Alumni Newsletter - May 2024

Dear Past Pupils of St. Finian's College,

Thank you to all who have recently signed up to our Alumni Mailing List. It has been a busy year at St. Finian's with new building works commencing and many of our students achieving great things over the course of the past academic year. Here is a taste of what has been happening at the college:

Transition Year

The Transition Year programme held its first foreign trip taking students to Rome in April. Two groups travelled on two separate weeks where students had an amazing time soaking up the cultural and historical experience of the city of Rome, the Vatican and Pompeii. The next TY cohort will have the opportunity to travel to Paris in 2025.

New Build

The new building works, which commenced earlier this academic year, have advanced with great speed. Minister for Education Norma Foley came to St. Finian's to 'turn the sod' back in March. Currently, construction of the brand-new technology and humanity blocks is in progress while the school gym goes through renovation and re-roofing. A state-of-the-art astroturf football pitch was recently completed and handed over for student use. Our Leaving Certificate students were given the chance to play against teachers on the new pitch in their last days of school. Meanwhile, work on an expanded staff car park and a series of basketball courts is due to finish over the course of the summer months. The main school building will also face a complete renovation, beginning in the first half of 2025.

Sport

Our students have accomplished great feats both in and outside of school events. The talent and variety of sporting interests among our students are astounding. Here is a taste of some of our students' great achievements in recent months: Olivia Babiarz (2nd Year) won gold representing Ireland at the IMMAF European Youth MMA Championships in Serbia at the end of March. Irish Dancer Zofia Bielicka (6th Year) was crowned U18 WIDA World Champion for the fifth time back in April. Aimee Wallace (6th Year) won the U19 All-Ireland 1,500m Indoor Running final while also setting a new Championship Record. Our U14 ladies footballers took home the Westmeath LGFA Post Primary Schools U14 Cup at the beginning of May. Talented dancers Fiadh McColgan and Haley Mulvany (TY students) came first in the 'Frame of Mind' short film competition with their entry Dance into Light. Their film can be found on YouTube.

Past Pupils

Outside of St. Finian's, a number of our past pupils have been busy furthering their academic, sporting, entrepreneurial, and musical endeavours:

Arnas Mikuzas and David Mican, both students from the class of 2023, were recognised for their achievement in the Leaving Certificate DCG examination last summer, scoring the joint-highest mark in Ireland. Rachel Tully of the class of 2023 also achieved the highest mark in Ireland in the Technology examination. Congratulations to these students and their teachers, Mr. Seán Murphy & Mr. Billy Higgins. Sarah Downes of the class of 2023 was awarded the Entrance Scholarship to UCD, pursuing her studies in Veterinary Medicine. Rachel Holmes from the class of 2022 received the TCD scholarship in Drama and Theatre Studies.

Ciarán Gorman and Darren Fenton (class of 2006) of BevCraft recently expanded their business to Quebec in Canada, establishing yet another facility of operations on the global stage. Triathlete Elizabeth Carr (class of 2013) continues to succeed at an international level, recently taking first place at the 2024 Asia Triathlon Cup in Burabay, Kazakhstan. Soprano Sarah Brady (class of 2012) will perform as Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, and Ortlinde in Wagner's Die Walküre at Theatre Basel in Switzerland this June. Meanwhile, Tenor Gavan Ring (class of 2005) will perform as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème at the Cahersiveen Music and Arts Festival on Sunday the 4th of August 2024.

The class of 2004 will mark 20 years since graduating from St. Finian's with a special reunion on campus this June. Students from the class of 2004 will take a tour of the school grounds and will also plant a memorial tree on the school grounds in commemoration of their classmates who have since passed away.

Get in Touch

As always, if you are interested in getting in touch with the school please contact us via email (alumni@stfinianscollege.ie).

All the best,
Daniel Connell
St. Finian's College Alumni