Contents 2 Principal’s Address 4 Acknowledgements / Staff Photo 5 MCC Formal 2019 11 First Years 2019/20 13 Chiku Lweno- Aboud’s Visit to MCC 15 European Day of Languages 16 School Strikes for Climate Change 18 First Year Parents Coffee Morning 19 Junior Cert Results 21 Student Council 22 Halloween Fancy Dress 24 Awards 26 Christmas Shoe Box Appeal 27 LCA Coffee Morning 29 The Playboy of the Western World 31 The Seamus Heaney Homeplace 35 Sixth Year Creative Writing Workshop 36 Room 99 & 100 Christmas Craft Fair 38 Christmas Carol Service 40 Jingle Bells Race 2019 45 Malin GAA 24 Hour Spinathon 47 MCC Eco-Warrior Pupils 48 Global Citizenship 49 In My Shoes 50 One World Schools Festival 51 Junk Kouture 52 TY Trip to Derry 54 Ski Trip 57 Dragon’s Den 60 Transitioning by Nathan Connolly 61 On the Spectrum by Samantha McLucas 62 TY Teachers 64 Winner Wonderland by Peter Grant 66 Press Pass Finalists 2020 67 Coronavirus Crisis: Singing From Home 68 Cocooned - Aimee Mc Auliffe 69 Plague of Our Time – Jessica Moir 70 Cross Country 72 Karate 74 Senior Girls Football 78 First Year Girls Football 79 First Years 2015 81 First Years 2014 83 Memory Lane 91 An Dara Bhlian Sa Gaeltacht 2016 92 Sixth Year Interviews 95 Sixth Year 2020 102 Sixth Year Reflection 1
Principal’s Address A chairde, At the time of writing this address our school has been physically closed to all for two weeks and to our students for four weeks. It has been the strangest of times. We have had the highs of our Christmas Carol Service, Jingle Bells Race and ski trip for large numbers of our school community and some great individual successes which are presented in this magazine. We have also lost parents of our students and staff and siblings of staff members who have departed this life all too soon. Yet for most of us not directly impacted by personal loss, the highs and lows of school life are contextualized in relation to how we have dealt with the advent of the Coronavirus or Covid 19. The levels of anxiety and fear were palpable for the weeks after midterm until the government shut all schools. It is a great credit to the staff and students of Moville Community College that their conduct and engagement with learning and teaching continued more or less as normal. It is to their greater credit that the level of engagement by students, primarily through Google Classroom, has maintained their learning and connection with their teachers. Despite the many difficulties of connectivity, learning new ICT skills, limiting socialization with peers and managing families, students and teachers for the most part have continued their learning and teaching. Some classes are recorded and some take place live on line by those more familiar with the technology. We are all struggling, but we are showing a level of resilience that will get us through this challenge and will stand to all of us in whatever the future throws at us. On Good Friday we were informed that the Leaving Certificate will take place in late July and/or early August. This is new territory for all of us. Let us support each other to maximize our potential and bring success to our students. The publication of the school magazine each year gives the latest events in the story of our school. My sincere thanks to all who contributed articles and photographs and, in particular, I thank the Transition Year students and their teachers Ms. Browne and Mr Monagle for their effort in putting together a wonderful piece of work. The breadth of activities that staff provide and the number of students who participate in extracurricular activities such as sport, music, art and activist groups in the school is a source of immense pride to me. Involvement in these activities are the times in a student’s life when special memories are made and new friendships are formed. I thank the members of staff who are generous with their time in supporting these activities. In some activities we achieved amazing mass participation. In others some individuals or groups achieved national recognition for their efforts. Nathan Connolly wrote a prizewinning features article and Peter Grant wrote a prizewinning sports article in an All-Ireland young journalist competition – Newsbrands Ireland Press Pass Awards. 2
I would also like to recognize the work of the Student Council, the Health Promoting Schools committee, the Cycle Against Suicide committee and the World Wide Global Schools committee for their work locally, nationally and internationally. Their work individually and collectively has enhanced the school’s experience of matters that have a local and global significance. To take one example: The Student Council has ensured that hot food is available to all pupils every day. The Health Promoting Schools group have ensured that it is of a high nutritional value. The WorldWise Global schools group ensures that it uses sustainable food and serving material where possible. This all feeds into to the promotion of positive mental health as espoused by the Cycle Against Suicide group. The process of making our school healthier will continue. As parents I feel you should be very proud of the range of activities and experiences that the school provides. It is a credit to your children, our students, the staff and the support of the Parent’s Association that these can happen. I ask that you support the work of the Parent’s Association whose contribution makes much of this work possible . Finally, I wish all our exam students every success in the State exams. To those who are studying for the Leaving Certificate – I thank you for everything that you brought to our school. Our school is a richer place for you having been here as a student. We will miss you, but seeing you move on to pastures new gives us a great sense of satisfaction. Anthony Doogan Principal 3
Acknowledgements Welcome to MCC Magazine 2020. This year’s edition is once again a showcase of and a testament to the considerable talents of MCC students and staff. There have been many significant events both inside and outside the school this year; this book provides a record of all of these. The recent closure of all schools due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent implications for the state examinations are a source of much uncertainty particularly for our exam students. Remote learning, social distancing and quarantine are buzz words we have all had to become accustomed to over the past three weeks. I have included a section of opinion articles/ features composed by our students in response to pandemic. We all hope that normal life as we know it will resume as soon as is safely possible. Special thanks must also be extended to Mr Monagle for his invaluable editorial assistance and design expertise, Ms Hegarty who created the beautiful cover at very short notice, TY students and all of my colleagues and students who contributed significantly to this edition. I apologise in advance for any oversights or omissions, because of the extenuating circumstances there may be many, and I do hope you enjoy reading the magazine. Go raibh maith agaibh. MCC Staff 2019 4
MCC FORMAL 2019 Orlaith Barr & Dempsey Holwell Niamh McElhinney & Michéal Crossan Lauren Crumlish & Michael Grimley 5 Niamh Skelly & Shane McColgan
MCC FORMAL 2019 Iona Furlong & Darren Mc Cole Amelie Daly & Kevin Doherty Jack Keyes & Karla McGibney Aodhan Ferns & Alanna Killen 6
MCC FORMAL 2019 Sinead Gillespie & Killian McCarron Kerrie McDaid & Will Farren Anthony Doherty & Clodagh Skelly 7 Kate Mc Clenaghan & David Henry
MCC FORMAL 2019 Ellen Gallagher, Patrick Gerard McGonagle Courtney McColgan & Tegan McCallion & Tami Gallagher Eimear Weir & Aisling Meehan James McCauley & Rachel Grant 8
MCC FORMAL 2019 Eoin O’Doherty & Claire Brown Caitlin Davenport & Ronan McLaughlin Eimear Briney & Emmet McCauley 9 Deirdre McCauley & Finn McGroarty
MCC FORMAL 2019 Jasmine , Sinead , Cameron , Colleen & Breena Dylan, Kevin & Gavin 10
First Years 2019 Class Mc Laughlin Class H Gallagher 11
First Years 2019 Class Hegarty Class Mullan 12
Chiku Lweno- Aboud’s Visit to MCC Leaving Cert Applied Students Chiku Lweno-Aboud visited Moville Community College in September. She is a journalist from Tanzania. The students got an insight into her life in Tanzania and her work there. She was accompanied by Shauna O‘Neill, Community fundraiser for Children in Crossfire. Thanks to Ms Cooney for organising this event and to Ms G Cavanagh, Ms H Gallagher, Ms N Hegarty and Ms Browne who hosted Chiku and Shauna on the day.A very special thanks goes to our Third Year Traditional Group who played so beautifully for Chiku today and to Ms Hegarty’s tutor class, 5 and 6 LCA students and Transition Year students who hosted Chiku and Shauna in their classes. We were very honoured and immensely proud that Chiku visited our school. 13
Chiku Lweno- Aboud’s Visit to MCC First Years: Class Hegarty Third Year Traditional Music Group 14
European Day of Languages The European Day of Languages is celebrated every year on 26th September. Its aim is to encourage language learning across Europe and protect our linguistic heritage. Millions of people in 45 member states take part every year in celebrating this day. At Moville Community College fifth years held a sale at lunchtime of typical French food such as crepes, pains au chocolat, and the all time favourite, French bread with Nutella. Prices ranged from 50c to €1 and everything was sold within the first fifteen minutes. A successful venture for these young, bilingual entrepreneurs! Well done! 15
School Strikes for Climate Change First Year demonstration On Friday 20th September students from Moville Community College took part in the Global Climate Strike. Members of the Student Council spoke at the assemblies to highlight problems in our environment. Patsy Toland was invited into the school to speak to the First Years about Climate Action and how we can all do our bit to help the environment. His talk was inspiring and hopefully has motivated some students to change their habits. The First years then took part in a Climate Quiz hosted by our TY students. There was fierce competition and after a few tie-breaker questions “The Power Rangers” won. The quiz concluded with a walk around the school with students holding banners and posters about the need for Climate Action. 16
School Strikes for Climate Change First Years enjoying the quiz Greta Thunberg Skolstrejk 2019 Best poster of all 17
First Year Parents Coffee Morning Mr. Harron & Mr. Ryan First Year Mums Parents and tutors of First Year students gathered together in the Home Economics room to become newly acquainted, renew old acquaintances and to mark the transition of sixth class pupils to second level education. This event was arranged by Mr Barry Harron HSLO and it was very enjoyable and relaxed occasion. 18
Junior Cert Results Emma, Rebecca & Sarah Kayleigh & Shaciara Third Years Pals Leslie & Michelle 19
Junior Cert Results Samantha McLucas Keely, Mairead, Ella & Peter Darragh Gillen & Ronan McCarron Laura Faulkner & Alex McClay 20
Student Council Maya, Odhran, Keenan & Anna – Student Council Members ....................... Students from Moville Community College attended the AGM of the Donegal Youth Council in October. The day consisted of workshops to discuss themes relevant to young people. This year's theme was "Minding your Mental Health". 21
Halloween Fancy Dress First Year Fancy Dress Guess Who? Sixth Year Final Fancy Dress Ethan McLucas & Leslie Morrison Ms. Kelly & Ms. Devenny are all hearts!
Halloween Fancy Dress Samantha McLucas Killer Clown MCC go bananas Ruby’s pretty in pink
Awards Tys 2018-19 receiving their Spanish Certificates TY 2019-20 Future Mentors 24
Awards Pope John Paul Awards 2020 Health Promoting Schools Award 2019 25
Christmas Shoe Box Appeal Team Hope’s annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal was a huge success this year. In total MCC donated 117 shoeboxes. Most of these were wrapped and packed by TY students. We particularly targetted teens this year as there tends to be an under supply nationally of these boxes. The gifts were distributed in Romania just in time for Christmas. Well done to all and many thanks for your continued support of this fantastic project. 26
LCA Coffee Morning Áine and Fern Odhran, Matthew, Lee and Matthew W Ruairi and Odhran Lauren and Grainne help themselves
LCA Coffee Morning Ms H Gallagher, Ms M McLaughlin along with the LCAs organised a hugely successful coffee morning in November. The Irish Cancer Society, Crumlin hospital and The Ronald McDonald House were the grateful recipients of a grand total of 1,300 euro. Many thanks to everyone for your extraordinary generosity.
The Playboy of the Western World Sixth Year Higher Level English students travelled to The Garage Theatre in Monaghan in October to watch a top class live performance of The Playboy of the Western World by JM Synge. This play is on the Leaving Certificate comparative course for examination in 2020. Many thanks to the actors and directors who also facilitated an indepth discussion of themes and characters after the performance. 29
The Playboy of the Western World Sixth Year Theatre Trip to Monaghan 30
Seamus Heaney Homeplace Barney Devlin - Blacksmith from “The Forge” Heaney’s Parents : Patrick and Margaret 31
Seamus Heaney Homeplace 32
Seamus Heaney Homeplace Ciaran Crossan & Ciaran McLaughlin Dermot Hoy & Ben McDermott Fifth Year girls & Stephen Havlin Aaron Morrison & Máirtín Melarkey 33
Seamus Heaney Homeplace Emma, Padraig & Anna Ciara, Emma, Michelle & Nadine Fifth Year Higher Level English students travelled to Bellaghy to visit the Seamus Heaney Homeplace in November. There they received a guided tour of the interactive centre and they also received a lecture from an eminent Queens University lecture on interpreting the poetry of Seamus Heaney. Heaney is a prescribed poet on the Leaving Cert English course for examination in 2021. Many thanks to the Heaney Homeplace for facilitatating this tour. 34
Sixth Year Creative Writing Workshop Sixth Years with Felicity McCall Sixth Year Higher Level English students had the opportunity to avail of a creative writing workshop with Felicity McCall in November. Felicity is a well-known Derry based journalist, writer and broadcaster whose 21 published works include novels, non-fiction, plays, a graphic novel and anthologies. This was an inspiring workshop for all and many thanks to Felicity for facilitating. 35
Room 99 & 100 Christmas Craft Fair Students prepare to sell their beautiful festive crafts A “novel” way to recycle old books and Christmas snowmen made in Moville CC Well done to the students of Rooms 98,99 &100 who raised €656 and £7 for St. Vincent de Paul in their Christmas Crafts Fair. They worked so hard on the various crafts since Halloween. They would also like to thank all at "The Crafty Club" together with 1B and Susan Orr who donated paper crafted Christmas Trees to the event. Natural products (such as pine cones, elves and Christmas trees), old wine boxes for Christmas Eve boxes and cribs, old buttons, fallen trees for logs, old glass jars for lanterns. Every little bit of help was all very much appreciated. 36
Our Christmas Craft Fair Handmade Christmas Crafts Frosted glass candleholders 37
Christmas Carol Service MCC Choir in rehearsal . Multilingual sign designed by LCAs MCC Musicians A full house in advance of the annual Carol Service
Christmas Carol Service MCC Choir and Soloists This years annual Christmas Carol service stands out as one of our favourites to date. This years’ theme of ‘Peace’ was so beautifully represented through the music, artwork and the spoken word. It suited the event perfectly, as the aim of the night is for people and families within our community to come together and forget the business of the Christmas period. The carol service wouldn’t be as much of a success without the massive involvement of students and staff within the school. This year we had the biggest numbers of involvement ever with 130 students in the band & choir alone, and over 250 other students involved in other elements of the event including readers, artwork, traditional Irish musicians, lámh signers, ushers, elves and many other jobs behind the scenes. There were many standout moments of this years’ service for me. Some of which include; the stunning piece sign elevated at the top of the chapel, the emotional Christmas story and Silent Night in lámh sign. These moments along with the selection of songs performed amazingly bythe choir, band and soloists made for a very moving and heart – warming evening. This is an event we all look forward to every year and this year will stand out as a favourite for many years to come.
Christmas Carol Service Ronan Kerrigan steals the show Santa Claus has come to Town
Jingle Bells Race 2019 Ms Mulhall & Ms Gallagher First Years Second Years First Years Ruby keeping out the Cold Finish Line 41
Jingle Bells Race 2019 Mr Mc Corriston At the finish Line A tight finish Mr McCabe and Mr Callaghan Sixth Years put on their own show 42
Jingle Bells Race 2019 Sixth Year tutor classes Sixth Year Minions Mr Doogan and Lauren Cavanagh 43
Jingle Bells Race Awards 2019 Mr Doogan & Vitté Karlaite Mr Doogan & Aoibheann McIvor Thomas Ruddy & Mr Doogan James Ferns & Mr Doogan Matthew Harkin & Mr Doogan Cillian Doyle & Mr Doogan 44
Malin GAA 24 Hour Spinathon Team MCC It’s all downhill from here! Team Ryan lead the way 45
Malin GAA Spinathon Kay, Danai and Damian Ward presenting a cheque to the Ronald McDonald House Charity When a community comes together, they can achieve incredible things. The small community of Malin Co.Donegal joined together to raise funds for three families in their community and one of those families is especially close to our hearts in MCC. Malin GAA organised a 24 hour Spinathon at the club and the whole community rose to the challenge. MCC sent a team from the school and The Ronald McDonald House Charaities received a cheque for €6,055 from Damian and Kay Ward #KeepingFamiliesClose #CommunitySpirit #StaySafe 46
MCC Eco-Warrior Pupils Conor Canning in the polytunnel Inspired by Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old who launched Fridays for Future, a new generation of eco-warriors are taking action in their schools to benefit the environment of their school community and further afield. Moville Community College Principal Anthony Doogan explains how the UN's 17 sustainable development goals filter down to the school community. He gives the example of the school's polytunnel, which students use to grow vegetables, as a great way to teach about sustainability, healthy eating, well-being and responsible consumption.Produce from the polytunnel is used in local restaurants and even as ingredients for healthy school lunches provided by one local restaurant, showing students how the food they grow comes full circle.Horticulture teacher Mary McLaughlin is helping the Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) class tend to the spring vegetables. While it's early days, kale plants are blooming and, before long, beetroot, lettuce and other vegetables and herbs will be sprouting.McLaughlin says she has seen students become more interested in the environment."They're tolerating less and they are thinking more for themselves, as well as challenging the way past generations have done things. There's an awareness that we could ruin all this," she says. LCA students Jack McLaughlin (16) and Kyle McLaughlin (15) are busy watering the plants in the polytunnel. While Jack is new to gardening, Kyle has tended his grandfather's garden, growing lettuce and beetroot. Kyle believes there is too much reliance on plastic, but thinks there should be more incentives for people to go green.Conor Canning (17) says while there's a lot of talk about the environment, politicians are not really doing much at all. He says he feels inspired by activists like Greta.Over the next three years, the school will add on a new building, in excess of 5,000 sq metres. Ensuring that it is as energy efficient as possible is key to its development, according to the principal."You're creating that awareness among the student body that minimising your energy consumption is a significant contribution to sustaining the planet," says Mr Doogan.In the last few years, he says the level of awareness of environmental issues among students is higher than ever.All over the country, hundreds of schools are engaged with the Green Schools movement, taking part in initiatives that support their learning about environmental issues. 47
Global Citizenship Reusable water bottles were sourced this year and sold to First Years at a much subsidised rate of three euro per bottle. With these bottle we hope to eliminate single use bottles in our school and so aid responsible consumption. 48
In My Shoes ‘In My Shoes’ is an appeal for a donation of quality, pre-loved trainers and football boots from families in Ireland, which are sent to children in townships in Cape Town, South Africa. Their first campaign in 2019, saw 2,500 pairs of shoes being shipped to South Africa. The aim to smash that number this year was realised as in excess of 11,000 pairs were collected nationwide. 173 pairs were collected by MCC TY students. Once again many thanks to all of you for your amazing generosity. 49
One World Schools Festival TYs outside the Guildhall at the One World Schools Festival Katherine, Leslie & Lauren Peter & Jaime Transition Year students attended the One World Conference in the Guildhall, Derry.The day began with a remarkable story of compassion and forgiveness by Richard Moore from Children in Crossfire. Richard, a victim of The Troubles in Northern Ireland was blinded for life from the age of ten. He was shot by a British soldier on the way home from school. In spite of this, Richard went on to have a very successful life. In 1996 Richard met the man who shot him, the two have since become friends. Richard's story began as a tragedy but ended as a triumph of human spirit to overcome adversity. The 14th Dalaì Lama describes Moore as 'a real practitioner of compassion, a living example of peace'. The pupils of Moville Community College reacted very positively to his story. Following this very powerful opening speech, students participated in a global citizenship education quiz. Leslie McDermott, Maya McGhee and Junior Campbell won vouchers for their quick thinking. After lunch pupils took part in a variety of workshops with students from other schools. The workshops included themes such as: Bees, Trees, Seas, Food for thought, I have a dream, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Art as activism. The graffiti art project proved very popular. Many students were delighted to take home their newly made bird boxes and window planters. The day ended with pupils signing the Compassion Pledge. Students were left with much food for thought. They were provided with practical ideas and actions for changemaking. The trip was not only inclusive but also informative and inspiring. 50
Junk Kouture Junk Kouture is a fashion competition using recycled materials, which challenges young people to design, create and model high-end couture from everyday junk! It takes in elements of fashion, design, engineering and environmental sustainability and transforms them into a creative contest like no other. This year the Transition year students of MCC entered the competition. Through a lot of design work, sampling materials, hard work, patience and extreme dedication our TY students created two fantastic “Kouture” costumes. Amphitrite created by team members Maisie Cardin, Ruth McNally and Alex McClay, and Regina Dolce created by Ella McKenna and Mairead McLaughlin. Amphitrite named after the Greek goddess of waterwas inspired by the sea, the team wanted to create a piece of fashion that demonstrated Reflection. They thought hard about the materials they would use, firstly they experimented with various plastics but settled with broken/cracked CDs. The CDs give the dress a fantastic bling especially when the light reflects off it. Regina Dolce – Regina translates in Italian as Queen and Dolce as the costume was inspired by the Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana. The team wanted their costume to have a royalty influence that explains why they used such high embellishment. The dress is made from Christmas decorations, old jewellery, old clothing, and corrugated cardboard. The teams worked endlessly on their costumes; the finished products were an absolute credit to them. A huge thanks to all their teachers that supported them, giving them permission to work extra time on their costumes, without this support the costumes never would have been created. The Northern Regional final took place at the Millennium Forum in Derry on the 27th March 2020. Our Transition Year students did a fantastic job of competing against 80 other costumes. The standard was incredibly high, and it was to our extreme delight and excitement that Regina Dolce was settled amongst only 12 others to go through to the grand Final in Dublin. We are now looking forward to the final in Dublin, which we hope will take place sometime in the autumn. 51
TY Trip to Derry Ronan, Lauren, Grainne, Leslie, Shane & Maya On February 14th the TY students who did not go on the ski trip got to take a trip to Derry with Mrs Lafferty. During this trip we got to visit the Museum of Free Derry which was very interesting. While in the museum we were greeted by one of the main operators John Kelly who gave us a personal insight into Bloody Sunday. He told us why the museum was opened and how a family member of his was one of many killed that day. He also showed us some of the ammunition used to kill people and we got to pass them around as a group. Everyone was shocked and surprised at the size of the bullets.When he finished the talk, he then took us to the museum where we started our tour. We watched an interactive video and then we walked around in our small groups. We found out so much from the tour and it was really a great experience.We got to see what they wore on the day they were killed and there were letters from loved ones of the people who had lost their lives. The museum was full of information and artefacts from that time. This was a very memorable experience which had a personal impact on some students whose relatives were present on Bloody Sunday. After the museum we then took a walk around the Derry Bogside Murals. We took photos as a class group in front of them all.The murals represented the Troubles. They were great artworks. We then headed to Brunswick Moviebowl were we saw the movie 1917. It was such a great movie. It represented World War 1 and it was based on true events. This movie was very interesting and everyone really enjoyed it. Overall this trip was great fun and it was certainly one of the highlights of TY. 52
TY Trip to Derry TY Students learn about the history of the Maiden City 53
Ski Trip On the streets of Dimaro MCC Skiers
Ski Trip MCC take to the slopes in style Eisha Meehan and Laura Faulkner On the slopes Taking a break
Ski Trip On 14th of February 2020 Moville Community College departed for their six day Ski Trip to Folgarida, Italy. Forty-four students and five teachers set off for the small village of Dimaro in the Trentino region of Northern Italy. The Folgarida/Marilleva ski resort itself boasts over 70km of ski runs catering for all levels. Our group nearly all beginners set off on the first day and were sprung straight into action. As they tried to balance on their skis, the sides of slopes looked terrifying and chair lifts seemed impossible. However, with 4 hours of lessons per day, you could see everyone’s confidence grow as students progressed off nursery slopes, to some even attempting the black slope that towered over us everyday at lunch. Between lessons students got to relax and enjoy the sun, views, food and music on the slopes. At night everyone was glad to get back to our lovely family run hotel and relax (or if willing to put pride aside and take on the undefeated Mr Doogan in a foozball competition). Although there may have been a couple (ok more than a couple) of falls, wipe-outs, teachers included, the spirit and determination of this bunch was incredible. It was an amazing trip, packed with laughs, stories and memories to share for years.
Dragon’s Den Hugo and Ronan Three wise men First year entrepreneurs 57
Dragon’s Den First Year Pitch The Dragons Den is a Business initiative run in the school, for a number of years by some senior classes for the first years. This year it was organised by the 5LCA class, as part of their Vocational Preparation and Guidance task, and Ms Maguire’s Transition Year class. It took place on Friday the 6th of March. The aims for the day were to ensure that the first year had fun; they bonded with each other and got an insight into the world of business. The senior students divided the first years into random groups. Each group had to come up with an idea to develop a product with the help of a mentor (one of the senior students). One group came up with an idea to develop a football boot that turns into a shoe by clicking off the studs. They had to develop their idea further and then try to sell the idea to the three judges, who were Ms McFadden, Ms McBride and Jack McLaughlin a 5th year student. In order to sell the idea the groups had to look into the viability of their product, costings, advertising and marketing and potential profit margins. Students spent the day coming up with their ideas and during that time there was a quiz and prizes given out. The senior students evaluated the day and most of the students really enjoyed the day and recommended that it should run again next year. 58
Dragon’s Den F First year teams pitch their products Peter Grant Winners Eddy McGowan and Darragh McGuinness 59
Transitioning by Nathan Connolly My journey started on June 18th 2017 when I was thirteen years old. I remember the day quite specifically, it was exactly a week after I had started seeing a therapist because I’d had dark thoughts, these thoughts were caused because I had a secret. I knew this secret would have to be revealed very soon. I would have to come out to my family. But I wasn’t quite sure how. It was Father’s day and we had just come back from dinner, we were all sitting in the living room and I blurted out “Mum, Dad I’m trans”. They both looked at me in shock as if I had just said I had killed someone. My mother suggested it may be some kind of “phase,” but I knew it wasn’t a phase, because I had been feeling this way for a long time, but I had never quite known how to put it into words. I think I was scared I would be a disappointment and I suppose for a while it felt like I actually was. This all happened at the start of the summer so I had the holidays to readjust to life with a new name and new pronouns. Most people were lovely about it, but teenagers will be teenagers and many just wanted to laugh, so I decided to let them, because for me to become this new person, the true version of myself, I had to face the fact that there would be hate and some people who simply wouldn’t accept me. Back then I didn’t really know what self love felt like, because I was so focused on hating myself for not being perfect. Being set free to be me over the past two and a half years, has really made me feel and recognise self love. My school was accepting straight away, my teachers were asked to call me Nathan and to use the pronouns he and him and they all did this without a moment's hesitation. This made me feel like I finally belonged somewhere. My friends were also immediately accepting of my coming out and they instantly clicked to the idea of calling me Nathan. That helped my confidence a lot because I barely passed as male at the time, but once I started working on my self esteem, I didn’t really care anymore if I passed or not. It was in my second year at secondary school when my attendance started to drop off. This made everything a bit more difficult. In October of 2018 my parents began to call me Nate and decided they were going to try harder to overcome the whole name and pronoun issues They finally gave me permission to go onto the hormone waiting list. they even let me go to a private doctor, but because I was under the age of 18 the treatment couldn’t happen straight away. The waiting list is currently 19 months. It’s a long and torturous wait, but at the same time I know it will be worth it in the end. For my Junior Cert English CBA, I talked to my class about living as a transgender person and how it had changed my life for the better, I got the highest mark possible and it made me finally believe that maybe me being trans wasn’t such a bad thing. School is still challenging to this day, as everyone has good days and bad days, but you just have to be positive and keep going because from what I have learned over the past two and a half years, if you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything. My Junior Cert was certainly not the easiest exam I’ve ever done because of my erratic attendance, but I am proud of my results and how far I’ve come. My favourite quote is from Abraham Lincoln, he said,“Whatever you are, be a good one.'' I am proud to say I am a good me, and that is all that matters. Currently it is 2020 and I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I truly believe that this is going to be my year, because if this transgender journey has taught me anything, it is not to let the little things get to me and to have no regrets, and that is the way I’m living my best life. 60
On the Spectrum by Samantha McLucas I have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This was diagnosed when I was eight years old. My mum has told me this means my brain is wired differently from everyone else. I can hear and see things better than most, but my sense of smell is terrible. A scent has to be extra strong for me to smell it, but the slightest sound, like the ticking of a clock, can irritate me beyond reason. Taste is also a sense which is heightened with Autism. I am super fussy about food, especially in public. I think texture is probably the main thing and perhaps also the smell. I always knew I was different, even before I knew I was autistic. In national school I could never fit in, or feel comfortable. To be honest I still can't really fit in, well not the way I would like to anyway. I realised much later on that this is a common problem for people with Autism. Autism means a real lack of social skills. When I am in a shop I get really worked up when I have to pay for something, or if I’m eating out and have to order something. My heart starts to race and I feel like getting sick. I think I have grown to really hate Autism. It’s a mean thing to say, but I don't like hanging around with teens who have obvious Autism. Not that I have anything against them personally, but I just don't want people judging me or thinking that I’m weird. I suppose I just want to be the same as everyone else. My Autism is not that obvious, people wouldn’t know unless I mentioned it, but I still think that people do know. I guess I’m just paranoid, right? But when people treat me nicely in public, I always think they are just doing so because they feel sorry for me. I can't talk about this to many people, not even my mum, because she thinks I’m just pitying myself. And maybe I am, I don’t know. But surely I should be able to do this, right? There is only one benefit I can think of to being on the spectrum; I am an artist or so I am told in any case. My art work hangs proudly on the walls of our school, two pieces. Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol were aautistic, too. So maybe if I didn't have Autism I wouldn't be artistic, or musical. Well that's what my parents say anyway. Autism runs in my family. On my dad’s side mostly. My little brother is eleven, he has Asperger’s Syndrome. He used to be so hyper, but he has calmed down a lot recently He has an amazing mind. He can retain so many facts, about science mainly. He seems to have a photographic memory and he is extremely analytical. I think one day he will be an amazing scientist. Maybe there will be both an artist and a scientist in our family in the future. My older brother is also on the spectrum; he is probably the most affected of us all. In his mind he is six years old, not a nineteen-year-old. He thinks nothing of running over to people to hug them just like a child would, the difficulty is that he is six-foot tall and weighs over thirteen stone. This can be quite scary for people who don’t understand. He also stims a lot with his hands...Stimming is a repetitive series of actions used by autistic people to self soothe. He also talks repetitively, if he is angry he will re-enact a scene of conflict from a movie. It can be very difficult to understand at times, and to deal with. So yes, you could say this is tough for my parents. My mum worked with autistic children before she had children, so in a way, maybe she was prepared. But it is still really hard for both my parents because they have not one, not two, but three autistic children to care for. They do not like to admit this, but I know this is true. I would love to go to Art College someday, but I often worry that I will not be accepted because of my Autism. I will continue to pursue this ambition, because I know that anything is possible. I am who I am, I cannot change this. So I will fight to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves, as I negotiate my way through this often confusing world of ours. Robin Williams said, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world” I really hope he’s right! 61
TY Teachers Our English teacher didn’t give much notice when she asked for volunteers to present a media literacy class to first years. In fact when we accepted the challenge, we had only one day, less than 24 hours, to plan our lesson. So you could say we were dropped into the deep end, but we knew we would be able to swim. We were signed out of class for a few hours to prepare the lesson. We worked together to decide who was going to do what. We made posters about each newspaper part. We used the Press Pass categories of Features,Sport, Comment, Photojournalism and News. Our teacher then gave us KWLsheets and we decided to ask the students to tell us what they already knew, what they would like to know and then at the end of the lesson what they had hopefully learned. We wrote out a plan, which included who would present each part of the lesson, which we had divided into six parts.. On the actual day of the lesson we were all very nervous. There was a room change announcement to facilitate the sixth year exam timetable, this felt like an initial setback, as we had booked Chromebooks for the lesson in the upper building and we were not sure if these would still be available in the lower one. Luckily enough for us this did not turn out to the case. But it wasn’t exactly the smoothest of starts. So when we finally got set up, we distributed the KWL sheets to the students. Ronan started off by introducing us all and asking the first years to write down on their sheets what they already knew about news and media. He also asked them how they accessed news whether it was usually on their phones or by listening to the radio. Fionnuala then explained the Press Pass Awards to them. We thought we should mention Jessica Moir who is a fifth year student in our school, as she won first place in the Features category last year. Nathan read out Jessica’s piece.The students seemed particularly interested in her story. Ronan then described the charcterisics of a good sports journalist, After that, Peter and Ronan read out their own match reports: ‘St. Columbas See Off Moville After Extra-Time’ and ‘Winner Wonderland’. The first years seemed really impressed by the work we had put into the entries for this years competition. In the Features category we explained that a Feature can be a piece of personal writing Nathan read out a classmate’s article called “ On the Spectrum”. which has been entered into this year’s competition. This feature reflects both her own and her family’s battle with autism.. We think the students were quite shocked at the difficulties posed by this condition but equally amazed by Samantha’s ability to articulate her own feelings so clearly in such an amazing piece of writing. The next category we discussed was Photojournalism and we showed the first years the photos which are being entered into this year’s competition. They were once again very impressed at the high standard of entry. We also then spoke briefly about the Comment section and read out Adam Mc Cormick’s opinion piece on how fake news can destroy democracies This tied in perfectly with our Media Smart message which we then explored. We taught the strategy Stop, Think, Check and emphasised why it is so important to check the sources of all information and how to deiffferentiate between real and fake news.. 62
We concluded our lesson with an activity. We asked students to research the Kobe Bryant tragedy using reliable sources on the Chromebooks we had supplied. Stidents worked in pairs. They really enjoyed this enjoyed working and found a lot of information on different websites. We then discussed which sources were trustworthy and the reasons why we all need to be critical readers. At the very end of the lesson we asked the student to write down on their KWLsheets what they had learned from us. They had absorbed so much information I think we even surprised ourselves!. Ms Mullan praised us highly and said we were all natural teachers. That made us very proud. We loved the opportunity to impart the skills we had learned throughtout our own Press Pass journey and we hope to do this again very soon. By; Fionnuala DeBrun, Ronan McCarron, Nathan Connolly and Peter Grant: 63
Winner Wonderland The die was cast. November 3rd 2019 would be a deciding match. Who would go through to the Munster Hurling Club Championship? Which team would be crowned Kings of the Mighty Tipp? One team had progressed from rock bottom to becoming one of the Tipp giants in the past decade. The other had been knocking on the door for the past 33 years, but that final place had always eluded them. This was the day that would decide which team would represent the premier county in the Munster Hurling Club Championship and which team would hopefully later reach the ultimate goal of being crowned All-Ireland Hurling Club Champions. That journey started here. Borrisoleigh V Kiladangan. The first game play action came 11 seconds into the game when Kiladangan’s number 15 Billy Seymour had a crack at goal but was superbly denied by Borrisoleigh’s big number 1 James McCormack. Borrisoleigh were denied a golden goal that would narrow a small gap between these opponents, but James Devaney made sure that he would add another goal to the incredible tally he had already amassed during the course of the County Hurling Championship. He did this in style with a solo goal from the 45 metre line and he buried it at the back of the net on the 28th minute. Both teams scored from all around the pitch far and short and from all angles too and the first half ended 1-09 to 0-07 in favour of the Borrisoleigh men. After the break, everything became a ‘flash in the pan’ for Borrisoleigh as Kiladangan’s Dan O’Meara flicked the sliotar past James McCormack to make it a 3 point game, which on the strike of a ball separated the two teams. Brendan Maher was on sound at the half-back line as he hit 3 points; two from frees which helped Borrisoleigh stay ahead. Kiladangan were awarded a penalty after Sean Hayes was dragged down by the Borrisoleigh defenders and the referee had no hesitation in blowing his whistle. Up to take the penalty was goalkeeper Barry Hogan, goalkeeper vs goalkeeper. The shot was taken and James McCormack leaped like a salmon in a river and blocked the sliotar with his ash made hurl. When the clock hit the 50 minute mark, supporters from both sides were edging their teams to get a score which would make all the difference at the end. It was a do or die situation for the players out on the field at Semple Stadium. Point of the day would have to go to Kiladangan’s number 11 Willie Connors for his outrageous sideline cut that swerved over the bar and I’ll tell you Joe Canning would have been jealous of that! The last poc of the day was the Kiladangan’s goalkeeper Barry Hogan as Kiladangan’s efforts to get on top failed. The final whistle sounded, Semple Stadium erupted with cheers of happiness, it was like the stand roof had been blown off. The cheers were so loud you could have heard them as far as the Slievenamon mountain. Borrisoleigh haven’t won the title since 1986 was the message which spread across Ireland; it was the talking point for months. The final score line read: Borrisoleigh 1-15 Kiladagan 1-12. As the Borrisoleigh Captain Conor Kenny walked up to receive the holy grail you could see in his eyes how much it meant for him to have captained 64
an extraordinary team all the way to a county title. When he lifted the cup you could nearly sense the team’s ancestors looking down at them from the highest heavens and also shedding tears of joy. Team manager Johnny Kelly said ‘‘Every one of those players is special,’’ and right he is too after their performance on that very special occasion. Brendan Maher praised Johnny Kelly’s saying ‘‘When Johnny Kelly came in he transformed the team really- he just brought something that we hadn’t experienced before and brought a different element to it.’’ He also emphasised how the whole community had played a hugely important role in the historical win and concluded ‘‘We’ll all go back to Borris-Ileigh together and celebrate together.’’ Now they have climbed one mountain, there are many more to climb if they want to go all the way and make their dreams come true. They will have a whole maroon and white army behind their backs as Brendan said ‘‘together we will celebrate.’’ Their triumph should inspire any team across the country to never give up hope and like Borrisoleigh to follow their dreams. 65
Press Pass Finalists 2020 Features Transitioning by Nathan Connolly, Moville Community College, Co. Donegal Sports Winner Wonderland by Peter Grant, Moville Community College, Co. Donegal Special Commendation for the News Literacy Challenge - a group award for peer teaching to : Fionnuala De Brun, Ronan McCarron, Peter Grant and Nathan Connolly 66
Coronavirus Crisis: Singing From Home A talented bunch of Sixth Year Music students came together while staying apart to record a song dedicated to all the frontline staff helping to battle the coronavirus. The song is a rendition of Coldplay’s fix You has received local radio play and has been viewed thousands of times online. Well done to the girls and to their teacher Ms Cavanagh. This piece is a fantastic testament to all. It shows great things can happen when people come together. Ni neart go cur le chéile. 67
Cocooned It is nearly week three of isolation, I am bored out of my mind. There are only so many things you can cook or bake. I think I must have tried almost every recipe from the cookery books in my house, and I’ve even tried recipes online. It’s not that I don’t like cooking and baking, I do. It’s just how repetitive each day feels while being in “lockdown” . Yes I’m bored, just like many other teenagers. We thrive on being able to meet up with our friends often. Now we have to do without absolutely everything. But I am happy, happy that by staying in I can help to stop the spread of this horrible virus. By staying in I can protect my elderly granny, and my mother who had both cancer and tuberculosis when she was young. I only leave the house once a week, and this is to do the shopping. My mother and I shop for our own family, and for my granny and great auntie. I volunteered to do my great aunt's shopping as a part of my Pope John Paul Award. I have to leave the shopping outside the door of their houses. I also have to make sure I use hand sanitizer regularly, as I still am going into the community. I am happy that I can still exercise daily, even if it's only within two km of my home. It’s really helping me to keep sane. I talk to my granny by either sitting in our car with the window open whilst she is in the house, or by shouting through her house window. When I was down visiting yesterday, I asked her a few questions. Firstly, I asked her what she missed the most. She replied “my independence.” Granny has always been very mobile. She always went to mass daily and to the local shop. Now she has to watch mass online, which is a huge change for her. I then asked her if she enjoyed watching mass online. She replied “I find it so different because I can’t even receive Holy Communion now.” She has always loved talking to the people of our town, but now she hasn’t seen anyone except us in weeks. My granny loves to sing, and she usually attends a singing group once a week. I asked her if she missed her group and she replied “I’m lucky to have a radio and record player so at least I can still sing along to all my favourite songs and records, even though I’m at home”. I am happy that our country has gone on complete lockdown. If not, people would not be taking this seriously. If we stay at home and listen to the HSE guidelines, we will slow down the spread of Covid-19. We need to do this to help our healthcare professionals who are under so much pressure at this time. If we all stay at home, we will save many vulnerable lives. Aimee Mc Auliffe 68
Plague of our Time The coronavirus has infected our nation, targeting the airways and respiratory systems of its hosts. At first the deadly disease struck Wuhan brutally and it has subsequently swept through Europe with alarming ferocity, sparking an international health crisis. As the virus claimed its 100th victim the Irish government, appreciating the severity of the illness, placed the entire country in “lockdown” . The whole planet seemed to come to a halt on that day. To some the lockdown is like a modern day apocalypse, others see it as an unexpected holiday, a break from school, as they continue to turn a blind eye to news reports and statistics and remain ignorant to the consequences of their selfish acts. There have been numerous reports of young people hosting “quarantine parties” or “lockdown get togethers “ instead of sticking to the government’s guidelines on social distancing. Human activity has had a devastating impact on our planet. Maybe it was time for nature to get her own back. We have burned our homes and plundered the earth's natural resources, we have killed thousands of children and we have infected our planet’s airways. However the canals of Venice are now running clear, free from human destruction, for the first time in decades. Fish have returned to their natural habitats, after being banished by pollution, the ozone layer is finally recovering from years of carbon abuse. The coronavirus has greatly reduced travel opportunities, causing a dramatic downturn in the levels of air pollutants and CO2 in the atmosphere surrounding major towns and cities. The coronavirus has given our planet a chance to breathe. But we must also consider the impact social isolation can have on mental health; for some people school and work are the only reasons they get out of bed each day, without these reasons they will have no cause to do anything, no motivation, nothing to distract them from their personal demons. Fragile mental health causes people to feel alone in a room full of people, just imagine how lonely they will feel in total isolation. I empathise with those whose for whom home isn't their safe space,where school or work is a shelter from a torturous home environment filled with toxic behaviour or abuse. These people are trapped in their own personal hell which is mentally and physically draining. According to SAFE Ireland, 1 in 3 women in Ireland experiences severe mental abuse from their partner. These women have no escape. For some people home is the most dangerous place of all. I believe the coronavirus will have many more casualties than we think. The suicide rate will rise and deaths caused by domestic abuse will also increase. In these turbulent times it is important to remember to look out for one another. We can't heal the world today but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love and an act of kindness. Jessica Moir 69
Cross Country . . Shauna Ruddy & Ms Kelly Shauna Ruddy Runners 70
Cross Country 3rd Year Girls Fun in the Sun 71
Karate Caolan Caulfield on the left with his silver medal Darragh Mc Cole wins the bronze 72
Karate Aine Mc Cole wins gold Aine McCole and Caolan Caulfield 73
Senior Girls Football MOVILLE CC RETAIN ULSTER SENIOR CROWN Moville CC: 5 SCOIL MHUIRE : 2 Moville Senior Girl’s team won the Ulster Senior Crown at a soaked St Patrick’s Park in Carn on Thursday January 23rd. Scoil Mhuire were the first to threaten when Aoife Gallinagh released Emma Doherty with a ball over the top but Clodagh Skelly was off her line quickly to deny the attacker. The Buncrana girls took the lead after ten minutes when Aoife Gallinagh turned at the edge of the box and her left foot shot ensured a successful outcome. Ellen Ruddy released Kerry Brown who beat Katelyn Doherty before slotting low past Niamh Doherty in the Scoil Mhuire goal. Megan Havlin and Brianna Doherty went close at either end before MCC too the lead on the stroke of halftime when Brown picked out Erin Coyle and her effort from distance went straight to the roof of the net. Kate McClenaghan hit the inside of the post with the last attack of the half MCC got off to a perfect start in the second period when McClenaghan’s corner from the right left fell perfectly in the box for Niamh McDonald and she hammered an effort high past Doherty in the Scoil Mhuire nets. Clodagh Skelly produced a brilliant point blank save as the game raced to a conclusion. With 5 minutes to go Brown squared for McClenaghan and her effort had to much power for Doherty in goals. Then MCC substitute Erin Mullan found Kerry Brown who beat her defender and rolled the ball past Doherty to score another Ulster title for the Moville girls Moville CC Clodagh Skelly, Ellen Ruddy, Ellen Hegarty, Shauna Ruddy,Aisling Doherty, Katherine McLaughlin, Erin Coyle, Niamh Mc Dermott, Kate McClenaghan, Megan Havlin, Kerry Brown. Sub used: Erin Mullan 74
Senior Girls Football MOVILLE MISS OUT IN ALL IRELAND SEMI Reigning champions Moville CC were knocked out of the Senior Cup by Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny in Cootehill Harps AFC after an intense battle Moville CC 1 Presentation Secondary 4 Moville beat Athlone Community College twelve months ago to claim the All Ireland Senior title. Moville also won this coveted cup in 2013. Moville carved out numerous goal-scoring chances early on as Megan Havlin and Kate McClenaghan both went agonisingly close in the opening quarter. Katie Ryan pulled off an intercept off the line and denied Havlin a chance to score following some great work by McClenaghan down the right wing. But it was Niamh Phelan who broke the deadline before the break when she slotted home an individual effort. Kilkenny had the upper hand in the second half with two more goals in quick succession. Moville responded when Megan Havlin converted in a packed goalmouth to take the game to 3 1 with 28 minutes remaining. Clodagh Skelly was called upon in quick succession to stop the advances of Molloy and Phelan with two excellent point blank saves. At the other end Ruddy and Brownhad two balls smash off the woodwork as Moville fought to save their cup campaign. However the game was unfortunately wrapped up with a goal from Ellen Molloy two minutes from time. Well played to all and comiserations to the brilliant Moville girls. 75
Senior Girls Football Kerry Brown during the All Ireland Semi Ellen Hegarty: All Ireland Semi 76
Senior Girls Football Megan Havlin in the All-Ireland Semi On the Sideline; Ms Mulhall and Mr Gallagher 77
First Year Girls Football We had a relatively short season this year compared to other years. We started off our campaign with a home game to Royal and Prior, Raphoe. For some of our girls, it was their first competitive game, but this didn’t show on the pitch. Right from the whistle, the girls got stuck in and played their hearts out. It was a very tight game the whole way through, and either team could have come away with the victory, but thankfully we were the victors in the end winning 4-3. A super team performance from everyone. Our next game was in Letterkenny, against Loreto. This was much tougher opposition, and we were well beaten, but the trip to McDonalds quickly put the smiles back on their faces. Despite this loss, we had qualified for the semi final, but unfortunately, due to the current situation, I reckon this competition will remain unfinished. What a great bunch of girls they are, from 12 - 16. The future looks bright for Moville football, with girls like this around. 78
First Years 2015 Class Foster Class T Gallagher 2015 79
First Years 2015 Class McBride 2015 Class Peoples 2015 80
First Years 2014 Class AM Donaghy Class H Gallagher 81
First Years 2014 Class McFadden Class M McLaughlin 82
Memory Lane Jack, Ryan and Christopher Doherty Nathan Harkin Megan Havlin Ben Faulkner 83
Memory Lane Jingle Bells Race 2015 Aoibh Faulkner & Amelia Daly 84
Memory Lane Ellen, Orlagh, Shaun & Odhran Kelene, Emma, Joshua & Jack Aisling, Michael & Stephen Shea, Aoibheann & Niamh Shea, Niamh, Fiona & Aoibheann Ben, Shaun, Kelly & Enya 85
Memory Lane Champions 2018 Mr Gallagher’s blitz 2015 U 16 B Ulster Champions 2017 Girls celebrate their win 2015 U 15 Girls Semi Final 2016 86
Memory Lane MCC Champions 2018 Mr Molloy, Josh Conlon & Niamh Hegarty Eimear, Clodagh, Aoibh, Niamh, Kate & Niamh Girl’s Team 2017 Sarah, Sophia & Katie at the ETB Awards 87
Memory Lane Eoin O’Doherty Press Pass Awards 2017 TYs at the Abbey Theatre Barcelona 2017 TY Fairtrade 2017 Greased Lightning 2018 88
Memory Lane Ben and Caoimhe Career’s Fair Ballybofey 2015 WorldWise Global Schools Conference Galway 2018 Lake Garda 2018 On our way to Gartan 2015 89
An Dara Bhlian Sa Gaeltacht 2016 Second years orienteering at the Gaeltacht 2016 Those were the days! 90
Sa Gaeltacht 2017 #squadgoals Caitlin & Caoimhe Tegan, Olivia, Ronan & Nathan Tea Time Coláiste Bhun an Inbhir 91
Name: Conor McCullough Sixth Year Interviews Name: Joey Harkin Hidden talent? Getting away with not wearing full uniform for 3 years in a row Best MCC memory? Every Irish class in 2nd year Worst MCC memory? Julia Brol hitting me in the eye with a golf club in TY What will you not miss about school? My 1st, 2nd and 3rd years Favourite chat up line? Are you the Coronavirus? Cause I can't stop looking Achoo! A quote you stand by: You can take a horse to water, you can shove his head in the water trough, but you can't make him drink. - Deirdre Guy Your biggest sporting hero? County Star Caoimhe Crumlish Dream car? Tesla Model X Song of the summer? Drip Report – Skechers Something you got in trouble for in MCC: Talking a couple times during class Worst MCC memory? The time I nearly got run over by some man not looking where he was going while reversing, as I was walking to the bus. Most memorable school trip? Trip to Italy. What will you not miss about MCC? The steps between the lower and the upper building.(get a slide) Motto: “Aspire to inspire before you expire” Advice for your first year self? It’s all downhill from here Your type on paper? Anything at this point Celebrity idol? Sherk TV show you would recommend? Riverdale, If you want to know how not write a show A quote you stand by? “You’re going to die anyway, you understand that right? Die with a good Snapchat going through” – Best year in MCC: This one, cuz its the last one :) Something you got into trouble for? Putting stuff up on my PRIVATE story 92 Name: Alice Gavigan Hobbies? I play Irish traditional fiddle and I dance too Hidden talent? I can recite the whole musical ‘Hamilton’ from start to finish off by heart Plans for when you leave? The dream is to be the Queen of the universe but more realistically a professional dancer Favorite motto? “Why be classy when you can be gassy?” Advice would you give your first year self? Get a life sweetie What’s your type on paper? A chicken nugget Celebrity idol? Me A quote you stand by? “If you doo-doo on yourself… and I live by that” - Tyler the creator Something you got in trouble for in MCC? Dad phoned me in maths and my phone couldn’t turn off. It was the first week of school in first year. My phone got confiscated and I was the baddest first year for a day
Name: Niamh Skelly Sixth Year Interviews Name: Joshua Gillen Best MCC memory: World Wise Global Schools Conference 2018 in Galway Most memorable school trip: TY walk up Stroove head Worst chat up line you’ve heard: anything by Eoin O’Doherty Advice I’d give 1st year self: take every opportunity your given and take part in as much things as you can. Best year at MCC: TY without a doubt! Gained so much confidence, was given so much opportunity to go places and learn new things I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t done TY Hidden talent: I can eat a creme caramel in one slurp Something I won’t miss from MCC: Mr Monagle’s dad jokes Teacher you look up to and why: Mrs O Hare. She puts 100% into everything and wants to get the best out of everyone. She’s very motivated and loves what she does and keeps you motivated to keep going. Where I see myself in 10 years: travelling 93 Best MCC Memory: The school trip to Italy when we went to Gardaland in the pouring rain. Worst MCC Memory: When we had to leave school because of the coronavirus. Best Teacher: Mr. Monagle, because he keeps it 100% real . What will you not miss about MCC? Won't miss the staircase between buildings. Fav Motto: You can't change the people around you, but you can change the people around you First thing you would buy if you won the lotto? Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes. Advice you would give to your first year self? Do not care what others think of you, just do your own thing. Fav celeb? Ryan Reynolds. Dream car: Pat Gill’s one Quote you stand by? Don't blame a clown for acting like a clown, ask yourself why you keep going back to the circus. Song of the summer? "Can I kick it" - Logic Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Hopefully out of quarantine Name: Will Farren Hidden talent: Can do the renegade in 6 seconds Best MCC Memory: sneaking out of the hotel in Galway and going to the nightclub #EYP What will you not miss about MCC? Not having to come up with excuses not to do PE Favourite Motto: Ca va? Nuala Foster First thing you’d buy if you won the lotto? A new building for the school Biggest sporting hero; Conor McCullough, county badminton player Fav celebrity: Julia Brol What could you not live without? My can of Monster every day after school
Sixth Year Interviews Name: Eoin O Doherty Nickname: OD/ odance Hobbies: Football freestyling, dancing, and chatting to Ms. Foster en francais Biggest achievement: Being crowned the MCC bingo champion in 3rd year by Ms.Foster. Worst MCC memory: Coming runner up to Kevin Kilbane in PressPass. First thing you would buy if you won the lotto: A 12 pack of bog roll Biggest fear: Eternal quarantine Hidden talent: Missing penalties in cup finals Favourite quote: "No likey, no lighty" Dream haircut: Joe Exotic's mullet Goals for the future: Become president of the world. Name: Gavin Rowan Nickname: Des Occupation: Part time student, full time joke man Hobbies: Tinder, drinking coffee and searching for the love of my life Dream job: Professional grass cutter at Wembley Guilty pleasure: The smell of my own hydrogen sulphide Your biggest sporting hero: Nate Diaz Worst MCC memory: Getting caught around the back of the school Claim to fame: Represented Ireland in ping pong in the under 12 winter Olympics Craziest thing you've ever done: Took a ‘P’ from the Peace Bridge with my friend OD. Name: Nathan Harkin Nickname: Bart Hobbies: Doing English essays, cranking 90's and quick edits Hidden talent: Can play "We will rock you" on the triangle What will you not miss about MCC: 3rd years Plans when you leave: Beat Britney Spears in a race. Celebrity idol: Adam Johnson Best MCC memory: When Ferns set off the fire alarm in Scoil Mhuire and Mr.Gallagher benched him for the rest of the year. What's your type on paper: Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a nice personality. 94
Sixth Year 2020 Fiona McLaughlin Jack McKenna Michaela Harkin Cora Farren PJ McCauley Alanna Killen Paul Doherty Amber Neary Caoimhin McCaul Katie Thompson Conor Kelly White 95 Nicola McGonagle
Sixth Year 2020 Aoibh Faulkner Conor McCullough Aine Gillen Christopher Doherty Aine Rutherford Conor McDaid Aisling McLaughlin Darran Davenport Julia Brol David Henry Aoibha Cavanagh 96 Dylan McLaughlin
Sixth Year 2020 Alice Gavigan Ben Faulkner Caoimhe Crumlish Eoin O’Doherty Caoimhe Price Gavin Rowan Clara Doherty Jack Doherty Clodagh Skelly Joey Harkin Ellen Hegarty 97 John Lynch
Sixth Year 2020 Emma Lynch Josh Conlon Enya Doherty Joshua Gillen Erin Coyle Lee McCauley Fern Canning Matthew Wilson Julianna Gillen Michael Gillespie Kate Gourley 98 Michael Grimley
Sixth Year 2020 Kate McClenaghan Michael Lynch Kelly Gibson Nathan Harkin Kerrie McDaid Odhran McGuinness Lauren Crumlish Odhran McKinney Louise McLaughlin Oisin Gillespie Megan Farren 99 Oisin White
Sixth Year 2020 Megan Havlin Patrick Kay Sarah McCann Patrick Kearney Molly Havlin Patrick McDaid Nadine Dockery Proinnsias Ferns Niamh McDonald Ruairi Fisher Niamh Skelly 100 Ryan Doherty
Sixth Year 2020 Will Farren Ryan Elves Shane McLaughlin Sophia Whoriskey Shaun McDonald Seannan McCauley ‘Moville Community College is a school where everybody is encouraged and expected to be the best that they can be.’ 101
6th Year Reflection Here we are at the end of our school days and we haven't really had the chance to say goodbye. We have reached the end of our school journey in the strangest of ways. If we weren’t already stressed about the Leaving Cert, we definitely are now. We are the Coronavirus Class of 2020. We are supposed to be creating our last memories together, but instead we are sitting at home, wondering when the Leaving Cert will actually take place. We wonder if we will ever have our last sports day, our last beach party or even our formal. But despite all of these fears, there is one thing for sure, we will leave MCC with nothing but positive memories. We have roamed the world together from Barcelona to Venice, from Letterkenny to Carrownaff. We witnessed the Catalonian Independence protests and narrowly avoided the Venetian floods. Who could forget the sing-songs on every bus journey which kept us all entertained, whether it was ‘Rattlin Bog’ in the Gaeltacht or a bit of One Direction’s ‘Beautiful’. On our final school trip with our French class, some of us surfed the waves, while others were simply flushed away! We truly experienced exhilarating times on our MCC school trips. We ran countless Jingle Bell races down the main street of Moville, we’ll never forget the ‘Jingle Bells Dress up’ competition, which saw Class Cavanagh win the much coveted trophy and nearly cause a full scale riot within the year group. But as they say, you win some and you lose some! What fun and endless laughter we had creating the TY 2018 music video, when the boys got to show their true colours and we reflected on the lifelong friends we had made from our TY experience. We also celebrated many Christmas carol services in St Pius X, which attracted audiences from far and near. We weren’t so much a school community, but a school family. Throughout all of the hard days, we could always count on our teachers to bring a smile to our faces. Ms Foster’s French food sales, where more food was often eaten than sold, were always a hit. A few hand-picked students also had the privilege of being Ms Guy’s Sunshine. Or the time Ms Cavanagh helped us go viral with our version of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, dedicated to our frontline workers during the Coronavirus pandemic. On a TY Development Education trip as Ms Cooney’s ‘Galway Girls’, we also made everlasting memories, especially when we took shelter in a crannòg. And if all else failed, Mr Monagle’s daily inspirational quotes always got us through and they continue to sustain us during these tough times. As he once told us “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors” and “We do not grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges”. These words have never been more relevant. Throughout our time in MCC, we were taught how to develop a competitive mindset. With Mr Gallagher providing his inspiring team talks before football games and Ms Mulhall’s continuous encouragement from the sidelines, we were always fired up for battle. Sporting activities at MCC were always prioritised with bus loads of students travelling across the country to support whatever team had made it big. We won countless Inishowen, Ulster and even All-Ireland titles as a school with very limited sports facilities. This was thanks to the dedication of our coaches. Without their sacrifice from day one, none of this would have been possible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Doogan, Mr Ryan and all of the staff at Moville Community College for making our time here so memorable and such fun It was a pleasure to be surrounded by such encouraging, devoted and caring teachers for our time in secondary school. To say we will miss you all next year is an understatement. By Caoimhe Crumlish, Molly Havlin, Ellen Hegarty and Clodagh Skelly. 102
2020
1 Publizr