The 29th Transition Year English Evening was held on Tuesday 30th May in the Big Schoolroom. Again, it was a showcase of some of the best writing done during the year in English classes (there is no competitive element). Mr Jameson hosted the event, and the guest was former English teacher here, Mrs Annie Donnelly, who now works at Loreto Beaufort School. Speakers (with Mrs Donnelly’s comments in square brackets) were: Rebekah Fitzgerald Hollywood on the nature of true friendship [this was thoughtful, with a clear sense of the person, and an excellent use of the extended metaphor]. Deli ..read more

The long-standing Voices of Poetry event at the end of May provides a pause-point in the year. It is the last major event in the Big Schoolroom, and on a Sunday evening at the end of a busy weekend it gives us all a moment to listen attentively and appreciate great writing. As always, it featured a mixture of English and other languages. It is remarkable how much one can get out of another language in terms of musicality even if the words are mysterious. Readers did give brief introductions to each of their pieces, and 23 poems were covered in 45 minutes, with Mr Girdham presenting and linkin ..read more

The College has a vacancy for a teacher of English for the coming academic year, to cover all ages from First Year to Leaving Certificate. Go here for further details including applications routes ..read more

 Congratulations to Nia Jessup, winner of the 2023-24 Junior Poetry Prize. My Love I lost you in our favourite time of year. In that beautiful spring with the sound of birds around us, your favourite sound. Our love for each other lasted 13 years 4 months and 9 days Those years, months and days were my favourite. Not a day goes by without me missing you. Wishing you were here to see one more Birthday or one more just one more Christmas. After you had gone my whole world fell apart. You may not be here now but you're still with me in heart. My connection to you is so strong, It remind ..read more

  Secondary English teachers who are looking for guidance on teaching Claire Keegan's short novel Small Things Like These should head over here, where you will find online resources, reviews, and a detailed series of teaching notes on the book. A webinar follows in September 2024. This is particularly for the comparative section in the Leaving Certificate exam ..read more

On Sunday 8th October we held the annual Transition Year House Speech Competition. There was a high standard overall, and the judges awarded equal second place to Rebekah Fitzgerald Hollywood. A clear first place, however, went to Grace Koch, whose speech about her great-grandmother is now below. “In one day it all came crashing down— like falling into an abyss, the sudden shock reverberating long afterwards into the years that followed.”  I’m sure that most people here have learned about, or at least heard of, the Holocaust. It is widely regarded as one of the most important topics in ..read more

Congratulations to Isabella Treacy, who wins the Peter Dix Memorial Prize for Poetry for the second year, and to Yilong She, who receives a Commendation. First, some of Isabella's winning portfolio. A Funeral for your Lies  and an Exhumation of my Truths   You could call this a funeral for your Lies, and an exhumation  of my Truths.   I was buried next to this unseemly secret six feet deep with the roots. Lord knows I should still be pushing daisies.   You took my life  but it's not the end.   I was put in the ground and now I'm back from the dead. You shou ..read more

  On the evening of Tuesday 30th May we had the 28th annual Transition Year English evening in the BSR (and so, with two years out for pandemic reasons, this event started 30 years ago). The formula has remained little changed: pupils read out interesting work they have written during the year, and a guest speaker associated with English comments on this, and speaks on wider issues. There is no competitive element: this is a pure celebration of writing. At the end of the evening the pupils receive their year’s grades. This year our guest (who had also come several years ago) was Mr Toirl ..read more

Voices of Poetry has been going for many years: a unique event, it provides a punctuation point at a particular part of the school year: Sixth Form have finished classes, the Sports Day is over, and ahead are the St Columba’s Day weekend, the public exams, the excitement of trips week, and finally the school exams. For 45 minutes we pause in the middle of all this activity and listen in the BSR to voices in different languages, both pupils and staff speaking in a darkened hushed auditorium lit by a single spotlight. The event celebrates the great diversity of the College population, and, ap ..read more

Entries for this year's Peter Dix Memorial Prize for Poetry are due by May 26th, handed in to Mr Canning. Entries should contain a portfolio of between two and five poems based on or inspired by the idea of one of - formative experiences / formative people / formative places. Full details are posted on a special notice around the school ..read more