Mountrath Community School held their annual graduation ceremony for their departing sixth years on Wednesday, May 22.
The day also saw their Senior Awards handed out to the various winners while Ms Annemarie Kelly was the guest at the awards.
The afternoon was divided into six sections with some fantastic musical Interludes from Eoghan Slattery, Aoife Higgins, Ryan Collins and many other members of the school choir led by Ms Anne-Marie Lawlor.
Amongst these different accolades given to were Class group Awards, Spirit of the School awards, Sports Awards, School Leadership Awards, Academic awards and Overall Awards.
Dion Cuddy received the Martin Moore Award for Senior Hurler of the Year and Katelyn Shore won the Orla Hickey Cup for best all-round sportsperson of the year. Eddie Fordjour Won the sixth year LCA student of the year Award.
The sought after academic awards went to Erika Holland for Irish, Rain Pikulska for English, Charlie Meagher for History, Rachel Fitzpatrick for Art, Alex Power for Music, Tiernan Donovan for Politics & Society and Kate Larkin for French.
Slywia Szydlowska won for German, Ava Guilfoyle for Home Economics, Cian O’Gorman for Geography, Eoin Brennan for PE and Construction, Karlijn Eyongakpa for Business, Naomi Senior for Accounting, Alison Parkinson for LCVP, Adam Dunne for Physics, Courtney Chambers for Chemistry, Tyler Kelly for Biology, Padraig Carroll for Ag. Science and Engineering and Charlie Donnery for Maths.
The overall Student of the year went to Kate Larkin for excelling in her academic studies over her six years in MCS and the Sr. Mary Sheedy Cup – Student of the Year award went to Charlie Donnery.
The new chaplain Dermot Murphy opened the evening graduation by addressing the school before principal Ms Kathryn O’Brien also expressed appreciation to all the parents who have supported the Leaving Cert and LCA students throughout the year.
The Year Head Ms Walshe thanked the students and reminisced on her First Year Irish class which some of the graduating students were lucky enough to be a part of.
The ceremony included speeches from head boy and girl Ryan Conlon and Sarah Cuddy – who thanked both their classmates and year group for six years in the school.
Fr PJ Fitzgerald, Parish Priest, said a prayer for the students completing the Leaving Cert and to give guidance to them for the years ahead.
Students Aoife Brennan, Chloe Bergin, Ava Guilfoyle and Orla Looney rehearsed prayers of the faithful while a candle display involving Caelum O’Brien, Eoghan Slattery, Ronan O’Callaghan, Cian Bailey and Shane Boyan took place.
During these presentations a musical orientation spearheaded by Alex Power and Ruairi Phelan complimented the occasion.
Students Tony, Caoimhe Cuddy and Josh Palmer all sang songs to commemorate the event.
A video made by Aoife Cunningham looking back on their final year was played for all in attendance before all the year gathered on the stage to sing “Stand by me – Ben E.King” to conclude the evening.
Aoife’s video ‘Dont be a Stranger’ is available here.
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