6th Year Graduation 2018

Sun, May 27th, 2018

St. Kilian’s Community School’s Graduation Night 2018

St. Kilian’s Community School held its 6^th Year Graduation and Awards night on Thursday, May 24^th. This is an annual highlight at the school, with the Sports Hall transformed into a theatre for the evening. A full year of careful organisation and planning by a large team, led by Ms Sinéad Murray, ensures that the 6^th Years have such a special night every year. This year, seventy students received their graduation certificates from the Principal, Mr John Murphy, and the 6^th Year Head, Mrs Helen Dodd, in front of an audience of over three hundred invited guests.

The graduation theme this year was ‘To Everything there is a Season’, and the evening started with a liturgy, led by Ms Sheelagh Murtagh, one of the school’s two Chaplains. Music was provided by the 6^th Year Music Class, under the baton of Ms Louise O’Sullivan.

After speeches by Mrs Dodd and Mr Murphy, the Graduation Awards Ceremony, for many the highlight of the evening, was held. Notable prize winners included Cian O’Neill (Community Spirit), Hannah Brady (Prefect of the Year), Niamh Murray (Lions Club Endeavour Award) and Arif Ogunseye (Academic Excellence). Kalum Walsh and Chloe Gray shared the Attendance Award, while international boxer, Shannon Reilly, and stalwart of the football team, Karl Mulligan, shared the Sports Award. The much-coveted Student of the Year title was awarded to Graham Kane, while Amy Doyle was announced as the LCA Student of the Year. Twelve students were also given the school’s Courtesy Award.

The Student Leadership team of Niamh Murray, Arif Ogunseye, Kellie Waters and Graham Kane brought proceedings to a close with speeches and presentations, before the entire year group took to the stage for a rousing rendition of their graduation song, ‘On Top of the World’. Refreshments were provided by the Parents’ Association, and there was lots of reminiscing about the students’ time at the school and good wishes were extended to everyone for the forthcoming Leaving Certificate exams.

It was a particularly poignant night for Dagmara Tomaszewska and Katie Breen, the last two students from the now-closed St. Thomas’ Community College to graduate from secondary school. There was a large group of their former teachers present to congratulate the two girls, who had transferred to St Kilian’s after their Junior Certificate.