Ardscoil Phobal Awards Night 2008

The Ardscoil Phobal Bheanntrai Awards Night was held recently at the Westlodge Hotel. 
Principal, Mr, Michael Milner said it was his privilege to introduce the guest of honour Graham Canty, a past pupil of the school, current Captain of the Cork Senior Football Team and the only Cork player in any code to win an All-Star Award in 2OO7.
 In his address Graham spoke of his passion for Gaelic football. He said that he is always trying to improve his game, and acknowledged the fact that numerous people had helped him along the way. He emphasised the fact that success in sport, as in any area of life, always requires hard work.  He stated that the inevitable setbacks along the way only serve to make success all the sweeter. He further emphasised the value of sport as a great way of getting to know people and gaining a feeling of belonging. When he went to college he joined the football team and ‘immediately had thirty new friends.’ He also spoke of the importance of an interest in sport or other pastime in maintaining a balanced lifestyle. Graham concluded by congratulating the award winners and encouraging the students to achieve their goals but ‘especially to enjoy themselves along the way’.

The opening address was by Fr. Tom Deenihan, Chairman of the Board of Management. He began by stating that the Awards’ Night was about celebrating the achievements of the individual pupils. He went on to say that while it is important to recognise the role of the school in the students’ success we should also be aware of the contribution of the students themselves and of their parents to this success. While the school is justly proud of the excellent results achieved by its students in state examinations it also realises that education is something broader and so it caters for, and values, the many different abilities and talents of our students.  He continued ‘As the school serves the entire community it is only right too that we honour our students who have made a successful and valued contribution to many extra-curricular and sporting endeavours’. Students of the school have excelled in different areas and a fitting example was our Guest of Honour, Graham Canty. He concluded by extending congratulations ‘to those students who succeeded academically, to those who have tried their best, to those who have worked hard and to the best of their ability and to those who have contributed and in many cases excelled in a wide variety of pursuits.’ 

Awards and scholarships were presented to students who completed their Leaving Certificate examinations in 2007. Anne O’Grady received the Malli Best Leaving Certificate Scholarship for her outstanding Leaving Certificate result. She gained the maximum six hundred points, but actually gained a total of eight A1 grades in the exam. The Malli Special Commendation Leaving Certificate Scholarship was presented to Pat McCarthy.
Mr. Barry Murphy presented the Sean Murphy Perpetual Trophy. This trophy is given to students who excelled in physics and mathematics. This year the joint winners of the trophy were Anne O’Grady and Kevin O’Flynn. Each of these students gained A1 grades in both Physics and Maths in their Leaving Cert exam last year.

The first students to receive awards were the student of the year nominees and winners. The were First years, Holly Powell [winner], Ellen O’Donnell, and Mary O’Shea; Second years, Ciaran McElhinney [winner], Julie Murray and Siobhain Murphy; Third years, Cian Bennett [winner], Rose Cronin and Aileen Daly; Fifth years, Helena Downey [winner], Denise Goggin and Aisling O’Neill; and Sixth years, Karen Manning [winner], Declan Cronin and Roisin Kearney.
Graham Canty presented the awards for the Best Junior Certificate Award to Zoha Ahmed and the Special Commendation Junior Certificate to Stephen O’Sullivan. 
Aine O’Sullivan got a Special Achievement Awards in recognition of her success at Ladies’ football. She has won county, Munster and All- Ireland medals at various under age levels with her club Beara, and she also has won several All –Ireland medals while playing with Cork.

Tim O’Sullivan from SIPTU presented a Scholarship to Aisling O’Neill, based on her Junior Certificate results.
Principal, Michael Milner introduced the Sr. Vincent Memorial Award. This award acknowledges outstanding student initiative in extracurricular activities and the recipient was Patricia O Grady.
 The Sean Lynch Memorial Award that celebrates the great Spiorad na Gaeilge that the late Sean brought to the school was presented by Mrs. Marie Lynch to Eibhlis Ni Shuilleabhain.
Chairman of the local branch of Conradh na Gaeilge, Sean O’Suilleabhain, presented the Gradam Chonradh na Gaeilge.  The senior recipient was Eibhlis Ni Shuilleabhain , and the junior recipient was Neasa Nic Pheadair.
Five Leaving Cert students, Declan Cronin, Karen Manning, Sheelagh O’Mahony, Patricia O’Grady and Tara Tobin received the Gaisce President’s Award.  A number of Leaving certificate students also received computer awards. These were Derdre Flynn, Davina Harrington, Catherine Lynch, Karen Manning, Vicki Murnane, Eilish Nyhan, Joanne O’Connor, Patricia O’Grady, Sheelagh O’Mahony, Ann O’Sullivan Eibhlis O’Sullivan, John O’Sullivan and Tara Tobin. 

Mr. John Barry from the Bank of Ireland presented sports awards to members of the Second Year Boys’ Athletic Team; Chris Beauchle, Corey Burke, Daniel Lucey, Ciaran McElhinney, Brian O’Sullivan and Colm O’ Sullivan, to table tennis players Jack McCarthy and Brian Crowley, and to the members of the U-16 and the U-19 basketball teams. These basketball teams reached the all Ireland quarterfinals in their respective competitions. Leaving Cert students, Aoife Crowley, Killian McCarthy and Patricia O’Grady who have coached basketball teams during their years in the school also received sports awards. 
The members of the student council were each presented with a certificate.  These were Tracey Goggin, Nathan Wycherley, Jude Pettit, Jerry Harrington, Ronan Lordan, Aileen Daly, Jacqueline Lynch, Gary Wycherley, Brendan McGrath [chairman], Brian O’Mahony and Ailbhe Connolly. Last year’s Student Council chairperson Tara Tobin received a special award to acknowledge the fact that she was the chairperson of Cork County Comhairle na nOg last November. 
Leaving Cert students who have been in the school choir or have played music for school events during their time in the school also received certificates. Included in the programme was a musical interlude and students, under the direction of Marian Minehane and Paula O’Donovan, entertained the audience with Irish music and song. The members of the Cork Examiner Quiz team that reached the semi final of the competition in 2OO7 got an award. These were past pupil Brian Casey and current students Aileen Daly, Brendan McGrath, Eilish Nyhan, Brian O’ Mahony and Eimear Thornton. The fifth year debating team also got an award. The members are Zoha Ahmed, Helena Downey, Brendan McGrath and Julie O’Shea [captain].

The final item in the programme was principal Mr. Michael Milner’s address.
He began by congratulating all the students who had received awards. He stated that school is about teaching and learning and these take place every day in the school and have lead to excellent academic results. He then went on to list the diversity of other activities in which students are involved, sports, cultural, musical, debating, quizzes, and community involvement. Addressing the students directly he said that ‘it is through participation in these activities that they would gain the skills needed to cope with the challenges that would face them in life, develop their ability to cope with change, to take leadership roles, to show initiative. Participation would allow them to grow in confidence, express themselves clearly and develop as individuals.’
 Referring again to Graham Canty he emphasised the fact that Graham is an excellent role model for the students, and that the school played its role in teaching him about courage, determination, leadership skills and the need to make a plan and ‘practise, practise, practise,’ He then thanked the parents, the teachers, the Board of Management for their contribution to the success of the school and also all those who helped to organise the evening, especially the awards co-ordinator and MC Marguerite O’Driscoll. He also thanked the Westlodge Hotel. Finally refreshments were provided by the hotel and the Parents’ Association.