Mercy Ballymahon Notes

School notes - 01/04/2022

Mercy Ballymahon Deputy Principal Gary Kenny pictured with teachers Michaela McGovern and Fiona Noone after being officially presented with the European Digital Schools Award in University College Dublin last week.

Irish Angus

On Friday last our 2019-2022 Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition finalists made the journey to Croke Park for the overall final of the competition. Unfortunately, the team didn’t scoop the overall prize on the day but did receive an award for their outstanding performance throughout the competition. We would like to commend team members Aileen Briody, Ciara Gavigan, Rachel Maguire and Kate Mulvey for all of the work they have put in since beginning the project in Transition Year. A special mention must be given to Ms Murphy for her hard work and commitment while mentoring the group since the initial stages of the competition. Well done to this year’s TY team of Alannah Hannan, Katherine Kilduff and Anna Kelly who also represented the school in the semi-final of the competition on the day.

Easter Raffle

Thank you to everyone who is supporting our annual Easter raffle. Raffle cards have been distributed to all families and there is still plenty of time to fill your card before Friday’s draw. Fantastic prizes to be won. 1st prize: €100 Voucher for Centra, Ballymahon, 2nd prize: €100 Voucher for Cormican’s bookshop, 3rd Prize: €50 Meal Voucher for Jolly Boys Pizza & Grill, 4th, 5th, 6th Prizes: Fabulous Easter Egg Hampers. We appreciate your support.

GAA News

Congratulations to our Senior Boys who faced Lanesboro Community College in the O’Beirne Cup final on Friday last. The game finished on a score of 4-10 to 3-6. Well done to the lads and their coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones. Hard luck to our U14 boys and their coaches Mr Farrell and Mr Sammon who lost out to St. Ciaran’s Community School Kells in the Leinster Shield Final last week. 

Mercy Ballymahon U16 boys GAA team pictured with their coaches Mr Nerney and Shane Kenny after winning the North Leinster final recently.

TY news

It has been a busy couple of weeks for our TY students. Students enjoyed a day at Dublin Zoo where they participated in a TY animal conservation programme. Furthermore, thank you to Longford Sports Partnership who facilitated a day of kayaking for our students last week. Students also received three certificates last week for CPR, First Aid and Defibrillator training. Thank you to Franky Wright from Lilliput for facilitating. Finally, students participated in the Forensic Fun criminology workshop with Alison Leck last Thursday. Thank you to Mr Seery for organising all these exciting and valuable events. 

Careers

Thank you to past-pupil Michael J Harney, class of 2012, who spoke to our career guidance classes this week. Michael gave an open and honest insight into careers in cybercrime, cyber security, criminology, life as a Garda and alternative ways to get to the career you want. Thank you to Ms O'Neill for organising. 

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

School notes - 25/03/2022

North Leinster Champions!

Congratulations to our U16 Boys GAA team who were victorious against St Mary’s, Dundalk, in the North Leinster Final on Wednesday last. The game finished on a scoreline of Mercy Ballymahon 2-08 to St Mary’s Dundalk 2-05. Congratulations to the lads and to their coaches Mr Nerney and Shane Kenny. 

Basketball news

Hard Luck to our 1st and 2nd year boys who were unsuccessful in the Midlands A Regional Final on Friday last. Our 1st years lost out to Newbridge on a scoreline of 19-22 while the 2nd year game ended on a score of 35-45 against Portlaoise.  Well done to the lads and their coaches Ms Duffy and Mr Guerin on reaching the final of both competitions. 

School Reunion

We were delighted to welcome the Class of 1976 to the school last Saturday. The class reunited on the day and enjoyed a tour of the school. We hope that they hold fond memories of their time here in Mercy Ballymahon and that they enjoyed seeing how the school building has changed over the years.

Young Artist Programme.

Congratulations to Dylan Hanly, 5th year, who after months of competitions has won a place in The Royal Irish Academy of Music Young Artist Programme, an immersive programme that nurtures high potential pre-college talents aspiring to professional training. Only 25 people in the country were successful.  Well done Dylan, you should be very proud of this huge achievement!

Daffodil Day

On Friday last we held a collection for Daffodil Day in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. Thank you to all staff, parents and students who contributed.

Digital Schools Award

Last month we became one of the first schools in Europe to achieve European Digital Schools Awards status. This week, members of our Digital Team, Mr Kenny, Ms Noone and Ms McGovern attended an awards ceremony in UCD where they received the prestigious award which recognises excellence in digital education practices. 

Careers

This week our Guidance team organised a talk for our 5th year students in relation to UCAS (The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Students received information about colleges in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England and everything they need to know about applying through UCAS.

Deputy Principal Position

The Board of Management of Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, Co. Longford invites applications for the Post of Deputy Principal to take effect from 1 st September 2022.

Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon is a co educational Catholic Secondary School.

Current Enrolment is 714 in the trusteeship of CEIST and is conducted in accordance with CEIST Charter Values.

The application form and further documentation may be obtained by download HERE or from www.ceist.ie.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

School notes - 11/03/2022

GAA

Our U16 Boys GAA team was due to play Boyne, Co. Meath, on Thursday last. As a result of the match being cancelled, the lads now progress to play St Marys, Dundalk, in the North Leinster Final. Date to be confirmed.  

LGFA

Well done to our U14 Girls who beat Scoil Mhuire,Longford, last week on a score of 8-3 to 4-6. The girls now face Athlone Community College. Best of luck to the girls and their coaches Ms Colgan and Ms Brennan. 

Basketball news

Well done to our 1st year boys who beat Piper’s Hill, Kildare, on Wednesday last. The game finished on a score of 42-21. Well done to the lads and their coaches Ms Duffy and Mr Guerin.

International Women’s day

Thank you to Longford Sports Partnership who facilitated an event to celebrate International Women’s Day. 20 of our TY girls attended the event on the day.

Lá glas

This week we celebrated Seachtain na Gaeilge 2022. Each year group got the chance to speak their cúpla focal in class and enjoy quizzes, céilí dancing, games and more. Thank you to all students who took part in our TikTok competition. The week finished off with Lá Glas, a celebration of our language, music and culture. Thank you to Roinn na Gaeilge and Ms Malone for organising the week’s events.

Young Environmentalist Awards

Congratulations to Aisling Lane, Kiera Dunican and Alannah Hannan on reaching the semi-finals of the Eco-Unesco Young Environmentalist Awards! They will shortly participate in the ECO-Den semi-finals where they will have the opportunity to present their Water Conservation project to a panel of Eco-Experts.The very best of luck to them and their mentor Ms O’Donoghue.

Bake Sale in aid of RARE

Well done to our fantastic Student Council members who organised a Bake Sale on Tuesday 8th for Rare Ireland, a charity and family support network for children with rare diseases. Well done to all students who baked delicious treats and to everyone who contributed to the €506.80 which was collected on the day! 

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

School notes - 04/03/2022

GAA

Best of luck to our U16 Boys GAA team and their coaches Mr Nerney and Shane Kenny in the North Leinster Final this week. The lads will play Boyne, Co. Meath, at St. Loman’s GAA grounds tomorrow Thursday at 12 noon. Last week, our U14 Boys defeated Colaiste Chiaráin, Leixlip in the Leinster Shield Semi-Final on a scoreline of 4-16 to 2-01. Well done to the lads and their coaches Mr Sammon and Mr Farrell. 

LGFA

This week our U14 Girls face Scoil Mhuire, Longford. Well done to the girls who have been training hard with their coaches Ms Colgan and Ms Brennan. Results to follow next week.

Basketball news

Our 1st year girls lost out narrowly to The Bower, Athlone, last week. The match ended on a scoreline of 31-29 with just one basket between the teams. Hard luck also to our 2nd year girls who were defeated by Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise, last week. Thank you to Ms Mc Donagh and Ms Gilleran for their hard work with both teams. 

TY News

All TY classes visit Mondello Park this week to participate in the Early-Drive Road Safety course.  Students have also been engaging in an intergenerational ‘Time Machine’ project with members of the Local Daycare Centre, collecting stories from the senior citizens and creating artefacts based on those stories. We look forward to sharing their work on Social Media. 

Mercy Ballymahon Scoops Top European Award for Digital Education Practices

Mercy Ballymahon Scoops Top European Award for Digital Education Practices Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, is among the first in Ireland to be recognised under new European digital schools award

Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, has become one of the first schools in Europe to achieve European Digital Schools Awards status.

Launched last year, the Digital Schools Awards European programme was created to encourage and recognise innovation, collaboration and skills development in digital technology amongst schools. It is backed by the European Commissions’ Erasmus+ programme, national government bodies and leading technology companies led by HP.

Only 90 secondary schools across the continent were selected to take part in the initiative which is being piloted in five European countries namely Ireland, Lithuania, Scotland, Serbia and Slovenia and it is the first of its kind to be available across the continent.

Mercy Ballymahon is among the first schools in Ireland to receive the award which recognises and celebrates best practice in digital education. The school was awarded for its excellence in the areas of Leadership, Collaboration and Networking, Infrastructure and Equipment, Continuing Professional Development, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, Student Digital Competence and the digital self-reflection tool SELFIE. The school has also been invited to be a mentor school in the areas of Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Student Digital Competence specifically.

To achieve European Digital Schools status, the Longford based school had to demonstrate strong leadership in digital education and provide sufficient access to resources and infrastructure. Their school culture, professional development strategies and teaching practices were also assessed as part of the submission.

The European Digital Schools Awards requires schools to use the European Commission’s SELFIE self-reflection tool to assess their digital learning and teaching practices and identify areas where improvements can be made. As part of the programme, teachers were given access to expert support and resources to help them develop their digital curriculum and ensure pupils are given the skills they need to navigate the modern world.

The European Digital Schools Awards programme also intends to open up dialogue across borders and create a growing community of digitally competent schools, where teachers can share learnings from different education systems.

Ms Josephine Donohue, Principal at Mercy Ballymahon said: “To be one of the first schools in Europe to receive this award is such an achievement, and our whole school community is very excited by it.

“Both our teachers and students have worked incredibly hard to develop and embed digital learning into the curriculum. Ensuring that our students have access to the equipment, resources and support to develop their skills and literacy in this area has been top of our agenda for the last ten years , but the European Digital

Schools Award programme has given us the momentum to drive forward new strategies. I thank our parents and guardians who have supported our initiatives over the years. A special thanks to our Board of Management for their support and confidence in our digital curriculum. I thank our Digital team of Gary Kenny deputy principal, Fiona Noone, Michaela McGovern and Ryan Jones who have worked tirelessly to achieve the Digital Schools Award.

“The European Digital Schools Award has opened up channels for collaboration, both within our school community and with counterparts in other countries, and we have built close working relationships with educational professionals across Europe.

“We are very proud of the achievements of our school, and we will continue to share best practices with our friends across the continent.”

Anna Doody from Digital Schools Awards said: “We know that schools across Europe have taken great strides in recent years to integrate digital practices into their teaching, and one of the most important and valuable aspects of the European Digital Schools Awards is the ability to network with counterparts in other parts of the world.

“By connecting schools, we hope to bring attention to innovations happening elsewhere in the continent and encourage collaboration by opening more channels for knowledge sharing across borders.”

To find out more, schools are encouraged to visit awards4selfie.eu

Mercy Secondary School Principal Ms Josephine Donohue pictured with Digital Team members Ryan Jones, Fiona Noone, Michaela McGovern and Deputy Principal Gary Kenny on receipt of prestigious European Digital Schools Award.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

GAA

Congratulations to our U16 Boys football team who played O’Carolan College, Nobber, in the North Leinster quarter-final last week. The boys secured a comfortable win, the game finishing on a scoreline of Mercy Ballymahon 7:10 to Nobber 3:12. Well done to the lads and their coaches Mr Nerney and Shane Kenny. Meanwhile, our Senior boys face O’Carolan College, Nobber, in the North Leinster semi-final today, Wednesday. Throw in is at 12 noon at St. Loman’s GAA grounds, Mullingar.

Basketball News

Congratulations to our U16 Boys captain Kacper Baran who was recently called up to play on the Irish U16 panel. Kacper attends training camps every month all around Ireland in preparation for the European Championships taking place this summer in Sofia.

Mercy Ballymahon’s U16 Boys Basketball team captain, Kacper Baran, who was recently selected for the U16 Irish panel.

Cross-Country Running

It was a successful week for four of our students at the North Connacht Schools Cross Country events. 2nd Year students Rachel Keenan and Robin Óg Murphy placed 1st and 2nd in the Junior U15 Girls 1500m race while 3rd year student Sian Gallagher sealed her qualification with a 9th place finish in the Intermediate U17 Girls 2500m race. 1st year student Max Gallagher was also successful in his category coming in at 4th place. Well done to all four for representing our school so well on the track.

Mercy Ballymahon students Rachel Keenan, Sian Gallagher and Robin Óg Murphy (l-r) who represented the school at the North Connacht Schools Cross Country event in Sligo recently.

Mercy Ballymahon student Max Gallagher who represented the school at the North Connacht Schools Cross Country event.

Catholic Schools Week

Last week Catholic Schools Week was celebrated across the country. In our school, we reflected on our school’s ethos and vision and promoted the theme of ‘Living life to the full’. Activities took place throughout the week in RE classes. Well done to Mr Jones and his students who created a video, ‘God is…’, which can be viewed on our school’s twitter page.

TY News

A huge well done to our Transition Year students who completed a ‘Marathon in a Week” last week. The students walked twice per day Monday to Thursday and had clocked up 40km by Thursday evening before finishing their marathon on Friday! Thank you to Mr Seery for organising this excellent wellbeing challenge.

Careers News

It’s been a busy week in the career’s department. 5th year students received a talk from TUS Athlone regarding their journey to college and learned about the huge variety of courses available in our nearest university. Mark Smyth, Clinical Psychologist, spoke to our 6th year students last week about careers in Psychology. DARE is currently being worked on for all students with Disabilities and ongoing illnesses while UCAS Applications were finalised for all students applying to colleges in England,Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

University Taster

Well done to four 5th year Home Economics students who attended a hospitality/ culinary/tourism taster course over two days in TUS Athlone recently. Michelle Curran, Keeva Gillen, Oliwia Sierotnik and Giselle Siebelink experienced classes in culinary, pastry, food production development and nutrition and worked alongside trainee chefs. All enjoyed the experience very much.

Subject Learning Review

Thank you to all parents of 5th and 2nd year students who attended our online SLR Parent-Teacher Meetings in recent weeks. Details of our 1st year meeting to follow.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

GAA

Congratulations to our Senior Boys GAA team who have now reached the North Leinster Semi- Final. The boys played Mercy Kilbeggan on Friday last, the game finishing on a score of 4-9 to 3-7. Well done to the lads and to their coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones. Meanwhile, our U14 and U16 boys resumed training last week in preparation for upcoming fixtures.

Basketball

Hard Luck to our Senior Boys Basketball team who were unsuccessful in the All-Ireland playoffs last week. Captain Dan O’Shea and his team should be very proud of what they’ve accomplished this year, being crowned Midlands A champions and making it to the last 16 All-Ireland qualifiers. Well done also to their dedicated coaches Ms Duffy and Mr Guerin. Meanwhile, our 1st and 2nd year boys have begun training and we look forward to seeing them in action soon.

 Angus Beef Schools Competition

Congratulations to Transition Year 2021/22 students Katherine Kilduff, Anna Kelly and Alannah Hannon who were successful in the first phase of the angus competition. The girls now progress to the next step of the competition. This week the girls travelled to Mullingar Park Hotel with their teacher, Ms Murphy, to complete an interview for the competition. Best of Luck to the girls who are awaiting their results.

 TY News

Thank you to poet and short-story writer Heather Brett who visited the school last week to conduct a creative writing workshop with our Transition Year students. The visit was organised through Poetry Ireland (Éigse Ireland). This week, all TYs are completing a 45K challenge. Over the course of the week, each student will walk 45K. Thanks to  Mr Seery for organising. In other news, 2 out of 3 TY classes have had an introduction to the Bodyright Programme, a programme that works to help the prevention of sexual violence among young people.

Careers News

All 1st years have had a 1:1 meeting with their guidance counsellor as part of their transition to secondary school. All TYs are currently working on their Leaving Cert subject choice selection. Apprenticeships will be discussed with 5th year pupils over the coming weeks and students will be given information regarding apprenticeship opportunities in the local area.

 Baking Club

First year students are participating in a baking club with Ms Moran. The club takes place on Monday evenings. During the club, students are given the opportunity to develop their baking skills and produce some delicious baked goods!

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Cian’s Kennels

The school community were thrilled to learn that construction of the kennels at CHI Crumlin began on Monday 10th December in memory of our beloved late pupil, Cian Neary. Congratulations to Cian’s brother, 3rd year student Shane Neary, who cut the ribbon to mark the commencement of works on the day and also to his parents Enda and Evelyn. We are excited to see what the rest of this journey has in store for you all.

 

Angus Beef Schools Competition

Well Done to our Angus Beef Schools Competition finalists Rachel Maguire, Ciara Gavigan, Aileen Briody and Kate Mulvey who had their final interview in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, on Wednesday 5th January. The girls interview was based on their project "How certified Irish Angus Beef improved sustainability on beef farms". Thank you to Skellys Bar, Ballymahon, and The Lely centre,Mullingar, who have recently supplied the girls with sponsored hoodies and hats. Thank you also to Noel Maguire for all his hard work on rearing the calves on his farm for over a year. The overall winner of the competition will be announced on 1st April in Croke Park. Good luck to the girls and their teacher Ms Murphy who have been working on this project over the past 2 years.

Mercy Ballymahon students and Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition finalists Rachel Maguire, Ciara Gavigan, Aileen Briody and Kate Mulvey who recently had their final interview of the competition in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise.

 

TY News

Last week our Transition Year classes received a school visit from Paul Cleary, Educational and Community officer at Dogs Trust Midlands. The students engaged in a thought-provoking ethics workshop concerning animal welfare. Well done to our TY students who continue to run a dance club for junior students on Tuesday and Thursday at lunchtime.

 

Sports News

Our Senior Boys GAA team will play Mercy Kilbeggan in the North Leinster Quarter final this Friday at 10.45 in Ballymahon. Good luck to the team and their coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones. Well done to our Senior Boys Basketball team and their coaches Mr Guerin and Ms Duffy who played The Bish, Galway,  in the All-Ireland playoffs this week. Results to follow next week.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

LGFA

Congratulations to our Senior Ladies who played in the Leinster A Championship Semi Final on Wednesday last. Unfortunately, the girls didn’t get the desired result on the day but should be very proud of this fantastic achievement. Thank you to coaches Mr Bohan, Mr Seery and Ms O’Reilly who have mentored the girls since the beginning of the year.

 

GAA

Our Senior boys will advance to the North Leinster Quarter Final in the New Year. Training will continue over Christmas with coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones.

 

TY News

Our Transition Year classes enjoyed a trip to the IMC Cinema, Mullingar, on Friday last to mark the end of the school term. Thank you to Mr Seery for organising and to supervising teachers Ms Moran and Mr Sammon.

 

Christmas Spirit

Last week, both our Narnia and Bláthú classes enjoyed some Christmas celebrations. Our Narnia class went for Hot Chocolate while our Bláthú class had a pizza party! Thank you to everyone who has supported House of Craft’s Christmas Raffle, the proceeds of which will go directly to our ASD units.

 

Merchant’s Quay Campaign

Well done to Ms Beirne’s 5th year Religion class who participated in Merchant Quay Ireland’s Christmas Dove Awareness Campaign. Students designed a dove with their own personal Christmas message to someone who is homeless and perhaps struggling with mental health or addiction to bring them hope and peace this Christmas.. 

 

Happy Christmas

We here at Mercy Ballymahon would like to wish our whole school community a very safe and happy Christmas. We hope that all our staff and students enjoy their Christmas break.

Midland A Champions. Mercy Ballymahon U19 Boys Basketball team who beat Piper’s Hill, Naas, in the Regional final. Pictured back l-r: Ms Louise Duffy, Kacper Baran, Jack Mulleady, Hubert Szczesniak, Aidan Mulvihill, Steven Bawle, Connor Hogan, Dylan Murtagh, Dara Belton,Caolan Meadows, Ruadhán Killian, Mr Brian Guerin. Front l-r: Harry Murray, Kyle Smith, Luke O’Boyle, Dan O’Shea, Jack Sweeney, Ross Doherty, Aaron Kenny,Josh Mulvihill.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Basketball Champions

Congratulations to our U19 Boys Basketball team who were crowned Midland A champions after a thrilling match in the National Basketball Arena,Tallaght, on Friday last. The boys beat Piper’s Hill, Naas, on a scoreline of 40-38 after a last second basket from captain Dan O’Shea. Earlier that week, the team were victorious against De La Salle College, Waterford. Wishing the team and their coaches Ms Duffy and Mr Guerin continued success.

 

TY Christmas Fair

Well done to our Transition Year students who hosted a TY Christmas fair for the second year running last Thursday, 9th December. The fair was an excellent opportunity for Mr Sammon’s, Ms Keegan’s and Mr Burke’s enterprise classes to display their creative and innovative mini company products. Thanks to Mr. Seery for organising this exciting, festive event.

 

F1 in Schools

The Formula 1 in Schools team is making great progress with their ‘5 page plan submission’ which is due before Christmas. The team consists of Katherine Kilduff, Aisling Lane, Kiera Dunican, Saran Satish, James Gillen, and Daniel Cox. F1 in Schools is an international STEM competition. We wish the students and their mentor Mr Nerney good luck.

 

Christmas Raffle

House of Craft, Main Street, Ballymahon is hosting a Christmas raffle, the proceeds of which will go to our Narnia and Bláthú classes. Local crafters have donated handmade prizes including a bog oak piece, especially made for the raffle,a large one-off stained glass lantern, a lighthouse by Thomas Lynam Ceramics, stained glass jewellery and many more excellent prizes.  Tickets can be purchased from House of Craft at €2 per ticket or 3 for €5. A huge thank you to Alison at House of Craft for organising the raffle. Please support.

 

December Exams

Well done to our 1st, 2nd and 5th year pupils who completed their December exams over the past couple of weeks. The countdown to the holidays is on!

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Academic Scholarship

Congratulations to Leaving Certificate 2021 student Oisín Lane who has been awarded a UL 40 Entrance Scholarship. This has been awarded by the Provost of the University of Limerick based upon Oisín's performance in the 2021 Leaving Certificate Examinations. We wish Oisín continued success in both his academic studies and on the track.

 

Gaelic Football

Well done to our Senior Boys team who were away to St. Ciarán’s, Kells, on Thursday last. The lads finished their first round of the Leinster Championship on an impressive score of 4-8 to 1-14. Well done also to their coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones.

 

Basketball

Well done to our U19 Boys Basketball team who beat Newbridge last week on a score of 50-28. Congratulations also to our U16 Boys Basketball team who beat De Le Salle College, Waterford, winning 76 - 57. Well done to our U16s Girls who played two very tough games this week. Unfortunately, they were extremely unlucky losing by only 3 points to The Bower, Athlone and by only 2 points to Clonaslee. Meanwhile, well done to our U19s who had two great wins, beating The Bower by 54-17 and Clonaslee by 37-21.

 

Information Evening

Thank you to parents of 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students who attended our Junior Cycle information evening on Monday last. Thank you to Ms Donohue, Ms Ryan, Ms Keegan and Ms Casey for presenting.

 

TY Activities

This week our Transition Years received a school visit from Martina Glennon from Longford Enterprise. The students are busy working on their mini companies. Thanks to Martina for her guidance. Thank you also to Gerry Smith from Longford Volunteer Centre who spoke to the students. This year, a number of students have been volunteering in Bridgeways Family Resource Centre. Students have been selected to volunteer at various groups such as the toddler group, a group for sixth class pupils, a girls youth group and a boys youth group.

Giving back to our community. Mercy Ballymahon Transition Year students who have been volunteering at Bridgeways Family Resource Centre.

 

Green Schools

Well done to Green School committee members Aisling Lane, Alannah Hannan and Kiera Dunican who completed a fantastic presentation on ‘Water Conservation’. The girls presented to classes from every year group last week. The school is working hard to reduce water consumption this year as part of our Green Schools initiative.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Basketball

On Monday last our U16 and U19 boys faced St Mel’s College. Well done to our U19s who secured a great win, finishing on a score of 70:50. Hard luck to the U16s who were narrowly beaten on the day, finishing on a score of 43:50. Hard luck also to our U16 and U19 girls who were beaten by Scoil Chríost Rí Portlaoise on Thursday last.

 

Gaelic Football

Hard luck to our U14 boys who suffered a narrowed defeat to Moyne CS last week. Best of luck to our Senior lads who face Kells this Thursday. Best of luck to the team and their coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones.

 

TY Activities

Last week our TY classes visited Kairos Communications, a media production facility located in Maynooth. Students got a chance to work in a recording studio and produce their own videos during a 1 day workshop. Students also received a school visit from Stacey and Sonya from Longford Women’s Link, engaging in an excellent  ‘Healthy relationships’ workshop.

 

TEFL

Huge Congratulations to Transition year students Bobby Akidi, Lili Keela Brogan, Emma Nolan & Roughan Featherstone who have all successfully completed their TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreigh Language) course. The students received their certificates for the course last week.

 

College Awareness week

Last week we marked  #CAW21 in school. All teachers were invited to do a ‘drop and talk’, speaking to students about their college experience and avenues to teaching.  College Facts were shared through each year's google classroom.  We talk a lot about colleges to our senior students, but by coming together, we put college on the agenda for the whole school for one entire week.

 

Careers

We would like to sincerely thank Mark Smyth for speaking to some of our Leaving Certs about careers in Psychology. Mark shared information about his own route to Psychology openly and honestly and spoke about the high demand for psychologists in the country. Many Leaving Certs have completed their CAO and the rest are encouraged to register now. Those applying for Medicine have registered with the HPAT.  Most Leaving Certs applying to colleges in the UK have submitted their personal statements for review and are finishing off their online applications.

 

Climate and Nature Summit 2021

From Monday 1st to Friday 5th November our school took part in a national Climate and Nature Summit. Throughout the week, students from all year groups engaged in a number of online video sessions and completed activities which fostered collective conversations about the environmental crisis, stimulated thought in relation to actions needed and encouraged staff and students alike to think about their role in the protection of the environment. The event coincided with COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference which took part in Glasgow. Special thanks to Ms O’Donoghue for organising this important event.

Ty Students at Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon, pictured with their teacher Ms O’Donoghue, who recently organised Climate and Nature Summit 2021 in the school.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Enrolment

A final reminder to parents that enrolment for First Year 2022/23 will close this Friday, 26th November, at 5pm. Application forms are still available on www.mercyballymahon.ie.

 

Basketball

Our U16 and U19 Boys teams returned to the court on Monday 15th November playing Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore, with both teams securing comfortable wins on the day. Special mention to our U19 captain, Dan O’Shea, who shot 37 points! Well done to the lads and their coaches Ms Duffy and Mr Guerin. There was also success for our U16 Ladies team against Tullamore College on Thursday last. Hard luck to our U19 Ladies who lost out on the day.

 

Gaelic Football

Well done to our Senior Ladies team, coached by Mr Seery, Ms O’Reilly and Mr Bohan, who had a narrow win against St Mary’s Rochfortbridge last week. Wishing them continued success as they progress to the Junior A Leinster Championship semi-final. Meanwhile, hard luck to our U14 boys who lost out to Granard last week. Our U16 boys also suffered a narrow defeat to Kilbeggan.

 

Irish Debating Competition

Well done to Aisling Lane, Alannah Hannan and Shauna Maguire who represented our school so well in Gael Linn’s Irish language debating competition, Comórtas Díospóireachta an Phiarsaigh, in Nenagh last Thursday.

 

6th Year SLR meeting

Our virtual 6th year Subject Leaning Review Meeting will take place this Thursday, 25th November. Zoom links have been sent to parents via VSware mail.

 

Anti-Bullying

Last week we celebrated #AntiBullyingWeek in conjunction with #StandUpAwarenessWeek. Well done to all students who engaged in interactive lessons in their RE and SPHE classes. Together we spread the message of ‘One Kind Word’.

 

Careers

Thank you to all Leaving Cert students and their parents who attended our ‘Options after the Leaving Cert’ webinar on Wednesday last. Thank you to Ms O’ Neill for facilitating. Leaving Cert students also engaged in a talk with NUIG last week, getting a chance to see some of the excellent courses available in the university.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Enrolment

A reminder to parents that enrolment remains open for 1st Year 2022/23. Application forms are now available at www.mercyballymahon.ie. Closing date for enrolment is 5pm on Friday 26th November.

Gaelic Football

Our U16 Boys had an impressive win at home to Granard last week. Well done to the team and their trainers Mr Nerney and Shane Kenny. Our U14 boys attended a blitz in Clonguish with coaches Mr Farrell and Mr Sammon, showing great talent on the day. Meanwhile, our Senior Team, under the guidance of coaches Mr Kenny and Mr Jones, continued their championship preparations, playing neighbours Ballymahon VS in a worthwhile challenge. Unfortunately, our Senior Ladies team, coached by Mr Seery and Mr Bohan,  suffered a defeat to Moate on Thursday last in the Senior A championship.

Basketball

Well done to both our U16 and U19 Boys teams who beat the Marist, Athlone, on Friday last. Our U16 team, captained by Kacper Baran, finished on a score of  68:17 while our U19s, captained by  Dan O’Shea, finished on a score of 41: 36. Well done to the lads and their coaches Ms Duffy and Mr Guerin.

TY Activities

Our TYs have had activities both in and outside the school over the past couple of weeks. They attended Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre near Kenagh where they had the opportunity to see an Iron Age road built in 148 BC. Meanwhile, Róisín from Conradh na Gaeilge visited the school to present an Irish-speaking workshop, ‘An Seó Bóthair’.

Junior Dance Club

Thank You to TY students Emma Cunnion, Anna Kelly, Cara Murray, Anna Mulvey and Laura Kavanagh who have been running a lunchtime Dance Club for Junior students. Dance club takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Bridgeways

On Wednesday last, some of our TYs took part in a Lantern Sculpture Workshop with artist Tom Meskell in Bridgeways Family Resource Centre. Furthermore, we are delighted to have some of our TY students volunteering at the centre again this year.

Careers

All Leaving Certs have been met by their Guidance Counsellor and have received a full in depth talk about the CAO process and are encouraged to make their applications before Christmas. Letterkenny gave a brilliant presentation to our 6th years. They heard about some of the really excellent courses and pathways on offer there such as alternative routes to Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Dietetics.

Angus Beef competition

Our Irish Angus Beef schools competition team of Aileen Briody, Ciara Gavigan, Rachel Maguire and Kate Mulvey continue to work on their project. The team, who were named as 1 of 5 finalists last year, said farewell to their prize of 5 Angus calves last week. Wishing the girls and their mentor Ms Murphy continued success as the competition progresses.

Student council news

On Friday 12th November members of our Student Council, Donnacha Golden, Cathal Reilly, Katie O'Brien, Shane Gavigan, Adam Nedov and Demi Deko, attended the AGM of Longford Comhairle na n-óg. Thank you to facilitator Joanna Casey and to Mr. O’Gara for organising.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

School Extension

We were thrilled to receive news on Wednesday last that the Department of Education has approved a major extension to our school. 16 new classrooms will be built including 2 Special Education Needs classrooms, 2 Special Education Teacher rooms, 2 Science Labs, a multimedia room and more. It will be fantastic to see the school expanding as our school population continues to grow.

Virtual Open Night 2021

Our Virtual Open Night for incoming first year students took place on Wednesday November 3rd. Thank you to the large number of parents who attended on the night. Application forms for registration are now available at www.mercyballymahon.ie. Closing date for enrolment is 5pm on Friday 26th November.

‘Trick or Treat’ Fundraiser

Thank you to all staff and students who took part in our annual ‘Trick or Treat’ fancy dress fundraiser on Friday October 22nd. We are delighted to announce that a total of €1443.85 was raised for Temple Street Children’s Health Foundation.

Anti-Bullying Day

On Thursday last we were delighted to take part in UNESCO Anti-Bullying Day.This year we entered the tackle bullying campaign #antibullyinginaction following on from our work with FUSE, DCU AntiBullying Centre. On the day, all students took part in a whole-school survey.

Sports

Our U16 Boys Gaelic Football team faced Moyne C.S. on Wednesday last. The boys secured a draw on the day on a scoreline of 0:12 to Moyne’s 3:3. Meanwhile, our U16 Ladies played Rochfortbridge last week in the Junior A championship. Hard luck to the ladies who lost out narrowly on the day.

Careers

Nearly all Leaving Cert students have had their 1:1 appointment with their guidance counsellor and were all geared up for the CAO application process which opened on Friday 5th. DCU delivered an informative talk to our leaving certs as well as TU Dublin before the midterm. Study skills and learning style evaluations have been delivered to 3 out of our 5 1st year classes and will be finished next week.  They now know, as parents were informed, due to the 3xrule there is no such thing as no homework!

Climate and Nature Summit

Our students participated in a Climate and Nature Summit here in the school from 1st - 5th November. The summit ran over 5 days during COP26. During this week, students joined a series of empowering virtual sessions to encourage stimulating climate and nature conversations and actions.

3rd Year Parent Teacher Meeting

Thank you to all 3rd year students and their parents who attended our Subject Learning Review Meeting on Thursday last. The meeting took place via Zoom. Details of meetings for other year groups to follow.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Virtual Open Night 2021

Our Virtual Open Night for incoming first year students will take place on Wednesday November 3rd at 7pm. To register, please visit www.mercyballymahon.ie and click on the link. Application Forms will be available from 8th November. Closing date for enrolment is 5pm on Friday 26th November.

 ‘Trick or Treat’ Fundraiser

Thank you to all staff and students who took part in our annual ‘Trick or Treat’ fancy dress fundraiser on Friday last. As always, there was a wonderful atmosphere in the school throughout the day with many creative costumes on display. All proceeds raised will go to Temple Street Children’s Health Foundation. Thank you to teachers Ms McDonagh, Ms Brennan, Ms Gilleran, Ms Duffy, Ms Moran, Ms Fitzmaurice, Ms O’Rourke and Ms Bruton for organising. We hope everyone is having a wonderful midterm break.

Sports

Our U16 Ladies Gaelic Football Team had their first match of the year on Thursday last against St. Mary’s Edenderry in the Junior A championship. The girls didn’t get the desired result on the day but put up an impressive performance. Thank you to coaches Ms O’Reilly, Mr Seery and Mr Bohan.

U19 International Soccer

Well done to 6th year pupil Melissa O’Kane who was recently selected for the Irish Women's U19 soccer squad for the European Championship qualifiers. Wishing Melissa continued success on the field.

Macra na Feirme

Thank you to Debbie Donnelly from Longford Macra who gave an excellent talk to our 5th and 6th year students on Wednesday last. Debbie gave students an insight into some of the fantastic opportunities available to them in joining a club such as Macra na Feirme. Everyone aged 17-35 is welcome to join.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

‘Trick or Treat’ Fundraiser

We are delighted to be hosting our annual charity fancy dress event on Friday 22nd October. The proceeds will go towards the Children’s Health Foundation, Temple Street. Calling all staff and students to get their costumes ready for Friday and support this worthy cause!

 1st Year Blitz

Well done to our 1st year boys gaelic football team who had their first outing at the Sky Sports GAA Super Games Blitz in Clonguish on Thursday last. The boys, led by their coaches Mr Sammon and Mr Farrell, put up a very good performance against teams from around the county. We look forward to more upcoming fixtures.

 Equestrian

Well done to our two equestrian teams who had a successful day out at the Equestrian InterSchools Ireland Showjumping Event at Mullingar Equestrian Centre on Sunday 10th October. Well done to our Novice team of Gemma Whyte, Alannah Hannan, Ava Morrissey and Katie Duignan who produced four lovely rounds. Our open team of Aine Murray, Leah Bawle and Tommy Killian also jumped three good rounds, unluckily just missing out on being in the ribbons. Compliments also to our four students who competed in the individual competitions, especially Gemma Whyte, placing 6th in the 95cm class. Thank you to teachers Mr Mulvihill and Ms Cafferkey for accompanying them on the day.

Mercy Ballymahon students who participated in the Equestrian InterSchools Ireland Showjumping Event at Mullingar Equestrian Centre on Sunday 10th October. Pictured l-r: Alannah Hannan, Gemma Whyte, Tommy Killian, Aine Murray, Leah Bawle, Katie Duignan and Ava Morrissey.

 Athletics

Well done to 1st year student Max Gallagher and 2nd year students Orla Manning and Nikol Zimocha who represented the school in the post-primary category at the Co. Longford Schools Cross Country event which took place at Moyne CS on Sunday October 10th. Max placed 4th in the Junior Boys 2000m race while Orla and Nikol placed 3rd and 5th respectively in the Junior Girls 2000m race. Well done to all.

 TY Work experience

This week our Transition Year students are engaging in work experience. A huge thank you to all employers and businesses who have provided our students with the opportunity to work in various places of work. Without you, our students would not receive such invaluable experience.

 Transition Year Parent Teacher Meeting

Thank you to all Transition Year students and their parents who attended our Subject Learning Review Meeting on Thursday last. The meeting took place via Zoom. Details of meetings for other year groups to follow.

 LCVP Talk

Thank you to Alan Coffey from Alan Coffey Performance who gave a talk to our 5th Year students last week. Alan talked about the challenges involved in running a business throughout the COVID pandemic among other things. Our LCVP students will use this to form the summary report element of their portfolio.

Mercy Ballymahon Notes

Leaving Certificate 2021

We are very proud of our Leaving Cert Class of 2021. Their results overall were excellent. Four students achieved over 600 points with one student receiving 7H1s and another student receiving 6H1s. Our principal, Ms. Donohue, would like to congratulate the students as well as their teachers, SNAs, parents and guardians for their great work and support. The LC 2021 Class had a very different experience over their two senior years but throughout the two years they were a hardworking and good humoured group who were a pleasure to work with. They showed great resilience and care for one another which will help them as they move on to college, apprenticeships and the world of work. We wish them the very best.

Ploughing Championship success

Congratulations to 6th year pupil Daniel Haughey who won a silver medal at the National Ploughing Championships last week. Daniel competed in the U21 Conventional Junior Plough Class and was presented with his medal on Thursday last.

Athletics news

Congratulations to Aisling Lane, transition year student, who has been selected for the Irish Schools Athletic Association international squad that will travel to Derbyshire, England to compete in the SIAB Track & Field Championships on Saturday 25th September. This selection is based on Aisling’s gold medal performance on the Connacht Schools Squad in the Intermediate Girls 3000m Walk at the Irish Life Health Tailteann Schools Inter-Provincial Games which recently took place at Morton Stadium in Santry.

Student Council

Student council elections are being held in the school this week. Representatives from each class group will be elected to the council. Best of luck to all students participating in the elections and thank you to Mr O’Gara for organising.

TY activities

Thank you to Longford Sports Partnership for facilitating a cycle along the Royal Canal Way in Ballymahon for our TY students on Thursday last. A very enjoyable day was had by all in the fresh air.