The Thomond Times

March Edition 2021

The Year Ahead

Seachtain na Gaeilge
Bhí béim ar imeachtaí ar líne I mbliana .Ach,fós céiliúrtar Seachtain na Gaeilge ar fud na tíre
Second Term agus fiú ar fud an domhain.Is féile dhomhanda,idirnáisiúnta í ag dul ó neart go neart gach
Wednesday 6th January bliain. Déanann gach duine an iarracht ‘cúpla focal ‘a labhairt le linn na féile.Tá an bhéim ar
to Friday 26th April 2021 cheiliúradh cultúr agus teanga na hÉirinn. Is féidir linn imeachtaí seachtain na Gaeilge a
Midterm 2 cheiliúradh trí mhéan an cheoil, spórt agus féile
15th to 19th February 2021 Pádraig. Bhí spórt agus spraoi ag scolairí I rith na seachtaine agus iad ag glacadh páirte in
School Closed imeachtaí na scoile.Bhí imeachtaí eagraithe do gach bliainghrúpa agus bhain daltaí sult agus
Tuesday 17th March
taitneamh astu.
Easter Holidays
Monday 29th March to Comhgairdeas do na scolairí a bhuaigh voucher Euro 10.00 [O’Mahonys].Seo a leanas ;
9th April 2020
Rang Ms. Ware: Lauren Buckley,Jake Buckley,James Mc Namara,Katie Ford,Katie Franklin,Abbie
Third Term Duffy ,Evie o Riordan.
Monday 12th April Rang Ms.Patton: Daniel Harty, Lily Roys, Orla Leonard, Freya Power & Catherine Hanifin.
to Monday 31st May 2021 Rang Ms. O Brien: Caithlin Harvey.
School Closed Rang Ms.Magee: Reece Kelly,Ellen Murphy,Ava Duhig,Anthea Zatowski,Grace O Connor.
Monday 3rd & 4th of May Mr.Madigan: Jake Gaynor.
Ms.English: Hazel Chappell, Jessica Hong, J.J Power,Leah Walsh & Natasha Byrnes.
Parent Teacher Meetings
2020
Due to Covid-19
restrictions, we will not
be holding parent/teacher
meetings until we receive
further advice from the
Department of Education.
Free Online Access to
Textbooks...

With schools going to

online learning next
week, students and
parents can get free
online access to second-
ary school textbooks
For more information,
simply follow the links
below:

For books by CJ Fallon

click
https://my.cjfallon.ie/
dashboard/student-
resources

For books by EDCO click

https://www.edco.ie/

For books by Folens click Lá Ilchulúrtha Ag Cur I láthair an Ghaeilge

https://www.folens.
Is ocáid mór speisialta Lá Ilchulúrtha I bPobal Chólaiste Thua mhumhan.Is iontach an rud é
ie/.../parents-teachers-
foghlaim faoi thíortha,chultúrtha and traidisiúin eile.Is fíor a rá go bhfuil áit lárnach agus
get-access-to... .
speisialta ar an nGaeilge .Ach ní amháin teanga atá I gceist san caoi seo.Baineann ‘cultúr ‘
le gach gné don tír-stair,ceol,bia,spórt,litríocht, éadaí agus fiú nósanna agus féilte na tíre.
For Books by Gill
Education click
Míle bhuíochas do cailiní ón 3ú bliain -Katie Ford Downes,Katie Franklin agus Abbie Duffy a
https://www.gilleduca-
bhí ag caint linne thar cheann Roinn na Gaeilge.
tion.ie/secondary
 Multicultural Day at Thomond Community College

Thomond Community College held its annual Multicultural Day on Friday March 19th and while it was held virtually this year, it was a truly
spectacular and most enjoyable event.
We zoomed through the rugged snow-capped mountains of Austria to the deep blue azure seas of the Greek Islands. We learnt about the
population, size and currency of China, the custom of bowing and the beautiful kimono of Japan, the mythology of Ireland and Saint Patrick,
listened to the dulcet tones of Katie sing “Grace” and to the beautiful language of our French neighbours.
We were enthralled by the history of Poland and gained an amazing insight into the southern African state of Angola.
We virtually tasted the jollof rice of Nigeria and were taught how to create a butter chicken curry all the while longing for bygone days
when the tastes and smells of all the food assailed our senses as we entered the hall on Multicultural Day.
Pakistan was brought to life as we learnt of its history, language and culture and we had fun facts about Lithuania and its delicious honey
cake. We did all this and more from our offices, living rooms, kitchens and primary school classrooms throughout Limerick, Clare and
further afield.

We met old friends who dropped by to say hello, past pupil merit Amadasun who reminisced about her days in school and her experiences
of Multicultural Day in both Salesians and Thomond Community College.
M.C. Richard Lynch zoomed in from his living room and entertained us with his dancing prowess. Cairde, the Tic Toc sensation, visited &
danced from the majestic Cliffs of Moher. Declan Hannon, Limerick Hurling Captain wished us well as did Louise Cantillon from Spin South
West and Kathleen Turner singer/songwriter brought us a lovely sea shanty from Australia.
We were royally entertained from Cratloe by Ger O’Donnell and Maria Ryan who had us all out of our seats and on the dance floor.
Primary school students waved at us and competed in the virtual quiz as they went crazy to the sounds that emanated from their class-
room computers.

Thomond Community College Multicultural Day is a celebration of the rich diversity of the cultures and heritage that makes up our school
community and reflects the Ireland we live in today. We look forward with anticipation to celebrating this wonderful event together again
in person, in school where we can share and collaborate and learn from being with one another. Emily Dickinson describes Hope as ‘the
thing with feathers that perches on the soul’. We are hopeful and we fly towards a better future thanks to the wonderful students who
provided us with the chance to escape for a brief while.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this a special event. We really appreciate you!
Katie Ford Downes, Abbie Duffy, Katie Franklin, Freya Power, Lilly Roys Merit Amadasun, Grace Amadasun, Nikola Kasperek, Julia Kas-
perek, Zuzanna Maj, Anna Linehan, Emilija Miller, Orestis Smalis, Ludwig Smalis, Muhammad Musa Khizar, Nixon Pululu, Sara Chan &
Ayumi Enokibara. Teachers Trish Ryan and Fergal Hayes for their motivation and inspirational dance routine which opened the show!
Ms Clifford for the lovely cookery lesson. Mme André for her lovely rendition of La Marseillaise.

Our principal & deputy principal Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Hogan for their continued support of this event. Former principals Eugene O’ Brien
and Sr. Bridget for their words of wisdom. All our guests who spoke so well and added colour and light to the event.
A huge thanks to our wonderful music teacher Ms. O’ Donnell who put it all together and introduced the guests with professionalism and
expertise.

And finally, a very special thank you to Ms Conway, without whom this event would not have taken place. Her support & encouragement of
the students is second to none and truly embraces the school motto, A.C.E., appreciate, celebrate, educate.
 Multicultural Day at Thomond Community College

Young Social Innovators

The Young Social Innovators class would like to talk all the students from Meelick School
who entered their competition “Women in Sport” recently. We think all students deserve a
prize and Easter eggs are on the way to you all. A small selection of entries shown here.

IWISH 2021 Online Showcase

On March 4th IWISH held their yearly showcase. They aim to inspire, motivate and encourage young girls to have careers
in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths). Even though it was held virtually this year, it was still a great experi-
ence. They had many guest speakers and prizes to share out, along with live polls and great information & positivity. I per-
sonally loved hearing the three sisters, ‘Margaret, Rachel & Joy’ speak about their journey as I feel there’s a lack of people of
colour in STEM and it’s lovely to see them create & inspire with their work to others. It was a great opportunity for anyone
that joined in to watch the whole showcase. Other speakers included Amy from Dornan Electrical Power Engineers and
Danielle from Janssen Vaccines and Prevention whose displayed huge enthusiasm for their chosen careers in STEM. The
main message from the day was “be the change” & “be your best self!” Canada Clancy - Makwati
 Seachtain na Gaeilge

As part of Seachtain Na Gaeilge, students in Miss Bradley’s art class enjoyed learning about Ancient Irish art and herit-
age. 1st years learned how to draw ancient celtic knots similar to those found in the Book of Kells while 2nd and 3rd year
classes drew some magnificent illuminated animals influenced by the Book of Durrow. TYs investigated the art of sculptor
Rory Breslin, analysing his work on the mythological River Gods of Ireland and began drawing the Crown for the Shannon
River God.

Thomond Community College Green Schools

Green Schools- Biodiversity:
The word biodiversity is used to describe the large amount of life on Earth. Biodiversity categorizes every living species an
ecosystem, including animals, plants, people and bacteria.
It’s important because it boosts productivity in an ecosystem, meaning that every species has a role to play.
Without biodiversity many plants/species that we rely on could disappear.
Lesser Celendine
Some may see this as a weed but…the yellow flowers which are similar to buttercups bloom
from March to May and each flower-head has eight to twelve sepals. It is very common in
damp, shady places. It is a medicinal herb primarily used externally as an ointment. Lesser
Celandine (Grán Arcáin in Irish) is also known as Pilewort.
Do bees like celandine?
The plant is very popular with bees, being an early source of nectar and pollen when other
food sources are scarce.

Third Barista Course

We are delighted that our Tys have started the third Barista course just before
Easter. This means that we will ahve almost thirty students trained in Barista
before the end of the year. Students will avail of practical training when we return
to school after Easter. The school are very grateful to the LEDP , to Bernadette,
Sharon and a big thank you to Instructor Cyril Deevy for his professionalism and
patience with us all online. What a great asset it is for students to have this train-
ing at such a young age.
 Limerick Hurlers launch TY Wellbeing Week
Transition year students were thrilled when
thrilled when Mr. heffernan asked All ireland
medalists Cian Lych and Dan Morrissey to
launch wellbeing week recently. The two men
were inspirational with the words of wisdom
they gave on the day. Amongst the advice they
gave to students was to surround themselves
with good people, people they can trust and
talk to and to always be themselves. As Cian
said “ everyone else is taken”. Both men spoke
about the importance of having a balanced lifestyle and agreed that they tried not to stress about little things. Thomond
Community College certainly agree that the two hurlers have been excellent role models for our students.

Limerick Youth Theatre TY Experience

As part of the TY course. I alongside some classmates decided to sign up for the LYT work experience that took place
throughout February. During the 3 weeks spent during the work experience, we attended many separate workshops, learn-
ing the importance of building a character, Poster design, Lighting, Sound and Directing. These workshops were very well
presented and incredibly informative, but the highlight of the work experience was learning and acting out the script for
the play.
Our play was based on students our own age banding together to make movies for an upcoming film festival, tension rises
as separate groups destroy each other’s scripts because of personal relationship issues. To act out these scenes we received
a green screen each and used our phones to record our scenes individually. These were then sent to John, the project man-
ager, who compiled the videos and edited them into the final finished project.
Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable project, and I would definitely recommend this experience to any future TY’s
considering it for next year. A big thank you to all that were involved in the project. Orestis Smalis

Launch of One Million Stars Virtual Work Experience

As part of our wellbeing week Transition Year students were delighted to
attend the launch of the one million stars project.
The purpose of the project is to bring local communities together to en-
gage in a creative project that demonstrates support and solidarity with
those who experience domestic violence. It also highlights the relevant
supports available through ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services.
One Million Stars to End Violence was originally established in 2012,
in Queensland, Australia, by Maryann Talia Pau as a means of
condemning violence and demonstrating solidarity.
Thomond Community College is delighted to
have been selected to take part in a virtual two
day TY event with STRIPE, the Technological
company set up by the Collison brothers from
Limerick and operating from Silicon Valley. We
are also delighted that Transition year Students
have been selected by Confirm Manufactur-
ing Company and Cook Medical to take part in
virtual work experience.

Since then the One Million Stars network has become global. TY virtual work experience placements
Maryann used the creative act of star weaving to rebuild trust amongst Muhammad and Canada
communities there and since then has invited groups around the Confirm Manufacturing Company
world to get involved. Terry, Mikala and OKeefe
Cook Medical
Our Transition Year students look forward to making their own star on Isaac, Orestis, Alan H, Lucy S, Aimee, Tara L,
return to school. Our thanks to the Hunt Museum Education section for Luca and Kelly
encouragement with this project. Stripe

Three Mobile Data Sims

This month Thomond Community College secured 200 free data SIM cards from the Three
Mobile network. Each Data Sim gives a student free mobile internet up until Wednesday
the 30th of June 2021. The SIMs were divided up between each year group and posted to
families.
The sims will give free mobile internet connection to:
1. Mobile phones that are on the three network or are unlocked.
2. Any tablet that has a sim port - Samsung tablets that have LTE
(Long Term Evolution) have a port.
3. It can also be put into any three/unlocked wireless dongle.
4. Any home broadband router that has a sim port (newer routers
have a sim port).
Just insert the SIM into the Sim port of any of the devices mentions above and enjoy your
free data. Connection is automatic once the sim is in place.
 Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig Oraibh

Colascem na Róimhe Coláiste Na Tríonoide, Abhainn na cathrach,

Báile Átha Cliath Chicago

An Túr Effiel, Áras Ceoldrámaíochta I Sydney An Túr Claonta pista,

An Fhrainc An Iodáil

‘Is Glas iad na cnoic I bhfad uainn ‘ a deirtear agus ‘Is Glas iad na
foirgnimh I bhfad uainn ‘ agus an domhan ar fad ag ceiliúradh
‘La Fhéile Pádraig ‘.Céiliúratar Lá Fhéile Pádraig I níos mó tíortha
ná aon fhéile náisiúnta eile ar domhan!
Ocáid difriúil,arís ,I mbliana,de dheasca shrianta Covid -19
atá go fóill I bhfeidhm in Éirinn .Ach-‘Sa áit a bhfuil toil,tá
bealach! Ar fud an domhain,lastar an méid foirgneamh; ina
measc,Colascem na Róimhe ,An Túr Eiffell, An Túr Claonta Pista
[Iodáil ],Abhainn na cathrach [Chicago ] agus Áras Ceoldrá-
maíochta I Sydney.Is radharc bródúil é do mhuintir Éireannaigh
na radharcanna cáiliúla seo a fheiceáil.
Árd Oifig an Phoist, Baile Átha Cliath
Níos gaire do bhaile ,ba mhór an trua é nach raibh paráideanna
traidisiúnta le feiceáil,ní raibh radharc ar na bannaí máirseála
nó ag flótaí ildaithe Ní raibh na sráideanna plódaithe agus muid
I lár ré na paindéime Covid ’19.Ach,le sin ráite,bhí anam agus
spiorad agus atmaisféar an fhéile I gcuimhne gach duine.Tá súil
againn go mbeadh rudaí ar ais mar a bhíodh an bhliain seo chu-
gainn. ‘Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir ‘!

BEANNACHTAÍ na FÉILE PÁDRAIG ORAIBH ! Ms .S Ware, Roinn na

Gaeilge
Caisleán Rí Eoin, Luimneach

Transition Year Wellbeing Quotes

Thomond Community College, Moylish Park, Limerick. Newsletter Coordinator: Mr. O’Connor
Phone: 061 - 452422 www.thomondcommunitycollege.ie Printed by: Limerick Printing - 061 - 422 300