ball and Aaron dived over to leave the score at 29-0. Further tries from the excellent Aaron O’Toole, the industrious Gerald Veale and the man directing the forwards, Cian Harrington, meant St. Benildus emerged as convincing winners and qualified for the final and a shot at vengeance against Holy Family Community School. The game took place in Donnybrook Stadium. A huge congratulations to the Benildus Junior Cup Rugby Team who triumphed to win the South Dublin Junior Cup in front of their classmates. The boys faced Holy Family Community School, who narrowly defeated us in the group stage of the competition. The team trained accurately and diligently during the week leading up to the final. Due to severe traffic we were slightly delayed getting to the stadium but this never affected the boys who were focused from the second they took to the field for the warm up until the time the referee blew the final whistle. The boys opted to play into the strong wind in the first half knowing they would face an onslaught. We, as coaches, emphasised the importance of a quick start. After a great take from Jack Murphy on the kick off we retained possession. After some back and forth attacking the ball was spread to Mark La Malfa who did what he does best and left defenders trailing behind to touch down in the corner. Following this HFCS attacked but a turnover was forced. Eventually we forced a penalty in the 22. Aaron O’Toole stepped up and guided the ball between the upright to leave us 8-0 to the good. As is the case in every game there is a crucial turning point. Firstly, the HFCS out half broke down the short side and seemed destined for the try line before O’Toole, his opposite man, appeared and blasted him over the touch line. Following this HFSC regained possession and pounded away at our line, a great tackle by two of our boys held him over as he went over the line and the subsequent maul resulted in a turnover. The galvanising effect of this one event cannot be overstated. Subsequently, Jack Norton, who was simply outstanding on the day, as he was all year, danced his way in for a score before we scored an end to end try which Luke Murphy finished off. HFSC scored a somewhat dubious try to leave the halftime score at 22-5. We spoke at half time about the importance of the next score in the game. Having come out of the wrong end of a final already this season, the determination to finish the job was clear. Cian Harrington and Aaron marshalled the forwards around the field well and with Adam Skelly, Ben Pleass and others working with front football we were dominating. We ran in more tries in the second half through Gerald Veale, Mark La Malfa, Darragh Kenny and Ben Pleass. The substitutes, when they entered at different intervals, all made valuable contributions, in particular Peter Keogh, Darragh Kenny, Sam Pleass and Dara Byrne excelled. The boys were ecstatic at the end of the game. We, as coaches, looked on with pride as they raised the cup. Isaac McGreevy offered some kind words to organisers, opposition, team mates and coaches during his speech. Thus concludes the 2016/17 rugby season. What started with a group of 70 boys at a meeting in August has grown into something special. The dedication this group has shown has been nothing short of remarkable. A huge well done to those guys new to rugby such as Jack Kennedy, Andrew Mallen and Mark La Malfa to name but a few. The growth those new players have shown is nothing short of remarkable. The more experienced rugby players showed great patience, motivation and no lack of skill to inspire others around them. As coaches and as a school as a whole we are immensely proud of the achievements of these boys. They have set the standard in terms of behaviour, training and playing for those that follow and we look forward to exciting teams ahead in September when we hope to have a Junior and Senior team. A huge thank you to all, particularly Kevin Major and Graham Smith of DLSP, who contributed massively to this year’s success. Benildus Abú! Mr. Holland

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Senior Rugby

Back Row L to R: Harry Doyle, Ryan Hanley, Jason Byrne, Luke Aiken, James Maguire, Luke Ellison, Lee Osbourne. Front Row L to R: Brian Morton, Stephen Meagher, Shane Cleary, Cormac Tobin, Cathal O’ Connor, Richard O’ Rahilly, Mr. C. Holland. Absent: James McMahon (c)

Unfortunately, we didn’t have sufficient numbers for a 15 a side senior team this year. However, a group of determined boys pushed for rugby and a 7s team was formed. After only a few trainings the boys took part in a development 7s blitz and amazingly emerged victorious on the day. While

it was disappointing not to have a 15 a side team, the emergence of this year’s junior team will mean there will be a senior team in 2017/18. We strongly encourage any student in senior years to become involved regardless of experience.

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Badminton

Under 19 Badminton

Under 19 A and B Badminton With the end of this year’s badminton season for the Under 19 team, comes the end of most of the team’s time in St. Benildus College. Following the Leaving Certificate in June, Seamus Breathnach, Jerricho Juliano and I will put away the Benildus jersey for the final time. Hopefully next year’s players will be able to lead the new team to earning some silverware for the school. Due to the team’s success in last year’s season, this year we were promoted to the highest league and got to play against some of Dublin’s best. However, though the team likes a challenge, the new league

Under 19A Badminton Panel Back row L to R: Ms. D. Power, Séamus Breathnach, Mihailo Manojlovic, Ms. S. Lloyd. Front row L to R: Jerricho Juliano, Mark Carolan, Ben Roe.

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proved to be too big a mountain for us to climb. Despite multiple hard fought wins against the likes of Terenure and High School, the team was unable to bring home a trophy for the school one last time. Despite this, we would like to thank our coach Mark, Ms. Lloyd and Ms. Power for all the time they’ve put in to organising matches and training sessions. And even though she is no longer involved with the Badminton team, we would like to thank Ms. Fahey for all the time she has spent working with the team since that very first training session with us back in 2011. Mark Carolan, 6.2

Under 19B Badminton Panel Back row L to R: Ms. D. Power, Nathan Kennedy, Oisín O’ hEarcáin, Ms. S. Lloyd. Front row L to R: Jack Martin, Gerard Carrigan, Daniel McLoughlin.

St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

Under 16 Badminton Under 16 A and B Badminton Representing your school and playing matches is great fun. As you play in a team of four people, you make friends quickly. You sometimes get to miss class as well! We have a fantastic coach, Mark, who used to play Badminton for Ireland. Without Ms.

Under 16A Badminton Panel Back Row L to R: Ms. D. Power, Jack Finnegan, Ms. S. Lloyd. Front Row L to R: Joshua Juliano, Kevin McArdle, Ben Millist. Absent: David O’ Leary, Darragh O’ Connor.

Lloyd and Ms. Power we wouldn’t be able to play, which would be a real shame for people like myself as I enjoy it so much. I love playing on the team! Darragh O’Connor 3.8

Under 16B Badminton Panel Photo Caption Back Row L to R: Ms. D. Power, Cian Fitzgerald, Michal Korneluk, Ms. S. Lloyd. Front Row L to R: Edward Najos, Ian McCarthy, Oisín Leonard.

Under 14 Badminton Under 14 A and B Badminton I’m a first year student and I’m the captain for the U14B team this year. As a new player I found our coach, Mark, to be really helpful. He showed us the basic skills and the rules. Our team made it to the quarter finals but unfortunately lost to Templeogue College. I really enjoy playing the sport and I’ve made some new friends through it. I look forward to playing it over the coming years. Jaycee Capinpin 1.6

Under 14 Badminton Panel Back row L to R: Ms. D. Power, Jaycee Capinpin, William Menton, Christopher McCann, Ms. S. Lloyd. Front row L to R: Luke Kelly, Colm Lyndon, Koby Fierens.

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Chess 2016-2017

Stretching limbs in Cheddar Gorge. Dylan Byrne, Cian Fitzgerald, Mihailo Manojlovic and Richard O’ Rahilly in background.

Senior A and B Chess Team: Back Row L to R: Jack Donovan, Ben Coughlan, Joe Sheehan, Odhrán McDonnell, Mihailo Manojlovic. Front Row L to R: William Kenny, Cal Nolan, Finn McDonnell, Liam Kelly.

Chess 2016/2017 Millfield Chess Tournament Before, boarding our flight to Bristol, we munched on happy meals with some English geezers who we tricked into thinking we were chess grandmasters. They believed us and started taking pictures of us because they thought we were famous. Eventually we arrived at our new hotel with a large number of students accompanied by Mr. O’Sullivan, Mr. McAllen, Frank and Sinéad Kelly and the one and only Mr. Scott.

A wee stop in Cheddar Gorge. Declan Doran, Dyan Boland, Liam Kelly, Ben Connell and Cian Fitzgerald.

On Saturday morning, we had a whopper breakfast. Getting back to the chess, the A team performed exceptionally well in the first two games and we qualified into the top section against the toughest schools in England and our arch nemesis, Gonzaga. After a long day of chess, we resigned to a local chipper to get a spice bag, returning to our rooms fully fed and watered. We weren’t messing around in our rooms I swear! On Sunday we finished off three games of chess and ended up doing great in a really strong group. The top scorer of the team was William with 4.5/7.

Outside ‘Johnson Hall’, Millfield. Dylan Boland, Declan Dolan, Odhrán McDonnell and Eoin Johnson.

On Monday the senior students woke up at 3:30 am to hike up Tor Hill with Mr. O’Sullivan. We made it to the tower at the summit where somebody got lost looking for a geocache. Rumour has it he is still looking for it to this day. Millfield was a very entertaining experience for everybody and I’d like to say a big thank you to all the teachers and Mr and Mrs Kelly who came along with us to make the trip happen. By William Kenny

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Senior A team in action. Dylan and Odhrán in background. William and Finn in centre and Jack in foreground playing “White”. Benildus won 5/0.

Junior A and B Chess Back Row L to R: Rían Wood, Ben O’ Connell, Daniel Fox, Matthew Broe, Luke Matthews. Front Row L to R: Seán Devilly, Cian Fitzgerald, Leon Ward, Robert Savins.

Minor A and B Chess

Back Row L to R: Robert Pluck, Cathal Sullivan, Liam Joyce, Taiga Murray, Edvin Ivanovas. Front Row L to R: Ivan Walsh, Joseph Hand, Owen Johnson, Christopher Noblett.

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Golf Our first competition of the year was the East Leinster School Boys in Woodbrook Golf Club. It is a three man team event and this year Conor Roe, Kevin McArdle and I represented the college. It was a difficult tournament with many of our opposition playing off low single figure handicaps. It was a bad day at the office for us and consequently we failed to advance to the next stage. Despite early failure, we turned our attention to the league believing that we could qualify for the knock out stages. Matthew Kennedy joined us on the team, Our opening match was against Blackrock College in Woodbrook. A difficult match was made slightly more challenging when one of our team pulled out sick. Blackrock’s team consisted of three members of Woodbrook and home advantage was evident as they claimed a comprehensive victory. Our second game came in Stackstown Golf Club against St. Andrews. The match went back and forth but in the end Andrews claimed a narrow victory. Having already been knocked out, our third and what turned out to be our final game was again at home in Stackstown. Our opponents were Clonkeen College and they too were out of the league at that stage. The match ended in a landslide victory for ourselves. Our fourth match was meant to be against Coláiste Eoin, unfortunately that was never arranged. It did, however, mean that we finished with a win which is always a good way to end. Although we didn’t have much success it was enjoyable while it lasted.

Back Row L to R: Conor Roe, Ciarán Murphy, Mr. P. Fahy. Front Row L to R: Matthew Kennedy, Kevin McArdle.

Ciarán Murphy

Swimming 1st Year student Matthew Corrigan achieved great success in the pool in the Leinster Senior School’s Championship this year. Matthew, a club swimmer from Trojan Swimming Club, achieved success by winning gold in the 200M IM by 5 seconds and silver in the 100M Butterfly, narrowly missing out by 1.5 seconds on gold. Both events were at Junior Level and Matthew now progresses onto the Inter-provincials in March which involves all schools across the island. Matthew, a keen swimmer, has been swimming since he was 4 and trains 4 mornings during the week. Well done Matthew on your success and we wish you all the best in 2017 in your swimming career.

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Sports Awards 2016 Winners BADMINTON WINNERS Junior Badminton Player of the Year: Ben Millist

U19 Soccer Player of the Year: Gavin Worthington

Senior Badminton Player of the Year: Patrick Murphy

CHESS WINNERS First Year Chess Player of the Year: Robert Pluck

Badminton Team of the Year: Under 19 Team: Patrick Murphy, Mark Carolan, Jerricho Juliano, Seamus Breathnach, James Callanan

Minor Chess Player of the Year: Stephen Callaghan Kane

BASKETBALL WINNERS First Year Basketball Player of the Year: Cian Callanan Second Year Basketball Player of the Year: Cian Harrington U16 Basketball Player of the Year: Eoin Donnelly U19 Basketball Player of the Year: Neil Mooney HURLING WINNERS U14 Hurling Player of the Year: Conor Mooney U16 Hurling Player of the Year: Colin Veale U18 Hurling Player of the Year: David Keogh SOCCER WINNERS First Year Soccer Player of the Year: Kevin Ryan U15 Soccer Player of the Year: Seán Monahan U17 Soccer Player of the Year: Jack Kirwan

Junior Chess Player of the Year Sean Devilly Senior Chess Player of the Year: William Kenny Chess Personality of the Year: Devin Tarleton CROSS COUNTRY & ATHLETICS WINNERS Minor Runner of the Year: Evan Walshe Junior Runner of the Year: Cian Sullivan Inter Runner of the Year: Nathan Doyle Senior Runner of the Year: David Dagg

GOLF WINNER Golfer of the Year: Mark Webster RUGBY WINNER Senior Rugby Player of the Year: Devin Tarleton GAELIC FOOTBALL WINNERS First Year Gaelic Football Player of the Year: Ronan Cullen U14 Gaelic Football Player of the Year: Ciarán Foley U16 Gaelic Football Player of the Year: Evan Cahill U18 Gaelic Football Player of the Year: Dan O’Brien SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS First Year Sportsman of the Year 2016: Adam Mezynski Junior Sportsman of the Year 2016: Luke Murphy Guinane Senior Sportsman of the Year 2016: Joseph Rafferty

Sports Awards 2016

The St. Benildus College annual Sports Awards were held in May at the end of the school year 2015/2016. As always, this was a fantastic night which displayed immense talent, excellent work ethic and the overall positive character of many of our students here in St. Benildus College. Family, friends and staff of the college gathered into the hall that night to witness the achievements and pride shown by each student. Each coach took to the stage to speak briefly about their team’s performance during the school year which was then followed by the presentation of awards to a number of students that represented the school in sport, exceeding in their field throughout the year. Some students were lucky enough to be presented their award by past pupil and Dublin footballer, David Byrne, who returned to St. Benildus College on the night to celebrate students’ performances throughout the year. A fantastic night was had by all. A huge thank you goes to all those involved in the organisation of this great event each year. St. Benildus College 1966 - 2016 - 50 Years of Excellence in Education

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Messages & Autographs

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‘St. Benildus College... Caoga bliain ag fás.’