ST MARY’S AWARDS
A PACKED sports hall at St. Mary’s Secondary School in Mallow on Monday afternoon heard Principal Yvonne Bane open her address by praising second year students Caoimhe Cronin and Shauna Murphy, and their teacher Martin Timmons, for their excellent success in winning five science awards in both Dublin and in the US this year.
She congratulated all this years award winners, their teachers and parents who together bestowed great honour on the school - while on a sombre note she paid a moving tribute to former pupil Karen Buckley who died tragically some weeks ago in Glasgow.
Up to 500 secondary students from all six terms gathered in the hall accompanied by special guests for the two hour event which is widely seen as the highlight of the year in the school calendar.
Special guest Dr Marie Griffin, CEO of CEIST (Catholic Education Irish Schools Trust) gave the keynote speech. She commended St. Mary’s for its quality of students, range of curriculum and capacity to organise a hugely enjoyable whole-school event.
There were over 100 students honoured on the day with Maura Murphy leading the celebrations as overall Student of the Year. The other Student of the Year winners were Rebecca Mulcahy (First Year), Hannah O’Flaherty (Second Year), Sarah Corbett (Third Year), Lisa Carey (Transition Year), Fiona Sheehan (Fifth Year), Leaving Cert A1 Michaela Roche and Ciara O’Hanlon (Leaving Cert A2).
Emma O’Callaghan from Fifth Year scooped the Catherine McAuley Award while the Spirit of CEIST award winner was Helina Debebe.
Special awards were given to the Green School Committee, Mairead Fouhy and bronze Gaisce recipients. Another group of girls were awarded Fifth Year Mentor certificates.
There were also awards given out to those who excelled in Music, Art, History, Geography, Spanish, Japanese, French, Gaeilge, Religion, Business, PE and Sports and Home Economics.
The perfect attendance award in sixth year was given to Joanne Moloney and Aoife Walsh while others included Ellen Murphy, Adesola Ayodele, Caoimhe Cronin, Lean Duane, Aoife Fitzpatrick, Leah McCarthy Cahill, Eibhlis Myers, Brid O’Keeffe, Laura O’Shea, Aoife Cronin, Laura Kilmartin, Grace Moloney, Aoife Browne, Emma Anunobi, Jane Hyde, Joanne Moloney and Aoife Walsh.
Eleanor Rutherford a Sixth Year student, entertained the crowd with a wonderful violin solo. The senior choir did likewise by performing two songs and a slideshow, full of memories from another fantastic year at St. Mary’s, was shown.
The whole event was executed with excellent precision. Students were posted back stage to escort the award winners to the Mediation / Prayer Room after stage presentations to be photographed for posterity by school photographers as well as press photographers who were present to report and capture the excitement of the event.
In ways these annual awards resembled the BAFTAS from London and the Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre in downtown Los Angeles but without the tuxedos and glittering dresses. More importantly, all the young ladies at this event wore their school uniform with pride as they walked to the stage to be honoured, loved and respected by their colleagues, friends, families and teachers and in the years ahead no doubt as they travel the world in their chosen careers they will always have a special place in their heart for this unforgettable day.