Well done to Gareth Callan and Colm Flynn who performed in Claregalway GAA Club’s Strictly Come Dancing on the 29th of January. We were delighted to have them representing Coláiste Bhaile Chláir.
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir and the Beo Digital Schools’ Archive Project, NUIG
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir are proud to announce their partnership with Beo Digital Schools’ Archive Project, NUI Galway.
The aim of this project is to have all schools in Galway county and city, past and present identified on a shared website and associated digital map with images of the school and locality in days gone by. The Beo Project represents a golden opportunity for the school to become a major catalyst in the collecting, digitizing and online storage of rare material associated with our locality that might otherwise be lost to future generations. What better way to celebrate the upcoming centenary of the Easter Rebellion than to collect and retell local history, ensuring it for future generations.
As part of this innovative project, students at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir are hosting a History Beo open afternoon, where members of the community are invited to visit the school and share old photos, videos, memorabilia and stories of times gone by.
On the day students, under the instruction of teachers and project coordinator Brendan Smith can offer Labelling (tagging/annotation) of material, digital copies of photos/videos, photo ‘clean-up’ and and placement on the History Beo online archive. This ensures your photo, video, audio clip will be forever stored and passed on from generation to generation, it could also prove to be very helpful with connecting with members of Irish diaspora worldwide.
Photographs from dozens of schools and communities have already being uploaded thanks to the assistance of schools, active retirement associations, community groups and GAA clubs.
The main website will be at IrishBeo.com. If you are interested in becoming involved in BEO, or would simply like to reminisce about times gone by why not visit our open afternoon after mass on March 13th from 11.30–1.30, where light refreshments will be provided.
Mummers Festival
Roisin Gallagher first year student Coláiste Bhaile Chláir won the best storyteller in the Mummers Festival which took place recently in New Inn Co Galway on Saturday 2nd January. The festival takes place every January for the last 38 years. It is a celebration of traditional Irish music, dancing, singing, storytelling and acting.
Roisin was a member of the Corofin Group. She was presented with a trophy which was sponsored by Mr Ciaran Cannon T.D.
Visit to the Day Care Centre
In the Christmas spirit, 2H thought it would be a nice idea to visit to the Day Care Centre in Claregalway. We spent the previous weeks beforehand, organising what we would do when we went. Some students baked treats for the centre members while others thought of fun things we could do with them when we arrived there. Upon our arrival we were all quite nervous as we wanted to make a good impression, but we had no reason to be apprehensive whatsoever!
We spent our time making crafts for the Christmas tree and playing memory games with the members there, but the most important thing that came out of it was getting to meet the people there. We all got to sit and talk one to one with each individual and hear all their brilliant stories!! As we were told by the caring staff there, they really do just appreciate the company and someone to listen to them. I loved getting to see all their quirks and having a laugh with everyone! Overall the visit was not just beneficial for them but for us too as, we just like everyone else need to remember to help and respect our elders!”
BT Young Scientist 2016
by Ella Rose McIntyre, 1st Year
This year, myself (Ella-Rose) and my friend Róisín entered the BT Young Scientist 2016 with our project: A Scientific Look at the Dangers of High Heels. We came up with the idea before school even began—it was in August last year. The aim of our project was to find out the dangers high heels can pose, the damage they can cause, the best and worst types of high heels, and would girls continue to wear them even if they knew it was causing them harm.
Once we knew that we were accepted (that was in October) we immediately started working on our project. We stayed on after school many days and we worked on it during a lot of lunchtimes as well. After a lot of background research and various methods of gathering information (such as surveys and pressure testing) we came to a conclusion. Stilettos are by far the worst type of high heel due to their small base area. All of your weight is put onto a really small area, where as wedges are the best. They are the best because they have a much larger base area so your weight is spread around more evenly.
We also wanted to find out would girls continue to wear high heels even if they knew that it was causing them harm. A shocking 90% of stiletto wearers said that they would whereas only 25% of wedge wearers would. Overall, 71% of people said that they would continue to wear them, so we conclude that fashion and image is very important to many people.
We took the 7:40am train up to Dublin on the first day of the BTYSTE with our teacher Ms Nolan and the two other girls (Deirdre and Alaidh) who also had a project in the BTYSTE. We checked into our hotel and then went straight to the RDS. We set up our stand and from the very beginning we were getting loads of attention because in the opening ceremony—An tUachtarán Michael D. Higgins mentioned our project in his speech! We were blown away and for the rest of the week people were coming up to us saying that they had heard the President mention our project.
During the rest of the week, we were on the RTÉ news, on the Galway Bay FM Keith Finnegan Show and on the RTÉ Nicky Byrne and Jenny Greene show. We were also in many newspapers such as the Irish Independent (We were the most read article that week)! The Connacht Tribune, the Tuam Herald and we were on the Irish Time’s Top Five Projects to Go and See.
At the closing ceremony on the Friday, we were really tired but we also couldn’t wait to see how our project had done. We were so happy when we found out that we had won our category! (Our category was Junior, Group, Social and Behavioural Sciences). We won a glass trophy, a rosette and €300. We were so happy! The other girls won 3 prizes too—we were all over the moon!
We couldn’t go home until the end of Saturday, so by then we were exhausted. Overall though—it was the best experience of our lives and would love to do it all again next year!
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition
by Alaidh Fox, 2nd year
On the 6th to the 9th of January, my friend Deirdre and I entered our project Sensor Guide into the BT young scientist and technology exhibition. We went with two other girls Ella Rose and Roisin whose project was the dangers of high heels and our Teacher Ms. Nolan. It was one of the best experiences of our lives and we hope to have the chance to go again.
It started off on Wednesday morning, we got the train to Dublin from Athenry train station. When we arrived in Dublin we got a taxi to our hotel. We left our things at the hotel and walked to the RDS, we had to have a poster, a project book, a project diary and any other equipment we needed there was a big opening ceremony when we arrived and the president said a speech.
It was judged over the course of three days. The first judge that came to Deirdre and I stayed for half an hour. Each day at around 9 o’clock the RDS would open to the public. So we had lots of visitors at our stand. We would go back to the hotel for dinner each evening and then we would go back to the RDS for entertainment. There was a table quiz one night and Karaoke.
The third day was the final judging day and Deirdre and I were very nervous. The closing ceremony was very long but quite fun there was three prizes in every category for every age group for groups and individual so there were plenty of prizes to go around there were also special prizes that were sponsored. Deirdre and I were over the moon as we won 3 prizes.
We won the Analog Devices Best Technology Award, the Google Most Creative Technology Award for a group and we came second in our category, Junior Technology. One of which came with a paid for trip to America! We hope to go some time over the summer. The two other girls from our school Roisin and Ella Rose came 1st in their category! We were all ecstatic. The next day was the main day for the public and by the end of it all my voice was gone from presenting!
It was a great few days and we cannot wait ’til next year.
Thank you to Ms Nolan for all her work and to Mr Staurt Lawler NCBI for his feedback.
Camogie
Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Junior camogie team played a final yesterday in Carnmore pitch. The girls were in hard luck as Connemara were too strong on the day. The girls can take great pride from their performance as they were playing girls two years older than them. They showed great fight and determination throughout. As Connemara are a combined school, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir go through to the All-Ireland Junior semi-final where they will play a team from Dublin. This will be great experience for the team for the future junior competitions. We have no doubt the girls will give it their all.
First year and Minor competitions will be underway later in the year. Thank you to Ms Ryan, Ms Loughnane and Ms Cooney.
Cross Country in Glenamaddy Community School
Many thanks to Mr Ward and Ms Colleran from Glenamaddy Community School who hosted last week’s cross-country event. Over forty Coláiste Bhaile Chláir students competed against Glenamaddy, Dunmore and Ballygar students. Every single athlete was a credit to their schools in the manner in which they conducted themselves. They were tough hard races and students can all be proud of their performances.
There were medals for the first three individual athletes in each race. Coláiste Bhaile Chláir had great success in minor, junior and intermediate won the overall Boys and the overall Girls Team.
Our next cross country event is Thursday 28th of January in St Marys College for the South Connacht Finals. Wishing all our athletes good luck and enjoy the personal challenge.
Trip to Facebook
On Friday 15th of January two students from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir Aoibhinn Fox and Joshua Whelan travelled up to Facebook Headquarters in Dublin to learn about staying safe on Facebook.
These two students have be trained by Anti-Bullying Pro and are anti-bullying ambassadors for their school. While up there the students created a campaign and delivered a presentation. Aoibhinn and Joshua had an interview with the Irish Times about Bullying and what they will do to help combat it.
Joshua Whelan and Aoibhinn Fox, 3rd year students at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir.
Aoibhinn said that “social media is everywhere” and that Facebook would be the most used social media site amongst her generation. She also said that if what she’s know about bullying and how to stop it can help one person it will be worth it. Joshua had said that “cyber bullying has decreased over the years” but that the Facebook online safety tools would better equip him to inform his peers and teachers on how to combat bullying.
Irish Times Article Friday 15th January
Student anti-bullying ambassadors from around Ireland and Britain gathered at Facebook’s Dublin headquarters on Friday to share their experiences and learn techniques to combat cyber-bullying in schools.
The ambassadors have all been trained by the Diana Awards, a charity set up in memory of Princess Diana. More than 1,000 Irish anti-bullying ambassadors have now been trained by the charity with a view to tacking bullying in both the online and offline spaces.
“Bullying is sadly not a new phenomena,” said Facebook’s European, Middle East and Asia Safety policy manager Julie de Bailliencourt. “But we want to make sure students know who to turn to and to be aware of the online reporting tools available to them.”
She said the essence of the programme was empowering young people and teaching them what is and what is not acceptable in the online world.
Ms Bailliencourt pointed out that while there are now than 1.5 billion Facebook accounts people were still only starting to “understand what social etiquettes online look like” and she said its anti-bullying programme was “very much about education and awareness. Sometimes people forget about the human being behind the screen”.
As part of the day the group of student ambassadors learned how to get the best out of Facebook’s reporting tools and they were also encouraged to to give feedback on how efficiently those tools work. They also developed presentations to take back to their schools to educate their peers and parents on safety.
“The biggest thing is awareness,” the head of the Diana Awards anti-bullying campaign Alex Holmes said. “We believe that young people are the best placed to educate their peer about how to change the culture but we want everyone to feel they have a part to play in this.”
Two students from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in Co Galway were trained by the Diana Award and were at the event.
Aoibhinn Fox from Carnmore said that “social media is everywhere” and said that Facebook was the most important such platform for people of her generation. She said the even if her understanding of bullying and how to combat it “could help just one person it will have been worthwhile”.
Her sentiments were echoed by class mate Joshua Whelan from Knocknacarra who said that while “cyberbullying has majorly decreased over the years” people should not be complacent and the programme would better equip him to inform his peers and teachers about the ways to combat it.
Cispheil
Both U16 boys and girls basketball teams from Coláiste Bhaile Chláir reached the All-Ireland playoffs. The girls’ team won their first match but were defeated by Coláiste Ronáin from Belfast. The boys’ team narrowly missed out on a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals.
Míle Buíochas to Ms Egan and Mr Broderick for all their work with the teams.
Galway Minor Hurlers Manager Talks at CBC
by Grace Cooley 3rd year
On Wednesday the 20th of January, us third years in Coláiste Bhaile Chláir received a talk from Jeffrey Lynskey. Better known as the Galway Minor Hurlers manager and a teacher from Galway Community College. He spoke to us about his experiences, skills and the things he has to juggle in his life. The aim of the talk was to open our minds up to the bigger pictures in situations we face, which would benefit us throughout life.
He introduced the talk by introducing himself, shaking hands with the students and getting to know us. Then he asked us what we would like to learn from the hour with him, things such as trust, exams and sports came up. He began with talking about the lessons he had gathered throughout his life from different places and situations he had been in. Then used examples such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to prove to us that everyone works hard to be whom they are. He told us a bit about his earlier life and his current job as a teacher in GCC.
As our school is very committed to sports, hearing about his hurling background was exceptionally interesting, all students were attentive and happy to ask questions about his involvement in big games, training and the responsibility he carries. He went on to speak about the importance of family and health teaching us that no matter how many obstacles we face in life they are things we can never neglect. He had so much wisdom to offer and it was a pleasure to listen to him. I feel that all the students took valuable information from the discussion and that it will benefit us in exam year, and certainly the future.
Boys Soccer
The U15 soccer team lost their final game in the U15 Minor Cup to a very good St. Mary’s team on Friday last in Mervue. Needing a victory to go through, they performed really well but were unfortunate to go down on a 4–3 scoreline. Aaron Brennan and Adam Heneghan got the goals but it was an excellent team performance overall.
The U14 team are playing Summerhill College, Sligo next week in Sligo and will need a win to keep their interest in the competition alive.
The U16 competition should be kicking off in the next few weeks. A special thanks to Paul Nash who has sponsored a new kit for the team also.
Young Scientist Trip
A group of 40 second year students travelled to the B.T Young Scientist competition in the RDS in Dublin on Friday the 8th of January.
With a trip to Funderland after, and some shopping in Liffey Valley on the way home, a great day was had by all! Hopefully it will inspire some of them to enter the competition next year and follow in the footsteps of the very successful entries this year by Alaidh Fox, Deirdre Hughes, Roisin Cellarius and Ella Rose McIntyre.
New Tops from Treat Café
In the picture is Jackie Dolan of Treat Café presenting a set of tops to team captain Katelyn Roche, Treat Café sponsored a set of tops for the schools team that won the U16 Girls C Western Region Final and were defeated in the All Ireland Play-Offs. Coláiste Bhaile Chláir would like to thank Treat Café and all parents for their continuing support in the promotion of sport in the school.
