CPC students presented with Gaisce medals

Sixteen 5th year students at CPC have been presented with their Bronze Gaisce Medal, Pin and Certificate at a special celebration assembly. Gaisce is the President’s Award which involves a self-development programme for young people aged 14-25.

The mission of Gaisce is to provide a positive youth development programme that encourages and rewards young people to discover their passions and challenge themselves, positively impacting themselves and the world around them.

During Transition Year the students completed 13 weeks of activities in the areas of Personal Skill, Community Involvement and Physical Recreation. They also completed a 20km hike. 

Students were guided and supported throughout this process by their Gaisce leaders Mr Mann, Ms Doyle and Ms O'Flaherty. 

Well done to the following 5th year students for completing this programme; Julie Aylward, Mikey Arthur, John Bissett, Clodagh Burdis, Evey Brand, Laura Collier, Joe Doyle, Sam Gaynor, Joseph Hayes, Dylan Labuschagne, Noah Mahon, Conor Masterson, Janelle Moran, Ben Pullen, Amy Schmelter, and Grace Sheridan.

(Image and information courtesy CPC Facebook.)

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

CE Scheme certificates presented

On 7th December, 20 participants on the local CE Scheme, which is under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, were awarded certificates acknowledging their work in the community over the last year. 

The event took place in the clubhouse of St Bridget’s Pitch and Putt where, following a buffet breakfast from Dora-May’s Catering which set the tone of celebration for the morning, each participant was presented with a certificate. As Nessa Dunlea commented to the audience, “I am very proud of the scheme in Kilcullen. I always tell people to come to Kilcullen to see how well the scheme works.”

Senator Fiona O’Loughlin spoke about how she has noticed that Kilcullen always does something special. “It is a community that has a vision and sets the bar high.”

Theresa Whelan, CE Scheme Supervisor, spoke of her pride in the work that the scheme participants carry out in the locality and thanked Christy Sweeney and Nessa Dunlea for the time they voluntarily dedicate to the scheme.

More details and photographs will be in the February 2024 issue of The Bridge magazine.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

'CPC Four' recognised for top Leaving Cert results

Saoirse, Iona and Rebecca pictured yesterday, and Halo who is abroad.

Four CPC students who achieved the highest possible marks in the Leaving Certificate examination have been made presentations by the College, writes Brian Byrne.

The four are Saoirse Fletcher-Dunne, Rebecca Walsh, Iona Lee-Parnell, and Halo Domican, and all reached the 625 points in the examination.

Saoirse and Iona will be starting Engineering at UCD next week, Rebecca will begin her English degree course at NUI Galway, and Halo is taking a year out in her mother's home country Japan before taking up Architecture studies next year in UCD.

The presentations were framed plaques with the theme 'Today's success is the beginning of tomorrow's achievement'.

CPC Principal Joe Leonard said that to have gotten the maximum points in the year that everyone has had is 'an incredible achievement'. He added that for the new cohort of Sixth Years, who have also had a year of disruption, it's an inspiration to show what can be done even in the most difficult circumstances.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

James completes his first marathon

James Nolan, local business owner and well known as an advocate for organ donation like his own kidney transplant, completed his own virtual Dublin City Marathon this weekend, writes Brian Byrne.

He prepared for it by completing five virtual half-marathons over the last five months. October Bank Holiday weekend is the traditional time for the Dublin Marathon, which didn't take place this year because of the pandemic.

"Anyone that knows me also knows I have always done the 400 meters at the Transplant Games for the past 18 years so this was a totally new challenge," he posted on his Facebook page last evening. "I was certainly more like a tortoise than a hare but I managed to complete the 42.2 km. I just feel so lucky to be healthy enough to do it."

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Evelyn is a Master

You'd just have to wonder where she found the time ... congrats, Evelyn MA.

Evelyn O'Sullivan, founder and the beating heart of Kilcullen's Drama Dynamics, has received a Masters in Drama and Performance from UCD.

"That's me in front of the camera," she says on her Facebook page. "Behind it, the people who helped me along the way. My family who are always there for me. They went above and beyond for me this year. Secondly the encouragement of two women who believed in me more than I did, Anna Walker and Catherine Moynihan. Thirdly my fellow classmates and lecturers, it was a dream come true working with you.

"To the woman who gave me the inspiration to go for it, my sister Laura, who lived every day with love, compassion and courage, and finally to the parents and students of Drama Dynamics past and present, thank you."

(Pics and info: Drama Dynamics Facebook.)

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Tanya gets French honour this weekend

This Friday will be a special one for Kilcullen woman Tanya Flanagan, writes Brian Byrne, as she'll be receiving the Ordre des Palmes Académiques from the French Government, for her work in promoting modern languages in the Irish school system.

Tanya teaches in the KWETB St Farnan's Post Primary School in Prosperous, but for ten years she oversaw the development of the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative in the Department of Education and Skills. It involved the introduction of Italian, Spanish, German and French for fifth and sixth-class pupils. The programme was discontinued in 2011 by then Education minister Ruairi Quinn.

A founding member of the One Voice for Languages advocacy group, Tanya started her career lecturing in the French and Italian departments in NUI Galway, close to her native home of Ballygar. She has also worked with the Cork College of Commerce.

The presentation of the award by the French Ambassador to Ireland, M Stéphane Crouzat, will take place in the French Embassy in Dublin on Friday evening.



Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy