Kinsale Community School Honours Excellence at the 2024 Éacht na Scoláirí Awards

On Thursday, October 24, 2024, Kinsale Community School hosted its annual awards ceremony, Éacht na Scoláirí, celebrating the outstanding achievements and contributions of its students. Held for the first time in the new gym, the event underscored the school’s dedication to recognizing excellence. 

Ms. Kathleen O’Brien, Deputy Principal and Master of Ceremonies, welcomed attendees, highlighting KCS’s recent accomplishments, including its status as a Microsoft Showcase School and the upcoming launch of the new Leaving Certificate Climate Action and Sustainable Development program. The evening opened with a beautiful performance by the School Trad Band, setting a warm, celebratory atmosphere. 
 
Sr. Rita Twomey, Chairperson of the Board of Management, then addressed the audience, sharing insights from her lifelong dedication to education. Since 1996, Sr. Rita Twomey has guided Kinsale Community School with wisdom and dedication, embodying the Mercy Order’s legacy of educational service both locally and internationally. 

 
Student of the Year Awards 

Students across all year groups were celebrated in the presentation of the Student of the Year Awards for their consistent positive contributions to both their class and the school community. The nominees and awardees were:  

First-Year Student of the Year 

Presented by Year Head Áine McKenna, the award was proudly bestowed upon Xante Van Schalkwyk. Nominees: Corey Allman, Emily Carroll, Darragh Clarke, Josh Coveney, Tiernan Crean, Tom Crowley, Odhran D’Arcy, Alex Forrest, Etaoin Healy Bastow, Senan Horan, Grace Jackson, Barry Jones, Lucy Kelleher, Gina Kvak, Faye Looney, Roisin McCarthy, Max Morrison, Matthew Mulligan, Aibhlinn Murphy, Oran O’Donnell, Cliodhna O’Riordan, Auralia Pereira, Casey Schroeder, Xante Van Schalkwyk, Sarah Young. 

Second-Year Student of the Year 

Year Head Elaine Bennett had the honour of awarding Dylan Homan. Nominees: Emre Ates, Eli Beare, Claire Boyle, Izzy Cantillon, Eoin Condon, Dylan Cremen, Heather Crowley, Lia D'arcy, Kasey Good, Dylan Homan, Jessica Kearney, Aisling Lynch, Emily Manning, Aislinn McCarthy, Freya Mehigan, Zoe Murphy, Pádraig O’Donovan, Liam Riordan, Dean Schroeder, Darragh Treacy, Faiz Zakri. 

Third-Year Student of the Year 

Year Head John Corcoran proudly presented the award to Caoimhe Finnegan. Nominees: Emma Barry, Hannah Collins, Lauren Crowley, Patrick Dyer, Caoimhe Finnegan, Ben Howey, Philip Murphy, Lewis Kiely, Chloe Langford, Stephen Linehan, Aoibheann Lordan, Vivienne O'Callaghan, Rachel O'Donovan, Liam O'Regan, Corey Taylor, Joshua Wirsam. 

Transition Year Student of the Year 

Niamh Hay, TY Year Head, presented the award to a deserving Eoin Brown. Nominees: Eoin Brown, Lily Cahill, Eoin Dillon, Cillian Fitzpatrick, Martin Hickey, Holly Murphy, Matthew Murphy, Flor Rahilly Scully, Sandra Samoilenko, Ellie Sheedy, Skye Sheedy. 

Fifth-Year Student of the Year 

Year Head Tony Cierans had the honour of awarding Clara Ní Fhichéallaigh. Nominees: Sam Cantillon, Amy Casey, Lily Coughlan, Ian Cullinane, Sean Finnegan, Roan Gilli, Sarah Graham, Gracie Kearney, Caitlin Kelly, Evelyn Kingston, Solomon Li, Colum Morgan, Clara Ní Fhichéallaigh, Rowan O’Donoghue, Mark O’Driscoll, Sean O’Keefe, Aishling Rath, Beth Reilly, Lovis Urbszat, Rory Wilson. 

Sixth-Year Student of the Year 

Paidi O’Farrell was honoured with the award, presented by Year Head Laura Ann Dunne. Nominees: Darragh Collins, Grace Coyle, Ellen Crowley, Azra Dervish, Lauren Farrissey, Conor Hannon, David Healy, Sinead Hickey, Sean Hynes, Ross McCarthy, Gavin McCarthy, Aaron McCarthy Dwyer, Grace Monaghan, Giulia Moretto, Cerys Morris Coughlan, Joey O'Callaghan, Paidi O’Farrell, Lily Anna O'Leary, Sophie Peare, Laura Whitehead 

These outstanding students, along with their fellow nominees, exemplify the spirit of kindness and positivity that is deeply valued within our school community. 

Acknowledging Sporting Excellence 

Sport plays an integral role at Kinsale Community School, promoting teamwork and resilience. PE Coordinator Mr. Gerard O’Callaghan presented this year’s sports awards: 

Junior Sports Person of the Year 

Awardees: Josh Lehane and Caoimhe O’Donnell 
Nominees: Oliver Buckley, Kate Cusack, Donnacha Deasy, Josh Lehane, Stephen Linehan, Emma MacSweeney, Peter McNelis, Zoe Murphy, Caoimhe O’Donnell, Liam O’Regan, Rian Walsh, Darragh Winters. 

Senior Sports Person of the Year 

Awardees: Claire Crowley and Ryan McCarthy 
Nominees: Zach Allen, Isobel Bergin, Dean Cosgrove, Claire Crowley, Megan Doody, David Forde, Mark Foster, Leo Hennessy, Aaron Keane, Sam Kiely, Ryan McCarthy, Mary Clare Murphy, Cal O’Brien, Ted O’Callaghan, Cormac O’Callaghan, Erin Ridgeway, Gemma Whelan 

 
Joe McGrath Memorial Award 
Joe McGrath’s legacy as a GAA coach is cherished for his passion, dedication, and the lasting impact he had on countless young athletes. This Award embodies the spirit and dedication that Joe McGrath infused into our GAA coaching program of which the recipient was Aoife Cottrell. 

Excellence in Science and Technology  
 
The school's dedication to science and technology education was celebrated with several awards. Grace Coyle received the Science and Technology Award presented by Oisin O’Diomasaigh of Life Science Consultants, and Ronan Humphreys was honoured with the O’Brien BioTech Award presented by Mr. Eddie Farren on behalf of Frank O’Brien.  

The Young Scientist and Sci Fest award recipients included Emily Bertoletti, Lily Cahill, Ian Cullinane, Eva Grace, Ronan Hawkins, and Etaoin Healy Bastow. 

The Don O’Shea Memorial Award honours a beloved teacher who pioneered IT in our school and inspired many with his expertise and humour. This year, the award went to Saoirse Hayes for her exemplary results in Science subjects during fifth year. 

Historical Society Award: 
Isobel Bergin received the Historical Society Award from Padraig Begley of the Kinsale Historical Society for her passion for history and contributions to the subject. 
 
The Catherine O’Byrne Memorial Award: 
Sophie Collins received the Catherine O’Byrne Memorial Award, presented by Lisa Hurley on behalf of the O’Byrne family. This special award is in commemoration of Catherine O’Byrne from Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, who joined our school in 1996. Her legacy continues to enrich our school and the lives of our students in German, debate, and human rights. 

Musical Talents:  
 
Music plays a cherished role in the life of Kinsale Community School. The Contribution to Music Award was presented by Bríd Kearney to Kieran Desmond, Mary Clare Murphy, Ted O’Callaghan and Aine O'Reilly.  
The Kilian Ryan Memorial Award was awarded by Áine Ryan O’Brien to Damien McGee and Shay Ahern for their magical musical performances. Kilian Ryan was involved in drama in the Convent of Mercy and later in KCS who was an inspiration to both students and teachers with his imagination and innovativeness in areas of lighting, stage design and production. 

 
Honouring Community and Civic Virtue: 

President of the Kinsale Lions Club, Cormac Fitzgerald, presented the Community and Civic Virtue Awards. Aoife Moloney received the Community Award for her significant contributions to the wider community, and Ellie and Skye Sheedy received this year’s Civic Virtue Award. 

The Meitheal Awards honoured senior students who serve as mentors, led by coordinator Brian Pentony. The recipients were Sarah Graham, Fionnuala Hayes, Chloe Hennessy-Buttimer, Tara Hipwell, Nell Jeffery, Evelyn Kingston, Oonagh McCarthy, Grace Meaney, Maisie O'Callaghan, Roise O'Donovan, Mark O'Driscoll, Aengus Price and Beth Reilly. 

. 

Sustainability Award 

New this year, the Sustainability Award went to Lilian Gleave for her environmental leadership, presented by Sustainability Chaplain Klaus Harvey. This award reflects our dedication to embedding sustainability in every facet of school life. 

Enterprising Excellence 
 
The Enterprise Award, presented by Ms. Catriona Leahy, honours the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial acumen of our students David Forde, John Quinn, Sean Dinneen, and Jack Good. DJS Engineering have showcased exceptional creativity, strategic thinking, and business savvy in their product that enhances both safety and efficiency in agricultural tasks and has scooped many local and national awards. 

Academic Awards 

Outstanding academic accomplishments were celebrated by Deputy Principals, Mr. Iggy Dineen and Ms. Claire Sheehan: 

Junior Academic Award 

Deputy Principal, Mr. Iggy Dineen presented the Junior Academic Award to Joshua Smyth. Nominees: Isabelle Boyce, Charlie Dolan, Eliana Hosford, Charlotte Kiely, Jessica O'Keeffe, Martha O'Sullivan, Breiffní Skinner, Joshua Smyth, Holly Wade Smith 

Senior Academic Award 

Deputy Principal, Ms. Claire Sheehan presented the Senior Academic Awards to Grace Coyle, Ellen Crowley, Eoin Deasy, Jenny Foley, Lilian Gleave, Séan Hynes, Evan Kelly, Oscar Lee, Evan Lehane, Isabelle Linehan, Conor MacCarthy, Oscar O'Callaghan, Sophie Peare, and Laura Whitehead. 

Principal’s Award 

Ethan Smyth was honored with the Principal’s Award for his exceptional achievements and contributions to the school community. 

 
Guest Speaker: Feargal O'Rourke, Chair of IDA 

This year’s guest speaker, Feargal O'Rourke, shared a captivating message on resilience and purpose. A distinguished leader in global finance, Mr. O'Rourke’s career spans over two decades as Managing Partner of PwC Ireland. Renowned for his expertise in corporate tax planning, he has played a significant role in securing Ireland’s position as a hub for major U.S. multinationals such as Google, Facebook, and Apple. His work has strengthened Ireland’s economy by attracting substantial foreign investment. 

Born into a prominent Irish family, Mr. O’Rourke is the son of former Minister Mary O'Rourke and a member of a long lineage of Irish political figures, including his uncle, the late Tánaiste Brian Lenihan Sr., and cousin, the late Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan Jr. In 2024, he was appointed Chair of IDA Ireland, focusing on promoting foreign direct investment in alignment with sustainability and digital transformation. Despite his global impact, Mr. O’Rourke’s deep connection to his Irish roots is evident in his dedication to Irish communities and his support for Westmeath GAA, Connacht Rugby, and Leeds United. 

In his speech, Mr. O'Rourke encouraged students to be persistent, open to learning, and to make a positive impact on the world. His message left students inspired to carry forward his legacy of resilience and dedication. 

Finale and Concluding Celebration 

The evening concluded with remarks from Head Girl Ellie Coughlan and Head Boy Mark O'Driscoll, followed by a musical performance by Contribution to Music Award recipients. Attendees then enjoyed refreshments in the Atrium, organised by the Parents Association, as the Kinsale Community School family celebrated the achievements and spirit of its exceptional students. The evening, meticulously organised by Gemma Cooper, highlighted the school’s commitment to fostering talent and honouring its vibrant student body. 

The 2024 Éacht na Scoláirí Awards were a powerful reminder of the dedication, talent, and sense of community that define Kinsale Community School.