As we approach the midterm, I wanted to give you an update on a number of matters regarding the school that I would have gone through with those present at the Parents Council Meeting held recently.  We felt that it was very important that all parents were made aware of the many projects currently in different stages of existence.

Science Laboratory Upgrade

Last May following a focus group discussion with 30 students we identified a number of areas that the Board of Management earmarked for improvement here in the school.  One of these was to upgrade our Science Laboratory.  Since then, we have completed substantial works to the Laboratory itself and also to its storage and preparation areas.  The science department have worked very hard to identify exactly what needed to be done.  We have purchased new equipment and teaching aids for the lab as well as a vast array of chemicals costing in the region os €10,000.   The lab is now nearing completion and is a very inviting, brightly presented space ideal for carrying out laboratory work with the classes.  Following the midterm break all classes from first to sixth will be able to make use of the lab for their course work.  As a school that provides the option of studying Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Agricultural Science to Leaving Certificate it is essential that we have the best of facilities for our staff and students to work in.  The staff of the Science Department are delighted with the work and we know the students will also be very happy with the finished article.

I want to thank the Parents Council for their donation of €3,500.00 towards the refurbishment.  These are the proceeds from our raffle for tickets to matches and concerts etc., held last year which was very successful as a result of the fantastic support from you the parents.  Many thanks.   We will now turn our attention to the next Science lab which we hope to have renovated in 2023.  My thanks to Ms. O’Connell, Mr. O’Dwyer, Ms. Ryan & Ms. McCarthy for their trojan work in getting the project completed.

Whole School IT Infrastructure Upgrade

Last May Mr. Carew, the schools IT Co-ordinator and I engaged the services of Tara Learning, an independent Educational IT Consultancy Group to carry out an audit of the schools IT infrastructure with a view to upgrading it.  Subsequently in June, an application was made to the Department of Education for a complete upgrade to our IT Infrastructure here in the school.   This would involve the following:

1. Moving our servers onto the cloud and introducing Microsoft Azure Profiles for Staff and Students
2. Upgrading the entire school Wi-Fi Network
3. 30* New Desktops for the Computer Room
4. 25 * Laptops in a Mobile Trolly to supplement the existing 35 laptops and trolly already being used by staff and students
5. 32 * New Wireless Short throw Projectors for our classrooms
6. 30 * Staff Laptops to work these projectors

The cost of this upgrade would be in the region of €130,000 – €150,000.  A decision is expected from the department in the very near future.  I will update you on the outcome of the decision.  Fingers crossed we will have a positive outcome.

Upgrading of Practical Subject Rooms

Our Practical Subject teachers, Ms. Quinn, Mr. Ryan and Mr. Halligan made an application to the Department for new equipment to assist them in teaching Applied Technology, Wood Technology and Graphics at Junior Cycle and Construction and DCG to Leaving Certificate.  A significant amount of new equipment including 24 dedicated DCG laptops specifically for teaching Graphics and DCG ,a state-of-the-art Laser Printer and Laser Cutter along with a vast array of other tools and equipment have also been sought to enhance the teaching and learning of these subjects.   This application is currently being processed by the Departments Furniture and Equipment Section and we expect to hear positive news from them in this regard in the very near future.  The overall value of the Application is in the region of €75,000.00 and will make a substantial impact to this very important area of teaching and learning.  My thanks again to the staff involved and I will keep you up to date on developments as they arise.

Astroturf Pitch

I am happy to report that our Golf Classic in conjunction with Arravale Rovers GAA Club and Ladies Gaelic Football Club, held in Tipperary Golf Club was extremely successful raising €15.000.00 towards our development.  We received huge support from the local community and from our past pupils who return annually to support their Alma Mater.  Huge thanks to the organising committee for their time and efforts in making the event a huge success.   Thanks also to O’Rawe Catering in the Golf Club for the fabulous food over the two days.

We also held a joint Metal collection recently and my thanks to Paddy Delaney, Bill Gleeson & Eamon O’Dwyer for their trojan work raising €6,500.00 towards the project.

Finally, we are now going to tender in the coming days to appoint a contractor to complete the project.  We hope to have this process completed before Christmas and works commencing in the new year.

River Arra Town Walk

Most of you will have noticed the new pedestrian bridge opposite SuperValu.  This is the entry point to the new River Arra Town Walk and Park.  The school sold three acres to Tipperary County Council to allow the walk to be developed.  Significant work has been ongoing over the last few months, and it is now really taking shape.  The school will have access to the walk, and it will be used by classes for many learning experiences from Science, Biology, Agricultural Science and much more.  We look forward to its completion in the coming months.

Renovated Driving Track

As a result of having to be moved to accommodate the town walk our driving track has been re-laid inside the fencing of the park.  The roundabout has also had to be moved.  The new surface will serve to enhance the experience of the students when they take their driving lessons with a certified driving instructor as part of their TY Programme.

Staffing Changes

Welcome back to Ms. Aine O’Mahoney and thanks to her replacement Mr. Mullins.

On Thursday next we welcome back Mr. Irene Ryan and again thanks to her replacement Ms. Burke.

Welcome too to Mr. Mike Heffernan is deputising for Ms. Joanne Flynn who is on leave at the moment.

Welcome also to Ms. Abbey Storan who is substituting for Ms. Eavan Ryan who is also on leave at the moment.

Junior Certificate Results

The Department of Education has confirmed that the Junior Certificate Results will issue on Wednesday 23^rd November next.

Leaving Certificate 2022

Congratulations to the class of 2022.  They received their results in September and we are very proud of their achievements after what was an extremely tough two years for them.   They were delighted with their results and have now moved on to the next phase in their education and preparations for entry into the world of work.  Some have taken on Post Leaving Certificate Courses, some have secured apprenticeships in their preferred field whilst others have entered third level education to focus their studies in areas ranging from Primary Teaching, Arts Degrees, Finance, Business Information Systems, Agricultural Science, Business, Biomedical, Science, Journalism and much more besides.  Some have gone abroad to study and we want to wish all the boys the very best for their future studies, careers and lives ahead.

Future of Catholic Second level Education

Our thanks to everyone for their feedback last term when we sought Parents, Students, Staff and Board members views.  The process of consultation will continue this term up to Christmas when we will carry out the final stage of the consultation with the primary school parents.  Once all of the feedback has been collated and analysed feedback will be given to all of the school community.

Parent Teacher Meeting

All Parent Teacher Meetings this Year will be in Person in the school.  We want to encourage everyone to attend their son’s Parent Teacher Meeting and be as involved as possible in your son’s education.  Your involvement and support means a lot to him and to us here in the school.  The meetings will be ran off as efficiently as possible and it is a great opportunity to meet other parents of boys in your son’s year.

Dates for Parent Teacher Meetings are as follows:

6^th Year                            Tuesday 8^th November

3^rd Year                            Thursday 24^th November

5^th Year & LCA 1                 Wednesday 7^th December

2^nd Year                           Wednesday 18^th January

1^st Year                             Thursday 2^nd February

New Lunchtime Arts & Crafts Club

This new club was launched recently by Ms. Carey and Ms. King.  It will take place every Wednesday in the Art Room and we would ask you to encourage your son to attend if he is interested in giving his creative side an opportunity to shine.  Best of luck to everyone involved in this new initiative.

Recent Trips 

My thanks to all the staff who organised, travelled on, covered classes for those travelling to enable the following wonderful trips to take place for the boys:

Sixth years Team Building to Carlingford Lough

First Years to Ireland V Armenia in Aviva Stadium

Transition Years to The Rhineland in Germany

Third Years and Fifth Years to Manchester and Alton towers

Don’t worry Second years we will organise something for you later in the year!!

Parents Council 2022-2023

My thanks to our new Parents Council Committee members:

Chairperson: Carolann O’Neill

Secretary: Geraldine English

Treasurer:  Christine Marnane

I want to thank Mary Rose Kinane for her work as Chairperson in last year.  She was a great support to me here in the school and lead a fine committee in making a hugely valuable contribution to the school.  Much appreciated.

I wish to encourage new members to the Parents Council.  Your support and involvement is very important to us here in the Abbey.

Finally, I want to wish you all a very enjoyable Halloween Break.

We have much to look forward to in the second half of this term!

Kind regards,

John Kiely

Principal

Join us on Wednesday 26th October at 7pm for The Abbey School Open Night.

Following the schools’ golf classic last Friday evening many members of the two All-Ireland winning panels came together for a joint get-together to mark their 30^th and 20^th anniversaries since their marvellous successes.  There was a palpable sense of excitement in Tipperary Golf Club as many of the group had not seen each other for many years and in some cases decades.  They enjoyed many hours of craic and banter as they reminisced of past glories, losses, teachers and classmates.  Thanks to our own Jerry Ring they were able to pour over many photos of the past and from the day of the final itself.  Whilst a little older they still had all the life and energy they had in their school days.

Their Coach and Manager, Paddy Kelly addressed those gathered to give a passionate recount of the rise of hurling in the school throughout the seventies and eighties leading to ultimate success in 1992 with the winning of the All Ireland Colleges “B” Title.  He wished the school well for the year ahead and hoped that they could again challenge for honours at the highest level.  Present on the night was the captain of the 1992 winning side Brian Lacey.  He was also joined by the captain of the 2002 winning side, Andrew Morrissey.  Past staff members, JJ Kennedy and Michael Ryan joined the group on the night and enjoyed the memories and banter of the evening.

Principal of the Abbey School, John Kiely also addressed the group and expressed his delight that they had gone on to live fruitful and successful lives after leaving the Abbey.  He noted that was the school’s wish for all its students and would always be.  He presented the members of each panel with a commemorative sliotar manufactured by Cummins Sliotars of Cork with the school crest and the match title and score also printed on it.

The evening culminated with a group photo of both panels and staff of the school.  Everyone looks forward to many more reunions in the years ahead.

Tipperary Golf Club played host on Thursday and Friday last to fifty teams who participated in the second such golf classic to be held in the last two years as part of the groups fundraising drive towards the building of a Flood Lit Astroturf pitch on the Abbey grounds on Station Road.

The weather was perfect for golf on both days with the immaculately manicured course looking spectacular in the Autumn sunshine.  The teams were buoyed by the weather and the challenge of the course to put on a scoring frenzy over the two days.

The winners, Mr. Jerry Morrissey and his team came in with a fantastic score of 118 points to claim the top prize of an overnight stay for four including a round of golf at the world-renowned Ashford Castle who’s Managing Director Mr. Niall Rochford is a past pupil of the Abbey School.  Their sponsorship of the event’s first prize is very much appreciated.

In second place, Mr. Denis Ryan and his team put in a valiant effort with a score of 116 points to claim the second prize of an overnight stay for four in the beautiful Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny, owned by Mr. John Ryan and a round of golf in a nearby course.

Kevin O’Hora’s team came in third place on a count back winning four tickets for next year’s All Ireland Hurling final sponsored by Limerick and Tipperary county boards.  Finally, Tom Finnan’s team came in fourth place winning a set of O’Neills Sportswear Jackets.

Other winners on the day included Declan Keaty, Men’s Longest Drive, Mary Devlin, Ladies Longest Drive and Joe McGrath, nearest the pin who all won vouchers for the Pro Shop on in Tipperary Golf Club sponsored by John Keaty.

A hugely successful raffle was held on the day and our thanks goes to the many sponsors including, Cashel Palace Hotel, Prime 74 Restaurant Tipperary, Ballinacourty Restaurant Glen of Aherlow, Bennetts Supervalu Tipperary, Crosse’s Pharmacy Tipperary & Annemarie Doocey.

The event was a tremendous success and a huge thank you must go out to all the committee members for their trojan work in the weeks preceding the event.  A particular note of thanks to Andy Lacey who ran the time sheet for the event and without whom the event would not have been the success it was.  Well done all.

PRESS RELEASE

ABBEY SCHOOL AND ARRAVALE ROVERS GOLF CLASSIC 2022

THURSDAY 15^TH AND FRIDAY 16^TH SEPTEMBER 2022

The Abbey School and Arravale Rovers Golf Classic takes place on 15^th(2-4pm)and 16^th(All Day) September 2022 in Tipperary Golf Club, with the aim of raising much-needed funds to augment funding for the Astroturf Development

The Golf Classic should bring in much-needed resources to aid in the construction of the new Astroturf Development. Chairperson of the Abbey School Board of Management, Dominic Hayes, is appealing to past pupils, local businesses and sports clubs to support the Golf Classic by entering teams or by sponsoring a Tee Box.  Teams of four are required and the cost is €200 per team and a meal is included following participation.  Businesses or individuals can also sponsor a Tee Box for €50 if they are unable to attend.

The Abbey School is an Edmund Rice Trust School renowned for educational and sporting excellence.  The school draws on students from West Tipperary and East Limerick.  It is one of the few schools in Ireland to have won All-Ireland Colleges Senior titles in both hurling and football – (1992 – H) , 1998 –F), 2002 – H) and 2016 – H ) Successful captains included well-known inter-county players – Brian Lacey, Peter Leonard, Andrew Morrissey, Damien O’Brien and Tommy Lowry.  Paddy O’Kelly, former Limerick inter-county player, Arravale Rovers’ Tom O’Donoghue and present P.E. teacher, Kieran Hickey, have been notable successful team mentors. This development will enhance PE Department, Leaving Certificate PE Curriculum and sports teams in our aim to become one of the top sporting campuses in Tipperary.

Arravale Rovers has a long tradition of sporting participation, success and community involvement. Over the years, many players from our club have represented Tipperary at various levels in hurling and football and more recently in Ladies football. Our Senior club continues to be successful and our Juvenile and Ladies football clubs cater for approximately 350 boys and girls of various abilities from the Tipperary town and its hinterland. Due to this welcome increase in our playing numbers, our existing facilities at Sean Treacy Park have come under increasing pressure for training and playing times. To this end we have joined with our close neighbours, The Abbey School, in this much needed Astroturf project. This is an innovative project and will further enhance the experience of all our players.

A special launch will be held on Tuesday 23rd August at 10am in the Abbey School and Sean Treacy Park where plans for the new Astroturf Development and the details of the Golf Classic will be unveiled.

All enquiries relating to the Golf Classic, Teeboxes or contributions can be made to Anne Marie Ruby on 062-52299/[email protected] or Fionnuala O’Mahony 0876613575/[email protected]. For Teebox payment the Abbey School bank details are as follows: IBAN: IE71BOFI90610191725954  BIC: BOFIIE2D

Andy Lacey is arranging the team entries for the timesheet and he can be contacted at 087-2410730.

LAUNCH DETAILS

The launch of the Golf Classic takes place:

Date:               23^rd August 2022

Time:               11am

Venue:             The Abbey School, Tipperary & Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary

Attending the launch will be:

• John Kiely-Principal of The Abbey School & Limerick Senior Hurling Manager
• Members of Arravale Rovers GAA, juveniles and LGFA
• Golf team from the Abbey School
• PE Department of The Abbey School
• Conor Sweeney-Tipperary Football Captain
• Conor Martin-Member of Tipperary All Ireland Winning Minor Hurling
• Dominic Hayes-Board of Management Chairperson of The Abbey School

The NPCPP Leaving Cert Helpline phonelines will open on September 3rd at 11am to coincide with the Leaving Cert Results Day.

The helpline is 1800 265165.

More detailed information is available below:

National Parents Council Support Line

PRESS RELEASE

ABBEY SCHOOL AND ARRAVALE ROVERS GOLF CLASSIC 2021

THURSDAY 16^TH AND FRIDAY 17^TH SEPTEMBER 2021

TheAbbey School and Arravale Rovers Golf Classic takes place on 16^th(2-4pm)and 17^th(All Day) September 2021 in Tipperary Golf Club, with the aim of raising much-needed funds to augment funding for the Astroturf Development

The Golf Classic should bring in much-needed resources to aid in the contruction of the new Astroturf Development. Chairperson of the Abbey School Board of Management, Michael Martin, is appealing to past pupils, local businesses and sports clubs to support the Golf Classic by entering teams or by sponsoring a Tee Box.  Teams of four are required and the cost is €200 per team and a meal is included following participation.  Businesses or individuals can also sponsor a Tee Box for €50 if they are unable to attend.

The Abbey School is an Edmund Rice Trust School renowned for educational and sporting excellence.  The school draws on students from West Tipperary and East Limerick.  It is one of the few schools in Ireland to have won All-Ireland Colleges Senior titles in both hurling and football – (1992 – H) , 1998 –F), 2002 – H) and 2016 – H ) Successful captains included well-known inter-county players – Brian Lacey, Peter Leonard, Andrew Morrissey, Damien O’Brien and Tommy Lowry.  Paddy O’Kelly , former Limerick inter-county player, Arravale Rovers’ Tom O’Donoghue and present P.E. teacher, Kieran Hickey, have been notable successful team mentors. This development will enhance PE Department, Leaving Certificate PE Curriculum and sports teams in our aim to become one of the top sporting campuses in Tipperary.

Arravale Rovers has a long tradition of sporting participation, success and community involvement. Over the years, many players from our club have represented Tipperary at various levels in hurling and football and more recently in Ladies football. Our Senior club continues to be successful and our Juvenile and Ladies football clubs cater for approximately 350 boys and girls of various abilities from the Tipperary town and its hinterland. Due to this welcome increase in our playing numbers, our existing facilities at Sean Treacy Park have come under increasing pressure for training and playing times. To this end we have joined with our close neighbours, The Abbey School, in this much needed Astroturf project. This is an innovative project and will further enhance the experience of all our players.

A special launch will be held on Friday 27^th August at 12:30pm in the Abbey School and Sean Treacy Park where plans for the new Astroturf Development and the details of the Golf Classic will be unveiled.

All enquiries relating to the Golf Classic, Teeboxes or contributions can be made to Anne Marie Ruby at The Abbey School on 062-52299 or [email protected].  For Teebox payment the Abbey School bank details are as follows: IBAN: IE71BOFI90610191725954         BIC: BOFIIE2D

Andy Lacey is arranging the team entries for the timesheet and he can be contacted at 087-2410730.

LAUNCH DETAILS

The launch of the Golf Classic takes place:

Date:               27^th August 2022

Time:               11am

Venue:             The Abbey School, Tipperary & Sean Treacy Park, Tipperary

Attending the launch will be:

• John Kiely-Principal of The Abbey School & Limerick Senior Hurling Manager
• Members of Arravale Rovers GAA, juveniles and LGFA
• Golf team from the Abbey School
• PE Department of The Abbey School
• Conor Martin-member of recent All Ireland Winning Minor Hurling Team
• Conor Sweeney-Tipperary Football Captain and Geography Teacher
• Dominic Hayes-Board of Management Chairperson of The Abbey School