Principal’s Address
Alas we find ourselves in the final stretch of another bustling and successful year at Largy College. As we wind down the school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements we've seen throughout the year. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or on stage, the contributions of both students and teachers have greatly enriched school life here at Largy College. While many of these accomplishments will be celebrated in detail throughout this newsletter, I'd like to give you a snapshot of the wonderful moments we've enjoyed this year.
Our pride of place this year must go to our school’s YSI team, led by Ms Sascha Cumiskey, who had huge success on the national stage. The “We Are All Human” team scooped the top award in the Respect category at the ETB Ireland awards in Croke Park on 27th March. This was a fabulous achievement - any day a Monaghan team collects a national award in Croke Park is a good day! From Croke Park to the Aviva, team HOPE made it all the way to the finals of the YSI Speak Out competition which was held in the Aviva stadium on May 13th. This capped off a wonderful year for our YSI team.
Unlike Ms Cumiskey’s YSI team, our sports teams did not get to play in Croke Park, or indeed the Aviva, however, Largy College enjoyed great success on the sports field and added to the trophy cabinet again this year. Our U13.5 Boys GAA team retained their Ulster title as they defeated St Joseph’s Crossmaglen by 1 point to win the McKee Cup for the 2nd year in a row. On the soccer front, our U19 Boys won the FAI Schools Cavan/Monaghan final against St Pats Cavan on a score of 4-3. On an individual level, 5th year student Karyn McGinn was honoured with a Future Stars Award in Queens University on 15th April. Karyn was selected at centre half forward on this All Stars team and I’ve no doubt it will be the first of many! We are so lucky here in Largy College to have so many teachers who volunteer their time to coach our teams.
While some of our 1st years excelled on the sports field, we had three 1st Year students who certainly outdid themselves in the Science lab. Encouraged by their hard-working science teacher, Ms Colette Smith, all three students entered this year’s Scifest in Dundalk IT on 29th of April. Danielius Gavelis won Best Junior Physical Sciences & Technology Project for his project entitled “The MMRV (Monaghan Mini Rescue Vehicle)” while Isabell O’Reilly won the Irish Science Teachers’ Association Award for her app aimed at teenagers which gives information about dementia. While I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading about the finer scientific details of their respective projects in this newsletter, I was just so impressed that the students were designing projects with the intention of helping others. In many ways, these first year students sum up the ethos of Largy College!
The Transition Year programme on offer in Largy College is one of the best in the country with our TY graduates of 2025 signing off on an action packed year. The TY programme consisted of so many opportunities and adventures with several memorable highlights. The TY school trip to Rome was unforgettable! The students enjoyed their visits to iconic sites like the Vatican, Pompeii and the Colosseum, while also finding time to take in the breath-taking views of Capri and bask in the enchanting city of Sorrento. Students had many opportunities throughout the year to develop skills and talents outside of the class room with Adrian Kelly once again inspiring students to tap into their entrepreneurial talents with our annual instalment of Dragons Den. TY students also enjoyed activities such as orienteering, horse-riding, Gaisce outdoor adventure trip to name just a few. We are lucky to have such a vibrant and enriching TY programme here in Largy College!
As we all bask in the warm summer sunshine, we are hopeful that this nice stretch of weather will still be waiting for us when we sign off for our holidays on May 30th. Of course for our Junior and Leaving Cert students, there are the state exams to contend with first, and I’d like to wish our students the very best of luck in their exams. I am deeply grateful to the entire Largy College community – staff, students, and parents. Your combined efforts have made this year truly successful. Finally, I wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable summer ahead.
Ms Sharon Magennis
Principal
