The Bridge newspaper was originally set up by teachers Ms. Emma Bolger and Ms. Anne-Marie Toomey in 2014 to showcase student writing. Both staff felt that the paper provided an outlet for student voice and promotion of the school. April 2014 saw the first newspaper published, with a team of fifteen journalists contributing to the publication. The paper grew over the years, with two or three publications annually. While the Covid -19 pandemic was responsible for a temporary pause, 2023 saw the re-emergence of the paper. There was an appetite among students to voice their opinions, be involved in the school community and to have an opportunity to hone and improve their writing and reporting skills.
19/12/2024
Front page of the 1st edition of The Bridge - April 2014
The paper reported many interesting moments in our school life over the years, Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental’s visit, Mr. Codd’s Hell & Back Fundraiser, Christmas Variety Shows, endless sporting achievements, musicals and Daffodil Day. The Bridge is also very proud of past pupil Rory Cassidy, who began his career in journalism with the paper and is now editor of The Irish Runner magazine.
Erasmus Plus Project with Jagiellonka in Plock, Poland
A group of eight TY students travelled to Jagiellonka Secondary School in Plock, Poland from 4th December to 11th December 2024. There were accompanied by two teachers and one SNA. This is the first part of an exchange programme funded by Erasmus+. Students from the same school will visit us here in Bridgetown in April 2025. We were delighted to visit and spend time with our Polish friends, and were treated to a Polish ‘Second Breakfast’, tours of Plock, Warsaw and Turón. We also attended workshops and demonstrations by both Polish and Irish partners of the traditional Polish dance called the Polonaise.
As the theme of the Erasmus+ Project was Wellbeing and Cultural acquisition the visits and workshops included activities where students were immersed in Polish traditions.
Culture and wellbeing was promoted throughout the programme. Workshops before, during and after the trip allowed students a chance to reflect on their feelings about travelling, staying with a family in a foreign country and the benefits of making new connections. The students formed friendships with their Polish partners which will be further developed on the return journey in early April 2025. 1
Art Attack
School Completion have been recently redecorating the outside of the prefab by completing the Solar System as part of their art projects. They are also currently working on the Milky Way. The Art pictured was completed by Christopher Delaney (below) and Ódhran Byrne (right) as part of the planning for this. Well done to all involved and we look forward to seeing the finished designs!
including
The Bridge Newspaper Team 2024-2025
Jack Whelan (Editor) and Joe Ryan (Sports Editor)
Comic Con: A personal experience
Written by: Sara Fitzpatrick (JC1)
Comic Con was a really fun day. I got to try a few activities. First, me and a few others got out of class at 9.30 to go to the first activity, the Anime room. I developed a bit of an interest in Anime a few months ago so I was looking forward to this happening in my school. When I got to the room, there were already people there. I sat down near a few friends; Pokémon was on the TV. After a while, we all drew some Japanese style art. On the table there was some paper and markers for us to use, some manga and Anime drawing books aswell. Nearly everyone was dressed up in costume, and people were dressed pretty cool in my opinion.
When we were finished drawing, we were asked if we wanted to draw/write our favourite Anime character. Everyone started to draw and write on the whiteboard. Some of us started to just write random things like our favourite band, our favourite artist, Anime characters and shows. This was pretty fun, by the end the white board was covered in writing and drawing. During breaktime it was great to see so many dressed up. We got a chance to go back to room seven, there was a bunch of stalls where you could buy stuff. There was also a VR thing there that was nice. All these stalls were from the Bull Ring and they all had something good on table. I’m sure everyone got something. After a bit we were told to go to the canteen which we did, everyone there was dressed up and were part of Comic Con.
When everyone was together there was a vote on who had the best student costume, I can’t remember exactly who they were, but I know the costumes were cool. Then there was a vote on which staff had the best costume, I'd say the voting was pretty equal. A photo was taken with all these people, Mr. Power said a few words and a few people sang Halloween songs and played instruments. It was really good, their voices and the instruments sounded brilliant. After all that fun stuff Comic Con and the school day finally ended.
In With The New
A message from our new Deputy Principal John Redmond
It is with great enthusiasm and pride that I join the Bridgetown College community as your new Deputy Principal. I am honoured to take on this role and look forward to collaborating with students, staff, and families as we continue a positive and inclusive learning environment.
Education has always been my passion, and I’m deeply committed to helping young people reach their full potential. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the sports field, or in other activities, I believe every student should feel valued and encouraged to aim high. Bridgetown College has a proud tradition and culture. I hope to positively contribute to Bridgetown College’s community and help shape its exciting future.
As we move forward, my focus will remain on building strong relationships and open communication with all members of our school community. I firmly believe that collaboration is the cornerstone of a thriving educational experience, and I am excited to work alongside our dedicated team to ensure each student’s journey at Bridgetown College is one of growth, discovery, and success. I look forward to meeting and getting to know the students, their families, staff and all involved with Bridgetown College in the weeks and months ahead.
1st Year
2nd Year
3rd Year
Well done to the U19 Boys Basketball team who reached the semi final of the League Plate competition. Unfortunately they were beaten by Gorey Community School.
JSCP Christmas Celebration 2024
Mr. Kent Retires
2024 saw the retirement of Mr. Ray Kent who started working in Bridgetown in 1992. This was following three years teaching in Ennis, Co. Clare, and more locally in New Ross. Mr. Kent went to college at Thomond College of Education in Limerick as a trade entrant (where he was part of the successful team that won All-Ireland medals in college hurling). Before this Mr. Kent had served his time as a fitter, turner and welder with Steele & Company based in New Ross. During his time at Bridgetown, Mr. Kent taught metalwork, engineering and mechanical drawing, now known as technical graphics. He also taught technical drawing now named DCG, CSPE and Maths. Notably, he also held the first Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) position at the school, which was paramount to his understanding of the supports needed for the students at Bridgetown, both in school and at home in their communities.
Mr. Kent became involved with many sporting activities throughout his time at Bridgetown; introducing soccer for the first time to the school, coaching ladies and gents' football and also athletics. He enjoyed many successes as a coach over the years. One of the most memorable of these was when he managed the County Vocational Football team in 2009. This team went on to beat Kerry in the final in Croke Park that year. The team had fourteen students from Bridgetown including his now colleague and county hurler Mr. Dee O’Keeffe.
As a teacher he also arranged the first school tour that went to Northern Ireland. This was significant because it was the first time a school was invited to Stormont by both loyalist and nationalist representatives. The group was met by over 9 MLA’s who addressed the students which then included Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams. A presentation was made to Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as First Minister and Deputy First Minister respectively. Now that he has retired, Mr. Kent is looking forward to continuing with growing his potatoes and strawberries at home, and more importantly following his son in his growing athletics career; both of which take up a lot of time. He does plan to set aside time for a little bit of golf and cooking for his family and friends. He has loved being a teacher and getting involved in the many activities that happen throughout a school year, such as the school tours and fundraising for worthy cases such as Bóthar, but for him, the students and staff have been key to his time as a teacher: “The kids at Bridgetown are very special and at the centre of everything we do. I was fortunate to enjoy excellent relationship with all the management and staff at Bridgetown including the principals I worked with, first with Tony Power, then Jim Hurley and Fionnuala Greene and lastly, Adrian Power.”
The students and staff at Bridgetown College wish him all the best in his retirement.
Why did the teacher wear sunglasses to the Christmas party? Because the students were so bright!
Why are elves such great students? Because they always wrap up their homework! What do you get if you cross a snowman and a dog? Frostbite! Why did the student eat their homework on Christmas? Because teacher said it was a piece of cake!
Why was the Maths book sad during Christmas? Because it had too many problems!
Congratulations to our students who have earned over 20 positive points this academic year, some of the students are pictured on the right. They have exemplified the CORE ETB values of Care, Respect, Excellence in Education, Equality, and Community, and some have also achieved excellent attendance. Their dedication and positive contributions to our school community set a fantastic example for all. Keep up the great work, and thank you for making Bridgetown College a welcoming and inspiring place to learn and grow! Ms. Sinnott
Praise for our Meitheal Leaders
Dangers of Vaping
Written by: William Ganly (JC1)
Vaping can have many serous side effects, we are still learning about them. Side effects include:
Throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and nausea. You can quit and cope with the nicotine withdrawal by using the 4 Ds:
Distract yourself by focusing on something else
Delay doing anything about the craving until it passes
Do 20 deep breaths
Drink a cold glass of water or fruit juice (D.D.D.D)
A huge thank you to our amazing Meitheal Leaders for their dedication and leadership in making Bridgetown College a supportive and welcoming place for all students, especially the 1st years. Their efforts to mentor and guide the 1st years embody the CORE ETB values and inspire everyone around them. Well done, leaders! Ms. Sinnott
This year's leaders are: Katie D., Aimee D., Sibéal P., Liam M., Aoife B., Kayleigh R., Josh P., Owen C., Ollie K., Molly B., Freya T., Ava N., Ailbe K., Hallie D., Emma Q., Liam H., and Rhiannon B.
Aneta Blaut winner of the Staff Photography Competition
College Awareness Week 18th - 22nd
November
The Guidance Department organised another very successful Careers Week last month, offering students the opportunity to listen to guest speakers from a number of colleges. Youth Train CTC, SETU, Coláiste an Átha and The Defence Forces all visited our school. Junior and Senior Cycle students heard about the variety of courses available in these campuses. We were very grateful to have past pupil, Officer Kirsty Moran speak to our students about her career in the army.
European Day of Languages Poster Competition: Ms. McDermott
Every year since 2001, Europe celebrates the European Day of Languages on the 26th of September. Nowadays, more and more people are encouraged to learn more languages, at any age, in and out of school. As the Council of Europe understood this motion, it was determined to promote plurilingualism in the whole of Europe.
Bridgetown College wanted to be part of the action so Ms. Mc Dermott held a poster competition, which was open to the whole school. The task was to design a poster to represent a language spoken in Bridgetown College such as Irish, French, Spanish, Italian or Ukrainian. There were lots of excellent entries and it was difficult to judge. Ms. Jacobsz finally chose 2 winners in JC1, JC2 and LC1. They each received a Centra voucher. Well done to everyone involved!
European Day of Languages Poster Competition Winners
Left photo: Daniela Hernandez Alegrete and Ellen Joyce JC1
Right photo: Daniela Hernandez Alegrete (JC1), Artur Mackevic (LC1) and Ellen Joyce (JC1)
Storm Darragh Fails to Halt Kilmore Journal Launch as The Bridge contributions receive high praise
The 53rd edition of the Kilmore Parish Journal was launched on Thursday 5th December in the Stella Maris Centre in Kilmore Quay. Invited by Cllr. Jim Moore, the students of The Bridge featured strongly in this edition for the first time and were rewarded with some fantastic feedback and positive reviews of articles from 2024 by Eileen Morrissey. Ms. Morrissey, who is the current county librarian, officially launched the journal on the night. Ms. Morrissey in particular focused on the contributions of the students at Bridgetown College to this edition noting the importance of nourishing the journalists of the future. She commented on the high quality of the articles and how the articles represented the communities they lived in also. In attendance from Bridgetown College were Principal Adrian Power, Deputy-Principal Anne Cullen, and Rosslare Municipal District Chairman Cllr. Jim Codd. Bridgetown student Niosa Kelly also played some beautiful pieces on her flute. A special thanks to Sarah Burton, Marc LawtonKennedy, Logan Milliken, Joshua Connor and Ms. Cloney who attended on the night representing The Bridge and helped with the raffle and distribution of complimentary cards. The journal is currently on sale in all local shops at a cost of €12.
By Logan Milliken
Blazing Sky
Written by: Sarah Burton (JC2)
Blazing Sky is a song performed by a youth choir consisting of 36 youths. Liam Bates, a wellknown composer from our local area of Kilmore Quay, wrote and conducted the song. He wrote the song to promote peace in the world. Blazing Sky was mainly inspired by Palestinian/Israeli children suffering in the ongoing war. Liam stumbled across a picture of a baby lying in rubble, which highlighted to him how children are suffering as a result of war. Liam then decided to write this song about a baby lying under a blazing sky. The song was released on the 12th of September 2024 which is the UN International Day of Peace. The song release took place in the Wexford County Council building. All the money raised in the streaming of Blazing Sky was donated to UNICEF. I was lucky enough to get the chance to interview Simmi Duffin who was massively involved in the organization of the launch. This is what we chatted about. Simmi, What was your role in the making of Blazing Sky? So, I would be either called a Campaign Manager or Project Manager. That involves looking after all sorts of things like P.R., the marketing, organising the event for the launch and organising Liam. It would have been making sure that all the singers were going to be in the right place at the right time... all the organisation of the event, so nothing to do with the music, just the organisation making sure everyone came together at the right time.
How did being a part of Blazing Sky affect you? It was really emotional actually. I thought the song itself was incredibly emotional, listening to it and I listened to it over and over again because I was cutting bits of video about it, and I was putting bits up on social media. I listened to the words a lot more then I probably would’ve with any normal song, so that affected me quite a lot. I was designing the website for Blazing Sky, but also the page on UNICEF that had all the information about Blazing Sky. There were a lot of images of children, not bad images of children but just images of children who were in conflict zones. You would sort of think then more about why we were doing what we were doing in terms of fundraising for UNICEF. Although, I found it also really uplifting listening to the stories that the teenagers in the choir were saying about why they got involved, and they were so passionate about it. Liam is one of those people that can just make anybody want to do anything, so talking to him made me really excited about the project. When did you first hear about it? I saw the performance by the Kilmore Community Choir in the spring. That was the first time I heard the song and then, in July, Liam sent me a video of the teenage choir singing it that he just recorded, so that is when I got involved. What made you want to get involved? So, at the time I was working for Pieta, which is a charity and I’ve been involved with the Kilmore First Responders, and Sparkles (a local community enhancement charity), and the 20 Dips in December event for the RNLI. I really like helping people, I like doing something that’s going to do some good in the world and this was one of those projects that I thought would really do some good so that’s why I wanted to be involved. In fact, today (the 20th of November), is International Children’s Day so one of the things we asked, is for the schools with choirs to sing it, so there should now be videos coming out of that, where schools across Ireland particularly will have sung it today or as part of fundraiser around today which is really cool.
What was your favourite memory from the whole experience? The launch, when the choir were on the stage and Liam was standing halfway down through the audience conducting them all, and I was sitting towards the audience, and I could see so many people with tears in their eyes watching and listening to this song and the emotional response that they had was just incredible. That image is what I think about when I think about the launch. Our next edition of The Bridge will feature a full interview with Liam Bates, answering questions about Blazing Sky.
Christmas Cookies
Written by: Robyn Sutherland & Nadine O’Leary (JC1)
Here’s a yummy Christmas cookie recipe. First, we have sugar cookies: 140g of icing sugar (sieved)
1tsp of vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
250g of butter, cut into cubes. And if you want to decorate, 200g of icing sugar (sieve)
Food colouring of your choice
Edible silver, golden balls (optional)
Method:
Heat oven to 190°C and line two baking sheets. Put the icing sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk and butter into a mixing bowl, then stir together.
Add the flour and mix to a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 to 30 minutes in fridge.
Roll out your dough on a floured surface. Use festive cookie cutters to make shapes such as; Stars, Baubles and Christmas trees. Make sure the width of the cookies is about €2 coins thick. Place the cookies on baking sheets and put them in the pre-heated oven. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Lift the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with a few drops of cold water to make the icing for the cookies. Colour with food colouring of your choice and spread it over the biscuits when they are cooled. Decorate with edible decorations (optional).
Interschools Diary
Written by: Joe Ryan (JC2)
What a day Bridgetown’s equestrian team had on November 10th, 2024. We had three entries: two teams competing in the 80cm competition and one team in the 1 meter competition. Team Red consisted of Holly Cadogan, Kate Gaul, Kendra Corish and Joe Ryan placing 6th. Team White consisted of Mollie Doyle, Hazel Slattery, Bethany Nolan and Casey Sheils. On our 1m team we had Owen Carroll, Noah Murphy, Aoife Murphy and Lily Walsh. Individuals – Mollie Doyle came 1st in the 90cms, Hazel Slattery came 5th in the 1m and Noah Murphy came 1st in the 1.10m. Well done to all riders who participated.
Athletics News
Written by: Anna Martin (JC2)
16thOctober:LeinsterCombinedEventatthe
National IndoorAthleticTraining Centre,Dublin: Ninestudentsrepresentedtheschool atthe Leinstercombined.
MattDuro- JC2 placed3rdinLeinsterandwent ontorepresenttheschool attheAll-Ireland CombinedAthleticseventinAthlonewherehe placed7thonthenational stage.Mattproved himself adynamicathleteandhasdescribedhis strongesteventsasthe200m andtheLong Jump.Henowwantstofocusonimproving his 800m timefornextyear'sevent Well done Matt!
Very well doneandthank you toall of our athletesforyourdedicationandhardwork in representing ourschool.
This interview is with our own Mr Breen, an incredible defender who played for St Anne’s in their recent senior final. It was a great experience to sit and talk about hurling with Mr. Breen. What age did you start playing club hurling? Five
What club do you play for & why? St Anne’s, I grew up in this club and all my family played for St Anne’s. Therefore, I joined St Anne’s at a young age.
What age did you start challenging yourself in hurling & why? I think around fourteen when I joined the underage county team was when I challenged myself. Gym sessions started and hurling at home outside of training.
What is your favourite hurl brand & why? Declan Barron, I only recently changed to this, it gave me the sweetest strike.
Would you ever go for county hurling trials? I was on the underage teams; I would advise anyone interested in GAA to give it a go as it is a great experience.
When did you start coaching the school team? When I started my first-year teaching, it is great to see the progression of the players over the years.
What would be your pre-match or pre-training meal? Pasta five - six hour prior and a bagel with Nutella and banana two hours prior.
Would you ever like to train a club team or county team & why? I would like to take over younger teams in the club in the future, to give back to the club and do what I can to develop the younger generation.
How did you feel when you lost your hurling county final? Disappointed, our hard work did not pay off, a lot of emotion as the final whistle blew and the scenes unfolded. We will use this feeling for next year.
Do you feel anything the team could have done better? Ball handling and being more clinical. How do you think you played in your final? I am content with my performance however, there are many things I can improve on for the next time.
Is there anything you would like to say to anyone? Always push yourself to be the best you can be and get the most out of every training and match.
Something that inspires you to keep playing that might inspire others? Bettering myself every time I play, not comparing myself to others and the want to win!!
Congratulations to Eli Stanners (JC3) who won the handball Group 19 Moyne Vet Hospital league 2024. This was Eli’s first adult season. He played five games against Wexford competitors, winning all his games. He also used his skills this week to teach his own tutor group how to play his beloved game!
Erasmus+
Poland trip: A Cultural Change
Written by: Cora Sinnott (Transition Year)
The Erasmus+ trip to Poland was quite the experience. We got to live in someone's home who live in a different culture than the one we are used to. The students got to try different types of new foods such as Polish dumplings called Pierogi. The food wasn't the only cultural difference in Poland. In Poland they have traditional polish dances. One of these is the Polonaise dance, in this dance you dress up in traditional costumes and partner up with the opposite gender. These are only two cultural examples but all in all it was a great experience for everyone involved and it gave us new points of view.
The elves on the shelf, rise from the dead, and start making ideas in their heads. They fly out to families, the children screaming with joy!
Report of Comic Con
Written by: Jack Whelan (Transition Year)
On the 25th of October 2024, we in Bridgetown College held our very first Comic Con. The event, inspired by events such as Comic Con in Dublin, and GaelCon, was a celebration of all things pop culture, be it comics or video games, manga or board games, Comic Con is the place for it. It took place all day, with students being allowed to take part in activities such as board game demos, arcade cabinets, VR headsets, a dedicated manga and anime room and an animation workshop. Our main event in room seven also included student exhibitions of artwork and collectables such as LEGO. We were very lucky to have a number of local retailers including Red Books, Katori’s Corner, Funky Geeks, Mountain Gremlin Games, The Retro Gaming Store and Hellfish Trading. The event ended in a closing ceremony in the canteen, with well-known pop culture music performed by students, and organised by Ms. Creevey. Prizes were also given for best student and staff costumes, and for a 1st year superhero art competition.
Comic Con was held to celebrate students interests, give the spotlight to people whose interests are often viewed as niche, and to help students find other students with similar interests to themselves. The event went smoothly, with a large amount of interest from students of all ages. The event was also the first event in Ireland to have a demo of the game Halo: Flashpoint, which was brought in by Timothy Tomlinson of Mountain Gremlin Games. The game was a hit at the convention, with both seats of the game always having a player. We spoke to the vendors who attended the Comic-Con and the vast majority of them said they would be willing to attend again, and the students we reached out to also said they would like to have it held again.
I spoke to Jeannette O’Brien, who said she found organising the event not too difficult and also enjoyable, as she got to learn more about the interests of some of the students, she also said she learned a lot about the world of gaming and anime and the Comic-Con scene, which she says she would not have learnt about otherwise. She also said that from an organising point of view, the event ran smoothly which was a big relief, and there was a nice atmosphere of fun from students and staff on the day, and the feedback from students has been quite positive from the event.
Student Sports Spotlight: Interview with Joe Ryan (JC2) Equestrian
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