Leavers Magazine 2011 by Caroline McMahon

Colรกiste ร anna Farewell to Class of 2011

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Message from principal

his evening we mark the transition of the class of 2011 from second-level schooling into further education, apprenticeship or directly into the world of work. This is a big occasion, perhaps the biggest in your lives to date. It is formal recognition of your move into the world of manhood – a world in which many, if not all of you, will be extremely successful. You could, I suppose, compare Coláiste Éanna to a shipyard where, over time, a vessel is prepared. The end product, a magnificence, enhances the harbour in which it is launched. When the ship sails off on its maiden voyage there is a great sense of loss at its departure. Ships, as magnificent and all as they are, were not built to remain in harbours. And so it is that you now leave Coláiste Éanna, and set sail on your voyage through the sea of life. It is unlikely you will ever all be together again as a group. You will, however, remember the bonds formed, the problems shared, the jokes enjoyed, the teams that played, the support extended. These memories will forever be part of what you are and will become more cherished with the passage of time. Friendships made in Coláiste Éanna will be friendships that you will carry with you throughout your lives. Graduation is a major watershed in your lives. It serves to remind you and all of us here that you have successfully made it through a demanding stage in your development - a stage at which many other counter attractions could so easily have diverted you. To you all I say `Well Done! ` You can feel justifiably proud of your commitment and perseverance – qualities that augur well for future success and fulfilment in life. You say goodbye to Coláiste Éanna, where you have spent such an important part of your formative years. We hope you remember us kindly - your years with us will be remembered long after this evening. Roosevelt noted that “we cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future.” I hope that we, as a staff, have contributed in no small measure to your capacity to face the future with competence and confidence. You now stand at a crossroads in life. For some decisions come easily, for others, less so. Choose carefully and be happy. Never confuse happiness with material well-being. Always strive to do your best – no greater can be expected of any individual. “There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. True nobility is in being superior to your previous self.” (Samuel Johnson). Let me conclude by wishing you all the very best of success in your examinations in June and in your future lives. Le gach dea-ghui

John F. O’ Sullivan (Principal)

Class of 2011

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Contents

Page 2:

Message from the Principal

Page 4:

Letter from the Year Master,

Page 5:

Most likely to…

Pages 6-11:

Student Photos, ‘then and now’

Page 12:

Farewell speech from Class of 2011

Page 14-15:

Memories

Page 16-17:

Hopes/Wishes/Successes

Page 18-19:

Awards and Students of the Year

Page 20:

Class of 2011

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Letter from Year Master

Message from Mr McManus

onight as we mark the formal end of your time in Coláiste Éanna I’m sure that you’re wishing for the end of the examinations themselves and then bring to a close this chapter of your lives. However, just as we reminded you in September that the last year of school goes very quickly so too will the remaining weeks to pass and my hope is that you will remain focused on that challenge and keep up the effort right up to the finishing line. It might be worth while at this point to reflect on your coming to Coláiste Éanna 5 or 6 years ago, and the changes that have occurred over this period. It is worth reflecting on why you chose Coláiste Éanna—was it because your friends were coming here, was it the local school, was it that your parents thought that it would be the right school for you or was it because there was an opportunity to play your favourite sport? Whatever that reason it is certain that the time you have spent here will have a major influence on the rest of your life. While you were growing into big men, maturing and doing some learning, the entire country was going through major changes. When you arrived our economy, we thought was the envy of all other European countries, our desires as citizens were ever more demanding and a journey on the M50 was a nightmare. As you prepare to leave, our future looks far more challenging, our ambitions a bit more realistic and that motorway a bit more manageable. There is no doubt that many challenges lie ahead for you, the class of 2011, and for the entire country. But was it really any different for other graduation groups? Ask your grandparents, your parents what it was like for them as they graduated. Then, just as now there were economic and other challenges, but solutions did emerge, to which your parents and previous generations contributed. Remember class of 2011; no kite ever flew except against the wind. It would be appropriate for me to assure you before you leave; your many sporting, academic and cultural achievements will long be remembered in the school. As your year master I will always recall your good humour, your many innovative excuses and that another year has passed in Coláiste Éanna, with the teachers’ team un-beaten in the annual football tournament. I wish you the best of good fortune in your examinations, your choice of college course and your career paths in the years ahead. Thank you for flying Coláiste Éanna, P. McManus

Class of 2011

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Most Likely To Be famous - Neil & Ian Lynch Win the lottery, but lose the ticket - Paul Stuart-Trainor Give all their money to charities - Mark Dunn Release a “one hit wonder”- Joe Thomson Become a priest - Cillian Murphy Go to jail - Ross Callery Write a best seller - Liam Dunne Live alone - Lee Brassil Join the army - Sean Egan Join a boy band - Aaron Twamley Start a new religion - Sam Giffney Invent a new word - Stephen Fagan Be a talk show host - Mikey Bradshaw Discover a cure for cancer - Darragh Egan Win the worst attendance award - Graeme Elliott Become an underwear model - Mark Donovan Become Taoiseach - Emmet Wilkinson Still get asked for ID then they’re 30 - Ian Jones & Shiba Poudel Become a hairdresser - Conor Dunne Live with their parents until they’re 40 - David Coleman Join the Gardai - Conor Dooley Marry a supermodel - Ciaran Leigh Become a crooked banker - Darragh Mowlds Be the next Bill Gates - Kevin Cardiff Return to Colaiste Eanna as a teacher - Shane Price Cry on Graduation - Ryan Basquel Ask “Do you want fries with that?”- Alex Timmins Be covered in tattoos - Andrew Harding

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Class of 2011 - Then & Now Now

Now

Then

Aaron Twamley

Alan Ryan

Now

Then Ali Javed

Then Andi Domnulete

Now

Brian Kennedy

Now

Then Carl Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donovan

Now

Then Andrew Harding

Now

Then

Then Christian Ngomba

Now

Then

Alex Timmins

Now

Ciaran Leigh

Then

Then Cillian Murphy

Then Connor Hollywood

Class of 2011

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Class of 2011 - Then & Now Now

Now

Then

Conor Dooley

Conor Dunne

Now

Daniel Flanagan

Now

Then Darragh Egan

Then Darragh Mowlds

Now

Then David Coleman

Then Emmet Wilkinson

Now

Then Eric Tyrrell

Then Emmett Mooney

Now

Then Darragh Waters

Now

Then

Then Gavin Corrigan

Then Graeme Elliott

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Class of 2011 - Then & Now Now

Now

Then Hassan Ahmed

Then Hussein Ahmed

Now

Then Ian Lynch

Then James McDonnell

Now

Then

Joseph Thomson.

Kevin Cardiff

Now

Then Joseph Brennan

Now

Then

Then Kevin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor

Now

Then

Ian Jones

Now

Laurence Scally

Then

Then Lee Brassil

Then Liam Dunne

Class of 2011

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Class of 2011 - Then & Now Now

Now

Then

Louis Rwego

Malachy Burke

Now

Mark Donovan

Now

Then Mark Dunn

Then Michael Bradshaw

Now

Then

Neil Brehony

Mindaugas Evstifejevas

Now

Neil Lynch

Now

Then Niall Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Mahony

Then Michal Szymczak

Now

Then

Then Niall Ryan

Then Nils Conway

Class of 2011

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Class of 2011 - Then & Now Now

Now

Then

Noel McNamara

Omar Hamed Rashid

Now

Then

Philip Marshall

Then

Robert Doyle

Now

Ronan Murray

Now

Then

Ross Callery

Then

Ryan Basquel

Now

Sam Giffney

Now

Then

Paul Stuart-Trainor

Now

Shane Brien

Then

Then Shane Conlon

Then Shane Oglesby

Class of 2011

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Class of 2011 - Then & Now Now

Now

Then

Shane Price

Shiba Poudel

Now

Stephen Chambers

Now

Then Stephen Fagan

Then

Then Tim Hogan

A Creed to Live By Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others; It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don’t set your goals by what other people feel important. Only you know what is best for you. Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would to life, For without them life is meaningless. Don’t let your life slip through your fingers, by living in the past or in the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life. Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over ...... until the moment you stop trying.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect; it is a fragile thread that binds us to each other. Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly, and the best way to keep love is to give it wings. Don’t dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose. Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been but also where you’re going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way. Class of 2011

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Class of 2011 - Farewell Speech By Mikey Bradshaw

ood evening everybody. I’d like to thank everyone for coming here tonight. When I look around this church I don’t see individual people, I see the year as a whole. After the six years that we spent together that’s what we’ve become, going to Coláiste Éanna is something that we will always have in common. Having spent so much of our lives in this school, it will be surreal to find ourselves elsewhere come September - whether it’s college or the dole or wherever it is I think Coláiste Éanna has prepared us for it. After six years, it has all come down to these last few weeks and to be honest there isn’t one moment of this epic journey through secondary school that I would change. It’s going to be strange in September not having to get up out of bed and start another school term; instead we will be starting a new chapter in our lives. Although we are all delighted to be finished the Coláiste Éanna chapter, I think that we have taken the past couple years for granted. When we look back on it, we won’t really understand just how great the years were but we will always have the memories; like the best dressed colours day ever which we renamed “Jersey Shore” day, or the dreaded sound at the lockers when you hear that unmistakable voice saying “get to class”, or even that day recently when we found out that the teachers weren’t ‘over the hill’ and beat us at soccer. These are memories nobody can ever take away from us. I feel because our class was so close that we will all stay in touch with each other and that there will be regular reunions, whether it’s in Tramco, or possibly somewhere a bit classier as we get older!!! When I got asked to write this speech, I was very hesitant about taking it on but then I realised I would have the chance to speak to all of you today about the funniest and greatest group of lads that has ever been in Coláiste Éanna and that was an opportunity I could never have passed up. Whether you were the lad who often struggled to find his full uniform (Oggy), or you were the baby of the year (Aaron), or you really just wanted to graduate and launch your jam-making empire (Mark), everyone had their own identity and it was all these different people that made the class of 2011 what it is. I have no doubt that our time in this school has helped mould us into the people that we are today; it will have a deep impact on how the rest of our lives will pan out. We have to thank all the teachers, past and present, for helping us find our way in life and for showing us our potential, both in education and sport. I don’t want to name them all or we would be here all night but thanks must go to Mr.Glennon for the never ending amount of pointless questions he has answered for us over the years. Particular thanks also go to Mr.McManus, our year head, for two great years of pursuits to get notes and the epic one liners he came out with, that we will remember for years to come. Finally, I have to thank the lads of the class of 2011...if I was going to do it all over again, I wouldn’t pick anyone else to share the journey with. I’d like to wish everyone the best of luck in the Leaving Cert exams. I hope that the old phrase “Schools out, memories past. Don’t ever doubt, our friendship will last” will symbolise the Class of 2011. Thank you.

Class of 2011

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Memories

Class of 2011

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Memories

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Achievements/Successes Going to India…..All Ireland Basketball champions…..great Junior Cert results…..Dublin Intermediate Boxing Champion…..surviving school….. arriving to school on time twice in one week…..most improved basketball player and under 16 League MVP…..playing in Basketball World Championships in Turkey…..winning the Dublin Basketball Cup 6 times….. organising things throughout the years and being known for it…..being the only person to have long hair for all 6 years…..winning the Basketball All Ireland League and Cup in 3rd, 4th and 6th year…..Leinster hurling….. Student of the Year in 3rd year…..attendance awards…..1st Year Woodwork Award…..Best debater in 2nd Year…..hurling medals…..wearing full school uniform once in 3 years…..winning Student of the Year twice…..winning under 14 Gaelic Championship by 6 points in extra time

Best/Funniest Things that Happened Mr Durney dancing in front of the class…..Ciaran Leigh stood on the barrier and the pillar it was attached to came out of the ground….. Going to Istanbul for Basketball World Championships, the laughs and memories…..Movember when Tim Hogan grew handlebars…..2nd Year trip to Barcelona…..moving lockers into the bathrooms and watching people looking for them…..Mr Brady telling me he doesn’t like messers…..being an hour late back for the bus in Portaventura and Mr Nunn dragging us to the bus in a headlock…..went to school with my trousers on backwards, wearing odd shoes and on the wrong feet

Class of 2011

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Earliest School Memories Introducing myself to the class in 1st year and realising that I had a deeper voice than everyone else…..Mr Durney giving us an essay for talking without permission…..playing football at the break…..Mr O’Ceallaigh chasing 1st years out to the yard at break time…..staying in bed and missing my first day….. introducing ourselves on the first day and Joe Thomson forgets what Primary school he went to…..playing marbles with Darragh Egan in Junior Infants….. walking through the main door…..Mr Conway showing us around the school….. going home for lunch…..Mr Fallon showing A2 around the school…..James McDonnell cracking bad jokes…..Getting lost on the first day…..watching Student Council members walking around in their black jumpers and thinking ‘one day I will wear one of those’…..Conor Dunne crying 3 times in one day and Mr Merriman helping

Hopes Get a good job…..make loads of money…..be happy…..go to college…..play Senior hurling…..have a good life…..go to college in America…..become a composer…..travel the world…..make a difference…..get all A grades in the Leaving Cert…..opportunities…..to watch the Lion King, again…..to play for Dublin Senior Football Team…..get a degree…..join the Garda…..get the course I want…..to stay in touch……to own Tesco…..have a great family with amazing children…..become a teacher of Spanish and English…..to get a degree in Physics…..that everyone does well in the Leaving Cert

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Awards & Student of the Year

Awards & Students of the year Student of the Year: Mark Dunn

Kevin Cardiff

Ryan Basquel

Academic Excellene:

Darragh Egan

Darragh Mowlds

Merit Awards:

James McDonnell

Alan Ryan

Cillian Murphy

Emmet Wilkinson

Class of 2011

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Awards & Student of the Year

Attendance Awards: Mark Dunn

Daniel Flanagan

Shiba Poudel

Hurler of the Year: Conor Dooley

Cillian Murphy

Shane Price

Sport Awards:

Footballer of the Year: Ryan Basquel

Senior Golfer of the Year: Nils Conway

Principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award: Niall Ryan

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20 Class of 2011

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Back (L to R): M. Donovan, C. Ngomba, C. Murphy, P. Stuart-Trainor, I. Lynch, J. McDonnell, N. Lynch, K. Cardiff, D. Coleman, C. Dooley Row 5: A. Twamley, E. Mooney, N. Brehony, M. Evstifejevas, A. Domnulete, S. Chambers, L. Dunne, T. Hogan, R. Callery Row 4: S. Egan, C. O’Donovan, R. Doyle, D. Egan, M. Szymczak, R. Murray, D. Flanagan, C. Leigh, L. Brassil, N. Conway, N. Ryan Row 3: I. Jones, Hassan Ahmed, S. Price, S. Giffney, L. Rwego, N. McNamara, K O’Connor, S. Brien, A. Harding, D. Mowlds Row 2: S. Poudel, J. Brennan, L. Scally, M. Burke, R. Basquel, M. Dunn, M. Bradshaw, E. Wilkinson, A. Ryan, A. Timmins, J. Thomson Front: E. Tyrrell, D. Waters, S. Fagan, N. O’Mahony, G. Corrigan, A. Javed, Hussein Ahmed, S. Conlon, C. Hollywood Missing from the photo: B. Kennedy, P. Marshall, G. Elliott, S. Oglesby, C. Dunne, O. Hamed Rashid

Class of 2011